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 USL First Division was a professional men's soccer league in the United States and Canada from 2005 to 2010.
The Atlanta Silverbacks FC were an American professional soccer club based in Atlanta, Georgia. Founded in 1998 as Atlanta Ruckus, the club played in many leagues over the years before folding after the 2015 season. The team played its home games at Atlanta Silverbacks Park, a large soccer complex featuring a 5,000-seat soccer-specific stadium in Atlanta, 15 miles northeast of downtown. The team's colors were red, black, grey, and white.
The United Soccer Association (USA) was a professional soccer league featuring teams based in the United States and Canada. The league survived only one season before merging with the National Professional Soccer League to form the North American Soccer League. Every team in the league was actually an imported European or South American club, that was then outfitted with a "local" name. Dick Walsh served as the commissioner.
The Atlanta Chiefs were an American professional soccer team based in Atlanta, Georgia. The team competed in the National Professional Soccer League (NPSL) in 1967 and the North American Soccer League (NASL) from 1968 to 1973 and again from 1979 to 1981. For the 1973 season, the team played as the Atlanta Apollos.
The Baltimore Bays were a professional soccer team based in Baltimore, Maryland founded in 1967 as one of the ten charter members of the National Professional Soccer League (NPSL). When the NPSL and the rival United Soccer Association (USA) merged in 1968 to form the North American Soccer League (NASL), the team moved to the new league. The Bays played its home matches at Memorial Stadium during its first two seasons and moved to Kirk Field, a high school football stadium, in 1969. The team folded at the conclusion of the 1969 NASL season.
The Caribous of Colorado were an American soccer team that competed in the North American Soccer League (NASL) during the 1978 season. The team was based in Denver, Colorado and played their home games at Mile High Stadium. After the season, the club was sold and moved to Atlanta to become the Atlanta Chiefs.
The San Diego Toros were a professional soccer team based in San Diego, California. Founded in 1967 as the Los Angeles Toros, the team was one of the ten charter members of the National Professional Soccer League (NPSL). When the NPSL and the rival United Soccer Association (USA) merged in 1968 to form the North American Soccer League (NASL), the team was relocated to San Diego as a member of the new league. While in Los Angeles, the Toros played its home matches at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and at Balboa Stadium when it moved to San Diego. The team folded at the conclusion of the 1968 NASL season.
Paul Hammond is an English former professional association football goalkeeper who played professionally in England, the North American Soccer League and Major Indoor Soccer League.
The National Professional Soccer League (NPSL) was a North American professional soccer league that existed for only the 1967 season before merging with the United Soccer Association (USA) to form the North American Soccer League. It was a "wild league", i.e. unlike its competitor, the USA, not associated with FIFA. It had ten charter members, nine from the United States and one from Canada. To encourage attacking play, the NPSL introduced a new standings points system that was later used by the NASL – 6 points for a win, 3 for a draw, 0 for a loss and 1 bonus point for each of the first three goals scored. The circuit's commissioner was Ken Macker, an American publisher of three Philippines-based newspapers. The name National Professional Soccer League was revived in 1990 and used by a United States professional indoor soccer league.
Atlanta Silverbacks Park is a sports complex in unincorporated DeKalb County, just outside Atlanta, United States that is currently used primarily for rugby. It was formerly the home venue of the Atlanta Silverbacks soccer club, from which the complex gets its name. It is also the home of the Atlanta Rhinos of USA Rugby League, Atlanta Renegades Rugby Club, and was previously used by Rugby ATL of Major League Rugby. The park includes a 5,000-seat soccer-specific stadium, which opened in 2006 and is designed for future expansion.
Paul Child is an English-American former soccer player who played as a forward, spending nine seasons in the North American Soccer League. He led the league in scoring in 1974 and was a two-time first team All-Star. He also earned two caps with the United States national team in 1973. He is a member of the National Soccer Hall of Fame.
Victor Nogueira is a retired American soccer goalkeeper. Nogueira spent six seasons in the North American Soccer League, but gained his greatest recognition in over twenty seasons in three indoor leagues, the Major Indoor Soccer League, National Professional Soccer League and the second Major Indoor Soccer League. He was also a member of the U.S. futsal team which took second place at the 1992 FIFA Futsal World Championship, and he is the father of FC Kansas City and United States forward Casey Loyd. He was elected to the Indoor Soccer Hall of Fame in 2011.
Michael Hoban is a former professional soccer player who played as a midfielder. He began his career with Aston Villa in 1969 before moving to the North American Soccer League in 1971. He still lives in the States more than 40 years later and has worked as a football coach there since retiring. Born in England, he earned one cap with the US national team in 1973.
The 1968 North American Soccer League season was the 56th season of FIFA-sanctioned soccer in the United States and Canada, and the 1st with a national first-division league with the inaugural season of the NASL.
Adrian Brooks is a former professional footballer who was the #2 draft pick in the NASL in 1979 and spent two seasons in the North American Soccer League and at least 4 in the Major Indoor Soccer League.He played 2 seasons in the American Soccer League, winning the ASL title in 1980 with the Pennsylvania Stoners .He was a 1977 and 1978 first team All American, coached at the collegiate level and is a sales representative for Adidas.
The North American Soccer League (NASL) was a professional men's soccer league based in the United States. The league was named for, but had no connection to, the original North American Soccer League. The later NASL was founded in 2009, and began play in 2011 with eight teams.
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.
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 2016 North American Soccer League season is the 49th season of Division II soccer in the United States and Canada, and the 6th season of the modern North American Soccer League.
