Washington Diplomats

The Glamour of Life in the NASL

2011-12-24T08:49:00.000-08:00

I apologize for the sparsity in posts recently. Teaching history on two seperate grade levels is much more challenging than anticipated.

John Feinstein wrote a poignant piece about life on the road with the underachieveing Diplomats of 1980. It serves as a cautionary tale about big time sports.

Rare Piece of Dips/Cruyff History Up for Auction

2011-11-11T09:06:00.000-08:00

The ball Johan Cruyff used to end the Dips 1979 season is up for auction via greyflannelauctions.com. A video of Cruyff's amazing 70 yard gallop and goal is also available on the site.

Timber, indeed

2011-09-24T18:05:00.000-07:00

To say the Dips crashed to the ground hard and fast in the second half of their 1977 match in Portland would be an understatement.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2GUHGAwJ-GY

Teamen in the Rain

2011-09-07T17:08:00.000-07:00

Although I did not attend the game, I remember this match better than some I did. On Sunday, June 3, 1979, during an afternoon of torential rain, I listened on WTOP 1500 AM in my room as the Dips played the Teamen. The photos attest to the field conditions as well as where the covered seating began at RFK.

Diplomats Beat Reporter

2011-08-14T09:03:00.000-07:00

Before he was ubiquitous on the sports scene, John Feinstein was the Washington Diplomats beat reporter for the Washington Post. He discusses those days on his blog.

Photo Matching

2011-07-21T15:21:00.001-07:00

From a collecting standpoint, it is always exciting when you are able to match a jersey to a photo or video clip from game action. Don Droege wore the jersey shown below in the Dips June 1, 1980 match against the Cosmos at RFK Stadium. The letters used to spell out the name on the back of Droege's jersey are not consistent with others used during the 1980 season. Those were thicker and a slightly different font, as exemplified by the photo of Johan Cruyff below. There were a few jersey anomalies over the years which will be featured in future posts.

John Kerr Passes

2011-07-06T16:33:00.001-07:00

John Kerr, who played for the Dips during the 1976 & 1977 seasons, passed away from heart disease on June 19. He was a leader in the 1979 movement to unionize the NASL. Mr. Kerr was always kind and candid when I spoke with him, and he was his own harshest critic when discussing past matches. The Dips uncerimoniously released Kerr in the midst of the 1977 season, a move that puzzled many.

Kerr watches with

Alex Pringle in 1977.

Kerr in action during the 1976 season.

1979 Training Camp

2011-06-24T10:02:00.000-07:00

Jack Mann of the Washington Star added a touch of social commentary to his coverage of the Dips preparations for the upcoming season.

First Year Jersey Mystery

2011-06-04T17:57:00.000-07:00

The 1974 program includes two photos of the Diplomats playing in what appear to be powder blue (carolina blue) jerseys with white trim. I am only familiar with solid navy blue jerseys (first picture below) or solid white jerseys being used during the first season.

The jerseys in question were made by Unbro, who maufactured the Dips uniforms their first three seasons, as evidenced by the company's trade mark triangle at the neck. The body is the lighter blue color, with the sleeves, collar and triangle at the neck in white. The logo patch used during the first season is on the left breast, and player numeral on the right. They lack the horizontal stripes the navy blue and white versions sported. If anyone has any informaton, or can provide other photos, please help me out.

First Game

2011-05-23T16:28:00.000-07:00

The first Dips game I attended was on August 10, 1975 against the Chicago Sting. The Dips had been eliminated from the playoff contention in their previous match but still came from behind to win via penalty kicks.

Paul Cannell Sighting

2011-05-11T15:21:00.000-07:00

Paul Cannell is alive and well and running a pub east of New Castle named The Alexandria. Perhaps there was already a pub named The Georgetowner.

Photo from: http://voices.washingtonpost.com/soccerinsider/2010/01/saturday_kickaround_24.html

Seeing Red

2011-05-02T17:35:00.000-07:00

While the previous post (highlight film) celebrated the many successes of the 1979 season, the club's financial reality was far more bleak. The Diplomats were suffering not only from being in the same league as the Cosmos, but being in the same division as well.

