1972 National Soccer League season explained

Competition:National Soccer League
Season:1972
Shield:Toronto Croatia
Shieldtitle:League cup
League Topscorer:Saban Romanovic (23)
Best Goalkeeper:Željko Bilecki[1]
Prevseason:1971

The 1972 National Soccer League season was the forty-ninth season under the National Soccer League (NSL) name. The season began in late April and concluded in October with the Canadian Open Cup final. Toronto Croatia successfully defended its regular-season title for the third consecutive season with an undefeated regular season streak.[2] [3] Toronto would also defeat the Serbian White Eagles for the NSL Cup.[4] The Croatians would secure a treble by winning the Open Canada Cup against Vancouver Columbus.[5] In the playoffs, Toronto Italia defeated the Serbian White Eagles for the NSL Championship.[6]

Overview

The ownership of the National Soccer League (NSL) was in discussions with the British Columbia Premier League to form a western division, but the project failed to materialize.[7] The membership in the NSL increased to 15 clubs with the return of Toronto Italia, and the acceptance of the Hamilton Italo-Canadians which competed in the Inter-City Soccer League.[8] The return of Toronto Italia further intensified the rivalry between the NSL and the Toronto Metros of the North American Soccer League as the Italian diaspora played a decisive factor in the potential increase in match attendance.[9] Another point of contention between the Metros and the NSL was a dispute stemming from a potential player raid on the NSL's youth division.[10] The Hamilton club was granted an NSL franchise and had credentials in the Inter-City Soccer League. After a change in ownership the Kitchener-based club was renamed Maple Leafs.[11]

The league became once more centered in Southern Ontario as it lost its presence in Northern Ontario with the departure of Sudbury City.[12] [13] The NSL began to experience an increase in match attendance since its initial decrease and stagnation in the mid-1960s.[14] [15]

Teams

TeamCityStadiumManager
Hamilton ApollosHamilton, OntarioIvor Wynne Stadium[16] Otto Negovetic
Hamilton CroatiaHamilton, OntarioIvor Wynne Stadium[17] Joe Dundovic
Hamilton Italo-CanadiansHamilton, OntarioIvor Wynne StadiumFiorigi Pagliuso[18]
London German CanadiansLondon, OntarioCove Road Stadium[19]
Ottawa TigersOttawa, OntarioSt. Joseph's High School[20] Manuel Ramalho
Serbian White EaglesToronto, OntarioStanley Park Stadium[21] Dragan Popović[22]
Kitchener Maple LeafsKitchener, OntarioCentennial Stadium[23] Nobert Englisch[24]
St. Catharines HeidelbergSt. Catharines, OntarioClub Heidelberg Field[25] Eddie Brown[26]
Toronto CroatiaToronto, OntarioStanley Park StadiumVladimir Šimunić
Toronto First PortugueseToronto, OntarioCNE Stadium[27] Stanley Park StadiumLuis Vilas[28]
Toronto HellasToronto, OntarioStanley Park Stadium
Toronto HungariaToronto, OntarioStanley Park Stadium
Toronto ItaliaToronto, OntarioCNE StadiumStanley Park StadiumLuis Dabo[29]
Toronto Olympia Toronto, OntarioStanley Park Stadium
Toronto UkrainiansToronto, OntarioStanley Park Stadium

Coaching changes

TeamOutgoing coachManner of
departure		Date of
vacancy		Position in tableIncoming coachDate of
appointment
Alan Harvey[30] End of caretaker spellMay 1, 1972Gordan IrovićMay 4, 1972
Andy PollackResigned May 17, 1972Otto Negovetic[31] May 17, 1972
Gordan IrovićReplacedMay, 19721st in May Vladimir Šimunić[32] May 29, 1972
Kitchener Maple LeafsHans KoebliReplaced July 15, 1972Nobert EnglischJuly 15, 1972

Playoffs

Finals

Canadian Open Cup

The Canadian Open Cup was a tournament organized by the National Soccer League in 1971 where the NSL champion would face the Challenge Trophy winners to determine the best team throughout the country.[33] Toronto Croatia was the NSL representative for the second consecutive year while their opponents were the British Columbia Premier League champions Vancouver Columbus.[34] New Westminster Blues was the 1972 Challenge Trophy winner but declined the invitation which allowed Vancouver Columbus to compete for the title.[35] [36]

