The American Dream: Pelé, Cosmos + Rise & Fall of NASL | Part Four
It Was What It Was : The Football History Podcast
The Overlap
4.9 • 667 Ratings
🗓️ 20 January 2026
⏱️ 73 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Welcome back to It Was What it Was, the football history podcast. In the final episode of our four-part special on the NASL, co-hosts Rob Draper and Jonathan Wilson delve into the decline and eventual collapse of the league. From financial instability, over-expansion, and missed opportunities, to the controversial business decisions and the rise of indoor soccer. This episode covers the myriad of factors that led to the NASL's downfall. Explore the final turbulent years, the impact on US Soccer, and the lessons learned from one of football's most intriguing leagues.
00:00 Introduction to the NASL and Its Peak
02:08 The Decline Begins: Post-Pele Era
05:36 Celebrity Owners and Financial Woes
09:01 The Cosmos' Dominance and League Format Issues
19:21 Franchise Movements and Player Strikes
29:03 The Beginning of the End: Financial Losses and Decline
36:13 Ownership Disputes and Relocations
37:53 Franchise Failures and Player Movements
43:34 NASL's Struggles and FIFA's Ultimatum
44:28 The Final Collapse of NASL
55:18 Failed Experiments and Indoor Soccer
01:01:49 The End of NASL and Its Legacy
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | We prostituted ourselves for a little money, and when the ratings were low and they dropped us, |
| 0:12.2 | that was another negative story. Well, welcome to it was what it was, and welcome to our |
| 0:18.8 | in-depth overview of US soccer history and specifically the NASL, |
| 0:24.9 | that iconic American Soccer League that reaches its peak with Pele and Franz Beckinbaugh. |
| 0:30.7 | And that was the Tulsa General Manager Noel Lemon talking about really the decline, I suppose, |
| 0:36.8 | and demise of something that seemed so hopeful. |
| 0:39.4 | Because Jonathan, we're in part three of our series. And in parts one and two, you built us up to |
| 0:44.2 | the moment where you left us on Tenta Hooks last week with really a high point of crowds of 50,000, |
| 0:52.7 | Pelle is retiring, but it feels like he's propelled US professional |
| 0:57.9 | soccer into another era. It feels like the game is ready to take hold in America. There are stars |
| 1:03.8 | like Bobby Moore and George Best and Franz Beckenbaum are there. There's not much going on in terms |
| 1:09.3 | of US soccer players, but it does feel like it's quite a big noise. |
| 1:14.3 | What's going to happen in the next few years? How come here it's a declines from this seeming high point? |
| 1:20.6 | Yeah, I mean, 77,000 there for the conference semi-final, the featuring in Cosmos, 75,000 for the conference final, |
| 1:28.9 | 75,000 as well for Pelle's |
| 1:31.5 | farewell game between the Cosmos and Santos. |
| 1:34.7 | I mean, the fact that |
| 1:36.8 | I've said Cosmos three times, |
| 1:38.9 | I think tells you part of the problem. |
| 1:40.8 | But Minnesota, you know, |
| 1:42.1 | being the car park, |
| 1:49.0 | the Minnesota, you know, being the car park, the Minnesota Metropolitan Stadium in Bloomington, |
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