NASL Final 1971

NASL Final 1971

Event	NASL Final
Atlanta Chiefs Dallas Tornado 1 2
(Best-of-three series)
Game 1
Atlanta Chiefs Dallas Tornado 2 1
after extra time
Date	September 12, 1971 (1971-09-12)
Venue	Atlanta Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia
Attendance	3,218
Game 2
Dallas Tornado Atlanta Chiefs 4 1
Date	September 15, 1971 (1971-09-15)
Venue	Franklin Stadium, Dallas
Attendance	6,456
Game 3
Atlanta Chiefs Dallas Tornado 0 2
Date	September 19, 1971 (1971-09-19)
Venue	Atlanta Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia
Attendance	4,687
← 1970 1972 →

NASL Final 1971 was the championship series of the 1971 season. It was contested as a best-of-three series between the Dallas Tornado and the Atlanta Chiefs. The matches were held on September 9, 15, and 19, 1971. Games one and three were played at Atlanta Stadium, in Atlanta, Georgia. Game two was played at Franklin Stadium of Hillcrest High School in Dallas. A combined 14,361 people attended the three game series. ^[1] The Chiefs won game one, while the Tornado won games two and three to claim their first NASL championship. ^{[2] [3]}

Background

The Dallas Tornado qualified for the playoffs by virtue of having the highest non-division-winning point total in the league (119 points). They defeated the defending league champion Rochester Lancers 2–1 in a marathon best-of-three semifinal series. The series featured two of the longest matches in the sport's history due to the NASL's adoption of a sudden death rule to replace the penalty shootout. The first leg ended shortly before midnight on September 1 with a victory for Rochester after 176 minutes and required six overtime periods; the third leg lasted 148 minutes with four overtime periods and sent the Tornado to the final with a 2–1 win. ^{[4] [5]}

The Atlanta Chiefs qualified for the playoffs by winning the Southern Division with 120 points. The Chiefs then defeated the New York Cosmos in the semifinals with two wins and no goals conceded.

Series summary

Champion	Runner-up	Game 1	Venue 1	Game 2	Venue 2	Game 3	Venue 3	Result
Dallas Tornado	Atlanta Chiefs	1–2	Atlanta Stadium	4–1	Franklin Stadium	2–0	Atlanta Stadium	2–1 [note 1]

Notes

1. Result on games won, as a best-of-three series.

Match details

First leg

September 12

Atlanta Chiefs	2–1 (a.e.t.)	Dallas Tornado
da Veiga 72' Motaung 124'	Report	Molnár 41'

Atlanta Stadium , Atlanta

Attendance: 3,218

Atlanta Chiefs

Dallas Tornado

---

Second leg

September 15

Dallas Tornado	4–1	Atlanta Chiefs
Tinney 45' Juracy 54', 76' Tony McLoughlin	Report 1 Report 2	Largie 44'

Franklin Stadium, Dallas

Attendance: 6,456

Dallas Tornado [6]

Atlanta Chiefs

---

Playoff

September 19

Atlanta Chiefs	0–2	Dallas Tornado [7]
	Report 1 Report 2	Renshaw 3' Moffat 45'

Atlanta Stadium , Atlanta

Attendance: 4,687

Atlanta Chiefs [8]

Dallas Tornado

GK 1 Manfred Kammerer DF Alan Hamlyn DF 5 Ken Bracewell (c) DF 6 Henry Largie DF 3 John Cocking DF 11 Uriel da Veiga MF 12 Alec Papadakis MF 10 Danny Paton FW 15 Freddie Mwila FW 9 Nick Papadakis FW 24 Kaizer Motaung Manager: Vic Rouse

GK 16 Mirko Stojanovic DF 5 Dick Hall DF 3 Oreco DF 4 John Best (c) DF 12 Momčilo Gavrić MF 14 Bobby Moffat MF 6 Roy Turner FW 18 Phillip Tinney FW 9 Luiz Juracy FW 10 Tony McLoughlin FW 11 Mike Renshaw Manager: Ron Newman

1971 NASL Champions: Dallas Tornado

See also

• 1971 North American Soccer League season

References

1. "Previo Campeones: Dallas Tornado Ganan Titulo en 1971". September 22, 2015. Retrieved January 22, 2016.
2. NASL. "NASLSoccerBowl - History - Past Winner". North American Soccer League. Archived from the original on November 5, 2013. Retrieved October 14, 2013.
3. NASL. "NASL 1968-1984 - Yearly Result". North American Soccer League. Archived from the original on October 12, 2013.
4. Lewis, Michael (September 1, 2015). "Exhaustion and a 176th minute winner: The NASL game that lasted nearly three hours". The Guardian . Retrieved May 31, 2023.
5. Arnold, Jong (October 8, 2021). "Fifty years later, Dallas Tornado's NASL title still resonates in soccer community". The Dallas Morning News . Retrieved May 31, 2023.
6. "Tony McLaughlin (10) of Dallas tangled with Atlanta goalie Manfred Kammerer in the 1971 final". Archived from the original on November 4, 2013.
7. "Previo Campeones: Dallas Tornado Ganan Titulo en 1971". September 22, 2015. Retrieved January 22, 2016.
8. "1971 NASL Finals Highlights - YouTube". YouTube .

External links

• Match highlights on YouTube