Soccer Bowl '76

 ( 1976 In Canadian Soccer ) 

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.

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Background

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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.

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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.

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Match details

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Željko Bilecki
Mladen Cukon
Filip Blašković
Robert Iarusci
Tadeusz Polak
Eusébio (c)
Wolfgang Sühnholz
Ivair Ferreira
Ivan Lukačević
Ivan Grnja
Substitutes:
Carmine Marcantonio
Chris Horrocks
Bruno Pilaš
Manager:
Domagoj Kapetanović

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Geoff Barnett

Steve Litt

Peter Brine

Alan Merrick (c)

Frank Spraggon

Sam Bick

Alan West

Ade Coker

Ron Futcher

Alan Willey

Substitutes:

Ron Webster

Mike Flater

Peter Short

Manager:

Freddie Goodwin

|} 1976 NASL Champions: Toronto Metros-Croatia

Soccer Bowl MVP: Wolfgang Sühnholz (Toronto)

Assistant referees:

Television: CBS, CBC
Announcers: Jon Miller

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Statistics

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See also

• 1976 North American Soccer League season

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