June 20, 1975 – Eusébio v Pelé

The two greatest players of their era, Eusébio da Silva Ferreira and Edson Arantes do Nascimento “Pelé”, met in a competitive match for the first time since the 1966 World Cup as the Boston Minutemen took a 2-1 extra time win over the New York Cosmos before an overflow crowd at Boston University’s Nickerson Field. Overflow is the operative word, since the stadium was dangerously oversold, fans standing at field level behind the goals.

Eusébio converted the opening goal on a free kick for the Minutemen, then Pelé scored a disallowed goal (former Harvard goalkeeper Shep Messing deflected a shot over the end line, the ball ricocheting back off spectators), the crowd rushing on to the field. Mark Liveric scored a late equalizer and Wolfgang Suhnholz broke the deadlock in extra time.

The Cosmos protested the game and the result was nullified by NASL commissioner Phil Woosnam on July 1.

Among the best recountings of the game is in Messing’s “The Education of an American Soccer Player.”

The stadium was more than rocking, the stands filled and traffic on Commonwealth Avenue locked up an hour before kickoff.

“It sounds like a soccer crowd in fucking El Salvador,” Messing noted.

The time marked the beginning of the demise of the Minutemen with the start of an SEC investigation into Minutemen owner John Sterge’s petroleum investments in May and the advent of the relaunch of the Cosmos, with the June 10, 1975 signing of Pelé to a $4.5 million contract.

Eusébio and Pelé were near the end of their careers, but both had enough left to lead their teams to championships.

The Minutemen realized this could be their opportunity.

“Any locker room that houses Eusébio should be declared a shrine,” Messing wrote.

Had Sterge been able to maintain the financing, the Minutemen might have made their name on the field. The Minutemen won the NASL’s Northern Division and the Cosmos finished third in 1975. Eusébio and Suhnholz moved to Toronto Metros-Croatia, leading them to the 1976 NASL Soccer Bowl title. Pelé and the Cosmos won the 1977 Soccer Bowl.

June 20, 1975 – Boston Minutemen 2:1 (aet) New York Cosmos at Nickerson Field (Att.: 20,000 est.)

TODAY IN NEW ENGLAND SOCCER HISTORY