Page "United Soccer Association" Paragraph 2

In 1966 a group of sports entrepreneurs, led by Jack Kent Cooke and including Lamar Hunt and Steve Stavro, formed a consortium known as the North American Soccer League with the intention of forming a professional soccer league in North America.

This group was subsequently sanctioned by both the USSFA and FIFA.

However a rival consortium known as the National Professional Soccer League also emerged and to avoid confusion Cooke renamed his consortium the United Soccer Association.

The USA originally intended to launch its league in the spring of 1968.

However the NPSL, which secured a TV contract from CBS, announced it was ready to launch in 1967.

Not wanting to lose ground to its rival, the USA decided to fast track its launch.

Without any players of its own, it opted to import whole teams from Europe and South America.

It was intended that these teams would represent the franchises during the inaugural season, giving them time to build their own squads for the following season.