Category: North American Soccer League

Portland Timbers NASL

Portland Timbers (1975-1982)

May 12, 2014

The Portland Timbers were an iconic North American Soccer League (NASL) franchise that helped earn Portland the nickname “Soccer City U.S.A.”.  The original Timbers (1975-1982) sparked a youth soccer boom in the Rose City and inspired numerous reunions, revivals and re-births over the years, culminating in the acceptance of a new Portland Timbers club into Major League Soccer in 2011. The highpoint for the NASL-era Timbers was the team’s 1975 debut, when Vic Crowe’s club posted a 16-6 record and advanced to the NASL’s Soccer Bowl final in their inaugural campaign.

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San Diego Jaws North American Soccer League

San Diego Jaws

March 24, 2014

The San Diego Jaws were a North American Soccer League franchise that lasted only one summer at the Aztec Bowl in 1976. The franchise left for Las Vegas in 1977 only to return a year later with a new owner, new stadium and new name: the San Diego Sockers.

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1975 Toronto Metros-Croatia Media Guide from the North American Soccer League

Toronto Metros-Croatia

January 28, 2014

Toronto Metros-Croatia was an anomaly within the North American Soccer League during the NASL’s boom years of the mid-to-late 1970’s.  The club emerged in 1975 from the merger of the NASL’s Toronto Metros and Toronto Croatia of Canada’s small-time National Soccer League. To the chagrin of NASL executives the merged club played up its ethnic identity, coming up with the awkward “Metros-Croatia” moniker and filling its management (entirely) and roster (largely) with ethnic Croats. But in their finest hour, the club acquired Western European stars Eusebio and Wolfgang Sunholz and rode these late season acquisition to the 1976 Soccer Bowl title.

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Team America North American Soccer League

Team America

December 22, 2013

North American Soccer League (1983) Born: 1983 – NASL expansion franchise Folded: September 1983 First Game: April 23, 1983 (W 1-0 @ Seattle Sounders) Last

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Boston Minutemen Soccer

Boston Minutemen

August 25, 2013

The Boston Minutemen were a nomadic North American Soccer League club that played in a half dozen different stadia during their three-season run from 1974 to 1976. At the peak of their ambitions in 1975, the club signed Portuguese superstar Eusebio, ex-Bayern Munich midfielder Wolfgang Sunholz and the brash American goalkeeper Shep Messing. But owner John Sterge’s financial troubles led to a fire sale of these players in 1976 and the club’s eventual bankruptcy and demise following that season.

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