It Was What It Was
Soccer: An American History - Part Three: Boom to Bust
Published: 25 March 2025 at 05:00 Europe/London
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Episode notes
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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