An asterisk (*) indicates players with World Cup experience, and a carat (^) indicates players with International Caps to their credit. NASL stats include games played and goals scored.
A complete NASL Player Register has been published as "The North American Soccer League Encyclopedia", by Colin Jose. It may be bought through Amazon.com or directly from St. Johann's Press, 315 Schraalenburg Rd., PO Box 241, Haworth, NJ 07641. $29.95.
----------------------------------------------
^PARKES, PHIL (Engl.) Goalkeeper. Queens Park Rangers, Wolverhampton.
1 Cap. Born 7/14/1947.
Regular season Playoffs
GP GA SO GP GA SO
1976 Vancouver Whitecaps 20 25 6 1 1 0
1978 Vancouver Whitecaps 29 28 10 3 3 1
1979 Vancouver Whitecaps 29 29 7 7 10 3
1980 Chicago Sting 30 43 6 3 5 0
1981 Chicago Sting 10 11 3 - - -
1981 San Jose Earthquakes 10 29 0 - - -
1983 Toronto Blizzard 1 6 0 - - -
129 171 32 14 19 4
----------------------------------------------
PELE* (Edson Arantes do Nascimento, "The Black Pearl") (Brazil) Striker,
then Playmaker. Santos. 93 Caps, 97 goals between 1957 and 1971.
World Cup 1958, 62,66,70. Born Tres Coracoes 10/23/40.
Inaugural member of the International Soccer Hall of Fame.
Widely considered the best player ever to play the game. Pele's impact on
the sport cannot be overestimated. His incredible scoring feat of 1,280
goals is second only to Artur Friedenrach's 1,329, but Pele's
accomplishments are augmented by his success in international competition,
where he capped 93 times and became the only player to play on THREE world
cup championship teams (1958, 1970 and 1974). With 1,324 games played he
scored an unbelievable 0.939 goals per game.
Interestingly enough, despite Pele's unprecedented scoring, he does not
appear in the International Association of Football Statistician's recent
list of all-time goal scorers for 1st division pro soccer, as almost his entire
career was played before the Brazilian League system was awarded 1st division
status in 1969.
Pele exploded onto the world scene in 1958 at the age of 17 scoring six
goals in the World Cup, of which two were against Sweden in the final.
He played for Santos from 1956-1974, shattering every record for that
team, as well as a significant number of Brazilian league records. Pele
lead Santos to six Brazilian championships during his tenure.
His awards are too numerous to mention, but his 19 selections by the
Professional Footballers' Association, 125 goals in 1959, three world cup
championship teams, 1965 declaration as a National Treasure by Brazil, and
1980 Sportsman of the Century awards stand out.
Little wonder that the world was stunned when he came out of retirement to
play for the New York cosmos during the 1975 season. His signing at an
unprecedented salary (estimated to be a total of $7,000,000 for six years;
three as player, and three as "ambassador of the game) brought instant
recognition to the NASL and gave the league a genuine chance to establish
itself as a major sports league in the USA and gave the sport its best
chance of establishing itself in the country. Fans nationwide took
notice; to this dat many older MLS fans who became fans during the NASL
days can point to his signing as what attracted their attention.
When one considers the revolution in US soccer that resulted from the
attention paid to pele's signing it is amazing to remember how short his
tenure was - less than 2 1/2 seasons, where he scored 39 goals in 64
games, winning recognition as 1976 NASL MVP and leading the Cosmos to
victory in Soccer Bowl '77. After his retirement in 1977, Pele played for
both sides in an emotional exhibition game between Cosmos and Santos
played to a thundering sellout crowd of 76,000 in a ferocious downpour at
Giants Nstadium before a national network TV audience. A perfect end to
an incredible career.
Since then Pele has served as a virtual soccer goodwill ambassador to the
world, did extensive commentary in the 1994 world cup. Since 199(5?) has
been Brazilian's Minister of Sports where 1997, he successfully passed
legislation to extensively reform the anachronistic structure of
Brazilian's league system, taking undue influence and power away from the
club owners who had arguably been holding back success for the domestic
leagues.
Regular season Playoffs
GP G A Pts GP G A Pts
1975 New York Cosmos 9 5 4 14 - - - -
1976 New York Cosmos 22 13 18 44 2 2 1 5
1977 New York Cosmos 25 13 3 29 6 4 4 12
56 31 25 87 8 6 5 17
Club Appearances:
Club Years Appearances Goals
Bauru Atletico Clube 1953-56
Santos FC 1956-74 1,114 1,088
New York Cosmos 1975-77 105 55
Brasil Army Team 1959 10 14
6-time Brasilian National Champions (Santos)
1977 NASL Champions (Cosmos)
Sao Paulo selections, Santos/Vasco da Gama selections and Professional
Footballers Association selections; 19 appearances, 18 goals.
