The history of soccer in the United States is far richer and more
complex than many people realize. Leagues competed in the U.S. as
far back as the late 1800s, and in 1919 Bethlehem Steel became the
first American professional soccer team to play in Europe when they
toured Sweden. Multiple leagues existed during the early 1900s, but
after the American Soccer Association folded in 1933, the country
did not see a rebirth of professional soccer until 1967. It was a
painful, hostile revival that saw dueling groups of American sports
entrepreneurs fracture into two separate professional leagues, The
United Soccer Association (USA) and the National Professional
Soccer League (NPSL). The Rebirth of Professional Soccer in
America: The Strange Days of the United Soccer Association tells
the story of this largely forgotten chapter in the sport's history.
The USA and NPSL were ragged, misshapen pieces of a puzzle that
refused to fit together, two leagues competing directly for fans
and revenue. While the USA was a league sanctioned by FIFA but
absent from the nation's airwaves, the NPSL was considered an
"outlaw" league by FIFA but it held an exclusive television
contract with CBS. This would have been strange enough, but the USA
league imported entire teams from Great Britain, Italy, and South
America, including Stoke City, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Cagliari
Calcio, and Bangu. This book recounts soccer riots in Yankee
Stadium, teams with dual identities, World Cup winners on the
pitch, and a cast of characters featuring the likes of Phil
Woosnam, Lamar Hunt, Derek Dougan, and Gordon Banks. Drawing on
meticulous research and interviews, this book reveals the
little-known story that unfolded on the field, in the boardroom,
and across the country during this single strange season of
professional soccer. Featuring an impressive group of global soccer
legends, this book delivers a fascinating piece of soccer history
for the growing legions of American soccer supporters, as well as
for soccer fans around the world.
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