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]

Soccer Bowl '76
EventSoccer Bowl
Toronto Metros-Croatia Minnesota Kicks
3 0
DateAugust 28, 1976 (1976-08-28)
VenueKingdome, Seattle, Washington
Man of the MatchWolfgang Sühnholz
RefereeGordon Hill (England)
Attendance25,765

Background

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.

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.

Game summary

Championship results
Toronto Metros-Croatia3–0Minnesota Kicks
Eusébio  40:28'
Lukačević  53:57' (Ferreira)
Ferreira  82:43'		 Report
Attendance: 25,765
Toronto
Minnesota
GK1 Željko Bilecki
D14 Damir Šutevski
D6 Mladen Cukon
D4 Filip Blašković
D2 Robert Iarusci
M3 Tadeusz Polak
M10 Eusébio (c)
M5 Wolfgang Sühnholz
F11 Ivair Ferreira
F9 Ivan Lukačević
F12 Ivan Grnja
Substitutes:[7]
M7 Gene Strenicer
M8 Carmine Marcantonio
D16 Chris Horrocks
F18 Bruno Pilaš
Manager:
Domagoj Kapetanović
GK1 Geoff Barnett
D5 Steve Litt
D4 Peter Brine
D6 Alan Merrick (c)
D3 Frank Spraggon
M11 Patrick Ntsoelengoe
M17 Sam Bick
M10 Alan West
F21 Ade Coker
F18 Ron Futcher
F9 Alan Willey
Substitutes:[8]
D2 Ron Webster
F7 Mike Flater
M8 Tom Howe
D12 Peter Short
M17 Sam Bick
Manager:
Freddie Goodwin

1976 NASL Champions: Toronto Metros-Croatia

Soccer Bowl MVP:
Wolfgang Sühnholz (Toronto)

Assistant referees:

Television: CBS, CBC
Announcers: Jon Miller[9][10]

Statistics
Overall[11]
Statistic Toronto Minnesota
Goals scored 3 0
Total shots 17 15
On target 11 6
Saves 6 8
Yellow cards ? ?
Red cards 0 0

See also

References
  1. NASL. "NASLSoccerBowl - History - Past Winner". North American Soccer League.
  2. NASL. "NASL 1968-1984 - Yearly Result". North American Soccer League.
  3. "Soccer Bowl '76 scheduled today". The Times-Standard (Eureka, CA). August 28, 1976. p. 9. Retrieved November 29, 2019.
  4. https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1314&dat=19760829&id=BCFOAAAAIBAJ&sjid=nO0DAAAAIBAJ&pg=5541,5535255
  5. Weinstein, Leo (August 29, 1976). "Canadians rip Kicks, win crown". San Francisco Examiner. p. C-1. Retrieved December 31, 2019.
  6. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZp7u-IiBUI
  7. Jose, Colin (1989). NASL: A Complete Record of the North American Soccer League. Derby, England: Breedon Books. p. 162.
  8. Jose, Colin (2003). North American Soccer League Encyclopedia. Haworth, NJ: St. Johann Press. p. 380.
  9. Miller, Hyman, Jon W., Mark. Confessions of a Baseball Purist: What's Right, and Wrong, with Baseball, as ... JHU Press. p. 169.
  10. Lalas, Greg (August 24, 2011). "Soccer Almanac: The explosion of soccer on TV". MLSsoccer.com.
  11. "Toronto trips Kicks for NASL title, 3-0". Baltimore Sun. August 29, 1976. p. B14. Retrieved 2020-05-24.
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