While no NASL team ever captured a treble, in 1975–76 Tampa Bay came the closest by winning the three different NASL titles available at the time ( Soccer Bowl '75, 1976 Indoor Title, 1976 Regular Season title) in succession within twelve months. Coached along the way by Firmani, John Boyle, Gordon Jago, Al Miller, and Marsh after his retirement, their catch phrase and marketing slogan was "The Rowdies arrrre.a kick in the grass!" The team showcased international stars such as midfielder, and team captain Rodney Marsh (England), 1979 league scoring leader Óscar Fabbiani (Chile), swift and forward Steve Wegerle (South Africa), rock-solid defenseman Arsene Auguste (Haiti), 1976 NASL goal scoring champion Derek Smethurst (South Africa), who was also the franchise's all-time leading goal scorer with 57 tallies in 65 games, as well as forward Clyde Best (Bermuda). The Rowdies also finished as runners-up in 19. The Rowdies played ten seasons at Tampa Stadium and won their only Soccer Bowl championship in their 1975 inaugural season, defeating the Portland Timbers 2–0 on August 24. On November 21, 1974, the Tampa Bay Professional Soccer Club announced that they would henceforth be known as the Tampa Bay Rowdies. In October 1974, Alex Pringle becomes the first player to sign with the team. On J George Strawbridge and Beau Rogers, IV purchased an expansion franchise in North American Soccer League for the sum of $25,000 and by July 24 they named Eddie Firmani their coach. Although San Diego played indoors until 1996, the Rowdies were the last surviving NASL franchise that played outdoor soccer on a regular basis. The Rowdies played nearly all of their outdoor home games at Tampa Stadium and nearly all of their indoor games at the Bayfront Center Arena in nearby St. They enjoyed broad popular support in the Tampa Bay area until the NASL folded in 1984, after which the team played in various minor indoor and outdoor leagues before finally folding on January 31, 1994. The winner of MLS Cup, and the runner-up, qualified for the CONCACAF Champions' Cup.The Tampa Bay Rowdies were an American professional soccer team based in Tampa, Florida, that competed in the original North American Soccer League (NASL) from 1975 to 1984. The team with the most points in the regular season was awarded the MLS Supporters' Shield. The away goals rule was not used in any round. In all rounds, draws were broken by penalty shootout if necessary. The conference semifinals and finals were played as a best-of-three series, and the winners advanced to MLS Cup. The top four teams from each conference qualified for the MLS Cup Playoffs. The rest of the schedule consisted of three games against each team from the opposite conference, with four games against one designated team. Each team played every other team in their conference four times, for a total of 16 games. Each team played 32 games that were evenly divided between home and away. The 10 teams were split evenly into two conferences. The season began on March 22 and concluded with MLS Cup on October 26. United won their first Supporters' Shield and defended their MLS Cup championship becoming the first team to win back-to-back cups. The 1997 MLS Cup Playoffs began on October 4, and concluded with MLS Cup 1997 on October 26. The regular season began on March 29, and concluded on September 28. It was also the 85th season of FIFA-sanctioned soccer in the United States, and the 19th with a national first-division league.įollowing the 1996 season, the Wiz changed names, becoming the Wizards, following legal action from electronics retailer The Wiz. The 1997 Major League Soccer season was the second season of Major League Soccer. Locations of teams for the 1997 Major League Soccer season
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |