The Rebirth of Professional Soccer in America The Strange Days of the United Soccer Association

Soccer’s history in the United States is far richer and more complex than many people realize. In 1967 the country saw a rebirth of professional soccer, but it was a painful, hostile rebirth that saw dueling groups of American sports entrepreneurs fracture into two separate professional leagues.The United Soccer Association (USA) was a league sanctioned by FIFA, but was absent from the nation’s airwaves. Its rival, the National Professional Soccer League, was considered an “outlaw” league by FIFA and within the United States, but it held an exclusive television contract with CBS.

The Rebirth of Professional Soccer in America: The Strange Days of the United Soccer Association tells the story of this largely forgotten chapter in soccer’s history. The two leagues were ragged, misshapen pieces of a puzzle that refused to fit together, competing directly for fans and revenue. This would have been strange enough, but the USA league imported entire teams from Great Britain, Italy, and South America, including Stoke City, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Cagliari Calcio, and Bangu. Built on meticulous research and interviews, this book examines the little-known story that unfolded on the field, in the boardroom, and across the country during this single strange season of professional soccer.