Fred Oliver is a name that you may have heard about if any of you have been closely following soccer's development in America. This Pawtucket Free Wanderers defender, forward and centerback was a Pawtucket native. The early American soccer history of the United States is unique in that African Americans played in a senior league for the first time. Although his career started in a bolt factory in Mississippi, he became a star for the team and was awarded a place in the first edition World Cup.
African Americans have participated in senior leagues
The United States has a long and rich soccer history. However, little is known about this. These leagues lack the resources to record this history. Instead, sports historical societies are created to uncover these stories. The Society for American Soccer History recently published information about the first African American soccer players. The report is titled Fred Watson/Oliver Watson. It details the first soccer players of African origin in the United States.
While the game is diversifying, it remains a problem that there is not enough representation at the top. Only 1.6% of soccer executives in the United States are black. The only Black owners of professional soccer clubs are Burton Albion and Salford City, low-profile English third and fourth tiers. The lack of Black ownership is partly responsible for the lack of Black managers and coaches. However, the Society aims to remedy this situation by creating a platform that allows African American players.
In the 1980s, the NASL was in decline
The NASL struggled to stay competitive as the 1980s approached. The league suffered from overexpansion, as well as disputes with its members' union. At the same, unemployment was at 10.8%, its highest level since World War II. It was evident that the league was losing money because owners were trying to cut costs. The league was close to collapse in 1982.
The financial difficulties of the league began to impact clubs. In 1977, only 18 teams were in the league and over 70% of its budget was spent on salaries. The NASL's lack of financial resources led many owners to drop weaker teams and continue with six teams. By 1978, the league had 24 teams, but that was not enough to keep up with the growth of the league.
The U.S. had a successful 1986 World Cup.
The U.S. team did not win the World Cup, but its success was evident from the beginning. The number of people who attended the World Cup was greater than ever before in American soccer history. The U.S. beat Yugoslavia, 4-2, in the Rose Bowl's opening round. This was in front of 97.451 people. Then, in the semifinals, Brazil beat Italy 2-1 in front of 83,642 at Stanford.
The qualifying stage performance of the United States was the determining factor in the qualification stage's success. After a slow qualifying stage, Jurgen Klonsmann was fired and Bruce Arena, who had won three of the eight qualifiers, was hired again. Sunil Gulati (president of U.S. Soccer) stated that the U.S. was striving to reach the goal of qualifying.