This Week in American Soccer History: Protested game between the Minnesota Kicks and the Chicago Sting
Guest Contributor Dillon Young
This Week in American Soccer History: July 11 1979
The Minnesota Kicks, riding a five game winning streak took on the Chicago Sting in front of 23,073 at the Metropolitan Stadium in Bloomington, MN. This match, which pitted two of the most high powered offenses in the league, started out slow and was tied 0-0 going into the break. Things quickly changed in the second half, with each teams scoring 4 goals (One came so quickly following an earlier goal that the Chicago TV cameras missed it while taking a commercial break -- yes they had commercial breaks during play in the original NASL)
With the game tied 4 - 4 at the end of regulation, the game went into two short sudden death periods. Neither team scored and the teams entered into the "super shootout", where five players from each side take turns going one-on-one with the goalie. Picture the NHL shootout, but the players run at the goalie instead of skate and only have 5 seconds to shoot. The teams ended up tying and the game went into a sudden death shoot out. Then this happened.
Needless to say, The Sting, their fans (Some even wrote letters to the Commissioner, and Kicks Coach Freddie Goodwin questioning his humanity) and the Chicago media were outraged by the outcome. They attempted to protest the match but the result eventually stood.
Both teams went on to the playoffs (though hardly an accomplishment, with 16 of the leagues 24 teams qualifying for post season), with the Kicks being defeated by the Tulsa Roughnecks in the first round and the Sting going out to the San Diego Sockers in the second.
Dillon Young is a librarian living in the Twin Cities, working on his master's thesis on The Minnesota Kicks.
This Week in American Soccer History: July 11 1979
The Minnesota Kicks, riding a five game winning streak took on the Chicago Sting in front of 23,073 at the Metropolitan Stadium in Bloomington, MN. This match, which pitted two of the most high powered offenses in the league, started out slow and was tied 0-0 going into the break. Things quickly changed in the second half, with each teams scoring 4 goals (One came so quickly following an earlier goal that the Chicago TV cameras missed it while taking a commercial break -- yes they had commercial breaks during play in the original NASL)
With the game tied 4 - 4 at the end of regulation, the game went into two short sudden death periods. Neither team scored and the teams entered into the "super shootout", where five players from each side take turns going one-on-one with the goalie. Picture the NHL shootout, but the players run at the goalie instead of skate and only have 5 seconds to shoot. The teams ended up tying and the game went into a sudden death shoot out. Then this happened.
Needless to say, The Sting, their fans (Some even wrote letters to the Commissioner, and Kicks Coach Freddie Goodwin questioning his humanity) and the Chicago media were outraged by the outcome. They attempted to protest the match but the result eventually stood.
Both teams went on to the playoffs (though hardly an accomplishment, with 16 of the leagues 24 teams qualifying for post season), with the Kicks being defeated by the Tulsa Roughnecks in the first round and the Sting going out to the San Diego Sockers in the second.
Dillon Young is a librarian living in the Twin Cities, working on his master's thesis on The Minnesota Kicks.
posted by brucio at 08:20
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