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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 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.
Western Soccer Alliance was a professional soccer league featuring teams from the West Coast of the United States and Western Canada. The league began in 1985 as the Western Alliance Challenge Series. In 1986, it became the Western Soccer Alliance. In 1989, it existed for a single year as the Western Soccer League before merging with the American Soccer League to form the American Professional Soccer League in 1990.
James Gabriel was a Scottish football defensive midfielder and defender who earned two caps with the Scotland national football team. Chiefly associated with English clubs Everton and Southampton, Gabriel played extensively in Scotland and England before ending his career with the Seattle Sounders of the North American Soccer League. He then became a coach in both England and the United States.
Football Club Seattle Storm, also known as the F.C. Seattle Storm, was an American soccer team based in Seattle, Washington. F.C. Seattle was a "super club" created to provide Seattle players an opportunity to play at a higher level than the local recreational and semi-pro leagues. In addition to playing exhibition matches against top international teams, F.C. Seattle was a member of the short lived Western Soccer Alliance, was a founding member of the American Professional Soccer League and later spent three seasons in the Pacific Coast Soccer League.
Bob Rigby is an American retired soccer player who played as a goalkeeper. He played twelve seasons in the North American Soccer League, three in the Major Indoor Soccer League, one in the Western Soccer Alliance and earned six caps with the United States men's national soccer team. Rigby was the color commentator with the Philadelphia Union of Major League Soccer.
Thomas Ernest Jenkins is an English retired footballer. He played professionally in two continents as a winger and is now a soccer coach in the United States.
Boris Bandov is a Bosnian-American former professional soccer player who currently coaches youth soccer. Bandov spent ten seasons in the North American Soccer League, two in the Major Indoor Soccer League and one in the United Soccer League. While born in Bosnia-Hercegovina, he became a U.S. citizen in 1976. He earned thirty-three caps, scoring two goals, with the U.S. national team between 1976 and 1983.
Chance Fry is a retired U.S. soccer forward who began his career straight out of high school with the Seattle Sounders of the North American Soccer League. With the collapse of the NASL, he moved to indoor soccer as well as U.S. minor leagues. Since retiring from playing, Fry has become a college soccer coach. He also earned five caps with the U.S. national team in 1984 and was the 1990 American Professional Soccer League leading goal scorer.
John Bain is a Scottish retired soccer midfielder who currently coaches youth soccer in the United States. Bain began his professional career in England before moving to the United States in 1978. Over his twenty-year playing career, Bain played for numerous leagues and teams, both indoors and out. After retiring from playing professionally, he has coached at the professional, youth club and high school levels in the US.
Brian Thomas Schmetzer is an American soccer coach and former professional soccer player. He is the head coach of the Seattle Sounders FC, who play in Major League Soccer (MLS), having been assistant coach for the team until Sigi Schmid's departure in 2016. Prior to that, he coached the Seattle Sounders in the USL First Division for seven seasons, winning two championships, and played in the North American Soccer League, Major Indoor Soccer League and Western Soccer League for various Seattle teams.
Laurence John Calloway is an English retired footballer who played as defender, spending thirteen years in the English leagues and five years in the North American Soccer League. Since retiring from playing professionally, Calloway has coached teams in several US leagues.
Bernie James is a former U.S. soccer player and current youth soccer coach. James spent twenty-four years as a professional, both beginning and ending his career with different versions of the Seattle Sounders. He played in the North American Soccer League, Major Indoor Soccer League, American Professional Soccer League and A-League. He served as an assistant coach with the Sounders for seven seasons and as interim head coach for one. He was a member of the U.S. Olympic soccer team which qualified for, but did not play in, the 1980 Summer Olympics due to the United States' boycott in response to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. He also earned two caps with the U.S. national team in 1988.
Billy Crook is a former U.S. soccer defender who spent two seasons in the North American Soccer League, eight in Major Indoor Soccer League, two in the Western Soccer Alliance, at least two in the Continental Indoor Soccer League, and four in the American Professional Soccer League. He also earned one cap with the U.S. national team. He currently coaches youth soccer in Sumner, Washington.
Rick Brian Blubaugh is an American former Professional Soccer Player. He spent four seasons in the Western Soccer Alliance, one in the Major Indoor Soccer League and one in the Continental Indoor Soccer League.
Tim Schulz is a former U.S. soccer midfielder who played two seasons in the North American Soccer League, two in the Western Soccer Alliance, two in Major Indoor Soccer League and one in the American Professional Soccer League. He was also a member of the U.S. soccer team at the 1983 Pan American Games. He coached the U.S. U-20 women's national team at the 2006 FIFA U-20 Women's World Championship.
Chris Turner is a Canadian retired soccer goalkeeper who played professionally in the North American Soccer League and Major Indoor Soccer League. He also earned four caps with the Canada national team.
Geoff Wall is a retired American soccer midfielder who played professionally in the North American Soccer League, Major Indoor Soccer League and Western Soccer Alliance.
Todd Saldana is an American retired soccer midfielder. He played four seasons in the North American Soccer League, two in the United Soccer League and two in the Western Soccer Alliance. He was a member of the United States U-20 men's national soccer team at the 1981 FIFA World Youth Championship and has coached at the collegiate level including three seasons as the head coach of the UCLA Bruins men's soccer team.
Fred Hamel is a retired American soccer midfielder who played professionally in the North American Soccer League and Western Soccer Alliance. He is currently a professor at the University of Puget Sound.
Tim Bartro is a retired American soccer player whose career spanned leagues from the first North American Soccer League to the Continental Indoor Soccer League.