NASL Soccer Bowl Final 1981: Chicago Sting v New York Cosmos

[ihatenoodles]

I was at this game when I was 17, went to all the Sting home games that season. Thanks for the memories.

[spalattino]

I have original jerseys of old Cosmos, Bogicevic, Romero, Buljan.. That was the team. Go Cosmos!

[hungoversundays]

lol wtf have I just watched???

Was that womens football?

[mimoman221188]

why don't they all just chip the keeper when they rush forward miles off their line? seems pretty simple

[Nitekoala]

Thumbs up if the football ramble sent you.

[taprootuk]

@Nitekoala haha yep

[mellman6]

Wtf if no-one scores in a final in football you have penalties, not this shitty shootout thing.

[afghanforlife]

@mellman6

actually, this looks more interesting than penalties, to be honest.

[tarakplisken]

nul

[maartenrules]

looks like they actually want to lose XD

[nacaolusitana]

what kind of shootout is this? only Americans could come up with such thing -.-

[ChrisA351]

Just wanna thank you for puttin this up...I still have it on a Beta tape...I was a 9 year old kid and we had season tickets....been a soccer fan all my life since then....I still remember it like yesterday....thought I was the only one......This shootout is my fave sports moment in my life....you can only be 9 once :)

[FRSFreeState]

Welcome to Soccer Bowl 81 the Super Bowl of the NASL

[Teckniphobia]

I actually prefer this sort of shootout to the classic penalty kick layout.

[lordofwrath88]

Imagine if this was how FIFA and everyone did shoot outs like this since forever. What would we think of the penalties where the striker shoots from inside the box. We'd say its stupid, too easy, GK hasn't got a chance, we'd be there till someone screws up.

[lordofwrath88]

thumbs up for renaming the Redbulls the Cosmos!

[trwfilmsinc]

That's the dumbest shootout ever.

[kurinbo]

epic porn 'stache at 4:10 lol

[TeamTomat0]

Why do they do like on a hockey penalty shootout? O_o

[khidak1]

The Sting's 1981 Soccer Bowl Championship put Chicago back on the map, because after the Sting won the NASL Championship, a slew of champions soon followed in Chicago, and the Blackhawks could be next.

[caisediab]

@khidak1  I agree. Chicago sports in the 70s was pretty dreary. No QB for the Bears. Barry Foote. Tony Bernazard. Billy Almon. Then came Granitza, the Fridge, and MJ, and the world was never the same. What ever happened to Karl Heinz anyway?

[ArielleNaMara]

@caisediab Karl-Heinz is back in Germany and doing television there. There are a lot of videos here on YouTube of him doing interviews and the like, but it's all in German, so I don't know what's being said.

[SikPon11]

Rudy Glenn (the last sting shooter) is my soccer coach.

[DrOpnAllDemH8ers]

@SikPon11 who are you? he is mine too.

[ArielleNaMara]

@SikPon11 and/or DrOpn...Rudy is your coach? I don't suppose you'd be willing to say where, would you (even just in what city)? I worked for the Sting in 1981 and knew him well way back then...would love to know how he's doing. If you don't want to say, I'll understand, but am just glad to know that he's still in soccer and is coaching now...thanks :)

[moJito332211]

that shootout idea really sucks

[jtgriffin33]

Frantz Mathieu is alive in Haiti. He lost his house and business, but he is alive.

[ArielleNaMara]

@jtgriffin33...wow...I'm sorry to hear about Franz losing his house and business, but glad to hear he's alive. What kind of business did he have?

[FrsBigeasy]

You should Score when your that close.

[gammingmasterz]

dud guess wat i know bogiecivic

[WatchVenusSpa]

When you have icons like Beckenbauer saying that Europe should give the shootout a try, you know it's a good idea. I would lose the 5 second shot clock though.

[ihatenoodles]

I was at this game, drove in from Chicago to see Der Sting win the championship. How amazing it was, was so awesome to see Chicago beat NY 3x that season. They also won again in 1984, great team, fond memories.

[ArielleNaMara]

@ihatenoodles...yes, I was there too. I can honestly say that it was one of the most exciting adventures of my life. I worked for the team at the time and travelled with them to the game and then home again to all the celebrations the city threw for the team. I was so thrilled to find that this video was online!

[jh2SBz]

no entiendo por que la MLS no coloca la franquicia del cosmos

[riotusa1]

I don't speak much espanol, but I think you don't understand why the MLS doesn't have the Cosmos. Giorgio said in "Once in a Lifetime" , "Could you imagine a team like the Cosmos today? it would be worth a billion dollars". The MLS won't spend like that. The closest thing they have is the LA Galaxy and that is a cheap imitation. A low budget NY Cosmos would stain the legacy.

[CBAUSERNAME]

pretty gud vid, what a save at 4:01.

