Atlanta Silverbacks And New York Cosmos Clash At NASL Soccer Bowl 2013
North American Soccer League (NASL)The Spring champion Silverbacks host the Fall title-winning Cosmos in the first NASL championship held in Atlanta since 1971, live on ESPN3 in English and ESPN Deportes in Spanish.
ATLANTA, Ga. (November 6, 2013) - The Atlanta Silverbacks and New York Cosmos will battle for NASL Soccer Bowl 2013 at 7.30pm on Saturday, November 9 at Atlanta Silverbacks Park.
The Silverbacks are looking to become the first Atlanta team since the 1968 Atlanta Chiefs to capture the NASL championship, while the Cosmos are aiming to add their sixth overall league title and first since 1982.
"It's been a long wait and an impatient one," said Silverbacks Brian Haynes, whose team clinched the right to host the game back on July 4. "Now that it's here, it's a sigh of relief because we can put everything behind us and focus on this game. I know it's about getting your team ready for the moment, and we've done what we've needed to do. Now, it's our time to stand up, and this where the team has to show itself now."
Currently on an 11-game unbeaten streak, the Cosmos coach Giovanni Savarese said: "We're excited for this game. Our players and the whole technical staff have been working very hard and deserve this opportunity. We're still approaching it like every other game this year. Every game was a final to us because the league is so tough, now we have one more final left."
The Silverbacks, who are looking to regain the momentum that propelled them to capture the Spring crown four months ago, head into the NASL Soccer Bowl having lost three in a row.
"It doesn't matter what has happened the last three games," Haynes added. "If we win the final, then we won't hear anything about those last three games."
NASL Soccer Bowl Quick Facts
Two winners of a split season were crowned for the first time in a United States men's professional soccer league in 84 years.NASL Soccer Bowl is the third oldest existing soccer prize in the United States.The Silverbacks and Cosmos met in Atlanta on November 2 to close the regular season as a goal from Guatemala striker Henry Lopez gave the visitors a 1-0 win at Silverbacks ParkEight-teams NASL played a combined 98 games in 2013, scoring 272 goals.
U.S. International Referee Edvin Jurisevic
To Officiate NASL Soccer Bowl 2013
U.S. International Referee Edvin Jurisevic will officiate NASL Soccer Bowl 2013 between the Atlanta Silverbacks and New York Cosmos at Atlanta Silverbacks Park on Saturday, November 9.
Jurisevic, who is one of 23 U.S.S.F. (U.S. Soccer Federation) Officials on the FIFA Referee List, has officiated matches this year in Major League Soccer and the CONCACAF Under-20 Tournament as well international friendlies.
Assisting the 38-year-old Jurisevic on the field during the NASL Soccer Bowl are Anthony Vasoli and Brian Dunn as Assistant Referees, while Ted Unkel will be the Fourth Official for the match.
NASL Soccer Bowl 2013 Schedule (Kickoff time US EST)
Saturday, November 9
Atlanta Silverbacks vs. New York Cosmos
Atlanta Silverbacks Park; Atlanta, Ga. 7:30 pm
Broadcast: ESPN3.com and ESPN Deportes
NASL Fall Standings P W D L F A P
New York Cosmos 14 9 4 1 22 12 31
Carolina RailHawks 14 7 2 5 21 16 23
Tampa Bay Rowdies 14 5 5 4 30 27 20
Minnesota United FC 14 6 2 6 21 19 20
Fort Lauderdale Strikers 14 5 3 6 18 20 18
Atlanta Silverbacks 14 4 4 6 14 22 16
FC Edmonton 14 3 7 4 13 14 16
San Antonio Scorpions 14 3 1 10 15 24 10
Tiebreakers: 1.) Goal difference 2.) Goals scored 3.) Head-to-head 4.) Away goal difference 5.) Away goals scored
History of NASL Soccer Bowl
Pre-Soccer Bowl
Following the merger of the NPSL (National Professional Soccer League) and the USA (United Soccer Association) to create the North American Soccer League (NASL) in 1968, the league championship games were known as the NASL Final until 1974.
The Atlanta Chiefs, Dallas Tornado, Los Angeles Aztecs New York Cosmos, Philadelphia Atoms and Rochester Lancers were crowned champions after winning their respective NASL Finals which were composed of either a single game, home-and-away playoff or best of three series. The exception was in 1969 as no championship game took place and the Kansas City Spurs were crowned the league winners, having the most points in the regular season.
The NASL also recognized the two champions from 1967: NPSL - Oakland Clippers and USA - Los Angeles Wolves, prior to the league's formation.
Soccer Bowl
The origin of the NASL Soccer Bowl began the following year in 1975 by Commissioner Phil Woosnam, who aimed for a neutral-site championship event similar to the NFL's Super Bowl.
Unlike, the Super Bowl, the Soccer Bowl was not denoted by Roman numerals; instead the last digits of the year would be used to brand the competition for that year (example Soccer Bowl '75).
In 1984 the league changed the neutral-site format for a best-of-three series played at each team's home field. That year the event was promoted as the Soccer Bowl Series '84, though it was still generally acknowledged as the Soccer Bowl.
The Tampa Bay Rowdies were the first team to lift the Soccer Bowl trophy in 1975 when they defeated the Portland Timbers 2-0 at San Jose's Spartan Stadium.
Former Portuguese striker Eusébio led the Toronto Metros-Croatia to become the first Canadian side to win the NASL title in 1976. The following year former Brazilian forward and three-time World Cup winner, Pele concluded his playing career by leading the New York Cosmos to their first Soccer Bowl after posting a 2-1 win over the Seattle Sounders at Portland's Civic Stadium.
In 1978, a record crowd of 74,091 was on hand at Giants Stadium to witness the Cosmos top the Rowdies, 3-1, for the Soccer Bowl '78 crown.
Giants Stadium would once again stage Soccer Bowl as the Vancouver Whitecaps became the second Canadian team to win the NASL title after defeating the Rowdies, 2-1 in 1979.
The Cosmos regained the Soccer Bowl trophy the following year in 1980 after a 3-0 blanking of the Fort Lauderdale Strikers at Washington D.C.'s RFK Stadium.
After losing to 1981 title to the Chicago Sting at Toronto's Exhibition Stadium, the Cosmos captured their fourth Soccer Bowl and fifth overall NASL championship the next year with 1-0 shutout over the Seattle Sounders at San Diego Stadium.
Vancouver became the second Canadian city to stage the Soccer Bowl as the Tulsa Roughnecks topped the Toronto Blizzard 2-0 to claim the 1983 title at BC Place Stadium.
The following year Soccer Bowl changed from a single match to a 'best of three' series where the Sting won their second league title by defeating the Blizzard in the first two matches of the series, at Chicago's Comiskey Park and Toronto's Varsity Stadium, for the 1984 championship.
Recent Years
The NASL Championship Game saw the Minnesota Stars (now Minnesota United FC) and Tampa Bay Rowdies triumph in 2011 and 201, respectively in games played over two legs. Minnesota overcame the Fort Lauderdale Strikers in 2011 and then lost to the Rowdies in a penalty shootout in 2012.
Next to the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup and the second edition of the American Soccer League (1933-1983), the NASL title is the third oldest soccer prize in the United States and will crown its 21st champion in 2013.
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