Americans were just awakening to soccer in the early 1970s.
The player they all knew was Pele, by then already retired from international soccer and in the twilight of hiscareer.
The player they all watched and copied was Johan Cruyff, who died on Thursday at the age of 68. Watching Cruyff was not easy. He led Ajax to three straight European Cuptitles, but the European Cup wasn’t like the Champions League today when every game is televised.
Tony Quinn Photo
Most Americans, lucky enough and resourceful enough, first saw Cruyff in 1974 when he led the Netherlands to second place at the World Cup, whichaired on closed-circuit at arenas in major U.S. cities. After scoring off the kickoff, the Dutch lost to host Germany in the final, but there was no doubt who was the better team.
TheDutch have gone on to lose in the World Cup final twice more, in 1978 without Cruyff, who refused to travel to Argentine, and in 2010, but neither team compared to the 1974 team Cruyff captained.
The Dutch masters introduced total football — Clockwork Orange they called it — and their star introduced the Cruyff turn. The Dutch influence on American soccer lives on to this day, andCruyff’s moves helped spawn an entire industry as Coerver Coaching teaches them as schools in dozens of states.
Cruyff played in the NASL for the Los Angeles Aztecs in 1979 and the Washington Diplomats — under different owners — in 1980 and 1981. Fewremember but he also toured with the Cosmos after the 1978 season.
Perhaps Cruyff’s greatest influence was not at Ajax or in North America, but at Spanish club Barcelona, where he playedand coached.
It took one game — one Barcelona-Real Madrid match — for Cruyff to become a legend in Catalonia. He knew enough of the rivalry that he and wife Danny agreed to moveup the birth of their son, Jordi, a week and she had cesarean section so he could play in the Clasico, which Barca won, 5-0, in Madrid.
At Barcelona, his influence was greatest asa coach. He led Barca to its first European Cup title in 1992 when the “Dream Team” with Hristo Stoichkov, Michael Laudrup and Pep Guardiola beat Sampdoria, 1-0, on Koeman’sgolden goal.
Cruyff instilled a philosophy of attacking soccer that became Barca’s trademark, and Guardiola carried on with Lionel Messi, Xavi and Andres Iniesta.
As Graham Hunter wrote on ESPN FC:
“If the 175,000 FC Barcelona members, or socios, queued up in an orderly line, night after night, to massage his tired feet, cook his dinner and tuck him into bed; if they carried his golf clubsaround Montanya’s hilly 18 holes; if they devoted 50 percent of their annual salary to him, it still wouldn’t be anywhere near enough to repay the debt, which those who love this club owe to JohanCruyff.”
“the Dutch influence on American soccer lives on to this day, and Cruyff’s moves helped spawn an entire industry as Coever Coaching teaches them as schools in dozens of states.” I went to the Netherlands and spent three weeks at Wiel Coerver’s camp. He was there coaching. A few years ago I took my son to a “Coerver Camp” in upstate N.Y. What I experienced in The Netherlands was enlightening. What was presented in N.Y.S was a joke.