Welcome to It Was What It Was, the football history podcast. This week co-hosts Jonathan Wilson and Rob Draper continue onto part two of a four-part special on the North American Soccer League (NASL). They discuss the initial attempts to establish professional soccer leagues in America, including the rivalries between the NASL and the National Professional Soccer League (NPSL). The episode covers the impact of foreign teams, the financial and logistical hurdles, and the ongoing struggle to gain popularity and acceptance in the U.S. market. With input from past experiences and key figures, they provide an in-depth look at why American soccer faced numerous setbacks and what was done to overcome them. Join us next week for part three!
01:09 The Early Years of Soccer in the USA
01:34 The Impact of the Wall Street Crash
06:46 Post-War Challenges
09:43 The Decline of American Soccer in the 1950s
21:46 The 1960s: A Decade of Missed Opportunities
27:15 The Birth of the NASL
33:25 Lack of American Players in Early Leagues
34:55 Rival Leagues: NPSL vs NASL
35:42 Initial Matches and Attendance Issues
40:11 Discipline Problems and Game Abandonments
48:10 Financial Struggles and Legal Battles
49:13 National Team Struggles and Attempts at Growth
50:31 Foreign Influence and Pre-season Tours
54:48 Financial Instability and League Contraction
58:20 NASL's Unconventional Season Format
01:00:32 Legacy and Future Prospects of NASL
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