1975
Click on the Arrow on right - to get a brief overview of this year
John Bertos' Boston/Worcester Astros take it all the way to the top of the mountain.
Coach Bertos proves that his ASTROS are the best, and in 1975, he delivers a team of CHAMPIONS.
Including playoff matches, The Astros played 24 games in 1975. They were defeated only 3 times, on the road, but did not lose an ASL match at home !
The Astros started off the season behind in points, but continued surging ahead, and dominated for the latter part of the season, by winning several "must win" games in a row to overtake both Rhode Island and Connecticut, ultimately capturing the Division title.
The Astros edged Cleveland to advance to the finals.
Their final match ever was a legendary match in Mount Vernon NY - (fittingly against the former "NY Greeks".)The longest match ever played in the history of the ASL. (67.5 minutes of Overtime)....the third longest in US History of professional soccer !!!
John Bertos ' Boston Astros were GREAT !
Coach Bertos and his Astros had finally topped Mount Olympus.
Astros tie Oceaneers 2-2 : April 26, 1975
ASL: Bob Cousy became the 41-year-old league's first full-time commissioner as the ASL began its 20-game schedule.
General manager-player James McMillan of Cleveland scored two goals and had an assist in his team's 3-1 defeat of the Connecticut Yankees.
Defending champion Rhode Island was tied by the Boston Astros 2-2.
The Chicago Cats, who moved into the Windy City only a month ago, tied Cincinnati l-l.
The New York Apollos, trying out their new quarters in Mt. Vernon, blanked the New Jersey Brewers 2-0.
ASL: In the second week of competition, Cleveland, with a 2-0 record, was the only undefeated, untied team. The Cobras' 2-1 defeat of Chicago came on goals by Miguel Perrichon and Vito Colonna; Milo Iveljic connected for the Cats.
Eight thousand fans turned out for Boston's home opener with the New York Apollos, a 2-2 tie. May 3, 1975)
Pittsburgh and Cincinnati played to a 1-1 standoff in a drizzle in Cincinnati.
Rhode Island and Connecticut also tied 1-1, Olivar Acquah of the Oceaneers knotting the game with six minutes left.
Sports Illlustrated
Astros tie on Barbosa goal
By John Powers
Boston Globe
Most of the names - Olivera, Soares, Gomes, Edwardo, Ramos - were the same. The style-individual flash and casual defense - was , too.
And it took a familiar old savior, age-less Boom Boom Barbosa, to give the Astros a 2-2 tie with the New York Apollos in their home opener before 8,000 at Nickerson field last night.
Barbosa, at 34, is several steps slower than the quicksilver forward who pumped home winning goals with regularity two years ago.
Last night, though, it didn't matter.
"Boom Boom" could have been wearing leg irons, with ball and chain, and he still would have converted the fat rebound that New York goalie Jamir Canal left him just outside the goal mouth.
Coming with 27 minutes left to play, the goal kept Boston in a second place deadlock with Rhode Island in the ASL Northern Division.
From the first 2 minutes, when careless defensive marking gave Apollo forward Zygmunt Lezak an easy open-net goal, there were too many Astro pyrotechnics, and not enough productive substance.
With 18 year old Manny Barbosa still hamstrung, the mercurial Astro four man front was sluggish and ineffective, squandering their scoring chances in a flurry of blind passes and roundhouse swinging of legs.
It was left to Leo Ramas, Boston's desperately overworked linkman, to provide the punch with booming kicks from the midfield, and clever work around the goal.
His deflection of an Itamar Alves corner kick brought Boston even with eight minutes to play in the first half.
And after Michael Kostakis sent the Apollo ahead 2-1, with a deft reverse header at 10:58 into the second half, it was Ramas who set up the tieing score six minutes later. His long, accurate shot caught Canal squarely in the chest, and the rebound was easy meat for Boom Boom.
May 31, 1975
ASL: In a showdown for the Midwestern Division lead, the Cleveland Cobras met the Cincinnati Cats, with the Cobras coming out on top 2-1. General Manager-Player Jim McMillan of Cleveland had a goal and an assist while Cincinnati's Roger St. Vil found the net with one minute left to become the league's scoring leader (10 points).
The Rhode Island Oceaneers rolled to their 24th straight game without a loss, defeating Chicago 2-1 on Mohammed (Baby Jet) Attiah's 20-yard goal.
Connecticut and Pittsburgh struggled to a scoreless tie and the Boston Astros won their first game out of five by tripping the New Jersey Brewers 3-1.
May 1975 : NY extends home unbeaten streak to 32
The New York Apollo(s) were virtually unbeatable at Home
ASL: Defending champion Rhode Island got a goal—a "penalty kick' by Vitor Gomes—with 3:58 to play to gain a 2-2 tie with the Cincinnati Comets and remain undefeated in two seasons.
It was the Oceaneers' third tie in as many games and put them even with Connecticut, and ahead of Boston, in the Northern Division.
The Connecticut Yankees ambushed Pittsburgh 4-0 as Forward Roberto Taslor scored his first two goals of the year.
New York, on top in the East, stayed unbeaten in 32 home games* with a 2-0 shutout of the Cleveland Cobras, and New Jersey broke into the win column with a 2-1 victory over Chicago.
Boston was idle.
The Apollo go down at home. Winning streak finally ends, after many years.
