The St. Louis Stars were the first top flight professional soccer team to make their home in the Gateway City. Relatively speaking, the Stars were a beacon of stability in the turbulent American pro soccer scene of the late 1960’s and 1970’s. Of the 22 American pro clubs that began play during the country’s 1967 pro soccer boom, only the Dallas Tornado (1967-1981) outlived the Stars.
The Los Angeles Toros were a One-Year Wonder in the start-up National Professional Soccer League (NPSL) in 1967. The team was part of a soccer war between the NPSL and another 1967 start-up, the United Soccer Association (USA). Both leagues placed franchises into the L.A. Memorial Coliseum in the spring of 1967. The Toros, owned by L.A. Rams owner Dan Reeves, fought for fans and prime dates against the USA’s Los Angeles Wolves, backed by L.A. Lakers and Kings chief Jack Kent Cooke.
The Pittsburgh Phantoms soccer team played for a single season at Forbes Field in the summer of 1967. The Phantoms were one of ten original franchises in the National Professional Soccer League, a circuit formed in the wake of the 1966 World Cup, the first to be broadcast in the United States. The Phantoms endured a bumpy campaign, cycling through four coaches en route to a 10-14-7 5th place finish. The club went out of business following the 1967 season amidst heavy financial losses.
National Professional Soccer League (1967) Born: 1967 – NPSL founding franchise Moved: January 1968 (Kansas City Spurs) First Game: April 16, 1967 (W 2-1 vs. St. Louis
National Professional Soccer League (1967) Born: 1967 – NPSL founding franchise Folded: January 6, 1968 First Game: Last Game: NPSL Championships: None Temple University Stadium (20,000) Team Colors: Maroon
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