Since 2011, the second-level league has been a new incarnation of the North American Soccer League ( NASL ).

The collapse of the USL and the end of the NASL a year before meant that for the first time in over fifty years there was no professional outdoor soccer league in the U. S. This was a temporary void, however, as the Western Soccer Alliance and third incarnation of the American Soccer League would form and grow in the latter half of the 1980s, eventually to merge into the American Professional Soccer League, precursor to the USL First Division.

Pelé led the Cosmos to the 1977 NASL championship, in his third and final season with the club.

However, in January 2004, General Manager Johnny Moore, whose roots with the club dated back to his days as a player for the NASL Earthquakes, resigned after AEG and MLS considered allowing the team to be rebranded as San Jose America ( with ownership to transfer to the owners of Mexico's Club América ).

The club won its last title in 1982, and by the last season of the NASL, 1984, had missed the play-offs for the first time since 1975.

During the break between the 1979 and 1980 NASL seasons, Advocaat returned to the Netherlands and made 11 appearances, scoring one goal, for his former club FC Den Haag.

After two seasons under owner Rob Clark, on November 30, 2009, the club announced they would be joining the new NASL for its 2010 season.

That club survived the end of the NASL by joining the Major Indoor Soccer League in 1984, but did eventually fold in 1988.

Stiles joined the exodus of ageing and semi-retired European players to the NASL in 1981, to become coach of the Vancouver Whitecaps, spending three years at the Canadian club.

Chicago Sting Mascot ' Stanley Sting ' pictured in 2009. 1981: The addition of Pato Margetic to the Sting front line – Margetic had joined from the Detroit Express – showed coach Will Roy ’ s attacking intent for the coming campaign, indeed the club would finish as the NASL leading scorers with 81 goals.

On July 22, 2011 Pore joined NASL club Montreal Impact on loan until the end of the season.

From 1979-82, the company owned the Portland Timbers soccer club in the defunct North American Soccer League ( NASL ).

Motaung named his club " Kaizer Chiefs " after himself and his former NASL team.

: This article is about the defunct NASL club ; for info about the WPSL club see Houston Stars ( WPSL )

The club was previously known as the Chicago Spurs of the National Professional Soccer League but were relocated to Kansas City following the merger of the NPSL and the United Soccer Association to form the NASL in 1967.

The saga of the New York Centaurs / Fever began in 1994 when English businessman Bob Butler launched the first pro soccer club in the New York City area since the NASL New York Cosmos of the 1970s and 1980s.

After three years competing in the ASL, the club jumped to the newer NASL and won the league championship in their first season.

They were the only NASL club in history to participate in an international tournament, in the 1971 CONCACAF Champions ' Cup where they finished in fourth-place.

Fortunes improved for the club as they won the NASL championship in 1971, defeating the Atlanta Chiefs 2 – 0 in the final game of a three game series, Mike renshaw scoring the winning goal.

As was the case with most NASL clubs, a drop in attendance contributed to the demise of the club in 1981.

Playing a largely American line-up, they won the NASL title in their first year of existence by defeating Hunt ’ s Dallas club 2 – 0.

The Atoms could not sustain the success of their first season as the club missed the playoffs in each of their remaining three NASL campaigns.

In the NASL, as legendary Ladislav Kubala as their coach, the Falcons played well collecting a 13-6-13 record, but money troubles caused the club to fold.

Tatu signed with the Tampa Bay Rowdies of the NASL during the 1981-82 indoor season and scored a hat trick in his first appearance even though he hadn't yet had the opportunity to practice with his new club.

After that 1977 season, the ever-present Banks was voted Best Goalkeeper in the NASL.

The most popular professional soccer team to start in the U. S. was known as the New York Cosmos of the North American Soccer League ( NASL ), with teams in the United States and Canada that operated from 1968 to 1984.

The legendary Pelé was credited for starting major interest in the league after coming out of semi-retirement to sign with the New York Cosmos of the North American Soccer League ( NASL ).

An NASL attendance record was set one month later, when Pelé and the New York Cosmos drew 46, 164 fans to Metropolitan Stadium.

North American Soccer League ( NASL ) was a professional soccer league with teams in the United States and Canada that operated from 1968 to 1984.

The NASL faced obstacles in regard to selling the sport of soccer to North Americans, which was then completely foreign to the majority of them.

While the NASL ultimately failed, it introduced soccer to the North American sports scene on a large scale for the first time and was a major contributing factor in soccer becoming one of the most popular sports among American youth.

The interim solution was announced on January 7, 2010 with the USSF running the new USSF D2 Pro League comprising clubs from both USL-1 and NASL.

All 12 teams from the USL First Division and the NASL competed in the USSF D2 Pro League in 2010, which was won by the Puerto Rico Islanders.

There was also discussion that Argentinian team River Plate is interested in putting a second USL team in Puerto Rico, as well as discussion that recent start-up team, the San Diego Flash may also join either the USL or NASL.

He was one of the founders of the American Football League ( AFL ) and Major League Soccer ( MLS ), as well as MLS predecessor the North American Soccer League ( NASL ).

Hunt was an active advocate for the sport and the league and the Dallas Tornado won the NASL championship in 1971 and were runners-up 1973.

He was also honored as a second team NASL All Star in both of his seasons in Montreal.

In addition to football, the stadium hosted the North American Soccer League for four seasons, including the NASL Championship Match between the Dallas Tornado and Philadelphia and several World Class " friendly " Soccer Matches ; concerts ; pro wrestling events ; and religious gatherings such as Promise Keepers and Billy Graham crusades ( a Graham crusade was the first event held at Texas Stadium ).

The Minnesota Kicks of the NASL played one game at Memorial Stadium, which was also their last.

The NASL was replaced by the Canadian Soccer League with teams in eight Canadian cities.

After the folding of the North American Soccer League ( NASL ) in 1984, the MISL was the Division I soccer league for the United States.

The interim solution was announced on January 7, 2010 with the USSF running the new USSF D-2 league comprising clubs from both USL-1 and NASL.

The stadium was also the home stadium of the Seattle Sounders of the North American Soccer League ( NASL ) and hosted numerous amateur sporting events, concerts, and other events.

Founded in 1971, the team competed in the North American Soccer League ( NASL ) until 1984 and was the strongest franchise in that league, both competitively and financially – based largely around its backing by Warner Communications President Steve Ross, which enabled it to sign internationally famous stars such as the Brazilian forward Pelé, Italian striker Giorgio Chinaglia and the West German sweeper Franz Beckenbauer.

By contrast to most of the overseas stars bought by NASL teams, Chinaglia was signed in his prime.

The deal with broadcaster ABC to broadcast NASL matches was also lost in 1980, and the 1981 Soccer Bowl was only shown on tape delay.

The NASL collapsed abruptly in late 1984, and was not replaced by a new professional soccer league until Major League Soccer's first season in 1996.

In 1979 Grobbelaar was signed up by the Vancouver Whitecaps of the NASL after he had attended their scouting camp in South Africa.