According to a company VP, the desire of the Dips parent company, Gulf & Western, was to have an "elegant Latin flavor." However, when the season started five months later, there was only one Latino on the roster. Whatever flavor he added was substantially diluted.

1979 Highlight Film

2011-04-19T14:49:00.000-07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GNL_fSagtjs

Enjoy!

Washington Post Ad 1978

2011-04-09T08:23:00.000-07:00

Melee over Pele

2011-03-16T08:16:00.000-07:00

I saw Pele's final regular season NASL game as a 12 year old. The Cosmos, who had defeated the Dips, 8-2, less than 10 days prior did not dress Georgio Chinaglia or Franz Beckenbauer. My most vivid memory from that match came in the final seconds as a mass of humanity descended on the great one in hopes of claiming his jersey.

He zigged, then zagged, shaked and baked, sending the jersey in one direction as he dashed in the other. Two Diplomats ended on top of the jersey, and each other. The real story would be how they resolved who would retain possession of the prize.

I am still learning the video editor software I bought a few months back, and apologize for the delayed beginning of the clip. Move to the 33 second mark to see the incident.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i12ihrz0tg4

Program Surprise

2011-03-03T16:37:00.000-08:00

Fans who attened the June 6, 1975, Diplomats game against Toronto Metros-Croatia found two facsimile autographed photos inside. One was of Randy Horton, Dip midfielder and 1972 NASL MVP. The other was of a German soccer fan who had recently been in the news. After his playing days were over, Horton went on to have his own career in politics, serving as a cabinet minister in his native Bermuda.

Dips Shootout

2011-02-19T17:20:00.000-08:00

Fast Forward to the 1:00 mark.

A Chance Meeting with Paul Cannell

2011-01-27T08:26:00.000-08:00

Paul Cannell played hard and hit the DC bar scene harder. He once gave an interview to the Washington Star at Tramps, a bar in Georgetown. Tom C. from Bethesda, Maryland, has his own

Cannell pub story. "The Sign of the Whale was a popular after-match spot and I remember approaching striker Paul Cannell to shake his hand and talk soccer, but he looked frightened and looked frantically for an exit. 'Why the alarm? I just want to shake your hand,' I said. He sheepishly admitted that he took me for the cuckolded of one of his many 'birds.'

Cannell accosts Gordon Banks at RFK Stadium, 1978.

Final Tour

2011-01-18T16:52:00.000-08:00

In November, 1980, only days before the NASL would euthanize the franchise, the Dips traveled to Japan for 5 friendly matches.

Ownership Change

2011-01-10T17:15:00.000-08:00

Circa mid-May, 1975.

A Christmas Story

2010-12-23T16:24:00.000-08:00

Just as Ralph Parker yearned for an official Red Ryder carbine action 200 shot range model air rifle with a compass in the stock and this thing that tells time, I longed for a Sears Roebuck catalog Washington Diplomats official replica NASL game jersey, which Santa brought in 1979. It was impressive looking, with the only alteration being the removal of the third stripe across the chest not to infringe on the Adidas logo. Happy Holidays.

Collecting Johan Cruyff

2010-12-06T18:52:00.000-08:00

Rod Sangala was kind enough to send along this beautiful signed Johan Cruyff cover of Soccer Digest. Check out his blog at http://myvintageautographs.blogspot.com/. This photo provides a beautiful close up of what I think were the most unique jerseys in the NASL. Below are front and rear views of a Cruyff gamer that came straight from the team.

A Rare Find-1978 Promo Film

2010-11-21T18:31:00.000-08:00

Dave Wasser, who has done an outstanding job locating NASL games for posterity, was kind enough to share this gem. In 1978, the Dips released a promotional piece produced by NFL films. This 6 odd minute work was only shown during the previews of movies screened at Roth Theatres, a DC area chain of yesteryear. The jingle included in the film, "Get your kicks with the Dips," is a delicious, if obscure, part of Diplomania. If anyone has any Dips photos, games, or highlight films to share, please contact me.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eREuccWQz_M

Open Tryouts, Spring 1980

2010-11-14T12:48:00.000-08:00

After acquiring world class players like Johan Cruyff, Wim Janse, and Juan Jose Lozano, management realized they had not sufficiently scoured DC and it's suburbs.

