Soccer Bowl '76
Soccer Bowl '76 was the championship final of the 1976 NASL season, between the Toronto Metros-Croatia and the Minnesota Kicks. The match was played on August 28, 1976 at the Kingdome, in Seattle, Washington. The Toronto Metros-Croatia won the match, 3–0, to claim their first North American championship.[1][2]
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| Event | Soccer Bowl | ||||||
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| Date | August 28, 1976 | ||||||
| Venue | Kingdome, Seattle, Washington | ||||||
| Man of the Match | Wolfgang Sühnholz | ||||||
| Referee | Gordon Hill (England) | ||||||
| Attendance | 25,765 | ||||||
Background
Toronto Metros-Croatia
The Toronto Metros-Croatia qualified for the playoffs by virtue of a second-place finish in the Northern Division with 123 points. Toronto defeated the Rochester Lancers in a first round match, 2–1, on August 18, 1976. Two days later in the conference semifinals they played the Northern Division champion Chicago Sting to a 2–2 draw, and advanced on penalties, 3–1. In the Atlantic Conference finals the Metros-Croatia upset the defending champion Tampa Bay Rowdies, 2–0, on August 24, 1976, to advance to the Soccer Bowl.
Minnesota Kicks
The Minnesota Kicks qualified for the playoffs by virtue of winning the Western Division with 138 points. The point total earned them the number one seed in the Pacific Conference and with it, a first round playoff bye. The Kicks defeated the Seattle Sounders in the conference semifinals, 3–0, on August 21, 1976. Four days later they downed the Southern Division champion San Jose Earthquakes, 3–1, in the Pacific Conference finals played on August 25, 1975, to advance to the Soccer Bowl.
Match details
| Toronto Metros-Croatia | 3–0 | Minnesota Kicks |
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Eusébio  40:28' Lukačević 53:57' (Ferreira) Ferreira 82:43' |
Report |
         Toronto Metros-Croatia
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     Minnesota Kicks
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1976 NASL Champions: Toronto Metros-Croatia
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Soccer Bowl MVP:
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Assistant referees: |
Television: CBS, CBC
Announcers: Jon Miller[9][10]
Statistics
| Statistic | Toronto | Minnesota |
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| Goals scored | 3 | 0 |
| Total shots | 17 | 15 |
| On target | 11 | 6 |
| Saves | 6 | 8 |
| Yellow cards | ? | ? |
| Red cards | 0 | 0 |
References
- NASL. "NASLSoccerBowl - History - Past Winner". North American Soccer League.
- NASL. "NASL 1968-1984 - Yearly Result". North American Soccer League.
- "Soccer Bowl '76 scheduled today". The Times-Standard (Eureka, CA). August 28, 1976. p. 9. Retrieved November 29, 2019.
- "The Spokesman-Review - Google News Archive Search".
- Weinstein, Leo (August 29, 1976). "Canadians rip Kicks, win crown". San Francisco Examiner. p. C-1. Retrieved December 31, 2019.
- "1976 Soccer Bowl Toronto Metro Croatia vs Minnesota Kicks highlights (Film) NASL". YouTube.
- Jose, Colin (1989). NASL: A Complete Record of the North American Soccer League. Derby, England: Breedon Books. p. 162.
- Jose, Colin (2003). North American Soccer League Encyclopedia. Haworth, NJ: St. Johann Press. p. 380.
- Miller, Hyman, Jon W., Mark (2000). Confessions of a Baseball Purist: What's Right, and Wrong, with Baseball, as ... JHU Press. p. 169. ISBN 9780801863165.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - Lalas, Greg (August 24, 2011). "Soccer Almanac: The explosion of soccer on TV". MLSsoccer.com.
- "Toronto trips Kicks for NASL title, 3-0". Baltimore Sun. August 29, 1976. p. B14. Retrieved May 24, 2020.