Rock 'n' Roll Soccer

Forty years before millions of U.S. fans tuned in to watch their team in the 2014 World Cup, the upstart league was laying the foundation for the sport's tremendous popularity in America today. The first complete look at the ambitious and star-studded league, this book reveals how the NASL attracted the best players from all over the world, including Pele, Franz Beckenbauer and Johan Cruyff. The precursor to today's modern soccer league, the NASL was the league that brought us the New York Cosmos and the original Seattle Sounders.

Soccer journalist Ian Plenderleith draws from his experiences reporting on both sides of the pond to tell new stories based on fresh research, including:

- The Atlanta Chiefs twice beating English champion Manchester City in 1968
- Marketing and gimmicks unused elsewhere in world soccer
- Franchises in madcap cities like Las Vegas and Hawaii
- The NASL's on-running fight with FIFA and its battle to innovate and entertain

Rock 'n' Roll Soccer brings to life the color and chaos of an unfairly maligned league that flared to life and burned out years ahead of its time.