1,324 professional games
1,282 professional goals
0.939 goals per game average
1959 - scores 125 goals
1962 - Santos wins World Club Championship, Pele scores all 5 goals
1963 - Santos repeats as World Club Champions
1964 - scores 8 goals in a single game
1969 - scores 1000th career goal before a crowd of 90,000
1976 - Most Valuable Player of NASL
Scores 3 goals a game 93 times
Scores 4 goals a game 31 times
Scores 5 goals a game 6 times
1965 - Declared a "National Treasure" by the Brasilian Government
1978 - International Peace Award
1980 - Sportsman Of The Century
----------------------------------------------
PETERSON, MARK (USA). Forward. Seattle Sounders. Rookie of the year, 1980.
Born 4/19/1960.
Regular season Playoffs
GP G A Pts GP G A Pts
1980 Seattle Sounders 29 14 2 30 5 4 1 9
1981 Seattle Sounders 18 4 3 11 3 1 0 2
1982 Seattle Sounders 31 17 5 39 7 2 1 5
1983 Seattle Sounders 21 13 4 30 - - - -
1983 Team America 7 1 1 3 - - - -
106 49 15 113 15 7 2 16
----------------------------------------------
^RENSENBRINK, ROB (Neth.). Left Winger. 46 Caps. Born 7/3/1947.
Regular season Playoffs
GP G A Pts GP G A Pts
1980 Portland Timbers 18 6 1 13 - - - -
----------------------------------------------
^RESSEL, PETER. (Neth.). Forward. 3 Caps. Born 12/4/1945.
Regular season Playoffs
GP G A Pts GP G A Pts
1978 San Jose Earthquakes 28 8 7 23 - - - -
1979 Chicago Sting 28 10 18 38 4 0 1 1
1980 Chicago Sting 31 8 16 32 3 1 0 2
87 26 41 93 7 1 1 3
----------------------------------------------
RIOCH, BRUCE (Scotland/Engl.). Defender. Born 9/6/1947.
Played most of his career for Aston Villa, then Derby County, where he won
a League Championship medal and Charity Shield medal in 1975 Later
managed Arsenal (95-96) and Millwall. Signed Kasey Keller there.
Went to Everton from Derby. Played from the midfield, but scored many
goals. Was well-known for his rocket shots and well-placed free kicks.
Managed Bolton Wanderers with Colin Todd before moving onto Arsenal.
Regular season Playoffs
GP G A Pts GP G A Pts
1980 Seattle Sounders 30 4 1 9 5 0 2 2
1981 Seattle Sounders 14 1 1 3 - - - -
44 5 2 12 5 0 2 2
----------------------------------------------
^RIGBY, BOB (USA). Goalkeeper. 7 caps. Born 7/3/1951.
One of many successful American goalkeepers, the one position at which the
USA did well in producing good players. Rigby was probably the best US
goalkeeper ever produced up to that time. His twelve seasons in the NASL
was one of the longest NASL careers ever. Rigby led the Philadelphia
Atoms to the NASL championship in his first, year, 1973, when he enjoyed a
league-leading 0.62 goals against average. From that point on, he moved
to several teams over his long career, including moving with the
Philadelphia Franchise up to Montreal. Rigby was named to two Second All-
Star teams, and was an All-American at East Stroudsburg State College.
Regular season Playoffs
GP GA SO GP GA SO
1973 Philadelphia Atoms 13 8 6 2 0 2
1974 Philadelphia Atoms 20 22 3 - - -
1975 Philadelphia Atoms 21 31 4 - - -
1976 New York Cosmos 13 15 5 - - -
1977 Los Angeles Aztecs 19 46 1 5 7 0
1978 Los Angeles Aztecs 25 56 1 - - -
1979 Los Angeles Aztecs 18 30 4 - - -
Philadelphia Fury 10 19 2 4 5 0
1980 Philadelphia Fury 27 61 3 - - -
1981 Montreal Manic 32 52 4 6 17 0
1982 Montreal Manic 15 18 3 3 7 0
1983 Golden Bay Earthquakes 1 3 0 - - -
1984 Golden Bay Earthquakes 3 6 0 - - -
227 367 36 20 36 2
----------------------------------------------
*RIJSBERGEN, WIM (Neth.) Defender. Feynoord (Dutch League) 28 Caps.
World Cup 1978. Now a coach. Born 1/18/1952.
Regular season Playoffs
GP G A Pts GP G A Pts
1979 New York Cosmos 25 0 2 2 5 0 1 1
1980 New York Cosmos 21 0 3 3 5 0 1 1
1981 New York Cosmos 26 2 8 12 4 1 0 2
1982 New York Cosmos 3 0 0 0 2 0 1 1
1983 New York Cosmos 11 0 1 1 - - - -
86 2 14 18 16 1 3 5
----------------------------------------------
ROBERTSON, JIMMY (England). Forward. English 1st Division. Born 12/17/1944.
