CBS Sports: NASL 1975- Dallas Tornado @ New York Cosmos: Pele's First NASL Game

Source:CBS Sports- welcome to America, Pele.

"Thirty-five years ago this month, the great Pele made his debut with the NASL's New York Cosmos in this exhibition against the Dallas Tornado at Downing Stadium on Randalls Island in New York. The Black Pearl assisted on one goal and scored the equalizer in a 2-2 draw with the Tornado." 

From The Celebrated Misterk

Only in professional soccer will you see an exhibition game between two teams from the same league play each other during the regular season. Which is exactly what you see here with the Dallas Tornado playing the New York Cosmos during an exhibition game at Downing Stadium in New York City on Randall's Island, in June when the NASL season was already two months old. Just something else that American sports fans had to get use to with professional, major league soccer being played in this country in the 1970s. 

Play It & Be Dammed: NASL 1978- Philadelphia Fury @ Houston Hurricane: Highlights

Source:Play It & Be Dammed- the Philadelphia Fury and Houston Hurricane from 1978.

"Yes, this is longer than usual. And it's a Fury loss. But there's good reason. Lots of action in this one. It was Bob Rigby's debut as the Fury keeper. No Shep Messing commercial, but the "NASL Goal of the Week" featuring a pretty goal by Gerd Mueller of the Fort Lauderdale Strikers. A few obscure Fury player sightings. And a two-goal performance (nearly three) by a special Fury veteran.

As always, these are from Betamax rips that Dave Brett Wasser (www.davebrett.com) did of recordings that my father did from home. Actually, compared to the other two, the camera footage is pretty good. You'll see.

If you like this, please join the Philadelphia fury fan page on Facebook." 

From Play It & Be Dammed

Outdoor soccer played indoors in the Houston Astrodome. 

If you are an American sports fan who likes offense and action and for defenses to actually be challenged and forced to play well in order to succeed, then I think you would've loved the NASL (North American Soccer League) because the clubs were encouraged to move the ball forward, to score, and actually try to win the game. 

The more goals you scored in the game and the better point differential that you had between your opponents, the more your wins were worth in the standings. And the more close losses that you had in the standings, that was better for you, then if you were blown and didn't even scored when you lost. So in the NASL, soccer looked like an American sport which is why the league was fairly popular in the 1970s. Especially considering soccer has never been a strong American professional sport.