[Hawthorne66]

I Remember this Game BIGTIME! :-) ,one of the best played Pro Soccer Games of ALL TIME! And if can also add that lets not forget when Then Owner Lee Stern Brought the Game To Wrigley Field with some of the Best Players Of All Time, including PELE.I also got to meet some of the Sting players either at the Arlington Park Racetrack or at the Local area school grounds for some local workout sessions.What a FUN TIME! :-)

[rays130226]

I met the members of the Chicago Sting at the Fire game. I met Willie Roy; he was a nice guy. Too buy Karl Heinz Grantiza was not there. He is coaching division 2 team in Germany.

[zenmachinefilms]

Great to see this clip! Thanks for posting it.

Shootouts are better than PK's, but I still like the idea of after an OT period ending in a tie, having both teams play without a keeper.

Or, having teams alternate "power plays" with one, then two, then three, etc. men for one team coming off the pitch for 5 minutes, alternating each side, until there's a winner.

FIFA is too conservative though, but the backlash against PK's is very strong.

[mlai68]

Yes, shootouts are WAAAAY better than PKs. PKs are awful. First one to screw up less on their PKs wins the match. Yawn.

[utoob968]

Shootout was a much better method than PKs esp back then when the goalie was not even allowoed to move laterally on PKs. Then FIFA forced the NASL to get rid of it.

[KNS1996DFS]

That lymey better not be taking a pot shot at the NASL on ABC intro. That intro is solid.

[2fast4ulsr]

I remember this game well. My dad and I were driving back home from vacation and listening to the entire game on the radio. My dad and I were big Sting fans. My dad nearly crashed going bananas when the Sting won. We totally went nuts. It was a great ending to a long day in the car. I will forever remember that team and time.

[seka1986]

Deciding a game on a shootout is better than penalty kicks in my opinion.

[ddoddavi]

cade as cobranças de penalty isso é doideira, parece disputa de linha

[Spudskie]

GO STING, GO FIRE!!!!

[rarimapirate]

Why did they do shootouts like in hockey haha?

[KNS1996DFS]

The Kaiser himself, Franz Beckenbauer, said he loved the Shootout. Personally, I think the hockey-style shootout is better because it's skill against skill, whereas the soccer-style is mostly luck.

[STataw]

@KNS1996DFS There is no luck involved in Penalty shootouts. It it all about skill and the ability to handle pressure.

[asianoutcast87]

i was not from this era so i dont rlly understand this shootout thing. was this shootout thing only used in America, or was it used all over the world? and if it was used all over the world, y did it change into penalty kicks?

[mjbarajas]

The shoot was a rule created by the NASL to make the game more 'exciting for Americans and Canadians'. they also moves the offsides line from mid field to 35 yards from midfield. To make it a faster, higher scoring game.

[KNS1996DFS]

The 35-yard line got the league in hot water. They finally eliminated it after the '81 season. As for the shootout, the Kaiser himself said that he loved it.

[wrightnum3]

USA vs Honduras World Cup Qualifier June 6th at Soldier feild! Support our US boys as they kick some ass!

[parkman35]

Cosmos won the most NASL titles with 5...the Sting won second most with 2...

[Yvdw]

lol, that shoot out thing reminds me ice hockey.

[EddieNeverSleeps]

Cheerleaders at a football match? What the hell.

[ArielleNaMara]

@EddieNeverSleeps...they were called the "Honeybees" and they were really more of a dance squad than "cheerleaders" in the common understanding of the word.

[tinstareel]

As an outside observer, it's easy to see why the sport never really took off in America. Not a great advertisement for newcomers, eh?

[khidak1]

The Chicago Sting did it! Atta boy Rudy!! You made Chicago proud in '81!!

[doubleot]

this sounds like Verne Lundquist announcing.

[TalkinBall]

Actually the announcer was Jim Carvellis, a long time fixture ointhe NY Sports Scene. He called knicks and Rangers action too.

[nycosmos9]

The COSMOS had the greatest club team in the world at the time. They had the best players from all corners of the earth,mainly PELE.

Great times and great soccer!

[thebraccobaldo]

You Joke? Pelè was 40 ! and many team in europe were stronger...

[CampBreezyBeach]

Pele was 36 when he retired in 1977. (He played in a couple of friendlies after but his career was over.) Franz was also gone by age 35, (with a brief comeback in 1983.) Chinaglia was simply out of this world in New York. (He lived up to his big talk way more often than not.) The 1978-80 Cosmos would have steamrollered the Champions League at that time.

[thebraccobaldo]

... they still were so far from the Top Team like AC Milan or Real Madrid...but i think that was a good try to promote Soccere in USA...

[alexf5]

Sorry, but Pele & Beckenbauer had left the Cosmos by 1981. Their best players were Bogecivic, Chinalgia (even though personally I HATED him), Rysbergyn and a much-diminshed Carlos Alberto. They had a bunch of mid-to-low level talent in their starting lineup like Rick Davis, and were not even close to the caliber of the '77 & '78 teams.

GO STING GO!!!!

[riotusa1]

Carlos Alberto played for the California Surf in 1981 after a bitter fallout with coach Weisweiller. After W was fired Alberto returned to the Cosmos in 1982. Rick Davis was by far the best American non-goalkeeper in the NASL.