Roy Willner

2010-11-06T13:19:00.000-07:00

From 1974 through 1978, Roy Willner gave Dips fans a clinic in heart, grit and effort. He was not the fastest, nor the most talented player, but you had to respect the way he played. Despite his size, 5' 7" & 150 pounds, Willner took no guff from opponents.

John Rowlands can personally attest to what happened to those who tried to get physical with ol' number 16. The Dips and San Jose Earthquakes engaged in a particularly physical match on May 23, 1977.

The game was still scoreless with about 3 minutes left in regulation when Willner received a pass near midfield. He dribbled once or twice and then passed the ball to his left. Just then, Rowlands delivered a cheap shot that Karl Malone would have envied. Willner turned and dropped his assailant with one right hook to the jaw.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tc1-ivf17KE

"It was just a real dirty play," Willner said of Rawlands hijinks. "We went out to celebrate after the game (the Dips eventually won, 1-0. via a shootout), and my jaw was killing me."

Willner, who retired after the 1978 season due to knee problems, now lives in the neighborhood in which I grew up. He allowed me the honor of adding his personal equipment bag to my Diplomats collection.

Dennis Viollet Relieved

2010-10-30T09:14:00.000-07:00

Just eight days after a front page profile in the Washington Post Sports section hailed him as "a respected NASL coach," Dennis Viollet was relieved of that duty. While most players declined to comment, team captain Gary Darrell observed, "Dennis has been different this year. He wasn't as organized as he's been in the past and he hasn't been as enthused." Viollet had finished runner-up in NASL Coach of the Year voting less than a year before.

Dennis Viollet

2010-10-24T15:35:00.000-07:00

On June 22, 1977, Donald Huff of the Washington Post wrote the following profile of Diplomats Head Coach Dennis Viollet. The timing of the piece, which portrayed Viollet as a survivor, would soon seem ironic.

1980 Fan Appreciation Day II

2010-10-12T19:10:00.000-07:00

Gary Darrell

Bobby Stokes

Tom Rongen

Ken Mokgojoa

Nick Mijatovik

Fan Appreciation Day 1980

2010-10-03T17:16:00.001-07:00

Washington Post Advertisement

Carmine Posillico

Carmine Marcantonio & Wim Jansen

Alan Green

For This Team, An Offensive Explosion

2010-09-28T15:49:00.000-07:00

The 1977 Dips were offensively impotent, scoring a paltry 31 goals in 26 games, for a 1.2 goals per game average. However, the Connecticut Bicentennials were slightly more inept, tallying just 3o. The strange thing, however, is that this 10-16 team averaged 13,068 per game at RFK. The 1978 & 1979 Diplomats, each of whom made the playoffs, averaged just 10, 783 and 11,973, respectively. One side note, the Washington Post's sports editor made a rather unfortunate choice of words when constructing a headline for the game.

2010-09-19T17:19:00.000-07:00

Today, everything in sports has a sponsor. Whether it's the Capitol One Visa AFC Wild Card Game Halftime Show, or Flippin Pizza, the official pizza of the Washington Nationals, teams will couple with just about any product, short of personal hygene, to make a buck. In a way, the Dips were pioneers in this dog eat dog (pardon the pun) sponsorship enterprise. Case in point, Diplomats Esskay Soccer Franks.

Field of Reems

2010-09-14T12:54:00.000-07:00

On the eve of their 1975 season opener, scheduled for April 27, against the Cosmos at RFK Stadium, the Diplomats received word the field would not be available for use until May 16, which would have been the third home game of the season.

While it had been evident for years new sod was needed, Diplomats board chairman Nick Mangione insisted the dates for the Dips to play at RFK had been confirmed February 12, and that the team had been told the new field would be ready by April 1. Complicating things further for team management was the fact that they had not signed a contract to play at RFK in 1975. Rather, they had submitted dates to the stadium authority, but were unhappy with the terms offered, so they continued negoiations.

