Soccer: An American History - Part Three: Boom to Bust

It Was What It Was : The Football History Podcast

Welcome back to It Was What It Was.

It's the final installment of our three-part series exploring the rise and fall of the American Soccer League. Jonathan and Rob dive into internal conflicts within the ASL, the 1929 Wall Street crash, and how its devastating effects exposed the vulnerabilities of the fledgling league.

But all is not lost - with another significant attempt to establish professional soccer in the U.S....

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00:00 Introduction to the Series and Bela Gutmann's Influence

01:13 The Rise of the American Soccer League (ASL)

01:51 Innovations and Controversies in American Soccer

06:23 Financial Growth and International Tensions

08:17 The Playoff System and League Complications

10:53 The Struggles of Smaller Franchises

15:06 The Breakaway and Formation of the Eastern Soccer League

17:31 Chaos and Competition Between Leagues

22:24 The Soccer War and Its Impact

23:57 The Decline of the American Soccer League

25:27 The Wall Street Crash and Its Consequences

27:20 The Struggles of Key Figures and Teams

29:36 The Final Collapse of the ASL

34:25 Analysing the Failure of Soccer in the US

38:08 Comparing US and European Sports Models

45:36 The Future of Soccer in the US

49:17 Conclusion and What's Next

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