Tag Archives: North American Soccer League
Jim Trecker
Jim Trecker (Public relations. Born, Los Angeles, CA, May 14, 1945.) A leading soccer executive, James E. Trecker was also a public relations official with such disparate organizations as the Jets and Madison Square Garden. Trecker served as assistant public relations director of the Jets (1969-75) under Frank Ramos (q.v.). He was the vice president […]
Werner Roth
Werner Roth (Soccer. Born, Bosnia, Yugoslavia, Apr. 4, 1948.) One of the outstanding defensive players in the history of the North American Soccer League, Werner Roth began playing organized soccer with New York’s German-Hungarians and finished as the captain of the Cosmos 1978 Soccer Bowl champions. Roth played in the German-American League (later the Cosmopolitan […]
Shep Messing
Shep Messing (Soccer. Born, Roslyn, NY, Oct. 9, 1949.) Although he earned his greatest recognition during his years as the goalie for the Cosmos in the North American Soccer League, Shep Messing is a man of many parts who has been often brilliant, sometimes controversial and always a competitor. Messing graduated from Harvard with honors […]
Pele
Pele (Soccer. Born, Tres Coracoes, Brazil, Oct. 23, 1940.) Although he joined the Cosmos in the twilight of his brilliant career, Edson Arantes do Nascimento (better known as Pelé) was probably single-handedly responsible for setting off a major surge of soccer interest in the United States. Prior to joining the Cosmos, Pelé had accomplished some […]
Eddie Firmani
Eddie Firmani (Soccer. Born, Capetown, South Africa, Aug. 7, 1933.) Perhaps the finest coach in the history of the North American Soccer League, Edwin Firmani guided two different teams to a total of three Soccer Bowl titles and one of them to an indoor crown as well. Firmani earned a near-legend status for his job […]
Ahmet Ertegun
Ahmet Ertegun (Executive. Born, Istanbul, Turkey, July 31, 1923; died, New York, NY, Dec. 14, 2006.) Son of a major force in Turkish political history and a founder of Atlantic Records, Ahmet Ertegun was also one of the most important figures in American soccer in the 20th century. In 1971, Ertegun and his older brother […]
Bill Cox
Bill Cox (Soccer. Born, New York, NY, Nov. 8, 1909; died, Mt. Kisco, NY, Mar. 28, 1989.) William Drought Cox was probably the man who restored soccer to a status as popular sport in the United States after it virtually disappeared from the American sports calendar during World War II. Cox led a group of investors […]
Giorgio Chinaglia
Giorgio Chinaglia (Soccer. Born, Carrera, Italy, Jan. 24, 1947.) Giorgio Chinaglia, the crowd-pleasing goal scorer, was the leading scorer in the history of the North American Soccer League. He scored 193 goals in 213 league games and added another 49 in 41 playoff games. During his eight-year career with the New York Cosmos, Chinaglia set […]
Vladimir Bogicevic
Vladimir Bogicevic (Soccer. Born, Belgrade, Yugoslavia, Nov. 6, 1950.) Signing with the N.A.S.L. Cosmos from Red Star Belgrade, Vladimis Bogicevic made an immediate impact in the 1978 season. “Bogie” scored 10 goals in 30 games and helped the Cosmos win their third Soccer Bowl title and second in succession. He was to play on two […]
Franz Beckenbauer
Franz Beckenbauer (Soccer. Born, September 11, 1945, Munich, West Germany.) Fabled throughout Europe for his stylish field generalship that really redefined forms of soccer, Franz Beckenbauer was known to soccer fans as “The Kaiser.” On May 25, 1977, this world-class player came to America to join a New York Cosmos team that already featured Pele […]