Had the distinction of scoring two goals in an FA Cup final,
unfortunately, one for each side, which led to a replay)
Regular season Playoffs
GP G A Pts GP G A Pts
1976 Seattle Sounders 12 1 4 6 - - - -
1977 Seattle Sounders 17 2 3 7 6 1 3 5
29 3 7 13 6 1 3 5
----------------------------------------------
ROEBER, JUERGEN (West Germany). Midfielder. Born 12/25/1953.
Played for Bayern Munich, Werder Bremen and Nottingham Forest before the NASL.
Afterwards played for Bayer Leverkusen.
Regular season Playoffs
GP G A Pts GP G A Pts
1981 Calgary Boomers 30 6 10 22 2 1 0 2
----------------------------------------------
*ROMERO, JULIO CESAR (Paragray). Midfielder. 35 Caps. 1986 World Cup.
Born 8/28/1960.
One of the best players in Paraguayan history. Finished his career
with Deportes La Serena (Chile) in 1995.
Regular season Playoffs
GP G A Pts GP G A Pts
1980 New York Cosmos 32 14 19 47 7 2 7 11
1981 New York Cosmos 21 4 13 21 4 2 5 9
1982 New York Cosmos 21 6 4 16 3 0 2 2
74 24 36 84 14 4 14 22
----------------------------------------------
^ROTE JR., KYLE (USA). Forward. 6 caps. born 12/25/1950.
Regular season Playoffs
GP G A Pts GP G A Pts
1973 Dallas Tornado 18 10 10 30 2 1 0 2
1974 Dallas Tornado 18 7 2 16 2 0 1 1
1975 Dallas Tornado 21 5 6 16 - - - -
1976 Dallas Tornado 19 3 3 9 2 0 0 0
1977 Dallas Tornado 24 11 6 28 - - - -
1978 Dallas Tornado 21 6 7 19 - - - -
1979 Houston Hurricane 21 1 4 6 2 0 0 0
142 43 38 124 8 1 1 3
----------------------------------------------
^ROTH, WERNER (USA). Defender. 16 caps. Born in Yugoslavia, 4/4/48.
Werner was born in Yugoslavia but grew up in Brooklyn. He studied at
the Pratt Institute and played for the German-Hungarians in the German
American League before signing for the Cosmos in 1972. After his playing
career with the Cosmos he stayed on as a coach.
Werner Roth was a long-time stalwart defender for the New york Cosmos, one
of the first international stars to sign with the league. He joined back
in 1972 when the NASL was not very well known even among Soccer fans.
They played in Hofstra Stadium averaging c. 6,000 fans per game, on the
infamous "polyturf" - hardest playing surface known to Man.
Roth played six more seasons (his final season was cut short to a single
game), always consistent, and reliable, and playing on the Cosmos
championship teams in 1972, 1977 and 1978. He played on the Cosmos 1977
Also starred with Sylvester Stallone and Bobby Moore in the movie
"Victory" (or "Escape to Victory"). He was the captain of the German team
and took the penalty against Stallone at the end of that match (the one
Sly saved!). Born in Yugoslavia, where he earned 16 caps, Roth later took
US citizenship.
Regular season Playoffs
GP G A Pts GP G A Pts
1972 New York Cosmos 11 0 2 2 2 0 0 0
1973 New York Cosmos 16 0 0 0 1 0 0 0
1974 New York Cosmos 15 0 0 0 - - - -
1975 New York Cosmos 22 0 0 0 - - - -
1976 New York Cosmos 12 0 1 1 2 0 0 0
1977 New York Cosmos 23 1 1 3 6 0 1 1
1978 New York Cosmos 25 1 2 4 6 0 1 1
1979 New York Cosmos 1 0 0 0 - - - -
125 2 6 10 17 0 2 2
----------------------------------------------
^ROY, WILLY (USA). Forward. 20 caps. Long-time NASL coach. Born 2/8/1943.
Willy Roy was a pioneering successful American player. He made a major
splash in the first year of the league, playing for the Chicago Spurs of
the NPSL in 1967. He scored 17 goals in 27 games, and attracted
substantial notice because, although he was German-born much of his succer
development took place in the USA. He also earned 20 caps playing for the
National team between 1965 and 1973, scoring 8 goals. Although his later
years were not as successful; he slumped in 1968, was out of the league
for two years but returned for a steady three seasons with the St. Louis
Stars. after another respite, he returned for a final season with the
Chicago sting in 1975. he had a successful coaching career with the
Chicago Sting from (c. 1979-1984). During his stint, the Sting won Soccer
Bowl 1981 over the Cosmos, and the 1984 NASL Championship series over
Toronto Blizzard.