Photos from 1972, left, and 1974, attest to the poor RFK field.

With great disappointment, the Diplomats played their first two games of the season at Woodson High School in Fairfax, Virginina. The Cosmos game was moved back to June 27. Two pleasant surprises were in store for team management after their winter of discontent. The team started off with a 4-0 record, outscoring their opponents 9-1 during that stretch; average attendance for the first two games at Woodson was 10,600, doubling their RFK average from the previous year. By comparison, the teams final two games of the 1975 season, played at RFK, drew just 2,400 and 3,500, respectively.

One positive came out of the postponement of the Cosmos game. During the two month delay, the New Yorkers has signed Pele, who was with the team when they came to Washington. A crowd of 35,620 showed up, the second largest in Dips history.

2010-09-05T18:32:00.001-07:00

The Jim Reed School of Cool was established sometime in the late 1970s for those who wanted to emulate that wise cracking, C- poster child, yours truely. Essential to the wardrobe portion of instruction was atleast one piece of Dips wear from the 1979 ticket brochure.

While I'm not certain what articles of clothing came from what year, for these give aways were an annual ritual, I know I had the tube socks, shorts, t-shirt jersey, gym bag and atleast two of those rubberized Adidas replica balls. Unofrtunately, I've lost these momentoes over the past thirty some years.

It would be six years after the original Dips ceased operations that I would obtain my first true game worn jersey. However, I treasured those giveaways then as much as I do my gamer collection now.

1980 Goal of the Year

2010-08-29T17:02:00.000-07:00

On July 16, 1980, a typical Washington summer evening replete with high humidity and an occasional down pour, Johan Cruyff scored, "what experts called one of the great goals ever seen in soccer," according to the Washington Post. Hyperbolas? In one way, yes. It is hard to imagine there being an "expert" at RFK Stadium that night, let alone a plurality. Secondly, who anointed these folks "experts." But I digress. The goal was phenomenal, judge for yourself:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CN8zyz9FsdI&feature=related

What is even more astounding than the goal is the fact that Cruyff chastised the media for voting him the game's MVP. He spent his post game interviews criticizing his teammates and scolding the press, at one time saying, "I'm trying to teach you guys."

The Diplomats First Trip To the Playoffs

2010-08-21T17:21:00.000-07:00

The Diplomats made their first appearance in the NASL playoffs on August 17, 1976, in Shea Stadium, against the Cosmos. The Cosmos usual home venue was Yankee Stadium, but the Yanks were playing at home that evening. Fortunately, the Mets were out of town. The teams had split their two regular season meetings, with the Dips winning, 3-2, at H.D. Woodson High School, and the Cosmos taking the second game, 5-0, at Yankee Stadium. Entering the game, the Washingtonians felt it was a good omen that they would not return to the house the Ruth built.

Pele scored 2 in the Cosmos 5-0 win at Yankee Stadium.

To say that the playoffs were unkind to the Dips would be apropos. Of the seven post season games they appeared in, the franchise compiled a 1-6 record. Three of the losses were in sudden death. While this inagural playoff game did up the way the vast majority would, the Washington Star was optimistic in it's coverage.

The Little Things

2010-08-15T16:48:00.000-07:00

When Carmine Marcantonio arrived in 1978, the font used for the player's name on the back of their jersey could not fit five syllables. By 1980, a new font was used that provided smaller letters for longer names.

1978

1980

This Can't Be Good

2010-08-03T13:53:00.000-07:00

On Sunday, August 19, 1979, the lead story in the Washington Post Sports section was about the Dips state of being as they prepared to meet the Los Angeles Aztecs in the final game of their first round playoff series that afternoon. Win, and the Dips would force a "mini game" to decide the series. Lose, and be swept out. The headline must have made the team's executives wretch.

The article detailed an astonishing lack of leadership and focus. It was a feat in itself that the Dips forced overtime before eventually bowing 4-3.

An unintended post-script to this article appeared on June 13, 1980, in a story titled "The Dips: The U.N. in Short Pants" in the Washington Star sports.

