North American Soccer League
-1976 Indoor Tournament-
NASL Indoor Tournament
Tournament details
DatesMarch 12, 1976 –
March 27, 1976
Teams12
Final positions
ChampionsTampa Bay Rowdies (1st title)
Runners-upRochester Lancers
Tournament statistics
Matches played16
Goals scored175 (10.94 per match)
Top scorer(s)United States Juli Veee (8 goals)
Best player(s)Bermuda Clyde Best (Tampa Bay)
← 1975
1978 →

Over the course of three weekends in March 1976, the North American Soccer League hosted its second league-wide indoor soccer tournament. Twelve of the twenty NASL teams participated.

Overview

In 1976, instead of playing a full indoor schedule (and despite the hopes of Tampa Bay owner George Strawbridge, Jr.),[1] the North American Soccer League opted to stage a two-tiered indoor tournament for the second consecutive year. Of the league's 20 teams, 12 participated in three regions, which was down from 16 in four regions in the previous year's tournament. The regional winners along with the "best" second-place team would advance to the final four in St. Petersburg, Florida. While the goals remained 4 × 16, the games would be shortened to three 15-minute periods, instead of the 20-minute frames played the previous year.[2][3][4][5] The tournament also saw the first-ever indoor overtime and penalty shootout, as Miami and Boston played to a 6–6 draw in the opening match. After 45 minutes of regulation time and two 5-minute golden goal extra sessions, the match was ultimately decided by spot kicks.[6]

Playing in their home arena, the Bayfront Center, the Tampa Bay Rowdies defeated the Rochester Lancers 6–4 in the Championship Final. Juli Veee of San Jose scored eight goals to lead the tournament, while Clyde Best of Tampa Bay earned the MVP honors.

1976 Indoor Regional tournaments

Eastern Regional

played at the Bayfront Center in St. Petersburg, Florida[7][8][9]

March 12 Miami Toros 7–6 (PK, 4–3) Boston Minutemen Attendance: 4,762
March 12 Tampa Bay Rowdies 9–5 Washington Diplomats
March 13 Washington Diplomats 9–3 Miami Toros Attendance: 5,785
March 13 Tampa Bay Rowdies 5–3 Boston Minutemen
Pos Team G W L GF GA GD PTS
1 Tampa Bay Rowdies 2 2 0 14 8 +6 4
2 Washington Diplomats 2 1 1 14 12 +2 2
3 Miami Toros 2 1 1 9 15 –6 2
4 Boston Minutemen 2 0 2 9 11 –2 0

*Tampa Bay wins region, advances to semifinals

Midwest Regional

played at International Amphitheatre in Chicago, Illinois[10]

March 13 Toronto Metros-Croatia 8–6 St. Louis Stars Attendance: 1,700 (est.)[11]
March 13 Rochester Lancers 5–2 Chicago Sting
March 14 Rochester Lancers 5–4 St. Louis Stars Attendance: 1,700 (est.)[11]
March 14 Chicago Sting 6–2 Toronto Metros-Croatia
Pos Team G W L GF GA GD PTS
1 Rochester Lancers 2 2 0 10 6 +4 4
2 Chicago Sting 2 1 1 8 7 +1 2
3 Toronto Metros-Croatia 2 1 1 10 12 –2 2
4 St. Louis Stars 2 0 2 10 13 –3 0

*Rochester wins region, advances to semifinals

West Regional

played at the Cow Palace in Daly City, California[15][16][17]

March 19 Dallas Tornado 5–2 San Diego Jaws Attendance: 6,671[18]
March 19 San Jose Earthquakes 18–6 Vancouver Whitecaps
March 21 Dallas Tornado 11–2 Vancouver Whitecaps Attendance: 5,438[19]
March 21 San Jose Earthquakes 8–4 San Diego Jaws
Pos Team G W L GF GA GD PTS
1 San Jose Earthquakes 2 2 0 26 10 +16 4
2 Dallas Tornado 2 2 0 16 4 +12 4
3 San Diego Jaws 2 0 2 6 13 –7 0
4 Vancouver Whitecaps 2 0 2 8 29 –21 0

*San Jose wins region on goal differential, while Dallas is the top second-place team in any region, so both advance to semifinals

1976 Indoor Final Four

Bracket

Semifinals Championship Final
      
M1 Rochester Lancers 6
W1 San Jose Earthquakes 4
M1 Rochester Lancers 4
E1 Tampa Bay Rowdies 6
E1 Tampa Bay Rowdies 6
W2 Dallas Tornado 2 Third place
W1 San Jose Earthquakes 5
W2 Dallas Tornado 2

Semi-finals

played at the Bayfront Center in St. Petersburg, Florida[21]

March 26 Rochester Lancers 6–4 San Jose Earthquakes Attendance: 5,365
March 26 Tampa Bay Rowdies 6–2 Dallas Tornado

Third-place match

played at the Bayfront Center in St. Petersburg, Florida

March 27 San Jose Earthquakes 5–2 Dallas Tornado

Championship final

Tampa Bay Rowdies6–4Rochester Lancers
Smethurst 3:37' (Scullion)
Lindsay 12:43'
Best 20:11'
Smethurst 30:26' (Best)
Smethurst 41:42'
Best 44:58' (Scullion)		 Report 1
Report 2		 Garcia 2:31' (Escos)
Escos 9:54'
Silva
Moia 35:43'
Bayfront Center, St. Petersburg, Florida, St. Petersburg, Florida
Attendance: 5,787[22]
Referee: Larry King / Gino D'Ippolito / Rene Imar