References

  1. Web site: National Soccer League 1926 to 1992. live. May 22, 2021. canadiansoccerleague.ca. https://web.archive.org/web/20140628214309/http://canadiansoccerleague.ca:80/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/NSL_1921_1992.pdf . 2014-06-28 .
  2. Web site: CSL Past Champions. live. April 30, 2021. canadiansoccerleague.ca. https://web.archive.org/web/20210414193119/https://canadiansoccerleague.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Champions.pdf . 2021-04-14 .
  3. News: Kernaghan. Jim. September 15, 1972. Croatia's record is remarkable. 20. Toronto Star.
  4. Book: Jose, Colin. On-Side - 125 Years of Soccer in Ontario. Ontario Soccer Association and Soccer Hall of Fame and Museum. 2001. Vaughan, Ontario. 117, 119.
  5. News: October 16, 1972. Croatia defeats Vancouver side in controversial Canadian final. S10. The Globe and Mail.
  6. News: Waring. Ed. October 6, 1972. Penalty kick hands Italia soccer crown. 41. The Globe and Mail.
  7. News: December 21, 1971. Summer Circuit with Six Teams. 14. Times Colonist.
  8. News: December 8, 1971. Expansion in east and west for National Soccer League. 44. The Globe and Mail.
  9. News: Kernaghan. Jim. April 27, 1972. Soccer battle developing here. 30. Toronto Star.
  10. News: Kernaghan. Jim. November 24, 1972. Canada soccer team threatened. 22. Toronto Star.
  11. News: 11 January 1972 . Soccer Leafs start tonight . 12 . Waterloo Region Record.
  12. News: Pascal. Randy. June 20, 2020. The Sudbury Cyclones and their semi-pro soccer stint. B1. Sudbury Star.
  13. News: Gatecliff . Jack . 30 March 1972 . Through the Sports Gate . 31 . St. Catharines Standard.
  14. News: Kernaghan. Jim. August 5, 1972. Soccer game is booming. 50. Toronto Star.
  15. News: Waring. Ed. July 30, 1970. Brazilian rookie now NSL's Pele. 35. The Globe and Mail.
  16. News: Lovegrove . Don . 28 April 1972 . Apollos open city soccer season . 18 . Hamilton Spectator.
  17. News: July 24, 1972. CNE field doesn't impress: Italia holds Italian Military team to tie. S7. The Globe and Mail.
  18. Web site: 2018 Wall of Fame Induction. live. January 2, 2022. torontoazzurri.com. 17. https://web.archive.org/web/20220102202314/https://torontoazzurri.com/index.php/wall-of-fame/ . 2022-01-02 .
  19. Web site: London Ontario Competitive Soccer History. 2021-09-23. www.gcfclondon.com.
  20. News: May 6, 1972. Ottawa Tigers set for soccer opener. 19. Ottawa Journal.
  21. News: July 17, 1972. Under-23 all-stars under-staffed in 6-1 loss to Italia: Soccer exhibition raises funds, gives young talent experience. S3. The Globe and Mail.
  22. News: Kernaghan. Jim. May 25, 1972. Coach really has soccer bug. 23. Toronto Star.
  23. News: 12 April 1972 . Kitchener's NSL Entry - Soccer Leafs not ethnic club . 18 . Waterloo Region Record.
  24. News: 15 July 1972 . Englisch will coach soccer Maple Leafs . 18 . Waterloo Region Record.
  25. News: 29 April 1972 . Nationals Sell Henry to Hamilton Croatia . 35 . St. Catharines Standard.
  26. News: Gatecliff . Jack . 30 March 1972 . Through the Sports Gate . 31 . St. Catharines Standard.
  27. News: August 1, 1972. Soccer loop to probe CNE Stadium brawl. 30. The Globe and Mail.
  28. News: Kernaghan. Jim. April 27, 1972. Soccer battle developing here. 30. Toronto Star.
  29. News: August 8, 1972. NSL fines fighters. 35. The Globe and Mail.
  30. News: Waring. Ed. May 1, 1972. Blaskovic broke ice then leg in '72 soccer season opener. S4. The Globe and Mail.
  31. News: Lovegrove . Don . 17 May 1972 . Soccer dream shattered . 22 . Hamilton Spectator.
  32. News: Kernaghan. Jim. May 29, 1972. Leaderless Croatia club manages to tie Italia. 18. Toronto Star.
  33. Book: Jose, Colin. Canadian Encyclopedia of Soccer - Keeping Score. Canadian Soccer Hall of Fame and Museum. 1998. 0-9683800-0-X. Vaughan, Ontario. 121.
  34. News: October 7, 1972. Croatia gets alternative foe. 130. Toronto Star.
  35. News: Kernaghan. Jim. October 3, 1972. National League champs to play New Westminster. 24. Toronto Star.
  36. News: Kernaghan. Jim. October 5, 1972. New Westminster win protested by San Fili. 21. Toronto Star.

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