Soccer Bowl '76

Last updated

Soccer Bowl '76
Soccer Bowl '76.png
Event Soccer Bowl
Toronto Metros-Croatia Minnesota Kicks
30
DateAugust 28, 1976 (1976-08-28)
Venue Kingdome, Seattle, Washington
Man of the Match Wolfgang Sühnholz
Referee Gordon Hill (England)
Attendance25,765
← 1975
1977 →

Soccer Bowl '76 was the championship final of the 1976 NASL season, between the Toronto Metros-Croatia and the Minnesota Kicks. The match was played on August 28, 1976 at the Kingdome, in Seattle, Washington. The Toronto Metros-Croatia won the match, 3–0, to claim their first North American championship. [1] [2]

Contents

Background

The Kingdome was the venue for Soccer Bowl '76 Kingdome across parking lot in 1996.jpg
The Kingdome was the venue for Soccer Bowl '76

Toronto Metros-Croatia

The Toronto Metros-Croatia qualified for the playoffs by virtue of a second-place finish in the Northern Division with 123 points. Toronto defeated the Rochester Lancers in a first round match, 2–1, on August 18, 1976. Two days later in the conference semifinals they played the Northern Division champion Chicago Sting to a 2–2 draw, and advanced on penalties, 3–1. In the Atlantic Conference finals the Metros-Croatia upset the defending champion Tampa Bay Rowdies, 2–0, on August 24, 1976, to advance to the Soccer Bowl.

Minnesota Kicks

The Minnesota Kicks qualified for the playoffs by virtue of winning the Western Division with 138 points. The point total earned them the number one seed in the Pacific Conference and with it, a first round playoff bye. The Kicks defeated the Seattle Sounders in the conference semifinals, 3–0, on August 21, 1976. Four days later they downed the Southern Division champion San Jose Earthquakes, 3–1, in the Pacific Conference finals played on August 25, 1975, to advance to the Soccer Bowl.

Match details

Toronto Metros-Croatia 3–0 Minnesota Kicks
Eusébio Soccerball shade.svg40:28'
Lukačević Soccerball shade.svg53:57' (Ferreira)
Ferreira Soccerball shade.svg82:43'		 Report
Kingdome, Seattle [4]
Attendance: 25,765
Referee: Gordon Hill [5] [6] (England)
Kit left arm shoulder stripes white stripes.png
Kit left arm.svg
Kit body shoulder stripes white stripes.png
Kit body.svg
Kit right arm shoulder stripes white stripes.png
Kit right arm.svg
Kit shorts red stripes adidas.png
Kit shorts.svg
Kit socks long.svg
Toronto Metros-Croatia
Kit left arm orange border.png
Kit left arm.svg
Kit body rightstripeonwhite.png
Kit body.svg
Kit right arm orange border.png
Kit right arm.svg
Kit shorts orangesides.png
Kit shorts.svg
Kit socks bluestripe.png
Kit socks long.svg
Minnesota Kicks
GK1 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Željko Bilecki
DF14 Flag of Yugoslavia (1946-1992).svg Damir Šutevski Sub off.svg
DF6 Flag of Yugoslavia (1946-1992).svg Mladen Cukon
DF4 Flag of Yugoslavia (1946-1992).svg Filip Blašković
DF2 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Robert Iarusci
MF3 Flag of Poland.svg Tadeusz Polak
MF10 Flag of Portugal (official).svg Eusébio (c)
MF5 Flag of Germany.svg Wolfgang Sühnholz
FW11 Flag of Brazil.svg Ivair Ferreira
FW9 Flag of Yugoslavia (1946-1992).svg Ivan Lukačević
FW12 Flag of Yugoslavia (1946-1992).svg Ivan Grnja
Substitutes: [7]
MF7 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Gene Strenicer Sub on.svg
MF8 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Carmine Marcantonio
DF16 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Chris Horrocks
FW18 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Bruno Pilaš
Manager:
Flag of Yugoslavia (1946-1992).svg Domagoj Kapetanović
GK1 Flag of England.svg Geoff Barnett
DF5 Flag of England.svg Steve Litt
DF4 Flag of England.svg Peter Brine
DF6 Flag of England.svg Alan Merrick (c)
DF3 Flag of England.svg Frank Spraggon
MF11 Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg Patrick Ntsoelengoe Sub off.svg
MF17 Flag of the United States.svg Sam Bick
MF10 Flag of England.svg Alan West
FW21 Flag of England.svg Ade Coker
FW18 Flag of England.svg Ron Futcher
FW9 Flag of England.svg Alan Willey
Substitutes: [8]
DF2 Flag of England.svg Ron Webster
FW7 Flag of the United States.svg Mike Flater
MF8 Flag of the United States.svg Tom Howe Sub on.svg
DF12 Flag of England.svg Peter Short
Manager:
Flag of England.svg Freddie Goodwin

1976 NASL Champions: Toronto Metros-Croatia

Soccer Bowl MVP:
Wolfgang Sühnholz (Toronto)

Assistant referees:

Television: CBS, CBC
Announcers: Jon Miller [9] [10]

Statistics

Overall [11]
StatisticTorontoMinnesota
Goals scored30
Total shots1715
On target116
Saves68
Yellow cards??
Red cards00

See also

References

  1. ↑ NASL. "NASLSoccerBowl - History - Past Winner". North American Soccer League.
  2. ↑ NASL. "NASL 1968-1984 - Yearly Result". North American Soccer League.
  3. ↑ "Soccer Bowl '76 scheduled today". The Times-Standard (Eureka, CA). August 28, 1976. p. 9. Retrieved November 29, 2019.
  4. ↑ "The Spokesman-Review - Google News Archive Search".
  5. ↑ Weinstein, Leo (August 29, 1976). "Canadians rip Kicks, win crown". San Francisco Examiner. p. C-1. Retrieved December 31, 2019.
  6. ↑ "1976 Soccer Bowl Toronto Metro Croatia vs Minnesota Kicks highlights (Film) NASL". YouTube .
  7. ↑ Jose, Colin (1989). NASL: A Complete Record of the North American Soccer League. Derby, England: Breedon Books. p. 162.
  8. ↑ Jose, Colin (2003). North American Soccer League Encyclopedia. Haworth, NJ: St. Johann Press. p. 380.
  9. ↑ Miller, Hyman, Jon W., Mark (2000). Confessions of a Baseball Purist: What's Right, and Wrong, with Baseball, as ... JHU Press. p. 169. ISBN   9780801863165.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  10. ↑ Lalas, Greg (August 24, 2011). "Soccer Almanac: The explosion of soccer on TV". MLSsoccer.com.
  11. ↑ "Toronto trips Kicks for NASL title, 3-0". Baltimore Sun. August 29, 1976. p. B14. Retrieved May 24, 2020.