Who’s Dave Wasser and what’s he doing with all those video tapes?
“There are some classic games that I have never found. The 1978 Minnesota-New York playoff series is at the top of my ‘Want List,’” says Wasser, who is also the head of the NASL Alumni Association.
Yes, these really are all of Dave Wasser's remotes!
If you’ve been following the beautiful game for any length of time and as well, have spent time on the internet reading about soccer, chances are, you’ve run into Dave Wasser’s web site. Who is Dave Wasser? Dave has been collecting video tape of soccer games in the U.S. for 15 years now. The old North American Soccer League in particular, but U.S. National teams as well. In fact, if U.S. Soccer needs a video tape of a game, they often go to Wasser according to this really excellent article posted Tuesday on the soccer blog, Unprofessional Foul.
“Wasser also has the world’s most exhaustive archive of the US Men’s National Team—an additional 250 matches worth of shelf space. How complete is it? When people call US Soccer looking for tape, they tell them to call Wasser. In fact when US Soccer is looking for tape, they do the same.”
Wasser contacted IMS recently as he’s still in quest of the holy grail…the Kicks vs. Cosmos playoff games from 1978. This is the home and away series that Minnesota beat the Cosmos at old Met Stadium in bloomington, 9-2. I was actually at that game and it was an amazing night to be sure. The Kicks then went to New York and lost to the Cosmo’s 4-0. Both teams went into the new and improved shootout, where the kicker started at the halfway line and dribbled in on the keeper. If memory serves me correct, the shooter had five seconds to get a shot off. Minnesota lost and the Cosmos went on to the final which was called the Soccerbowl, where they defeated the Tampa Bay Rowdies 3-1 and became the 1978 NASL Champions.
If anyone knows were they can get ahold of one or both tapes from the 78 series with the Cosmos, I’m sure Dave Wasser would be very interested in having a discussion with you.
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