ASL: New York's home unbeaten streak was halted when Connecticut stopped the Apollos 2-1. Yankees Vic Calabrese and Frantz Innocent tallied the goals. Despite the loss the Apollos led the Eastern Division by four points over New Jersey at week's end.
With 10 seconds left to play, Cincinnati's Mullin Hall scored the winning goal to hand Chicago a 4-3 loss. The Cats' Ernesto Aparicio's pair of goals salvaged a 2-2 tie with Midwestern leader Cleveland.
Jose Neto of Boston scored twice to become the league leader with seven goals and two assists, as the Astros swept by Pittsburgh 4-1.
Goalie Claude Campos made 14 saves to give the New Jersey Brewers their second 2-0 win this season over defending league champion Rhode Island
By Brian Goslow
June 3, 2010
When John Bertos moved his Boston Astros franchise to Worcester in the middle of the American Soccer League's (ASL) 1975 season, professional soccer was in the midst of a renaissance similar to that recently spurred by English superstar David Beckham coming to play in the United States.
However, the ASL had few of the international stars of the more highly visible North American Soccer League that featured legendary Brazilian superstar Pele.
In what should have been seen as an ominous sign from the start, ASL Commissioner Bob Cousy (yes, the former Boston Celtics great) argued against the team coming to his adopted hometown. League directors approved the move anyhow.
"The best thing I remember was how the people reacted to us coming to Worcester," Bertos said. 'The Chamber of Commerce gave us an office and people would come in and talk soccer with us."
The Astros played their games at Foley Stadium. Three thousand fans saw them win their exhibition home opener against the Connecticut Yankees 8 to 0, thanks to three goals by the ASL's leading scorer, 19-year-old Jose Neto from Brazil, and two assists by Helio "Boom Boom" Barbosa.
To build a market for the sport, the team held a number of clinics in conjunction with the Worcester Parks Department.
"I'm proud me and my players gave 97 clinics through the region during the time I ran the Astros" Bertos said.
The Astros were founded by Bertos in 1967.
July 18, 1975 – Boston Astros 1:1 Rhode Island Oceaneers
July 18, 2017
Post by frankdellapa@gmail.com
The Boston Astros (9W-3L-8D, 26 points) ended up ahead of the Oceaneers (8-3-9, 25) and Connecticut Yankees (9-6-5, 23) in the North Division, then became ASL co-champion after playing to 2-2 and 1-1 draws (plus nine 7 minute, 30 seconds extra time sessions) with the New York Apollo.
The Astros’ Jose Neto, who went on to play for the Hartford Hellions and San Diego Sockers, was named MVP, leading the league in scoring (23 goals), ahead of the Oceaneers’ Ghanaian forward, Mohammed “Baby Jet” Attiah (16), and the Yankees’ Guatemalan midfielder Roberto Taylor (14), a former University of New Haven star who was fourth on the scoring list and went on to play for the Hartford Bicentennials.
The Astros were a nomadic team, and Worcester became their final stop, owner John Bertos folding them after the ’75 season.
TODAY IN NEW ENGLAND SOCCER HISTORY
ASL: Mohammed (Baby Jet) Attiah, the league's scoring leader, tallied his 11th goal of the season for Rhode Island as the Oceaneers slipped by Pittsburgh. It was the Miners' third straight 1-0 loss.
The Oceaneers continued to head the Northern Division by five points over Connecticut, which had its game with Eastern leader New York suspended when many of the 2,300 Hartford fans swarmed over the field after a controversial Apollo goal.
Cincinnati and Cleveland were tied for first in the Midwestern. The Worcester Astros beat Cincinnati 1-0 when Derli Borges picked off an errant pass and converted it into a 20-yard goal.
ASL: Rhode Island's Mohammed Attiah scored his 12th goal of the season as the Oceaneers defeated Connecticut 3-2 to stay atop the Northern Division by five points.
Edner Bretton's two goals and an assist earned the New York Apollos a 3-3 tie with Boston.
New York led the New Jersey Brewers by eight points in the East at week's end. Cleveland held a two-point edge over Cincinnati and Chicago in the Midwestern.
Astros soccer : WORCESTER, Mass. (UPI)—The Boston Astros can move into first place in the American Socccer League with a win Friday night over Cleveland at Foley Stadium.
Astros' center-forward, Jose Neto, who had six goals and two assists in a 9-0 win over Chicago last week, leads the ASL in scoring with 45 points.
*Neto finished the season with 23 goals 5 assists ( 20 game regular season ) Astros finished in first place in the eastern division, ahead of RI and CT
ASL: The Worcester Astros crept within one point of idle Northern leader Rhode Island after tying New York 2-2 and mauling the Chicago Cats 9-0.
Forward José Neto of the Astros was a one-man gang against Chicago, scoring six goals and assisting on two others. (8 Points !)
Connecticut remained in third with a 2-1 defeat of New Jersey.
American Soccer League Commissioner Bob Cousy has denied a protest by the Cleveland Cobras against the Worcester Astros in their semi-final game in Foley Stadium.
Cleveland forward Jim McMillan was kicked by Astros' goalie Emilio Costa, after apparently having charged at Costa.
A penalty kick was awarded to the Cobras.
McMillen suffered two fractured ribs and a collapsed lung.
The Cobras protested that three Astros players should be suspended and the game replayed.
Please go to next chapter - "Le Denouement " : The 1975 ASL Finals
Worcester Astros vs. New York Apollo