1976 NASL Indoor tournament

Indoor soccer tournament

International football competition

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.

Map of clubs

1976 Indoor Regional tournaments

Eastern Regional

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

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*Tampa Bay wins region, advances to semifinals

• East Regional MVP: Stewart Scullion (Tampa Bay) – 3 goals, 1 assist
• All-Regional Team: Stojan Trickovic (Washington), John Kerr (Washington), Rodney Marsh (Tampa Bay), Arsène Auguste (Tampa Bay), Stewart Scullion (Tampa Bay), Shep Messing (Boston)

Midwest Regional

played at International Amphitheatre in Chicago, Illinois^[10]

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*Rochester wins region, advances to semifinals

• Midwest Regional MVP: Mario Garcia (Rochester) – 5 goals^[12]
• All-Regional Team: Mario Garcia (Rochester), Bobby Ranogejec (Chicago), Pat McBride (St. Louis)^[13] Jim May (Rochester)^[14]

West Regional

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

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

• West Regional MVP: Juli Veee (San Jose) – 5 goals, 5 assists
• All-Regional Team: Juli Veee (San Jose), Paul Child (San Jose), Roy Turner (Dallas), David Chadwick (Dallas), Archie Roboostoff (San Diego), Mike Ivanow (San Jose)^[20]

1976 Indoor Final Four

Bracket

Semi-finals

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

Third-place match

played at the Bayfront Center in St. Petersburg, Florida

Championship final

March 27, 1976

8:30 PM EST

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

• Most Valuable Player: Clyde Best (Tampa Bay) – Games: 4; Goals: 7; Assists: 4 Total points: 18^[23]
• All-tournament Team: Clyde Best (Tampa Bay), Juli Veee (San Jose), Derek Smethurst (Tampa Bay), João Pedro (Rochester), Stewart Scullion (Tampa Bay), Jim May (Rochester)

Final team rankings

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

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

Tampa Bay Rowdies v Santos F.C. (Jamaica)

San Jose Earthquakes v Dallas Tornado

Philadelphia Atoms v Washington Diplomats

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. "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.