God only knows how many amazing plays are lost to history from the late, great original NASL. There is a chance that film of the goal exists. Bill knows the game was taped because part of it appears in the Kicks 1980 highlight film.“I was 15 and out of my mind that night for two reasons, the first is how amazing the Kicks played, the second was watching Cruyff. He was a man among boys. He tormented [the Kicks] Gary Vogel on the wing all evening, only to have zero supporting cast to take advantage. With the game out of reach, he scored the greatest goal I have ever seen to this day. From the corner of the box [on the endline] in the dirt infield, he hit a slow, lofting volley from the outside of his right foot that froze [goalkeeper] Tino Lettieri in his tracks. When the ball settled in the net, all Tino could do was turn and applaud. I was there with some high school buddies and we went crazy! I can still see it so vividly. I wish that was somehow memorialized on video.”
On two other occasions in the 1980 season, The Washington press accorded accolades similar to Bill's about two other Cruyff goals, both of which came during matches in RFK Stadium. The Washington Star called the goal Cruyff scored against the Tulsa Roughnecks "sheer classic." Unfortunately, video for this match has gone the same route as Jimmy Hoffa.
The Washington Post proclaimed Cruyff's goal against the Seattle Sounders as "one of the great goals ever seen in soccer." This was seconded by Budweiser, a well known soccer authority, as it was the winner of their 1980 Goal of the Year Award. Fortunately, there are many sources to view this one.
See Cruyff's run described in the Washington Post as "one of the great goals ever seen in soccer."
Hopefully, video of Cruyff's goal in Minnesota that August evening will one day be available. Until then, thank you, Bill, for keeping its legend alive!
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