North American Soccer League teams

Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 41. Chapters: New York Cosmos, Chicago Sting, Tampa Bay Rowdies, Toronto Blizzard, San Diego Sockers, Minnesota Kicks, Team America, Jacksonville Tea Men, Tulsa Roughnecks, Vancouver Whitecaps, Dallas Tornado, Atlanta Chiefs, Seattle Sounders, Detroit Express, Minnesota Strikers, Fort Lauderdale Strikers, Edmonton Drillers, San Jose Earthquakes, Portland Timbers, Washington Diplomats, St. Louis Stars, Los Angeles Wolves, Memphis Rogues, Los Angeles Aztecs, Rochester Lancers, Philadelphia Atoms, Cleveland Stokers, Houston Hurricane, Boston Minutemen, Philadelphia Fury, Oakland Stompers, New England Tea Men, California Surf, Baltimore Bays, Montreal Manic, Team Hawaii, Calgary Boomers, Toronto Falcons, Las Vegas Quicksilvers, Kansas City Spurs, Colorado Caribous, Miami Toros, Connecticut Bicentennials, Washington Darts, San Antonio Thunder, Vancouver Royals, New York Generals, Montreal Olympique, Chicago Mustangs, Denver Dynamos, San Diego Toros, Baltimore Comets, Washington Whips, San Diego Jaws, Houston Stars, Detroit Cougars, Boston Beacons. Excerpt: The New York Cosmos (or the Cosmos 1977-1978) were an American soccer club based in New York, New York and its suburbs. The team played home matches in three stadiums around New York before moving in 1977 to Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey, where it remained for the rest of its history. Founded in 1971, it competed in the North American Soccer League (NASL) until 1984 and was the strongest franchise in that league, both competitively and financially, based largely around its backing by Warner Communications President Steve Ross, which enabled it to sign internationally-famous stars such as the Brazilian forward Pelé and the West German sweeper Franz Beckenbauer. The acquisition of these foreign players, particularly Pelé, made the Cosmos into what Gavin Newsham called "the most glamorous team in world football", and contributed to the development of soccer across the United States, a country where it had previously been largely ignored. However, as the Cosmos declined following Pelé's retirement, so did the NASL. Attendances fell, the league's television deal was lost and it finally folded in 1984. Although the Cosmos attempted to operate as an independent team in the Major Indoor Soccer League, attendances were so low that the club withdrew without completing a season. The senior team then ceased activity, though the team's youth camps continued to operate under the Cosmos name and label, run by the franchise's former general manager, G. Peppe Pinton. The Cosmos name remained very well-known, even after it stopped competing. Numerous attempts were made to revive it during the 1990s and 2000s, most notably as an Major League Soccer (MLS) club. Seeking to retain the Cosmos' heritage, Pinton refused to sell the name and image rights, believing that MLS would not honor them. However, following a change of attitude by MLS towards the NASL's legacy and the revival of several former NASL names, Pinton sold the rights to an international, English-based consorti