Soccer
Temple Stadium was the long-time home of the Temple University men's and women's soccer teams. The varsity teams played at the Temple Stadium site through the 2002 season.
The National Professional Soccer League began play in 1967 with a team called the Philadelphia Spartans who played their home games at Temple Stadium. The Spartans beat the Toronto Falcons, 2-0, in front of 14,163 at the Stadium in their first match on April 16, 1967. The team however averaged only 5,261 over the course of its 16 matches. After the season, the NPSL and the United Soccer Association combined to form the North American Soccer League. The Spartans were owned by a group led by the Pittsburgh Steelers' Art Rooney who lost more than $250,000, and folded the club after the season.
On September 25, 1968, the U.S. national soccer team played an international friendly against the Israel national team at Temple Stadium. 7,161 saw Israel beat the U.S. 4 to 0. On May 24, 1970, Serie B soccer-club A.S. Bari defeated Bundesliga club Eintracht Frankfurt 1 to 0 during the clubs' off-season American-tours.
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Famous quotes containing the word soccer:
“If we were doing this in the Falklands they would love it. It’s part of our heritage. The British have always been fighting wars.”
—British soccer fan. quoted in Independent (London, Dec. 23, 1988)
“We want beans, not goals.”
—Mexican steelworkers’ banner at opening ceremony of 1986 World Cup soccer championship.
“Our first line of defense in raising children with values is modeling good behavior ourselves. This is critical. How will our kids learn tolerance for others if our hearts are filled with hate? Learn compassion if we are indifferent? Perceive academics as important if soccer practice is a higher priority than homework?”
—Fred G. Gosman (20th century)