Soccer Bowl '76
# Soccer Bowl '76

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

| Toronto Metros-Croatia | Minnesota Kicks |
| - | - |

Željko Bilecki :

| DF | 14 | Damir Šutevski |
| - | - | - |
| DF | 6 | Mladen Cukon |
| DF | 4 | Filip Blašković |
| DF | 2 | Robert Iarusci |
| MF | 3 | Tadeusz Polak |
| MF | 10 | Eusébio (c) |
| MF | 5 | Wolfgang Sühnholz |
| FW | 11 | Ivair Ferreira |
| FW | 9 | Ivan Lukačević |
| FW | 12 | Ivan Grnja |
| Substitutes: ||||
| MF | 7 | Gene Strenicer |
| MF | 8 | Carmine Marcantonio |
| DF | 16 | Chris Horrocks |
| FW | 18 | Bruno Pilaš |
| Manager: ||||
| Domagoj Kapetanović ||||

Geoff Barnett :

| DF | 5 | Steve Litt |
| - | - | - |
| DF | 4 | Peter Brine |
| DF | 6 | Alan Merrick (c) |
| DF | 3 | Frank Spraggon |
| MF | 11 | Patrick Ntsoelengoe |
| MF | 17 | Sam Bick |
| MF | 10 | Alan West |
| FW | 21 | Ade Coker |
| FW | 18 | Ron Futcher |
| FW | 9 | Alan Willey |
| Substitutes: ||||
| DF | 2 | Ron Webster |
| FW | 7 | Mike Flater |
| MF | 8 | Tom Howe |
| DF | 12 | Peter Short |
| MF | 17 | Sam Bick |
| Manager: ||||
| Freddie Goodwin ||||

1976 NASL Champions: Toronto Metros-Croatia

* Soccer Bowl MVP:
* Wolfgang Sühnholz (Toronto)
* Assistant referees:

Television: CBS, CBC Announcers: Jon Miller

## Statistics

Overall :

| Statistic | Toronto | Minnesota |
| - | - | - |
| Goals scored | 3 | 0 |
| Total shots | 17 | 15 |
| On target | 11 | 6 |
| Saves | 6 | 8 |
| Yellow cards | ? | ? |
| Red cards | 0 | 0 |
