How the birth and death of the NASL changed soccer in America forever

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https://www.theguardian.com/football/2018/oct/20/nasl-history-soccer-america

How the birth and death of the NASL changed soccer in America forever

This week marks the 50th anniversary of the North American Soccer League’s foundation. The competition’s influence can still be seen today

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https://www.nationalsoccerhof.com/news/2018/10/nasl-50th-anniversary-tour-hall-of-fame-experience.html

NASL 50TH ANNIVERSARY ATTENDEES GET SNEAK PEAK AT NATIONAL SOCCER HALL OF FAME EXPERIENCE

The original North American Soccer League is celebrating its 50th anniversary around Hall of Fame Induction Weekend and to kick off the celebration, the legends got a sneak peak of the National Soccer Hall of Fame Experience.

As many of the retired players looked upon the memorabilia, they recalled their glory days of playing the sport they love. They will get a chance to take the field again in the NASL 50th Anniversary Game at Toyota Stadium, right after the FC Dallas-Sporting KC Hall of Fame Game on Sunday, Oct. 21.

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https://www.nationalsoccerhof.com/news/2018/10/dr-bob-contiguglia-2002-put-us-on-stage.html

DR. BOB CONTIGUGLIA: "2002 PUT US ON THE STAGE"

It’s easy to put things like soccer into perspective when you’ve dealt with life and death. “After being in critical care situations, you know to manage when the occasional crisis pops up and those around you are getting a little too excited,” said Doctor Bob Contiguglia – MD, U.S. Soccer President from 1998 to 2006 and one of the men responsible for helping the American game hit some of its highest notes. “I used to tell the staff at USSF when I was there and things got tough: ‘this isn’t life and death – I know life and death and this isn’t it,’ and that would always calm everyone down.”

Intelligent, ambitious and a leader from an early age, Contiguglia was drawn to the game of soccer on Long Island in his native New York. He grew up in the 1940s and 50s in Great Neck, just a stone’s throw from Lake Success where the United Nations was located before opening in its current home on Manhattan in 1952. “I was introduced to the game in grade school by a coach who was Israeli and also played in Israel and with the UN right down the road we had a lot of foreign kids in my school system. Because of that, there was lot of soccer played around me and I liked it right away.”

Contiguglia, now 77, recalls kicking a ball against a wall hundreds and hundreds of times each day, forcing himself to use both feet. There were trips to Randall’s Island with his high school teammates to see Pele play in the early days of the North American Soccer League (NASL) and watching the old PBS program Soccer Made in Germany to get a glimpse of the soccer world beyond. He took in all that was available to him before eventually lining up in the first varsity program at Colombia University since the end of World War II, between 1959 and 1963.

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https://www.frontrowsoccer.com/2018/10/20/taking-in-the-crowd-nasl-legends-at-the-hall-of-fame/

TAKING IN THE CROWD: NASL legends at the Hall of Fame

A host of North American Soccer League legends, including former Lancers Charlie Mitchell (defender), Charlie Schiano (owner) and Joe Sirianni (trainer) were among several dozen people who showed up at the league’s 50th anniversary reunion at the National Soccer Hall of Fame Friday.

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https://www.nationalsoccerhof.com/news/2018/10/tiffeny-milbrett-in-my-heart-in-my-blood.html

TIFFENY MILBRETT: "IN MY HEART AND IN MY BLOOD."

Growing up in Portland, Oregon, an eight-year-old Tiffeny Milbrett sat in front of the family TV and marveled at the amazing athletes – track and field stars and volleyball greats – who competed in the Summer Olympic Games.

In fact, she was so mesmerized by those Olympian feats that Milbrett not only fantasized about performing at the highest level possible, she made it a goal to compete at what she called “the pinnacle" of sports. "Oh gosh, that's where I wanted to be, in that competition," she told ussoccer.com on the verge of being inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2018. "I wanted to be an Olympian."

And it was after watching the local Portland Timbers of the old North American Soccer League (NASL) that Milbrett fell in love with the game of soccer. “I just feel fortunate I was able to play soccer at the upper echelon for so many years,” she added, looking back on a legendary career with the U.S. Women’s National Team. “It was really, really my goal, in my heart and in my blood.”

