Soccer Bowl '76 was the championship final of the 1976 NASL season, between the Toronto Metros-Croatia and the Minnesota Kicks. The match was played on August 28, 1976, at the Kingdome, in Seattle, Washington. The Toronto Metros-Croatia won the match, 3–0, to claim their first North American championship.
Background
Toronto Metros-Croatia The Toronto Metros-Croatia qualified for the playoffs by virtue of a second-place finish in the Northern Division with 123 points. Toronto defeated the Rochester Lancers in a first round match, 2–1, on August 18, 1976. Two days later in the conference semifinals they played the Northern Division champion Chicago Sting to a 2–2 draw, and advanced on penalties, 3–1. In the Atlantic Conference finals the Metros-Croatia upset the defending champion Tampa Bay Rowdies, 2–0, on August 24, 1976, to advance to the Soccer Bowl.
Minnesota Kicks The Minnesota Kicks qualified for the playoffs by virtue of winning the Western Division with 138 points. The point total earned them the number one seed in the Pacific Conference and with it, a first round playoff bye. The Kicks defeated the Seattle Sounders in the conference semifinals, 3–0, on August 21, 1976. Four days later they downed the Southern Division champion San Jose Earthquakes, 3–1, in the Pacific Conference finals played on August 25, 1975, to advance to the Soccer Bowl.
Match details
GK 1 Željko BileckiDF 14 Damir Šutevski DF 6 Mladen Cukon DF 4 Filip BlaškovićDF 2 Robert Iarusci MF 3 Tadeusz Polak MF 10 Eusébio (c)MF 5 Wolfgang Sühnholz FW 11 Ivair FerreiraFW9 Ivan LukačevićFW 12 Ivica GrnjaSubstitutes:MF 7 Gene Strenicer MF 8 Carmine Marcantonio DF 16 Chris HorrocksFW 18 Bruno PilašManager: Domagoj Kapetanović GK 1 Geoff BarnettDF 5 Steve LittDF 4 Peter BrineDF 6 Alan Merrick (c)DF 3 Frank SpraggonMF 11 Patrick Ntsoelengoe MF 17 Sam BickMF 10 Alan WestFW 21 Ade CokerFW18 Ron FutcherFW 9 Alan Willey Substitutes:DF 2 Ron WebsterFW7 Mike FlaterMF 8 Tom Howe DF 12 Peter ShortManager: Freddie Goodwin 1976 NASL Champions: Toronto Metros-Croatia Soccer Bowl MVP: Wolfgang Sühnholz (Toronto) Assistant referees:
Television: CBS, CBC Announcers: Jon Miller
Statistics +OverallStatistic Toronto MinnesotaGoals scored 3 0Total shots 17 15On target 11 6Saves 6 8Yellow cards ? ?Red cards 0 0
See also 1976 North American Soccer League season
References