1967

American Soccer League

1967 - 1968

As fall 1967 approached, the ASL endeavored to persevere: earlier that year, interests in Chicago, Milwaukee, Detroit and Minnesota were refused permission by the USSFA to join the ASL. Notwithstanding this setback, the ASL went into its 1967-68 season with a twelve-team, two division league. The only noticeable change from the early days was the admission of the Rochester and Washington clubs.

The ASL teams still operated on small budgets-New York Inter’s budget was about $50,000 a year-and still had ethnic followings, played in dusty ovals, and had part-time players who performed before small crowds. Edner Breton, later to play for Detroit Cougars in the other league, played a couple of exhibition games for Rochester’s ASL team in 1968. "It was like a bunch of kids playing in a park with no organization whatsoever", he recalled.

Ukrainian Nationals of Philadelphia took the 1967-68 ASL crown. Wth the demise of the NASL's Detroit Cougars, the ASL started looking seriously at expansion to the Midwest, and began making the first preliminary planning for such a move.

In an apparent concession to the "majors", the ASL announced that it would begin playing a summer season in 1969. As a result, for the first time since its inception, the American Soccer League did not begin a season in September of the year. The 1968-69 season was truncated to become simply the 1968 Fall season. scheduled for 12 games. Some clubs, not content to spend the summer and fall of 1968 idly, staged an "internal season": Washington Darts took the championship. In between the two sessions, five teams folded, while Lowell moved to Fall River.

Final ASL League Standings, 1967-68

Before the season, Hartford became the Hartford SC. Patterson,

Fall River, and Washington were added. Baltimore became the Flyers.

G W T L GF GA PTS

First Division

Ukrainian Nationals 15 10 3 2 36 12 23

Boston Tigers 15 8 0 7 34 26 16

Washington Darts 15 7 2 6 28 26 16

Rochester Lancers 15 6 2 7 34 31 14

Baltimore Flyers 15 4 3 8 17 35 11

Newark Ukrainian Sitch 15 4 2 9 15 34 10

Premier Division (as of April 20, 1968)

New York Inter SC 9 6 3 0 13 9 15

Fall River Astros 11 6 3 2 23 13 15

Newark Portuguese 11 5 2 4 24 20 12

Patterson Roma SC 11 3 4 4 27 25 10

New Brunswick Hungarians 12 1 0 11 19 55 2

Hartford SC (played a few games)

CHAMPIONSHIP: Ukrainian Nationals defeated New York Inter 3-3, 5-1.

Hartford withdrew early in the season. After the season,

Boston, Baltimore, Newark Portuguese, Patterson Roma, and

New Brunswick folded.

Top Scorers: (as of April 30, 1968)

Ivan Paleto, Ukrainian Nationals 14

Nelson Bargamo, Rochester Lancers 12

Luis Passache, Ukrainian Nationals 9

Manual Rugel, New York Inter 8

Carlos Medidiera, Boston Tigers 8

Jorge Benitez, Boston Tigers 8

Billy Fraser, Washington Darts 7

Robert Waugh, New York Inter 7

Aguedo Perez, Newark Portuguese 6

Avner Wolanon, New York Inter 6

Most Valuable Player: Robert Waugh, New York Inter

Coach of the Year: Norman Sutherland, Washington Darts

League Standings, Fall 1968

(as of late 12/68)

Before the season, Hartford returned, changed their name to Kings, and

Ukrainian Nationals became Philadelphia Ukrainians.

G W T L GF GA PTS

Washington Darts 11 9 1 1 33 5 19

Rochester Lancers 12 6 1 5 32 20 13

Philadelphia Ukrainians 9 6 0 3 24 13 12

Fall River Astros 9 4 0 5 13 11 9

New York Inter 7 3 1 3 18 18 8

Hartford Kings 12 2 0 10 12 56 4

Newark Ukrainian Sitch 8 1 1 6 8 20 3

CHAMPION: Washington Darts

After the season, Hartford folded. Fall River Astros became Boston Astros.

The first half concluded in the 2nd week of January 1969, and the second

half was cancelled, as the league moved to a summer schedule.

The Darts ultimately finished at 10-1-1.

Leading Scorer: Brown, Washington Darts, 12 goals in 12 games.