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 setting up Major League Soccer (MLS) in 1996.
The New York Cosmos were an American professional soccer club based in New York City and its suburbs. The team played home games in three stadiums around New York, including Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, before moving in 1977 to Giants Stadium in nearby East Rutherford, New Jersey, where the club remained for the rest of its history.
Kaizer Motaung OIS is a former South African association football player and founder of Kaizer Chiefs FC, of which he is chairman and managing director. He was nicknamed "Chincha Guluva".
Giorgio Chinaglia was an Italian footballer who played as a striker. He grew up and played his early football in Cardiff, Wales, and began his career with Swansea Town in 1964. He later returned to Italy to play for Massese, Internapoli and S.S. Lazio in 1969. Chinaglia led Lazio to the club's first league championship in the 1973–74 season, during which he was also the league's leading scorer. He played international football for Italy, making 14 appearances and scoring 4 goals between 1972 and 1975, including two appearances at the 1974 FIFA World Cup. Chinaglia was the first player in Italian football history to be called up internationally from the second division.
The 1984 North American Soccer League season was the 72nd season of FIFA-sanctioned soccer, the 17th with a national first-division league, in the United States and Canada. It would be the 17th and final season of the NASL.
John Kerr Sr. was a professional soccer player who played as a midfielder. Born in Scotland, he played for the Canada men's national team.
Jose Carlos Metidieri is a retired soccer player who played as a forward. He played professionally in Canada with Toronto Italia and the United States with the Rochester Lancers. He was the leading scorer of the North American Soccer League in 1970 and 1971 with the Lancers and was named the league's Most Valuable Player—the only player in the league's history to receive both awards in consecutive seasons. Born in Brazil, he earned two caps for the United States national team in 1973.
Steve Ralbovsky is a Yugoslav-American former soccer player. He was the 1975 Hermann Trophy winner as the outstanding collegiate soccer player of the year. He then had an extensive professional career including time in the North American Soccer League and the American Soccer League II and III.
Jeffrey Durgan is a retired U.S. soccer defender who played professionally for the New York Cosmos and seven times for the U.S. national team.
Alan Green is a former professional footballer. Born in England, he began his career with Coventry City before moving to the United States in 1979. He played a total of seven seasons in the North American Soccer League and earned one cap with the U.S. national team.
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.
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.
John Best was a professional soccer player who played as a defender, spending six seasons in the North American Soccer League where he was a five-time first team All Star. He later coached the NASL Seattle Sounders and served as the general manager of the Sounders and the Vancouver Whitecaps. Born in England, he also earned one cap with the United States 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.
Michael Lawrence Renshaw was a soccer player who played as a left winger. He began as a youth player with Blackpool before moving to the United States to join the Dallas Tornado of the North American Soccer League in 1968. He also spent time with Margate F.C. and Rhyl F.C. Born in England, he earned two caps with the United States national team in 1973 despite not being a U.S. citizen at the time. Finally, he coached the Dallas Tornado in 1981.
Statistics of North American Soccer League in season 1971. This was the 4th season of the NASL.
Statistics of North American Soccer League in season 1972. This was the 5th season of the NASL.
Charlie Mitchell is a Scottish American former soccer defender and coach. He played ten seasons in the North American Soccer League from 1970 to 1979.
North American Soccer League (NASL) was a professional soccer league with teams in the United States and Canada that operated from 1968 to 1984. Beginning in 1975, the league final was called the Soccer Bowl.
The 1972 NASL Final was the championship match of the 1972 season, between the New York Cosmos and the St. Louis Stars. The match was played on August 26, 1972 at Hofstra Stadium, in Hempstead, New York. The New York Cosmos won the match, 2–1, and were crowned the 1972 NASL champions.