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https://www.uslsoccer.com/news_article/show/960630

Cincinnati Ready to 'Seize the Moment' in USL Curtain Call

FCC LOOKS TO COMPLETE SPECTACULAR SEASON WITH MORE SILVERWARE AHEAD OF TRANSITION TO MLS

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https://www.businessobserverfl.com/article/signature-place-stpete-residents-celebrate

Signature achievement: Condo owners celebrate building's rebirth

Buoyed by a supportive property management company, residents of a beleaguered mixed-use project are riding high after buying low.

Either way, nearly a decade later, property values are on the rise and the building has attracted a dynamic mix of residents ranging from retirees, empty nesters and young professionals to members of the Tampa Bay Rowdies soccer club — who play across the street at Al Lang Stadium.

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https://theathletic.com/599977/2018/10/19/the-five-ingredients-that-make-up-fc-cincinnatis-usl-championship-recipe/

The five ingredients that make up FC Cincinnati’s USL championship recipe

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https://www.ussoccer.com/stories/2018/10/19/22/46/20181019-feat-hall-of-fame-don-garber-truly-an-honor

DON GARBER: "TRULY AN HONOR"

wo events happened in May and August of 1999 that will forever be linked with sparking today’s thriving men’s professional game in the United States: the opening of the country’s first soccer-specific stadium in Columbus, Ohio, and the appointment of Don Garber as MLS Commissioner.

In order to better understand the significance of each – and how they are connected – let’s briefly review where the game was at the time.

Fulfilling a commitment made to FIFA in order to host the 1994 FIFA World Cup, Major League Soccer launched in 1996 with 10 teams and much fanfare. 

The first-year buzz led the league to expand to 12 teams in 1998. But deep down there were doubts about the league’s long-term viability, in which teams played in college and professional American football stadiums. Furthermore, there were only three owners who operated all the teams: Phil Anschutz, Robert Kraft, and Lamar Hunt.

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https://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Daily/Issues/2018/10/19/People-and-Pop-Culture/Garber.aspx

Garber Ready To Enter Soccer HOF, But Mission Far From Over

MLS Commissioner DON GARBER is "set to be enshrined" in the National Soccer HOF on Saturday as part of a six-person class, but he wants fans to "know that he's still working," according to a profile by Jon Arnold of the DALLAS MORNING NEWS. FC Dallas Chair & CEO CLARK HUNT said t...

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http://www.smudailycampus.com/sports/national-soccer-hall-of-fame-opens-in-toyota-stadium-in-frisco-saturday-oct-20

National Soccer Hall of Fame opens in Toyota Stadium in Frisco Saturday Oct 20

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https://www.starsandstripesfc.com/usmnt-news/2018/10/19/17998612/frustration-friday-usa-usmnt-ussf-us-soccer

Frustration Friday: Why is U.S. Soccer still upsetting us?

What’s changed? What’s stayed the same? Has anything improved?

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http://www.espn.com/soccer/deandre-yedlin/story/3672912/fifa-panel-to-consider-solidarity-payments-claim-from-deandre-yedlins-youth-club

FIFA panel to consider solidarity payments claim from DeAndre Yedlin's youth club

FIFA's Dispute Resolution Chamber (DRC) will consider a claim for solidarity payments involving Newcastle United and U.S. international defender DeAndre Yedlin on Oct. 25, according to a document obtained by ESPN FC.

A five-person panel is scheduled to render a decision as to whether Redmond, Washington-based youth club Crossfire Premier is owed solidarity payments related to Yedlin's transfer from the Seattle Sounders to Tottenham Hotspur, which took place in August of 2014. The reported transfer fee was $3.71 million.

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https://www.ussoccer.com/stories/2018/10/19/21/27/20181019-feat-hall-of-fame-2018-class-dr-bob-contiguglia-2002-put-us-on-the-stage

DR. BOB CONTIGUGLIA: "2002 PUT US ON THE STAGE"