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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 was 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 Atlanta Chiefs were an American professional soccer team based in Atlanta, Georgia. The team competed in the National Professional Soccer League (NPSL) in 1967 and the North American Soccer League (NASL) from 1968 to 1973 and again from 1979 to 1981. For the 1973 season, the team played as the Atlanta Apollos.
The Baltimore Bays were a professional soccer team based in Baltimore, Maryland founded in 1967 as one of the ten charter members of the National Professional Soccer League (NPSL). When the NPSL and the rival United Soccer Association (USA) merged in 1968 to form the North American Soccer League (NASL), the team moved to the new league. The Bays played its home matches at Memorial Stadium during its first two seasons and moved to Kirk Field, a high school football stadium, in 1969. The team folded at the conclusion of the 1969 NASL season.
The Detroit Cougars were an American professional soccer team based out of Detroit, Michigan that was a charter member of the United Soccer Association (USA) in 1967. When the USA and rival National Professional Soccer League (NPSL) merged in 1968 to form the North American Soccer League (NASL), the team moved to the new league. The Cougars played its home matches at the University of Detroit Stadium for the 1967 USA season and at Tiger Stadium for the 1968 NASL season, except when scheduling conflicts with the Detroit Tigers forced the team to play at the University of Detroit Stadium. The team folded at the conclusion of the 1968 NASL season.
Patrick "Pat" McBride is an American retired soccer midfielder and indoor soccer coach. He earned five caps with the U.S. national team and is a member of the National Soccer Hall of Fame.
Willy Roy is a retired American soccer forward and coach. He played for several teams in the National Professional Soccer League and the North American Soccer League in the 1960s and 1970s, as well as the United States national team from 1965 to 1973. He is a member of the National Soccer Hall of Fame.
Edward John Murphy was a soccer player who played as a forward. He played professionally in the National Soccer League of Chicago and the North American Soccer League. Born in Scotland, he earned seventeen caps and scored five goals for the United States national team from 1955 to 1969.
Robert "Bobby" Smith is a retired U.S. soccer defender who spent nine years in the North American Soccer League and one in the League of Ireland and the Major Indoor Soccer League. He also earned eighteen caps with the United States men's national soccer team and is a member of the National Soccer Hall of Fame.
Adolph (Adolf) Bachmeier was a U.S.-Romanian soccer player. He spent most of his playing career with various teams in Chicago. He also earned fifteen caps with the U.S. national team between 1959 and 1969. He was inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame in 2002.
Rudy Getzinger is a retired soccer player who played as a midfielder. He was raised in Austria before coming to the US. He spent most of his career with Chicago-based teams, earned eight caps with the United States and is a member of the National Soccer Hall of Fame.
Siegfried Stritzl was an American soccer player who was the 1969 North American Soccer League Rookie of the Year. He also earned eleven caps, scoring two goals, with the U.S. national team between 1968 and 1973.
Dietrich Albrecht is a retired American soccer player. He spent one season in the National Professional Soccer League and two in the North American Soccer League. He also earned nine caps, scoring three goals, with the United States national team in 1968 and 1969.
William Sheppell, also known as Billy Sheppell, was an American soccer forward who played in both the American Soccer League and German American Soccer League. He earned ten caps with the U.S. national team in 1949 and 1954 and was a member of the 1952 U.S. Olympic Soccer team.
Larry Hausmann is an American former soccer player who spent nine seasons in the North American Soccer League. He also earned eight caps with the U.S. national team between 1968 and 1972.
Jorge Siega is a former Brazilian-American football (soccer) forward who spent eight seasons in the North American Soccer League, seven with the New York Cosmos. He also earned eight caps with the U.S. national team in 1973.
Gordon Bradley was an English-American soccer midfielder born and raised on Wearside who played several seasons with lower-division English clubs before moving to play in Canada at the age of 30. During the Canadian off-season, he played and coached in the U.S.-based German American Soccer League. In 1971, he became a player and head coach for the New York Cosmos. In addition to coaching the Cosmos, he has coached the U.S. national team and at the collegiate and high school levels. Bradley also earned one cap with the U.S. national team in 1973. He is a member of the National Soccer Hall of Fame.
Carl Gentile is a former U.S. soccer forward. He played one season in the National Professional Soccer League and two in the North American Soccer League, all three with the St. Louis Stars. He also earned six caps with the U.S. national team in 1968.
Janos "Jim" Benedek was a Hungarian-American soccer forward who later coached at both the collegiate and national team levels. Benedek was an All American collegiate soccer player before spending six seasons in the North American Soccer League. He earned four caps with the U.S. national team in 1968 and was a member of the team that attempted to qualify for the 1968 Summer Olympics.
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.
Joseph "Joey" or "Joe" Speca is a former U.S. soccer player. Speca played a single season in both the National Professional Soccer League (NPSL) and the North American Soccer League (NASL). He also earned three caps with the United States.
References
- ↑ USA - Details of International Matches 1885-1969 Archived January 13, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