Regular season Playoffs
GP G A Pts GP G A Pts
1967 Chicago Spurs (NPSL) 27 17 5 39 - - - -
1968 Kansas City Spurs 15 6 4 16 - - - -
1971 St. Louis Stars 13 4 11 19 - - - -
1972 St. Louis Stars 11 7 2 16 2 0 0 0
1973 St. Louis Stars 19 7 3 17 - - - -
1975 Chicago Sting 14 0 3 3 - - - -
99 41 28 110 2 0 0 0
----------------------------------------------
^SANCHEZ, HUGO (Mex.). Forward. Real Madrid, Dallas Burn (MLS) 1996.
57 Caps. World Cup, 1978, 82, 86. Born 11/11/1958.
A huge success with San Diego in his brief stay. Famous striker of
Real Madrid. He was "Pichichi" (Topscorer) of the Spanish league in many times.
Regular season Playoffs
GP G A Pts GP G A Pts
1979 San Diego Sockers 10 6 5 17 7 6 3 15
1980 San Diego Sockers 9 7 4 18 6 7 2 16
19 13 9 35 13 13 5 31
----------------------------------------------
SEGOTA, BRANKO (Yugo.) Striker. Real Madrid, Rayo Vallecano (Spain),
Atlante (Mexico). Born 6/8/1961.
Broke into the league at age 18 with an amazing performance, remained one
of the better goalscorers until the league's demise. Scored an incredible
11 goals during the 1981 playoffs. Had a long successful career in
indoor soccer.
Regular season Playoffs
GP G A Pts GP G A Pts
1979 Rochester Lancers 13 14 4 32 - - - -
1980 Rochester Lancers 26 11 6 28 - - - -
1981 Ft. Lauderdale Strikers 25 5 6 16 6 11 1 23
1982 Ft. Lauderdale Strikers 29 12 13 37 5 1 2 4
1983 Ft. Lauderdale Strikers 30 13 9 35 2 0 0 0
1984 Golden Bay Earthquakes 24 18 11 47 - - - -
147 73 49 195 13 12 3 27
----------------------------------------------
*SIMOES, ANTONIO (Portugal). Midfielder. All-Star in 1976. 46 Caps.
World Cup 1966. Born 12/14/1943.
Was captain of Portugese National team when Eusebio starred on it.
Regular season Playoffs
GP G A Pts GP G A Pts
1975 Boston Minutemen 17 4 9 17 1 0 0 0
1976 Boston Minutemen 10 1 2 4 - - - -
1976 San Jose Earthquakes 10 0 4 4 2 0 0 0
1977 San Jose Earthquakes 23 0 7 7 1 0 0 0
1979 Dallas Tornado 6 1 1 3 - - - -
66 6 23 35 4 0 0 0
----------------------------------------------
SMETHURST, Derek (S. Africa). Striker. Born 10/24/1947. Chelsea FC.
One of the greatest players to come out of the South African scene and one
of the most prolific and deadliest goalscorers in NASL history, this man
scored more goals in 4 yrs than many top players did in a decade. First
signed with Durban City in 1966, where he scored a goal within 12 seconds
of his first game, and ended up with three in that game. Became one of their
leading goalscorers for three seasons before being signed by Chelsea FC in 1968.
Moved to Millwall FC in 1972. Win six major championships in his career
(4 in South Africa, 1 European Winners Cup and 1 in the NASL).
He is still the only South African to date to win a European Championship
(with Chelsea 70-71). Smethurst like some others fell into that category
of time when FIFA - and apartheid sanctions fell on South Africa and so
missed out on a whole international world cup situation.
Regular season Playoffs
GP G A Pts GP G A Pts
1975 Tampa Bay Rowdies 22 18 3 39 3 1 1 3
1976 Tampa Bay Rowdies 24 20 5 45 2 1 0 2
1977 Tampa Bay Rowdies 21 19 4 42 1 0 0 0
1978 Tampa Bay Rowdies 4 0 1 1 - - - -
1978 San Diego Sockers 17 2 2 6 2 0 2 2
1979 Seattle Sounders 22 13 2 28 - - - -
1980 Seattle Sounders 8 1 3 5 - - - -
118 74 20 166 8 2 3 7
----------------------------------------------
SMITH, Bobby (USA). Defender. 19 caps. Born 3/29/1951.
Regular season Playoffs
GP G A Pts GP G A Pts
1973 Philadelphia Atoms 19 0 0 0 2 0 1 1
1974 Philadelphia Atoms 20 1 4 6 - - - -
1975 Philadelphia Atoms 21 2 1 5 - - - -
1976 New York Cosmos 22 0 2 2 2 0 0 0
1977 New York Cosmos 10 1 0 2 4 0 1 1
1978 New York Cosmos 9 0 0 0 - - - -
1979 New York Cosmos 10 0 0 0 - - - -
San Diego Sockers 10 0 1 1 2 1 0 2
1980 Philadelphia Fury 22 0 0 0 - - - -
1981 Montreal Manic 24 0 2 2 - - - -
167 4 10 18 10 1 2 4
----------------------------------------------
SONO, JOMO (South Africa). Forward. Born 6/28/1955.
