Old Legends and Rising Stars Hit Harvard; Boston Minutemen to Play Soccer at Stadium With Crimson Alumnus Shep Messing in Goal

You start discussing soccer in Boston and people make it a point to slip in that they were there. 18,000 spectators had that privilege and they were lucky to squeeze into the cozy stadium (capacity: 12,000) to stand on seats and strain their necks to catch some of the action.

The action was the Boston Minutemen--New York Cosmos game last June 20 at Boston University's Nickerson Field. It was also the showdown between Pele (hopefully he needs no introduction) and Eusebio, who was second only to Pele when he reigned as the king of soccer. No-one else deserved to be mentioned in the same sentence with them.

The facts of the game have since become muddled but the impressions still remain.

A half hour before game time, there were no more seats left, yet the throngs of multi-lingual, beer-toting fans continued to file up the ramps. The finally burst over the retaining wall, scrambling to the edge of the playing field.

That is what one remembers: a rectangular patch of green engulfed by a sea of confusion and anticipation.

And then there was number 10, Pele, leading the Cosmos onto the field to the adoring chants of his name and frantic flag waving by a vociferous bunch of Brazilians.

One remembers Eusebio seeming to stand above his teammates, literally and figuratively, dominating midfield and challenging Pele.

These two "legends" were calmly, skillfully and--yes--artistically engineering their teams' offense, weaving down the field and finding open men with pinpoint accuracy. And there was always the promise of a burst of a speed on aged legs, a flurry of moves and a blistering drive on the net.

Etched in one's mind are a few flashes of brilliance: Eusebio unleashing a long banana kick on a free kick which dipped, as if by divine will, under the crossbar leaving the goalie and crowd stunned and awed; Pele dribbling around and through a few defenders and scoring on his second shot.

And then there was a spontaneous scene of pandemonium and exhilaration.

But when the crowds parted ten minutes later, Pele was left sprawled on the ground, shaken up and with a sprained ankle. He was carried from the arena on a stretcher and Eusebio retreated to the dressing room soon after to avoid a similar fate.

The mere mortal players were left to put the finishing touches on the spectacular game, which the Minutemen won in overtime.

This excitement, the amazing foreign stars, the upcoming American standouts and the closeness of the fans to the action are all part of the brand of soccer now being played in the North American Soccer League (NASL).

The 20 team league seems to be here to stay after it almost collapsed in 1968, after one season, because of overexpansion. There will be television coverage this year and several West coast teams have sold over 12,000 season tickets.

Starting next Saturday, the Boston Minutemen bring NASL soccer to Harvard stadium where they will play eight games. (Student tickets cost $2.50.) They open their quest for a third straight Northern Division title against the Toronto Metros, who battled Boston to the wire in last season's stretch drive. Boston plans to use more American players this year, including third-year goalie, Harvard alumnus Shep Messing.

Messing had the lowest goals against average in the NASL last year and is one of the top Americans in the league. He makes a triumphant return to Harvard, which he led to the NCAA semi-finals in 1972. "It's like a dream to me," says Messing. "When I was there, we always imagined what it would be like to play in the stadium."

Eusebio may not return this year, but there are some other world class players to watch. Mid-fielder Antonio Simoes, Eusebio's teammate on one of Europe's top teams, Benifica, is one of the top ball-handlers in the NASL. Some experts consider him to be one of the top five players in the world. Very few players will take the ball from him.

Boston's flashiest, most unpredictable player is 20-year-old forward Ade Coker from West Ham of the English first division. He is capable of suddenly exploding past an opponent and can be expected to try at least one bicycle kick per game.

The defense was Boston's strong point last year and it seems better than ever with the return of iron man Alan Wooler of West Ham, Danish and Scottish leagues star Henning Boel, and player-assistant coach Paddy Greenwood, a member of the championship team of two years ago.

With coach Hubert Vogelsinger emphasizing a quick passing game (do not be surprised to see 10 passes in a row), the Minutemen promise to be exciting to watch.

"We play a faster harder game, like the style they play in England," Messing says. He says he feels that the American players are competitive with most of their fore; colleagues. He says of playing against Pele: "He's like a Bobby Orr in hockey, he's always ten moves ahead of you." But, I feel like an equal to him on the field."