Vitecik, the center midfielder of attention.

Kevin Keegan a Diplomat?

2010-07-22T18:30:00.000-07:00

For a few fleeting weeks in January, 1979, it looked as if the Diplomats were going to land “one of the top three players in the world.” On January 5, in a front page story in the Sports section, the Washington Post announced the Dips were courting Kevin Keegan, recently named Europe’s 1978 footballer of the year.

“Gordon Bradley (Diplomat coach) has met informally with Keegan on several occasions,” General Manager John Carbray was quoted as saying. Both the Dips and the Tampa Bay Rowdies made multimillion dollar offers to Keegan, according to contemporary European newspapers. The article stated that if Keegan came to Washington he would receive at least $250,000 annually. The article stated NASL sources believed there was “an excellent chance” that Keegan would wind up in DC.

On January 23, the Post ran the banner headline: “Diplomats, Keegan Reach Agreement.” It detailed a three year deal in excess of $1 million, a sum that exceeded the team’s entire payroll in 1978. The agreement was verbally agreed too by both parties. It called for Keegan to play in about 20 of the Dips 30 games in 1979. The contract allowed Keegan to continue playing for Hamburg S.V. in the German League. He would then join the Dips on June 10, 1979, the day after Hamburg’s last match. The agreement also allowed Keegan to rejoin Hamburg by mid-August, which was the start of the new European season. However, he would stay with the Dips as far as they lasted into the playoffs, which could have run until September 9.

Three days later, however, in a story planted on page 4, the Post announced that Keegan would not be coming to the Dips, or any other NASL franchise. “Thank God I haven’t signed a contract with the Diplomats,” Keegan exclaimed. “I have been negotiating with them for three months and now the whole thing has fallen through. The whole thing is very unpleasant.” The whole thing “fell through” when Keegan discovered a clause in European Federation rules which stated that only players under contract to their clubs by August 13 would be eligible to play for the European Cup.

The Dips finished with a franchise best 19-9 regular season record before being swept out of the playoff by the John Cruyff led LA Aztecs. In their coverage of the season ending defeat, the Washington Star resurrected the notion of Keegan playing in DC.

A world renowned star would don a Dips jersey for the 1980 season. It was not in the form of Kevin Keegan, however, but in the afore mentioned Cruyff. Keegan and Bradley were old friends, and would have made a wonderful partnership. Cruyff and Bradley were not, and their acrimony was palpable.

1977-78 Warm Up Jacket

2010-07-10T09:56:00.000-07:00

The Dips debuted new jerseys in 1977. It employed a new team logo that featured DIPS slanted across the front and made by Adidas. A new warm up was also issued that year, but this used the old logo of a soccer ball with top hat and cane, also made by Adidas. The team uniforms had previously been supplied by Umbro. This particular jacket was obtained from Ane Mahailovich, who played with the Dips from 1978-80, despite the fact that it originally belonged to defender Mike Dillon. "We wore each others equipment all the time," Mahailovich told me. This was largely due to the fact that they roomed together on the road. Ane also had a lighter suit that

was issued for rain games, but it did not have any Diplomats identifiers on it, unfortunately.

Sonny Askew's Influence on 70s Pop Culture

2010-06-28T20:03:00.000-07:00

Robert Reed, aka Mike Brady, was an obvious Sonny Askew fan, if not the team as a whole.

Arthur Treacher's Soccer Teacher

2010-06-15T19:25:00.001-07:00

Ask any member of the current U.S. World Cup Team where they picked up the finer points of the game and they will readily admit from this 1980 magazine given away at Washington area Arthur Treacher's Fish & Chips.

Inagural Game

2010-06-07T14:33:00.001-07:00

Photo courtesy: http://philadelphiaatoms.com/atomsphotos.htm

Note the large white painted wooden

seats in RFK Stadium in 1974. These

would soon be replaced by orange

plastic seats that were much more

narrow and uncomfortable.