Regular season Playoffs
GP G A Pts GP G A Pts
1977 New York Cosmos 12 1 0 2 4 0 0 0
1978 Colorado Caribous 30 8 5 21 - - - -
1979 Atlanta Chiefs 29 5 12 22 - - - -
1980 Toronto Blizzard 31 14 7 35 - - - -
1981 Toronto Blizzard 21 8 6 22 - - - -
1982 Toronto Blizzard 5 0 3 3 - - - -
128 36 33 105 4 0 0 0
----------------------------------------------
^SOUNESS, GRAEME (Scotland). Midfielder. Liverpool (England 1st).
Born 5/6/1953.
Later managed Liverpool and in Turkey. Started out at Middlesbrough
before signing with Liverpool where he had tremendous success in the 1970s
and 1980s. coached Soton (Southampton) in 96-97. Now coach at Torino of
the Serie B. Also played at Glasgow Rangers.
Regular season Playoffs
GP G A Pts GP G A Pts
1972 Montreal Olympic 10 2 2 6 - - - -
----------------------------------------------
^STEFFENHAGEN, ARNO (West Germany). Defensive Midfielder. 1 Cap. Born 9/24/1949.
Regular season Playoffs
GP G A Pts GP G A Pts
1978 Chicago Sting 12 13 3 29 1 0 0 0
1979 Chicago Sting 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0
1980 Chicago Sting 28 15 15 45 3 2 1 4
1981 Chicago Sting 28 17 10 44 9 3 2 8
1982 Chicago Sting 28 13 6 22 - - - -
1983 Toronto Blizzard 14 0 7 7 - - - -
Vancouver Whitecaps 8 2 2 6 2 0 0 0
119 60 43 163 16 4 4 12
----------------------------------------------
SUHNHOLZ, WOLFGANG (Germany). Midfielder. Bayern Munich. B. 9/14/1946.
Was a Soccer Bowl MVP.
Regular season Playoffs
GP G A Pts GP G A Pts
1976 Boston Minutemen 12 1 3 5 - - - -
Vancouver Whitecaps 2 0 0 0 - - - -
Toronto Metros-Croatia 4 0 1 1 4 0 0 0
1977 Las Vegas Quicksilver 20 4 1 9 - - - -
1978 Los Angeles Aztecs 14 5 1 11 - - - -
California Surf 6 0 1 1 1 1 0 2
1979 California Surf 26 2 10 14 1 0 1 1
1980 California Surf 6 1 0 2 - - - -
90 13 17 43 6 1 1 3
----------------------------------------------
*SUURBIER, WILLEM (WIM)(Neth.). Defender. Ajax, Schalke '04, Metz. 60 Caps.
World Cup 1974, 78 Born 1/16/1945. Later a TV commentator.
Regular season Playoffs
GP G A Pts GP G A Pts
1979 Los Angeles Aztecs 24 1 0 2 4 0 0 0
1980 Los Angeles Aztecs 32 2 5 9 8 0 1 1
1981 Los Angeles Aztecs 17 0 1 1 2 0 1 1
1982 San Jose Earthquakes 23 0 5 5 - - - -
96 3 11 17 14 0 2 2
----------------------------------------------
^TALBOT, BRIAN (Engl.) Midfielder. Arsenal, Ipswich Town. Born 7/21/1953.
Won the 1979 and 1980 FA Cup final, 80 Cup winners cup final.
May be the only player to win FA cup final winners medals in
consecutive years with different teams. Played at Arsenal until
the early-80s' where he was a crowd favourite for his
non-stop style in midfield for every minute of every game.
Regular season Playoffs
GP G A Pts GP G A Pts
1971 Toronto Metros 10 2 1 5 - - - -
1972 Toronto Metros 10 2 2 6 - - - -
20 4 3 11
----------------------------------------------
^TERLECKI, STAN (Poland). Left Winger. 28 Caps. Born 11/13/1955.
Regular season Playoffs
GP G A Pts GP G A Pts
1983 Golden Bay Earthquakes 28 11 14 36 5 5 1 11
1984 New York Cosmos 17 4 4 12 - - - -
45 15 18 48 5 5 1 11
----------------------------------------------
^THIJSSEN, FRANS (Neth.). Midfielder. Ipswich Town, Arnhem. 14 Caps.
Born 1/23/1952. Later a coach/manager.
Regular season Playoffs
GP G A Pts GP G A Pts
1983 Vancouver Whitecaps 21 2 5 9 3 2 0 4
1984 Vancouver Whitecaps 24 7 7 21 3 0 0 0
45 9 12 30 6 2 0 4
----------------------------------------------
^TODD, COLIN (Engl.) Defender. Derby County. 27 Caps. Born 12/12/1948.
