This Week in American Soccer History: Alan Willey Scores 5, Ron Futcher gets punched and the oddity of the NASL Playoffs

Guest Contributor Dillon Young

This Week in American Soccer History: August 1978

This week in 1978 the Minnesota Kicks, one of the divisional champions of the NASL took on the defending NASL Champions the New York Cosmos in a home-and-home playoff series. The Kicks, who had never previously beaten the Cosmos, furiously began the series opener with forward Charlie George crashing into Cosmos goalie Erol Yasin and scoring in the first minute.

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