Photo courtesy: http://philadelphiaatoms.com/atomsphotos.htm

The Last Original

2010-05-31T19:02:00.000-07:00

During their seven year tenure in DC, the one constant within the organization was Gary Darrell. The 5' 9" midfielder/defender was a fan favorite and constant contributor. Gordon Bradley stated, "Despite being 31 years old and seldom starting, Gary Darrell was probably our most valuable player in 1978. That tells you a lot about the character of this man." Indeed, Darrell was the heart and soul of the franchise.

1974

1975

1976

1977

1978

1979

1980

Birth Announcement

2010-05-26T16:43:00.000-07:00

On January 19, 1974, news broke that professional soccer was returning to DC. Both The Washington Post and The Washington Evening Star featured articles on the front page of their respective sports sections. Only four months later, the Diplomats would make their debut at RFK Stadium.

A Portent of Things to Come

2010-05-22T08:37:00.000-07:00

The 1978 Dips brought a 3-0 record into a Sunday, April 23, matinee against the Minnesota Kicks at RFK Stadium. The previous Sunday, they had thrashed the Ft. Lauderdale Strikers, 4-1, before 11,322 fans and the TVS Television Network. With quarter page advertisements in The Washington Post Sports section, the organization hoped to compete with the Cosmos and Rowdies in generating large home crowds.

When only 13,226 paying customers took advantage, however, Diplomats Coach Gordon Bradley spent a good deal of his post game press conference publicly expressing his bewilderment at the lack of support the team was receiving from the greater Washington, DC area. So much so, in fact, that an entire article was devoted to the subject in The Post.

It would have further bewildered Bradley that the 1979 Diplomats Media Guide listed this very game as the tenth largest home crowd in team history. The Dips won the match, 1-0, in a shootout, to raise their record to 4-0. The season's attendance average would be 10, 783. Following the 1979 season, their first as majority owners of the franchise, Madison Square Garden Corp. would express the same disappointment and bewilderment.

The 1978 Dips are introduced to a lot of empty seats before a match at RFK Stadium.

"The Greatest Day In Our History"

2010-05-18T09:17:00.000-07:00

June 1 marks the 30th anniversary of the most memorable match in Dips history. On a hot, humid Sunday afternoon in 1980, the Johan Cruyff led Diplomats face the Cosmos before a then record setting crowd for soccer in the nation's capital, and a national television audience. The Washington Post's beat writer for the team, John Feinstein, described it as, "three hours of soccer and mayhem."

Mayhem, indeed. At the end of those three hours, the Cosmos left the field victorious, but the game was hardly over in the minds of the Dips and their faithful. Referee Toros Kibritjian and senior linesman Gordon Arrowsmith each nullified Diplomat goals on two controversial calls. Diplomats Johan Cruyff and Joe Horvath were both ejected; Arrowsmith would be rushed from the stands and punched by a spectator before being hit in the head with a rock. A second fan would rush the field after the game attempting to attack Cosmos defenseman Jeff Durgan.

The home team entered the match with a disappointing 3-6 record. Cruyff, the first player in Washington sports history to earn one million dollars for one season's work, had yet to score his first goal of 1980 and was openly critical of Head Coach Gordon Bradley. This had set an early tone for a season of frustration. The Cosmos entered 7-2, with the distinction of being the Dallas Cowboys of the NASL. Some loved, but most hated, the perennial contenders from New York. If the Dips were going to salvage their season, it would have to start with this game.

The Dips had controlled of the match early, and in the twenty-third minute appeared to take the lead. Joe Horvath send a corner kick from the left side into the middle of the box where Cruyff placed a header just over the outstretched has of Cosmos goalkeeper Hubert Birkenmeier.

As the Dips celebrated and the crowd of 53,351 thundered, Referee Kibritjian negated the goal, claiming Alan Green of the Diplomats had obstructed the goalie. "I was at least three yards awat from him," Green explained after the game. In the ensuing protest, Kibritjian issued Cruyff's first yellow card of the day for what he termed "verbal dissent." The outspoken Cruyff asked, "If the goalie was interfered with, how could he have dived to try to save the ball?" Observe the video stills below and decide for yourself.

