The Rise and Fall of the NASL

Football or soccer in North America has grown with the MLS for the past few years. The

MLS would have never existed without the previous top-flight league, which was the NASL

(North American Soccer League). The NASL was founded in 1967, operating from 1968 through

1984 and folding in 1985. It was the first soccer league to have successful attention in the United

States, which seemed like an exciting project for players worldwide. Like the MLS, some clubs

were from Canada, and the league didn't have promotion or relegation. Let's look back at how

this folded league was eventually essential for the growth of soccer in North America.

Before the 1966 World Cup, the United States only qualified for three World Cups. The

U.S. qualified for the first-ever World Cup in 1930 and finished 3rd. They would then be

eliminated in the Round of 16 in the 1934 World Cup and eliminated in the Group Stage in the

1950 World Cup. After England won the 1966 World Cup, the documentary film, Goal would be

a success in the U.S., with over 1 million people watching the film on their television screens.

These numbers convinced American sports investors to start a soccer league that could gain this

much attention and grows the sport in the U.S. and Canada. Two professional soccer leagues in

the United States, United Soccer Association (USA) and the National Professional Soccer

League (NPSL) had failed to impress audiences because of their lack of quality and being

viewed as a "training exercise" for foreign players before a World Cup. Thus both leagues

merged in Early December of 1967 to make the NASL.

After the NASL was formed, they would try to quickly bring eyes to the league by

bringing more foreign talents into the teams. One of the first players that were well-known then

and was successful was Brazilian striker, Vava. Vava played for the San Diego Toros in 1968,

and he was in the latest years of his career. The NASL would also host friendlies against
European clubs like Manchester City and Santos, where the great Pele would play. The league

would collapse quickly, with five teams out of 17 remaining. The rest of the 12 teams folded

because of the expense of high salaries of the players, renting stadiums for the games, and losing

money because of poor attendance and viewership on TV. The league would soon gain it's short

success after introducing some rules, new teams, and new players joining.

Some rules that gained attention because of it's difference from European football or

football, in general, are using a clock counting down from the 90th minute. One rule many know,

which was also used in the MLS in it's early years, is the penalty shootout, as in the ice hockey

version. Players would start with the ball at the 35-yard line and try to score in five seconds. It

was an absurd penalty for many who watch football at the time and even now, but it was

entertaining to watch. Slowly, the NASL and soccer in the U.S. kept gaining attention. Sports

Illustrated featured a soccer player on its cover for the first time in 1973. The player featured was

Bob Rigby, a goalkeeper from the Philadelphia Atoms, who won the NASL Championship

against the Dallas Tornado 2-0. The Philadelphia Atoms gained a fanbase, averaging over 10,000

fans throughout the 1973 season.

In 1971, The New York Cosmos were added to the league and would be arguably the

most critical team in NASL history. Four years after their addition to the league, they signed one

of the best players of all time, Pele. The Boston Minutemen would also sign Eusebio, one of that

generation's best players. Teams from the NASL were attracting global football stars to come

and play for those teams at a decent age which would then gain a bigger audience. The Pele

signing to New York was the major one that surprised many because of his popularity worldwide

and his talent since he was the best player and most influential player in the world.
 Pele's arrival in the U.S. was great for the league as Cosmo's attendance would increase

because of his status in football. He signed for the New York Cosmos on June 10, 1975, which

gave the league so much exposure in the U.S. and worldwide. Around ten million people

watched Pele's debut match for the Cosmos live on CBS against the Dallas Tornado. The year

after, the NASL became mainstream as it would get covered in American newspapers and

worldwide because of the Pele signing. Everyone in the world wanted to see what Pele would do

in a new club since he spent his time at Santos for most of his career. The success of the New

York Cosmos kept increasing, with over 40,000 fans appearing per game throughout three

seasons. Pele's impact in the league convinced other teams to sign these world-class players

during their later years.

The late 70s was the peak of the NASL, with more World class players joining the

league. The New York Cosmos would sign one of the best defenders in the world, German Franz

Beckenbauer. In 1976, the Los Angeles Aztecs signed George Best of Manchester United to

compete with the Pele signing. George Best was also one of the best players in the world at age

29. Johan Cruyff was the next global football superstar to arrive in the NASL in 1979, joining

Los Angeles and Best traded to the Fort Lauderdale Strikers from Miami. Cruyff greatly

impacted Los Angeles by winning the MVP award and increasing the team's fan attendance.

Bobby Moore, an English legend who won his country the World Cup, played for the San

Antonio Thunder and the Seattle Sounders in 1976 and 1978, respectively.

Although more foreign superstars playing for NASL teams was exciting, there were rules

to be obeyed by the NASL, which included starting at least two American or Canadian players

and having six native players in each team's 17-man roster. It was a difficult task for all teams in

the league, but it was needed to avoid FIFA sanctions and help develop native players. These
issues would lead to a rapid downfall of the NASL. The absurd rules of the NASL weren't

sanctioned by FIFA, who also warned the U.S. Federation to ban NASL players from playing

international games, including the World Cup in 1978.

These world-class players would only stay for a short time in these teams as their salaries

and other players' salaries were too high. In fact, over 70% was spent on player salaries by team

owners. This would not be sustainable for the league as the financial problems kept increasing

competition for the Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL) and bidding to host the FIFA World

Cup in 1986. The MISL averaged 8,000 fans per game and had disputes with the NASL over

U.S.-based players and forming their own indoor league. Teams in the NASL were losing money

from the 80s, and teams were folding from 24 teams to 21 teams to 14 teams, finally ending up

with only nine teams. In 1985, the NASL suspended the year's season with only two teams

interested in playing, the Minnesota Strikers and the Toronto Blizzard. The remaining teams

were interested in the indoor league, and a planned relaunch of the NASL in 1986 never

happened.

The failure of the NASL was a blessing in disguise for the U.S. and Soccer in North

America as it became one of the most popular sports in the country. On July 4, 1988, FIFA

awarded the United States the 1994 World Cup. The MLS would be founded in 1993, and

officially its first season was in 1996. The league has continued to grow over the past years with

a similar formula of signing aging players to increase the level of the league and gain more

viewership. The U.S., Canada, and Mexico will host the FIFA World Cup in 2026, with 11

stadiums hosting in the United States. It will be the first World Cup with three countries hosting

the competition. The MLS and soccer in North America keep on growing, and in the 2026 World

Cup, we can see how much soccer has grown in front of the world.
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