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Northern Ireland Players in the NASL, MLS & US Open Cup


NI Players in the NASL (1967-1984)
In the 1970s the North American Soccer League attempted to bring "proper" football to the USA and Canada, offering big-money to world stars and an opportunity for the journey-man professional to escape to the sunshine for a bit of extra summer cash...

Amongst the players to feature in the NASL between 1968 and 1984 (and the NPSL in 1967) were the following men from Northern Ireland:

Teams
Season
GP
GL
Notes





LA Aztecs
LA Aztecs
LA Aztecs
Ft L'dale Strikers
Ft L'dale Strikers
SJ Earthquakes
SJ.Earthquakes
TOTALS
1976
1977
1978
1978
1979
1980
1981
24
25
12
14
17
26
30
148
15
13
1
5
2
8
13
57
PO
PO
-
PO
-
-
-

 1T
 1T
 HM
-
-
-
 2T







Colorado Caribous
1978
18
1
-
-






Detroit Cougars
1968
16
3
-
-






Vancouver Whitecaps
1978
16
11
PO
-






Tulsa Roughnecks
Tulsa Roughnecks
Tulsa Roughnecks
Tulsa Roughnecks
Tulsa Roughnecks
Tulsa Roughnecks
TOTALS
1978
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
28
33
28
26
23
24
162
12
12
5
4
1
3
37
PO
PO
PO
PO
PO
-
-
-
-
-
-
-






New York Cosmos
Colorado Caribous
TOTALS
1976
1978
18
15
33
2
1
3
PO
-
 2T






San Diego Sockers
San Diego Sockers
San Diego Sockers
San Diego Sockers
San Diego Sockers
TOTALS
1979
1980
1981
1982
1983
27
19
32
37
22
137
1
0
1
0
0
2
PO
PO
PO
PO
PO
-
-
-
-
-






Kansas City Spurs
1969
3
4
IC
-






Detroit Express
1980
30
3
-
-






Toronto Metros
1973
12
5
PO
-






Washington Dip's
Washington Dip;s
Washington Dip's
Dallas Tornados
Portland Timbers
GB Earthquakes
GB.Earthquakes
TOTALS
1978
1979
1980
1981
1982
1982
1983
28
30
18
28
25
34
21
184
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
PO
PO
PO
-
-
-
PO
* HM
-
-
-
-
-
-






Tulsa Roughnecks
Tulsa Roughnecks
TOTALS
1981
1982
29
21
50
0
0
0
PO
PO
-
-






Philadelphia Fury
1978
19
7
PO
-






Tulsa Roughnecks
Tulsa Roughnecks
TOTALS
1981
1982
25
19
44
0
3
3
PO
PO
-
-






Atlanta Chiefs
Atlanta Chiefs
TOTALS
1967
1968
25
33
58
6
9
15
-
PO
-
-






Tulsa Roughnecks
Tulsa Roughnecks
Tulsa Roughnecks
Tulsa Roughnecks
Tulsa Roughnecks
Tulsa Roughnecks
TOTALS
1978
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984

29
29
32
32
31
24
177
0
6
3
4
0
1
14
PO
PO
PO
PO
PO
-
-
-
-
-
-
 2T






Baltimore Comets
San Diego Jaws
TOTALS
1975
1976
22
22
44
1
1
2
-
-

-
-






Toronto Blizzard
Toronto Blizzard
Toronto Blizzard
TOTALS
1982
1983
1984
19
34
24
77
3
7
1
11
PO
PO
PO
-
-
 2T






LA Aztecs
Montreal Manic
Montreal Manic
San Diego Aztecs
TOTALS
1981
1982
1983
1984
21
26
29
20
96
2
1
5
3
11
PO
PO
PO
PO
-
-
-
-






Dallas Tornado
1975
5
0
PO
-


KEY
PO - qualified for play-offs.
IC - International Cup Winner (pre-regular season tournament involving foreign club sides)
All-Stars : 1T - First Team, 2T - Second Team, HM - Honourable Mention.

Does not include appearances in the United Soccer Association during 1967.

NI Players in MLS: (1996-date)
In the wake of the 1994 World Cup, there was a soccer revival in the US in the form of  Major League Soccer. Once again it has become home to the aging star and the career journey-man alike...

Steve Morrow
Dallas Burn ........... 2002 27 .4 PO
Dallas Burn ........... 2003 17 .0

Martin Paterson
Orlando City .......... 2015 ..0

Jonny Steele
Real Salt Lake ........ 2012 28 .
New York Red Bulls .... 2013 33 .5 SS
New York Red Bulls .... 2014 15 .1

Mark Williams
Columbus Crew ......... 2003 ..0

KEY
PO - qualified for play-offs.
SS - Suporters' Shield winner

NI Players in the US Open Cup Final:
Formerly the US National Challenge Cup (Dewar Cup, pictured), currently the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup.

Winners:
1926 Whitey McDonald (Bethlehem Steel)
1927 Jimmy Kelly (Fall River Marksmen) 1 goal [ex-Bangor/St Johnstone]
1928 Harry Chatton (New York Nationals)

Coaches:
Runners-Up:
2005 Colin Clarke (FC Dallas)
2007 Steve Morrow (FC Dallas)

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