1: Jeff Durgan (17), Alan Green (28) and Birkenmeier (1) just before Horvath's corner kick.

2: The ball has just left Cruyff's head, Birk-
enmeier has not yet reacted.

3: Birkenmeier dives to his right.

4: Birkenmeier in fully extended dive, the ball just over his white gloved hand. Note Alan Green is still in the same spot as photo 1.

Bob Iarusci converted a penalty kick and the Dips led 1-0 at the half. Giorgio Chinaglia scored on an excellent header in the fifty-fifth minute and the game stood tied 1-1 with 3:53 remaining in the contest.

The play started with Alan Green dribbling into the right side of the Cosmos box. As Hubert Birkenmeier moved out to contest the ball, Green out maneuvered him by going further right. Green's eight yard skipped off Birkenmeier and slowly roller toward the goal. As it did, Diplomat Ken Mokgojoa and Cosmo Jeff Durgan both aggressively pursued. Each missed the ball, but collided in the goal mouth.

Dips goal? No. Linesman Gordon Arrowsmith ruled that, "The Washington player fouled the Cosmos player by going through him to get the ball." Durgan stated, "I went to clear out the ball when he cut me down." Mokgojoa countered, "My leg hit his as we went for the ball. It was a very bad call.

1: Alan Green has outmaneuvered Hubert Birkenmeier and prepares to shoot with just under four minutes left in the match.

2: The ball strikes Birkenmeier as Green falls to the ground.

3: Jeff Durgan attempts to clear the ball, but it is already past his reach.

4: Durgan and Mokgojoa collide as the ball rolls into the goal.

Now the mayhem truly began. Diplomats Bob Iarusci and Joe Horvath raced to confront Arrowsmith. When their argument fell on deaf ears, Horvath, who had been replaced in the game by Mokgojoa, pushed Arrowsmith two times. Upon the second, Iarusci turned and shoved his teammate to keep him from further exacerbating the situation.

Alan Green, left, tries to separate Bob Irausci and Joe Horvath. Note how close the crowd is to the incident, and the grey gravel under the ABC Sports sign. Arrowsmith is blocked from the frame by Iarusci, but his flag can be seen between Green's and Iaursci's legs.

As Arrowsmith raised his flag to request a card be issued to Horvath, a spectator came out of the crowd and punched him, knocking him to the ground. When he got up, Dips Coach Gordon Bradley and Johan Cruyff were trying to restore order. Iarusci had to be restrained from both officials.

As Iarusci was led away by his teammates, Arrowsmith was hit in the head with a rock and collapsed. He finished the game, but was still groggy afterwards. While he was being attended too, Referee Kibritjian proceeded to the Dips bench to issue Horvath a red card.

Gordon Arrowsmith is given a standing eight count by Dips medical staff.

While there, Cruyff picked up his second yellow card of the day. "I told him he didn't know what he was doing," Cruyff said, "that he was a terrible official." Kibritjian stated Cruyff was, "using abusive language and inciting the other players. I gave him all the rope I could because of his stature, when he didn't stop, I gave him the card."

Emotionally drained, stripped of two goals, the Dips eventually fell in a shootout. As both teams left the field, a spectator tried to jump the Cosmos Jeff Durgan, who swung immediately at the transgressor. "The guy ran out to get me or maybe Hubert. I don't know. But if anyone runs out of the stands, he's going to get flattened. That's for sure."

The team treated the game as a victory, however. "We told (the players) that as far as we all are concerned, we won this game 3-1," team president Steve Danzansky said. The team filed a formal protest the following morning, but knew this would do little. Dave Kindred of The Washington Post wrote, "The Diplomats lost, yes, but they won more than they lost."

Many in the organization echoed these sentiments. Cruyff said that the crowd was, "great, fantastic."

"I was awe-stricken," Bob Iarusci admitted. I didn't realize how beautiful this stadium (RFK) could be when, filled up. My adrenaline was going all game. No one time on the field was I tired."

"It was," noted Diplomats public relations director, Jim Trecker, "the greatest day in our history."

2010-05-14T17:17:00.000-07:00