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.

Match details
Toronto Metros-Croatia3–0Minnesota Kicks
Eusébio 40:28'
Lukačević 53:57' (Ferreira)
Ferreira 82:43'		 Report
Attendance: 25,765
Toronto Metros-Croatia
Minnesota Kicks
GK1 Željko Bilecki
DF14 Damir Šutevski
DF6 Mladen Cukon
DF4 Filip Blašković
DF2 Robert Iarusci
MF3 Tadeusz Polak
MF10 Eusébio (c)
MF5 Wolfgang Sühnholz
FW11 Ivair Ferreira
FW9 Ivan Lukačević
FW12 Ivan Grnja
Substitutes:[7]
MF7 Gene Strenicer
MF8 Carmine Marcantonio
DF16 Chris Horrocks
FW18 Bruno Pilaš
Manager:
Domagoj Kapetanović
GK1 Geoff Barnett
DF5 Steve Litt
DF4 Peter Brine
DF6 Alan Merrick (c)
DF3 Frank Spraggon
MF11 Patrick Ntsoelengoe
MF17 Sam Bick
MF10 Alan West
FW21 Ade Coker
FW18 Ron Futcher
FW9 Alan Willey
Substitutes:[8]
DF2 Ron Webster
FW7 Mike Flater
MF8 Tom Howe
DF12 Peter Short
MF17 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. "The Spokesman-Review - Google News Archive Search".
  5. Weinstein, Leo (August 29, 1976). "Canadians rip Kicks, win crown". San Francisco Examiner. p. C-1. Retrieved December 31, 2019.
  6. "1976 Soccer Bowl Toronto Metro Croatia vs Minnesota Kicks highlights (Film) NASL". YouTube.
  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 (2000). Confessions of a Baseball Purist: What's Right, and Wrong, with Baseball, as ... JHU Press. p. 169. ISBN 9780801863165.
  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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