1971 North American Soccer League season explained

Competition:North American Soccer League 1971 season
Season:1971
Num Teams:8
Matches:112
League Topscorer:Carlos Metidieri
(19 goals)
Total Goals:306
Highest Attendance:19,437 Rochester @ NY
Average Attendance:4,154
Nextseason:1972

Statistics of North American Soccer League in season 1971. This was the 4th season of the NASL.

Overview

Eight teams competed in the 1971 season. The Dallas Tornado won the league championship after playing several playoff matches under the new sudden death rule, which replaced the penalty shootout. In Game 1 of the best-of-three semifinal against the Rochester Lancers, league scoring champion Carlos Metidieri of Rochester scored to end the match at 2–1 in the 176th minute after six periods of overtime—shortly before midnight. Three days later, Dallas tied the series with a 3–1 regulation win. In the deciding match, the two teams ended regulation with a 1–1 tie and played four overtime periods before Bobby Moffat scored in the 148 minute for a 2–1 victory. Four days later, Dallas lost Game 1 of the NASL Championship Series, 2–1, in the 3rd overtime to the Atlanta Chiefs after 123 minutes.[1] All totaled, Dallas had played 537 minutes of soccer (3 minutes short of six games) in 13 days. The Tornado won 4–1 in Game 2 and 2–0 in Game 3 to clinch the league championship.[2]

Changes From the previous season

Rule changes

Playoffs series switched from a two-game aggregate score to a best-two-out-of-three match format. Any playoff games tied after 90 minutes would now be settled by golden goal (or sudden death) overtime periods lasting 15 minutes each.[2]

New teams

Teams folding

Teams moving

Name changes

Map of clubs

Regular season

W = Wins, L = Losses, T= Ties, GF = Goals For, GA = Goals Against, PT= point system

6 points for a win, 3 points for a tie, 0 points for a loss, 1 point for each goal scored up to three per game.

-Premiers (most points). -Other playoff teams.

Northern DivisionWLTGFGAPT
align=left Rochester Lancers13564831141
align=left New York Cosmos91055155117
align=left Toronto Metros5109324789
align=left Montreal Olympique4155295965
Southern DivisionWLTGFGAPT
align=left Atlanta Chiefs12753529120
align=left Dallas Tornado10683824119
align=left Washington Darts86103634111
align=left St. Louis Stars6135374786

1971 NASL All-Stars

First Team[3] [4]   Position   Second Team Honorable Mention
Mirko Stojanovic, Dallasalign=center GLeonel Conde, WashingtonManfred Kammerer, Atlanta • Claude Campos, Rochester
Dick Hall, Dallasalign=center DClive Charles, MontrealFrank Donlavey, Washington
Willie Evans, Washingtonalign=center DUriel da Veiga, AtlantaOreco, Dallas
Peter Short, Rochesteralign=center DJohn Cocking, AtlantaGabbo Gavrić, Dallas
John Best, Dallasalign=center DCharlie Mitchell, RochesterMick Hoban, Atlanta • Roberto Lonardo, Rochester
Dragan Popovic, St. Louisalign=center MFrancisco Escos, RochesterFreddie Mwila, Atlanta • Barrie Lynch, Atlanta
Siggy Stritzl, New Yorkalign=center MFelix Correia, TorontoBilly Fraser, Washington • Keith Pointer, Montreal • Roy Turner, Dallas
Carlos Metidieri, Rochesteralign=center FWarren Archibald, WashingtonTommy Youlden, Dallas
Randy Horton, New Yorkalign=center FCasey Frankiewicz, St. LouisIris DeBrito, Rochester
Kaizer Motaung, Atlantaalign=center FFranco Gallina, MontrealMike Renshaw, Dallas
Manfred Seissler, Rochesteralign=center FJorge Siega, New YorkLeroy DeLeon, Washington • Ian MacHattie, Toronto

Playoffs

Semifinals

width=180Higher seedwidth=50Serieswidth=180Lower seedwidth=70Game 1width=70Game 2width=70Game 3width=280Attendance
Rochester Lancers1 - 2 Dallas Tornado2–1 (6ot)1–3 1–2 (4ot)September 1 • Aquinas Memorial Stadium • 8,309
September 4 • Franklin Stadium • 6,131[5]
September 8 • Aquinas Memorial Stadium • 7,635
Atlanta Chiefs2 - 0 New York Cosmos1–0(3ot) 2–0 xSeptember 2 • Atlanta Stadium • 3,160[6]
September 5 • Hofstra Stadium • 3,800[7]

NASL Final 1971

See main article: NASL Final 1971.

width=180Higher seedwidth=50Serieswidth=180Lower seedwidth=70Game 1width=70Game 2width=70Game 3width=280Attendance
Atlanta Chiefs1 - 2Dallas Tornado2–1 (3ot)1–4 0–2 September 12 • Atlanta Stadium • 3,218[8]
September 15 • Franklin Stadium • 6,456
September 19 • Atlanta Stadium • 4,687

Game three


1971 NASL Champions: Dallas Tornado

Post season awards

Notes and References

  1. News: Lewis . Michael . September 1, 2015 . Exhaustion and a 176th minute winner: The NASL game that lasted nearly three hours . . May 31, 2023.
  2. Web site: The Year in American Soccer - 1971 . Homepages.sover.net . 2014-01-13 . https://web.archive.org/web/20151105121049/http://homepages.sover.net/~spectrum/year/1971.html . 2015-11-05 . dead .
  3. Web site: NASL Homepage . 2008-05-01 . 2014-01-13 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20080501104955/http://home.att.net/~nasl/nasl.htm . May 1, 2008 .
  4. Web site: Steve Dimitry's NASL Web Page . Oocities.org . 2014-01-13.
  5. News: Dallas Evens Soccer Series . September 5, 1971. Atlanta Journal and Constitution. 6-D. May 27, 2017.
  6. News: Roberts. Charles. Chiefs Topple Cosmos In Sudden Death, 1-0 . September 3, 1971. Atlanta Constitution. 1-D. May 27, 2017.
  7. News: Atlanta Moves into Finals . September 6, 1971. Rochester Democrat and Chronicle. 3D. May 27, 2017.
  8. Web site: Previo Campeones: Dallas Tornado Ganan Titulo en 1971. 22 Sep 2015. 2016-01-28.

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