Organizing body | North American Soccer League |
---|---|
Founded | 2011 |
Abolished | 2017 |
Region | CONCACAF |
Last champion(s) | San Francisco Deltas (1st title) |
Most successful club(s) | New York Cosmos (3 titles) |
NASL Championship 2017 |
The NASL Championship was the annual championship competition of the North American Soccer League (NASL), which formed the second division of American soccer from 2011 to 2017. The competition was held at the end of the regular season and was contested by the two finalists of the playoffs to determine the winner of the NASL Trophy, known as the Soccer Bowl Trophy. [1] The trophy was named for the Soccer Bowl championship game from the original incarnation of the NASL, which ran from 1967 to 1984.
In the league's first two seasons, the championship final was played as a two-match aggregate series at the conclusion of a playoff bracket.
The league announced a switch for the 2013 season to a one-game championship final, also known as the "Soccer Bowl". [2] [3]
Beginning with the 2014 season, a new format was introduced, in which the whole playoff tournament was called the NASL Championship, with the final game being called the NASL Championship Final. From that point on, "Soccer Bowl" was only used in referring only to the physical trophy itself. [1] This format persisted through the 2017 final, the NASL's last, as the league suspended operations shortly thereafter and went defunct the following year.
On October 22, 2011, the day their inaugural championship series got underway in Minnesota, the new NASL unveiled its championship trophy. The silver trophy featured a large bowl etched with the NASL logo resting atop three long prongs, and the words "North American Soccer League" and "Soccer Bowl" inscribed prominently across the base. [4] [5]
NASL Championship (2011–2017) | ||||||||||
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Event | Game | Venue | Location | Champions | Score | Runners-up | Attendance | Television | MVP | Notes |
NASL Championship [6] | 2011 (NASL Championship Series 2011) October 22, 29 | National Sports Center | Blaine, Minnesota | NSC Minnesota Stars | 3–1 0–0 Aggregate | Fort Lauderdale Strikers | 4,511 6,849 | GOL TV | Luke Mulholland (NSC Minnesota Stars) | Luke Mulholland scored game one winning goal in 53rd min. [7] |
NASL Championship Series [8] | 2012 (NASL Championship Series 2012) October 20, 27 | National Sports Center | Blaine, Minnesota | Tampa Bay Rowdies [10] | 0–2 3–1 | Minnesota Stars | 4,642 6,208 | Ustream | Jeff Attinella (Tampa Bay Rowdies) | Jeff Attinella saved 3 penalty kicks in shoot-out. Fafà Picault scored winning penalty kick. [11] |
Soccer Bowl | 2013 (Soccer Bowl 2013) November 9 | Atlanta Silverbacks Park | Atlanta, Georgia | New York Cosmos | 1–0 | Atlanta Silverbacks | 7,211 | ESPN3 ESPN Deportes [12] | Marcos Senna (New York Cosmos) | Marcos Senna scored championship winning goal in the 50th min. [13] |
NASL Championship Final | 2014 (NASL Championship Final 2014) November 15 | Toyota Field | San Antonio, Texas | San Antonio Scorpions | 2–1 | Fort Lauderdale Strikers | 7,847 | ESPN3 ONE World Sports NASLLive.com KSAT12 Sofloradio.com | Rafael Castillo (San Antonio Scorpions) | Rafael Castillo scored on a bicycle kick in the 69th min. and assisted on Billy Forbes game winner in 74th min. [14] |
NASL Championship Final | 2015 (NASL Championship Final 2015) November 15 | James M. Shuart Stadium | Hempstead, New York | New York Cosmos | 3–2 | Ottawa Fury | 10,166 | ESPN3 ONE World Sports NASLLive.com | Gastón Cellerino (New York Cosmos) | Gastón Cellerino scored a hat trick before a modern NASL-record playoff crowd. [15] |
NASL Championship Final | 2016 (NASL Championship Final 2016) November 15 | Belson Stadium | Queens, New York | New York Cosmos | 0–0 PSO 4–2 | Indy Eleven | 2,150 | CBS Sports Network | None | |
NASL Championship Final | 2017 (NASL Championship Final 2017) November 12 | Kezar Stadium | San Francisco | San Francisco Deltas | 2–0 | New York Cosmos | 9,691 | beIN SPORTS |
The Fort Lauderdale Strikers were a professional soccer team based in the Miami metropolitan area. They competed in the North American Soccer League (NASL) from 1977 to 1983. They played their home matches at Lockhart Stadium.
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.
The 1978 North American Soccer League season was the 66th season of FIFA-sanctioned soccer, the 11th with a national first-division league, in the United States and Canada.
The 1979 North American Soccer League season was the 67th season of FIFA-sanctioned soccer and the 12th with a national first-division league in the United States and Canada.
Statistics of North American Soccer League in season 1982. This was the 15th season of the NASL.
