Pittsburgh Canons Explained

The Pittsburgh Canons were an American soccer club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, that was a member of the American Soccer League during the 1972 season.

Overview

The franchise was granted by the ASL in early June 1972, and was formed largely from players on the Canonsburg Maggis club that played in the amateur Keystone Soccer League. The team's president was James T. Maggi, with Scotty Foley serving as both the coach and general manager.^{[1] [2]} Not realizing that the team's roots were in the borough of Canonsburg, out-of-town newspapers frequently misspelled their nickname as the "Cannons."^[3]

The Canons played the first of their four home games at South Stadium (now George K. Cupples Stadium) in the South Side of Pittsburgh, drawing about a thousand fans;^[4] the other three games were held at Memorial Stadium in Canonsburg. After losing what owner Maggi said was "a great deal of money", the club returned to amateur status and qualified for the 1973 U.S. Open Cup, losing to eventual runners-up Inter-Italian SC.

Year-by-year

Final conference standings

Midwest Conference	G	W	D	L	GF	GA	PTS
Cincinnati Comets	8	6	1	1	19	7	13
Cleveland Stars	8	6	0	2	23	10	6
Detroit Mustangs	8	2	2	4	13	28	6
Pittsburgh Canons	8	2	1	5	11	18	5
St. Louis Frogs	8	2	0	6	13	16	4
Chicago Americans	?	?	?	?	?	?	?

• Chicago Americans played only a few games

Regular season results

Date	Opponent	Venue	Result	Goal scorers	Ref
July 2, 1972	Detroit Mustangs	A	2–2	Gus Theofilos, Don Dreher	^[5]
July 8, 1972	Cincinnati Comets	H	1–2	Nick Pascarella	^[6]
July 12, 1972	Cleveland Stars	A	0–1	–	^[7]
July 22, 1972	St. Louis Frogs	H	2–3	Don Dreher (2)	^[8]
July 29, 1972	Detroit Mustangs	H	3–1	Nick Liberati (2), Bill Smythe	^[9]
August 5, 1972	Cincinnati Comets	A	1–4	Nick Liberati	^[10]
August 13, 1972	Cleveland Stars	H	1–5	???	^[11]
August 27, 1972	St. Louis Frogs	A	1–0	Don Dreher	^[12]

External links

• The Year in American Soccer - 1972

Notes and References

1. News: Maggi, Foley Head New Pro Soccer Squad. June 29, 1972. The Daily Notes. 5. November 17, 2018.
2. News: Samuels . Jeff . Canons Ready To Make Debut. July 2, 1972. Pittsburgh Press. D7. November 17, 2018.
3. News: Maggi's Host Ukrans Sunday. June 2, 1972. The Daily Notes. 5. November 17, 2018.
4. News: Cincinnati Booters Spike Canons In Local Debut. July 9, 1972. The Pittsburgh Press. 5. August 6, 2023.
5. News: Detroit Ties Canons, 2-2. July 3, 1972. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. 14. November 17, 2018.
6. News: Cincinnati Booters Spike Canons In Local Debut. July 9, 1972. The Pittsburgh Press. D-2. November 17, 2018.
7. News: Canons Lose, Game Cancelled. July 13, 1972. The Pittsburgh Press. 38. November 17, 2018.
8. News: Frogs' Legs Show Kick, Leap Over Canons, 3-2. July 23, 1972. The Pittsburgh Press. D-2. November 17, 2018.
9. News: Canons Blast Detroit, 3-1. July 30, 1972. The Pittsburgh Press. D-8. November 17, 2018.
10. News: Punchless Frogs Punched Again. August 6, 1972. Cincinnati Enquirer. 8-D. November 17, 2018.
11. News: Stronger Comets Seek Title. August 19, 1972. Cincinnati Enquirer. 27. November 17, 2018.
12. News: Frogs Outshoot Pittsburgh, But Take 1-0 Loss. August 28, 1972. St. Louis Post-Dispatch. 7C. November 15, 2018.