Colin Todd started out at Sunderland. He was bought by Brian Clough for
Derby County and consequently played throughout Derby's glory years (two
League Championships, one Charity Shield, European Cup Semi-Finalists) in
the 1970s. Was a brilliant defender and reader of the game. Had short
spells at other clubs, including Nottingham Forest under Brian Clough
again. Is currently the manager of Premiership side Bolton Wanderers.
Regular season Playoffs
GP G A Pts GP G A Pts
1984 Vancouver Whitecaps 8 0 1 1 3 0 0 0
----------------------------------------------
^TOPPMOLLER, KLAUS (West Germany). Forward, 3 caps. Born 8/12/1951.
Also played for 1. FC Kaiserslautern, Eintracht Trier.
Regular season Playoffs
GP G A Pts GP G A Pts
1980 Dallas Tornado 31 7 9 23 4 0 1 1
----------------------------------------------
*TROST, Al (U.S.). Midfielder. 14 full caps, 17 amateur caps. Born 2/7/1949.
One of the best midfielders ever produced by the United States at the
time, Al was a key member of the St. louis stars for much of the 1970's.
Trost was a two-time winner of the Robert R. Hermann Trophy as the
Collegiate Player of the Year while playing for St. Louis University. He
played for the US in the 1972 Olympics before signing with the St. Louis
stars, and (check: ) subsequently captained the 1976 US team (Played in
olympics?). His finest season in the NASL was 1976 when he scored 12
goals in 24 games. Trost was named to three NASL All-Star teams.
Regular season Playoffs
GP G A Pts GP G A Pts
1973 St. Louis Stars 17 1 2 4 - - - -
1974 St. Louis Stars 19 5 4 14 - - - -
1975 St. Louis Stars 22 6 2 14 - - - -
1976 St. Louis Stars 24 12 3 27 - - - -
1977 St. Louis Stars 26 3 8 14 1 0 0 0
1978 California Surf 28 10 3 23 1 0 0 0
1979 Seattle Sounders 11 1 2 4 2 0 0 0
147 38 24 100 4 0 0 0
----------------------------------------------
^TUEART, DENNIS. (Engl.) Forward. Sunderland, Manchester City. 6 Caps.
Born 11/27/1949.
A brilliant and innovative winger. A Manchester city veteran,
Played for Cosmos 1978-79 before returning to Manchester City in 1980.
Regular season Playoffs
GP G A Pts GP G A Pts
1978 New York Cosmos 20 10 12 32 6 6 5 17
1979 New York Cosmos 27 16 16 48 6 1 3 5
47 26 28 80 12 7 8 22
----------------------------------------------
*VALENTINE, CARL (Canada) Forward. Several caps. Born 7/4/1958, in England.
Carl's career began in 1976 with Oldham Athletic where he played for three
seasons before being lured to the NASL. Carl played five seasons in for
Vancouver Whitecaps, and was a consistently high scorer for the 'caps.
After the demise of the NASL, Valentine played 44 games for West Bromwich
Albion of the English League, before returning to Canada in time to
play the last game of world cup qualifying (He scored both of Canada's
goals). In 1985, he joined the Cleveland Force of the Major Indoor Soccer
League, later moving to Baltimore and Kansas City. In seven MISL seasons,
Valentine played 270 games scoring 165 goals and 317 points. Played for
the Canadian National team in the 1986 World Cup finals. Was a founding
player of the Vancouver 86ers in the Canadian Soccer League in 1987.
Remained with the team (which moved to the A-League in 1992), as player,
then as head coach through 1999.
Regular season Playoffs
GP G A Pts GP G A Pts
1979 Vancouver Whitecaps 29 4 7 15 7 2 1 5
1980 Vancouver Whitecaps 30 10 8 28 2 0 0 0
1981 Vancouver Whitecaps 30 10 14 34 2 1 0 2
1982 Vancouver Whitecaps 32 10 9 29 2 0 1 1
1983 Vancouver Whitecaps 23 6 9 21 2 0 0 0
1984 Vancouver Whitecaps 21 4 12 20 2 1 0 2
165 44 59 147 17 4 2 10
----------------------------------------------
^VAN BEVEREN, JAN (Neth.) Goalkeeper. PSV Eindhoven. 32 Caps.
Born 3/5/1948.
Major rival of Johan Cruyff. In 1997, part owner of USISL D-3 Pro League
Florida Strikers.
Regular season Playoffs
GP GA SO GP GA SO
1980 Ft. Lauderdale Strikers 16 29 2 7 13 1
1981 Ft. Lauderdale Strikers 32 43 9 6 9 3
1982 Ft. Lauderdale Strikers 32 73 3 6 9 2
1983 Ft. Lauderdale Strikers 30 61 3 2 7 0
110 206 17 21 38 8
----------------------------------------------
^VAN DER BECK, Perry (U.S.). Midfielder. Has caps for US National team.
