The North American Soccer League (NASL) was the top-level major professional soccer league in the United States and Canada that operated from 1968 to 1984. It is considered the first soccer league to be successful on a national scale in the United States. The league final was called the Soccer Bowl from 1975 to 1983 and the Soccer Bowl Series in its final year, 1984. The league was headed by Commissioner Phil Woosnam from 1969 to 1983. The NASL laid the foundations for soccer in the United States that helped lead to the country hosting the 1994 FIFA World Cup and the set-up of Major League Soccer (MLS) in 1996.
The Connecticut Bicentennials were an American soccer team that competed in the North American Soccer League (NASL) from 1975 to 1977. Originally founded as the Hartford Bicentennials, the team relocated to New Haven, Connecticut after the 1976 NASL season. At the end of 1977 season, the team was sold and relocated to California becoming the Oakland Stompers.
Arnold "Arnie" Mausser is an American former soccer goalkeeper who played with eight different NASL teams from 1975 to 1984. He is a member of the National Soccer Hall of Fame.
Winston DuBose is an American former soccer goalkeeper who spent eight seasons in the North American Soccer League, four in the American Professional Soccer League and one in the American Indoor Soccer Association. He also earned fourteen caps with the United States men's national soccer team.
Andy Atuegbu (ah-two-ay-boo) is a retired Nigerian football midfielder. Atuegbu was a star midfielder for the University of San Francisco from 1974 to 1977. The Dons won the NCAA championship two of Atuegbu's four seasons with the team, 1975 and 1976. His outstanding play led to his selection as a first team All American in 1976. He also earned second team All American recognition in 1975 and 1977. His 1976 NCAA championship with the Dons was complemented with a National Challenge Cup title while playing for SFAC. He scored the winning goal in the final against Inter-Giuliana.
Henry McCully is a retired Scottish-American soccer forward. A native of Scotland, McCully spent most of his career in the New England area of the United States. He earned two caps, scoring one goal, with the United States in 1975.
Hank Liotart is a Dutch-American former soccer player. Liotart played one season in the National Professional Soccer League, eight in the North American Soccer League and at least one in Major Indoor Soccer League. He also played eight years in the Netherlands. Liotart earned four caps with the U.S. national team in 1975.
Peter Chandler is an American former soccer player who spent four seasons in the North American Soccer League. He also earned three caps with the U.S. national team in 1975.
Bruce Rudroff was a U.S. soccer defender. Rudroff played three seasons in the North American Soccer League and four in the Major Indoor Soccer League. He also earned two caps with the U.S. national team.
The 1978 North American Soccer League season was the 66th season of FIFA-sanctioned soccer, the 11th with a national first-division league, in the United States and Canada.
Lawrence Adam Michael Abrahams is an English retired professional footballer who played as a striker in England, the United States, and Australia. From 1977 to 1987, Abrahams played 283 career league games, and scored 142 league goals.
Victor "Vic" Moreland is a retired professional footballer from Northern Ireland who began his career in Northern Ireland, spent two seasons in the Football League before moving to the United States. He then played six seasons in the North American Soccer League, seven in the Major Indoor Soccer League as well as several seasons in several lower division indoor and outdoor leagues.
Delroy Allen is a retired Jamaican-American soccer goalkeeper who played professionally in the North American Soccer League, American Soccer League and United Soccer League.
Barry Daniel Wallace was an English football midfielder who played professionally in the Football League, North American Soccer League and Major Indoor Soccer League. After his retirement from playing, Wallace spent the rest of his life coaching youth soccer teams.
Jim Millnder is a retired American soccer player and coach who played professionally in the North American Soccer League and Major Indoor Soccer League, American Soccer League and United Soccer League. He coached collegiate soccer for twenty-nine years.
Dave Huson is a retired footballer from Jersey who played professionally in the North American Soccer League and Major Indoor Soccer League.
The 1979 NASL Budweiser Indoor Soccer Invitational was a four-team indoor soccer tournament held at the Bayfront Center in St. Petersburg, Florida on the final weekend of January 1979.
The 1978 Vancouver Whitecaps season was the fifth season of the Whitecaps, and their fifth year in the North American Soccer League and the top flight of Canadian soccer.
The 1978 NASL Skelly Invitational was a four-team indoor soccer tournament held in Tulsa, Oklahoma, at the Tulsa Assembly Center on the first weekend of March 1979.
Tibor Molnar is a Hungarian former footballer who played as a midfielder in the North American Soccer League, the Canadian National Soccer League, and the Major Indoor Soccer League in the 1970s and early 1980s.