Tacoma Tides

American Soccer League (1976)

Tombstone

Born: 1976 – ASL expansion franchise
Folded: November 1976

First Game: April 25, 1976 (W 1-0 @ Sacramento Spirits)
Last Game: August 21, 1976 (L 2-1 @ Los Angeles Skyhawks)

ASL Championships: None

Stadium

Cheney Stadium
Opened: 1960

Marketing

Team Colors:

Ownership

Owner: Booth Gardner & Tacoma Baseball, Inc.

Our Favorite Stuff

Tacoma Tides Logo T-Shirt

Do you think Bruce Arena, the all-time coaching wins leader for both Major League Soccer and the U.S. National Team, has a Tacoma Tides throwback tee in his closet? A then 24-year old Arena was the club’s back-up goalkeeper in 1976.

This Tides design is available from American Retro Apparel in Grey and White and in sizes small through XXXL today!

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Background

The Tacoma Tides were a One-Year Wonder that competed in the American Soccer League in the summer of 1976. The lower-division soccer club was jointly owned by Booth Gardner, a future Governor of the state of Washington, and the operators of the Tacoma Twins minor league baseball team. The Tides shared Cheney Stadium, the city’s baseball field, with the Twins.

The Tides were a good side in their only year of action. The team finished 10-6-5 and earned a playoff spot, losing in overtime to the eventual champion Los Angeles Skyhawks in the semi-final match.

English import David Chadwick was the Tides’ leading scorer with 9 goals and 8 assists. Future U.S. National Team coach Bruce Arena was the Tides’ second string goalkeeper, but the bulk of the net duties were handled by lower division warhorse Jamil Canal.

The Tides lost a reported $100,000 during the 1976 season.¹ The club went out of business that November.