Silver bells: we ring in our 25th year with a look back at a quarter-century of American soccer and Soccer Digest - Twenty-Five Years of Soccer Digest

Soccer Digest, Feb-March, 2002

WHEN SOCCER DIGEST MADE its debut in 1978, soccer in America seemed poised to break into the public's collective consciousness, if not the mainstream. Of course, it didn't happen. When the NASL finally closed its doors, some of the more timid, less dedicated elements shrugged and ignored the sport. Not SOCCER DIGEST. We've remained dedicated to bringing our readers the finest soccer coverage, adjusting to meet the focus of the American soccer landscape, whether that be the indoor, college, or professional outdoor game. We've also set an agenda of supporting the U.S. national teams--men's and women's.

U.S. soccer's death knell and the trumpets heralding the sport's emergence in this country have each been blown on multiple occasions over the past 25 years. Yet it is as healthy today as it has ever been--and we like to think that SOCCER DIGEST is as well. Here's a look at the past 25 years of soccer in America as seen through the pages of SOCCER DIGEST.

1978-1983

When we began, soccer was as new to the American public as our magazine, so explanatory articles such as "The Basic Rules of Soccer" were common.

When we weren't busy putting up roadmaps, we were covering all things NASL. Most of these were either player features ("Teofilo Cubillas: The Man Who Makes the Strikers Go") or spotlights on NASL teams ("Will New Faces Put the Rowdies in the Soccer Bowl?").

The NASL was expanding and attracting stars such as Pele Franz Beckenbauer, and George Best. By 1982, however, we wondered whether, because "expansion and relocation flopped ... will the NASL's decision to cut back to 14 teams work, or is it doomed?"

There were some think pieces from the start, as well. "Why American Players End Up Playing Goalie" [June 1978] forecast that--because of the athleticism of American kids, who grow up playing a variety of sports--"when an American player finally reaches all-world status, it's likely that player will be a goalkeeper." Brad Friedel and Kasey Keller may agree.

We also kicked off our "International Report" department, which kept our primarily North American readers abreast of the game's key events in Europe and South America.

Our first World Cup preview featured information about each of the participating nations, a history of the Cup itself, and now-thankfully antiquated listings for closed-circuit viewing in the U.S. Oddly, it also featured a list of the Argentinian hotels in which each team would be staying, before warning that "in Argentina you will find machine gun-toting policemen and soldiers, so don't be surprised if you can't get within 100 yards of the lodgings."

1984-1988

As early as our June 1979 issue, it was predicted that indoor soccer would be the way ahead for the sport in the U.S.--"Soccer's Future Is Indoors," we said. MISL commissioner Earl Foreman insisted at that time "the U.S. will never accept outdoor soccer because it's too European." In the mid-1980s, at least, it appeared he was correct. The NASL was forced to fold while the MISL enjoyed the peak of its popularity. Despite Foreman's Europhobia, the stars of indoor soccer were men named Branko Segota, Tatu ("Soccer's Shirt-Tossing Sensation"), and Nebo and Boki Bandovic.

As 1984 turned to 1985, SOCCER DIGEST's attention increasingly turned to the indoor game. All but one of our 1985 covers highlighted an indoor player. Features such as "The NASL: Still an Alien in the U.S." and "Rowdies' Troubles Are a Pain in the Grass" became typical of our NASL coverage. And for some reason, about every fourth indoor soccer article we printed seemed to focus on "life as an MISL goaltender."

By our May 1985 issue, the NASL was in serious trouble. "What we lack is consistency, stability, and continuity," NASL president Clive Toye matter-of-factly told us. Toye also promised that he would battle until the bitter end, which--as it turned out--was only a matter of weeks away. "The NASL: Gone But Not Forgotten" declared our next issue.

Just as that version of outdoor soccer disappeared, another emerged: In 1985, former New York Cosmos star Ricky Davis became the first U.S. national teamer to grace our cover. The story, however, lamented the "sad state" of the team and its handcuffed attempt at trying to qualify for the World Cup.

In 1988, Pele offered us his views on American soccer, predicting that "in one or two years, America will have a national outdoor league with more American players than foreign players," even though no such plans were in place. Still, the sentiment was correct--the U.S. was an emerging soccer nation, despite its lack of a quality professional or international infrastructure.

The seeds for change were planted that summer when FIFA named the U.S. the host of the 1994 World Cup. The success of the bidding process coaxed us to declare that "Soccer in the U.S. Is More Popular Than You Think." As proof, we cited participation figures and corporate sponsorship on local levels. We also predicted that Paul Caligiuri--then playing in Germany--would play a pioneering role. At the time, we didn't realize how right we were.