Born 11/5/1959.
Regular season Playoffs
GP G A Pts GP G A Pts
1978 Tampa Bay Rowdies 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 0
1979 Tampa Bay Rowdies 16 0 3 3 3 0 1 1
1980 Tampa Bay Rowdies 32 2 6 10 4 1 3 5
1981 Tampa Bay Rowdies 6 2 1 5 - - - -
1982 Tampa Bay Rowdies 9 1 0 2 - - - -
1983 Team America 28 1 3 5 - - - -
1984 Tampa Bay Rowdies 24 5 2 12 - - - -
117 11 15 37 8 1 4 6
----------------------------------------------
*VAN DER ELST, FRANCOIS (Belgium). Forward. Born 12/7/1954.
Long-time International star -- played in two World Cups.
Regular season Playoffs
GP G A Pts GP G A Pts
1980 New York Cosmos 13 6 5 17 6 1 4 6
1981 New York Cosmos 30 6 14 26 3 1 1 3
43 12 19 43 9 2 5 9
----------------------------------------------
VEEE, Julie (Jyvia Visnyel)(Hungary/U.S.). Midfielder. Born 2/22/1950.
One of the more prolific midfielders to play in the NASL, Veee was a
consummate playmaker, and scored a substantial number of assists. Veee
was the 12th all-time assists leader for the NASL. He went on to a long
and successful indoor career in the Major indoor Soccer League. Also
played for Lierse, Standard Liege
Regular season Playoffs
GP G A Pts GP G A Pts
1975 Los Angeles Aztecs 19 6 5 17 1 0 1 1
1976 San Jose Earthquakes 11 0 6 6 2 0 1 1
1978 San Diego Sockers 27 3 17 27 1 0 0 0
1979 San Diego Sockers 27 10 8 28 7 0 4 4
1980 San Diego Sockers 28 2 8 12 6 2 5 9
1981 San Diego Sockers 27 3 12 18 9 2 4 8
1982 San Diego Sockers 27 6 16 28 5 1 3 5
166 34 68 136 31 5 18 28
----------------------------------------------
^VELAZQUEZ, JOSE (Peru). Defensive Midfielder. Also played for Deportes
Iquique (Chilean League) in 1988. 82 Caps. Born 6/4/1952.
Great Peruvian player. One of Peru's top cap earners.
Regular season Playoffs
GP G A Pts GP G A Pts
1980 Toronto Blizzard 11 2 2 6 - - - -
1981 Toronto Blizzard 17 0 6 6 - - - -
28 2 8 12
----------------------------------------------
WARD, PETER. Forward. Brighton, Hove Albion. Born 7/27/1955.
NASL MVP in 1982. Peter Ward was a brilliant goalscorer for
Non-League Burton Albion in the early 1970s. He would eventually
sign for Brighton and Hove Albion. Now owns an English pub in
Tampa Bay area.
Regular season Playoffs
GP G A Pts GP G A Pts
1982 Seattle Sounders 32 18 12 48 7 3 4 10
1983 Seattle Sounders 30 13 8 34 - - - -
1984 Vancouver Whitecaps 24 16 10 42 2 0 1 1
86 47 30 124 9 3 5 11
----------------------------------------------
^WATSON, DAVID (England). Defender. Sunderland, Manchester City, Southampton,.
Notts County. 65 Caps. Born 10/5/1946.
He also played for Werder Bremen in Germany before returning to
England for brief spells at Southampton and Stoke City. He was a hard-
working central defender. He basically won the role after Roy McFarland's
playing career was disrupted by an Achilles Tendon injury.
Regular season Playoffs
GP G A Pts GP G A Pts
1983 Vancouver Whitecaps 26 3 3 9 3 0 0 0
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^WEGERLE, STEVE (South Africa) Forward. Queens Park Rangers & Coventry City.
Born 5/15/1953. Played alongside brother Roy in 1984.
Regular season Playoffs
GP G A Pts GP G A Pts
1977 Tampa Bay Rowdies 26 5 11 21 1 0 0 0
1978 Tampa Bay Rowdies 26 7 12 26 6 2 1 5
1979 Tampa Bay Rowdies 29 3 21 27 8 3 2 8
1980 Tampa Bay Rowdies 29 9 15 33 3 1 4 6
1981 Tampa Bay Rowdies 10 2 2 6 - - - -
New York Cosmos 8 0 4 4 6 2 2 6
1982 New York Cosmos 26 3 5 11 5 0 1 1
1983 Ft. Lauderdale Strikers 19 0 4 4 - - - -
1984 Tampa Bay Rowdies 23 3 14 20 - - - -
195 32 68 152 29 8 10 26
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*WEGERLE, ROY (S. Africa/USA). Forward. 41 caps and 7 goals. Born 3/19/1964.