1975 NASL Indoor Champions: Tampa Bay Rowdies

Final Four awards

Final team rankings

G = Games, W = Wins, L = Losses, GF = Goals For, GA = Goals Against, GD = Goal Differential

Pos Team G W L GF GA GD
1 Tampa Bay Rowdies 4 4 0 26 14 +12
2 Rochester Lancers 4 3 1 20 16 +4
3 San Jose Earthquakes 4 3 1 35 18 +17
4 Dallas Tornado 4 2 2 20 15 +5
5 Washington Diplomats 2 1 1 14 12 +2

Non-tournament matches

In addition to the tournament itself, a few teams staged other indoor matches as tune-ups for both the outdoor season and the indoor tournament itself.

Match reports

March 6, 1976 1 Int'l friendly Tampa Bay Rowdies 11–4 Santos F.C. (Jamaica) St. Petersburg, Florida
7:30 PM (EST) Wark 8:08' (Garber)
Austin 14:11' (Marsh)
Lindsay 17:19' (Marsh)
Best 24:13' (Garber)
Marsh 25:54' (Auguste)
Marsh 26:31' (Bleum)
Best 27:40'
Best 29:23' (Scullion)
Scullion 35:28' (Marsh)
Scullion 51:34' (Marsh)
Best 55:18' (Wark)		 Report 1
Report 2		 P. Marston 13:56' (Taylor)
L. Anderson 30:57' (Taylor)
E. Reid 39:29' (Taylor)
McKenzie 41:46' (Blair)		 Stadium: Bayfront Center
Attendance: 5,620
March 17, 1976 2 San Jose Earthquakes 9–4 Dallas Tornado Daly City, California
Child ,
Kemp ,
Samuelsson ,
B. Demling
Moore
Mitić 		Report 1
Report 2		 Chadwick , (pen.),
Cohen 		Stadium: Cow Palace
Attendance: 3,983[24]
April 8, 1976 3 Philadelphia Atoms 4–3 Washington Diplomats Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Herrada 7:05' (Camacho)
Navarro 21:53'
Galati 32:05' (Lopez)
López 39:45'		 Report 1
Report 2
Report 3		 Minor 26:52'
Grell 27:04'
Minor 33:40'		 Stadium: Spectrum
Attendance: 4,234[25]

References

  1. ^ "The Evening Independent - Google News Archive Search". news.google.com. Retrieved December 19, 2022.
  2. ^ "History of Indoor Soccer in the USA". RSSSF. Retrieved December 19, 2022.
  3. ^ "TAMPA BAY ROWDIES APPRECIATION BLOG (1975 to 1993)".
  4. ^ "The Year in American Soccer - 1976". Archived from the original on January 7, 2015. Retrieved January 2, 2013.
  5. ^ "TAMPA BAY ROWDIES APPRECIATION BLOG (1975 to 1993)".
  6. ^ "Sarasota Journal - Google News Archive Search".
  7. ^ "St. Petersburg Times - Google News Archive Search".
  8. ^ "St. Petersburg Times - Google News Archive Search". news.google.com. Retrieved December 19, 2022.
  9. ^ "St. Petersburg Times - Google News Archive Search".
  10. ^ "Chicago Tribune: Chicago news, sports, weather, entertainment".
  11. ^ a b "The Evening Independent - Google News Archive Search". news.google.com. Retrieved December 19, 2022.
  12. ^ "Chicago Tribune: Chicago news, sports, weather, entertainment".
  13. ^ "15 Mar 1976, Page 10 - St. Louis Post-Dispatch at". Newspapers.com. March 15, 1976. Retrieved June 5, 2022.
  14. ^ "Democrat and Chronicle from Rochester, New York on March 15, 1976 · Page 27".
  15. ^ "St. Petersburg Times - Google News Archive Search". news.google.com. Retrieved December 19, 2022.
  16. ^ "Sarasota Herald-Tribune - Google News Archive Search".
  17. ^ "St. Petersburg Times - Google News Archive Search".
  18. ^ "Quakes Romp". The Petaluma Argus-Courier. March 20, 1976. p. 5A. Retrieved July 15, 2017.
  19. ^ Chittenden, Ed (March 22, 1976). "Quakes Capture Title". The Times (San Mateo, CA). p. 15. Retrieved July 26, 2016.
  20. ^ Hunt, Tim (March 22, 1976). "Quakes work for 8–4 win". The Argus (Fremont, CA). p. 16. Retrieved July 15, 2017.
  21. ^ Rowdies win 6-2
  22. ^ Rowdies whip Rochester to win the indoor title
  23. ^ "NASL-Clyde Best". www.nasljerseys.com. Retrieved December 19, 2022.
  24. ^ Faraudo, Jeff (March 18, 1976). "Quakes erupt in first period". The Argus (Fremont, CA). p. 17. Retrieved January 16, 2021.
  25. ^ McKee, Don (April 9, 1976). "'New' Atoms win, 4-3, in indoor exhibition". Philadelphia Inquirer. p. 2D. Retrieved January 16, 2021.
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