The Tampa Bay Rowdies are an American professional soccer team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The club was founded in 2008 and first took the pitch in 2010. Since 2017, the Rowdies have been members of the USL Championship in the second tier of the American soccer pyramid. They formerly played in USSF Division 2 and the North American Soccer League (NASL), which were also second-tier leagues. The Rowdies play their home games at Al Lang Stadium on St. Petersburg's downtown waterfront.
The 2011 North American Soccer League season is the 44th season of second division soccer in the United States and the inaugural season of the newly created North American Soccer League.
The 2012 North American Soccer League season was the 45th season of Division II soccer in the United States and the second season of the revived North American Soccer League. It was contested by eight teams including one from Canada and one from Puerto Rico. The Montreal Impact were self-promoted to Major League Soccer as an expansion franchise and the expansion San Antonio Scorpions were added to the NASL. The NASL received full sanctioning from the United States Soccer Federation on March 3, 2012 at their annual meeting. The defending Soccer Bowl champions were the NSC Minnesota Stars, while the Carolina Railhawks were the defending North American Supporters' Trophy winners.
The 2012 Tampa Bay Rowdies season was the current Tampa Bay Rowdies' third season of existence, and second in the North American Soccer League. Including the original Rowdies franchise and the Tampa Bay Mutiny, this was the 25th season of a professional soccer team fielded in the Tampa Bay region.
Soccer Bowl '78 was the North American Soccer League's championship final for the 1978 season. It was the fourth NASL championship under the Soccer Bowl name.
The 2013 North American Soccer League season was the 46th season of Division II soccer in the United States and the third season of the revived North American Soccer League. It was contested by eight teams including one from Canada. Expansion club New York Cosmos was added to the NASL during the season. A split season format was used for the first time. Puerto Rico Islanders, originally planned to take part in this season, as they did in first two editions, took the year off, due to planned restructuring. The defending Soccer Bowl champions were the Tampa Bay Rowdies, while the San Antonio Scorpions were the defending North American Supporters' Trophy winners.
The 2013 San Antonio Scorpions FC season was the club's second season of existence, where they played in the North American Soccer League, the second division of the American soccer pyramid. Including the San Antonio Thunder soccer franchise of the original NASL, this was the 4th season of professional soccer in San Antonio. The Scorpions were the reigning North American Supporters' Trophy winners and began play at Toyota Field in San Antonio, Texas.
The 2014 North American Soccer League season was the 47th season of Division II soccer in the United States and the fourth season of the revived North American Soccer League. It was contested by ten teams including two from Canada. Joining the NASL in the Spring of 2014 were two new franchises, Indy Eleven and Ottawa Fury FC; originally Virginia Cavalry FC were to begin play this season but now plan to join in the 2016 season. The defending Soccer Bowl champions are the New York Cosmos, while the Carolina Railhawks are the defending North American Supporters' Trophy winners. A split season format was used again for the 2014 season.
NASL Championship Series 2012 was the North American Soccer League's postseason championship final of the 2012 season. Also known as the NASL Championship Series 2012, the event was contested in a two-game aggregate match between the Tampa Bay Rowdies and, the defending 2011 NASL champions, the Minnesota Stars. The first leg was held on October 20, 2012 at National Sports Center, in Blaine, Minnesota, while the second on October 27, 2012 at Al Lang Stadium, in St. Petersburg, Florida.
NASL Championship Series 2011 was the North American Soccer League's postseason championship final of the 2011 season. It was the first championship match held by the new NASL and the first Soccer Bowl since 1984. Also known as the NASL Championship series 2011, the event was contested in a two-game aggregate match between the NSC Minnesota Stars and the Fort Lauderdale Strikers. The first leg was held on October 22, 2011 at National Sports Center in Blaine, Minnesota, while the second on October 29, 2011 at Lockhart Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Soccer Bowl '79 was the championship final of the 1979 NASL season. The National Conference champion Vancouver Whitecaps played the American Conference champion Tampa Bay Rowdies. The match was played on September 8, 1979, at Giants Stadium, in East Rutherford, New Jersey. This was the second straight year that Giants Stadium hosted the Soccer Bowl. The Whitecaps won the match, 2–1, to claim their first North American championship.
Soccer Bowl '81 was the championship final of the 1981 NASL season, between the Chicago Sting and the New York Cosmos. The match was played on September 26, 1981, at Exhibition Stadium, in Toronto, Ontario. Following regulation and 15 minutes of golden goal overtime, the match remained tied, 0–0. With that, the game moved to a shoot-out. The Sting won the shoot-out, 2–1, and were crowned the 1981 NASL champions. This was Chicago's first NASL title.
The 2014 San Antonio Scorpions FC season is the club's third season of existence, and its third consecutive season in the North American Soccer League, the second division of the American soccer pyramid. Including the San Antonio Thunder soccer franchise of the original NASL, this was the 5th season of professional soccer in San Antonio.
The 2014 Fort Lauderdale Strikers season was the team's ninth season overall, and fourth in the North American Soccer League (NASL).
The NASL Championship Final 2015 was the North American Soccer League's postseason championship match of the 2015 season which determined the NASL Champion.