NASL Rookie of the year 1984. Had long successful career in England.
Numerous caps for the USA, member through 1998. One of two players to
play in both the NASL and MLS. World Cup '94 and '98.
Roy was one of the last major players to debut in the NASL. After this he
played for many years in England for Coventry City, Blackburn Rovers,
Queens Park Rangers, Chelsea, and Luton Town. He also played for the
Tacoma Stars of the Major Indoor Soccer League.
Regular season Playoffs
GP G A Pts GP G A Pts
1984 Tampa Bay Rowdies 21 9 17 25 - - - -
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^WELLER, KEITH (Engl.) Midfielder. Leicester City, Millwall, Chelsea, Tottenham.
4 Caps. Born 6/11/1946.
Regular season Playoffs
GP G A Pts GP G A Pts
1978 New England Tea Men 24 5 8 18 1 0 0 0
1979 New England Tea Men 30 9 10 28 - - - -
1980 New England Tea Men 18 4 4 12 - - - -
Ft. Lauderdale Strikers 6 1 0 2 4 0 1 1
1981 Ft. Lauderdale Strikers 28 3 4 10 6 1 5 7
1982 Ft. Lauderdale Strikers 18 1 3 5 3 0 1 1
1983 Ft. Lauderdale Strikers 12 1 2 4 - - - -
136 24 31 79 14 1 7 9
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WILLEY, Alan (Eng.). Forward. Born 10/18/1956.
One of the NASL's top goalscorers, Allen Willey came to the States on a loan
from Middlesbrough, but stayed on for nine seasons. Willey joined
Middlesbrough as an apprentice and made his debut against Mancester City on
September 21, 1974. Between 1974 and 1977, he played in 50 games, mostly as
a substitute and scored 7 goals.
In the NASL, Willey had a fantastic scoring career, becoming the 3rd alltime
points scorer, with 129 goals 48 assists and 306 points in 238 games. He was
4th in scoring for 1976, 7th in 1977, and 8th in 1978. He played in the NASL
Championship game in 1976, and in 1978 scored 5 goals in a playoff game
against in a 9-2 victory against the Cosmos.
Regular season Playoffs
GP G A Pts GP G A Pts
1976 Minnesota Kicks 23 16 7 39 2 0 0 0
1977 Minnesota Kicks 20 14 1 29 2 0 0 0
1978 Minnesota Kicks 30 21 3 45 4 7 0 14
1979 Minnesota Kicks 29 21 7 49 2 0 0 0
1980 Minnesota Kicks 26 7 5 19 2 0 0 0
1981 Minnesota Kicks 6 1 0 2 - - - -
Montreal Manic 21 6 2 14 6 3 4 10
1982 Montreal Manic 29 15 7 37 3 2 0 4
1983 Montreal Manic 30 13 12 38 5 1 1 3
1984 Minnesota Strikers 24 15 4 34 - - - -
238 129 48 306 26 13 6 32
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^WITHE, PETER (Engl.) Center-Forward. Birmingham, Newcastle, et al.
Born 8/30/1951. 11 Caps.
Regular season Playoffs
GP G A Pts GP G A Pts
1975 Portland Timbers 22 16 6 38 3 1 1 3
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^WORTHINGTON, FRANK (Engl.) Striker. Leicester, Birmingham City, Bolton,
Huddersfield Town. 8 Caps. Born 12/23/1948.
A brilliantly gifted striker with immense skills. Played for Bolton
Wanderers, but his best spell was with Leicester City in the 1970s. Won 8
caps for England.
(courtesy Garry Archer): Best goal I ever saw him score, was receiving
the ball with his back to goal and several defenders all behind him. He
flicked the ball over his head, over their heads, turned, dashed between
them and as the ball came down he volleyed the ball past the goalie from
12 yards out. Who says the Brasilians have it all? :-)
Regular season Playoffs
GP G A Pts GP G A Pts
1979 Philadelphia Fury 21 10 7 27 4 1 3 5
1981 Tampa Bay Rowdies 26 11 16 38 5 1 3 5
47 21 23 65 9 2 6 10
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^ZUNGUL, STEVE (Slavisa) (Yugo.) Forward. 14 Caps. Born 7/28/1954.
Had long spectacular indoor career with New York Arrows (MISL) 1978-84,
and San Diego Sockers (MISL) 1985-1991. One of the top indoor players
of all time. Named to MISL all-decade team, c. 1988.
Regular season Playoffs
GP G A Pts GP G A Pts
1983 Golden Bay Earthquakes 22 16 15 47 5 3 2 8
1984 Golden Bay Earthquakes 24 20 10 50 - - - -
46 36 25 97 5 3 2 8
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NASL Player Biographies, I-O The USA Soccer History Archives are maintained by Dave Litterer
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