The Boston Minutemen were a soccer team based out of Boston

Boston

Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...

 that played in the NASL

North American Soccer League

North American Soccer League was a professional soccer league with teams in the United States and Canada that operated from 1968 to 1984.-History:...

. They played from 1974 to 1976. Their home fields included Alumni Stadium

Alumni Stadium

Alumni Stadium is a football stadium located on the campus of Boston College in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, approximately sixmiles west of downtown Boston. The stadium lies within the city limits of Boston, although its postal address is Chestnut Hill. It is the home of the Boston College Eagles...

 in Chestnut Hill, Schaefer Stadium

Foxboro Stadium

Foxboro Stadium was an outdoor stadium, located in Foxborough, Massachusetts...

 in Foxborough, Veterans Memorial Stadium in Quincy and Sargent Field in New Bedford.

Portuguese legend Eusébio

Eusébio

Eusébio da Silva Ferreira, GCIH, GCM , commonly known simply as Eusébio, is a retired Mozambican-born Portuguese football forward. He is considered one of the best footballers of all-time by the IFFHS, experts and fans...

 played for the Minutemen in 1975 as did famed American

United States men's national soccer team

The United States men's national soccer team represents the United States in international association football competitions. It is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation and competes in CONCACAF...

 player Shep Messing

Shep Messing

Shep Messing is a former American soccer goalkeeper and current broadcaster. He played seven seasons in the North American Soccer League and six in the Major Indoor Soccer League. He was also a member of the U.S...

.

The Minutemen started well, winning the Northern Division title in their first season and drawing over 9000 fans a match to Alumni Stadium, good for 5th highest in the league. They lost in the playoffs to eventual league champion Los Angeles Aztecs

Los Angeles Aztecs

The Los Angeles Aztecs were a soccer team that competed in the North American Soccer League from 1974-81. The team was based in Los Angeles, California and part-owned by Elton John.-History:...

. When Eusebio came to Boston in 1975 (by which time the team had relocated to Nickerson Field

Nickerson Field

Nickerson Field is a stadium on the site of Braves Field, in Boston, Massachusetts, the former home of the National League Boston Braves baseball team which is now located in Atlanta...

) it seemed as though things would continue to look up. Though the team would win the Northern Division title again for the second time in as many seasons, attendance curiously fell to around 4000 - half of what it had been. In the playoffs the Minutemen lost to Miami in extra time.

For the 1976 season, team owner John Sterge announced the Minutemen would relocate again, this time to Harvard Stadium

Harvard Stadium

Harvard Stadium is a horseshoe-shaped football stadium in the Allston neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, in the United States. Built in 1903, the stadium seats 30,323. The stadium seated up to 57,166 in the past, as permanent steel stands were installed in the north end of the stadium in 1929...

, but that deal collapsed before the start of the season and the team ended up playing in a hodge-podge of grounds: Schaefer Stadium in Foxborough, Veteran's Memorial Stadium in Quincy, and Sargent Field

New Bedford High School

New Bedford High School is a public high school located at 230 Hathaway Boulevard in the West End of New Bedford, Massachusetts. The school has approximately 3,200 students, and is one of the largest schools in the state...

 in New Bedford

New Bedford

-Places:*New Bedford, Illinois*New Bedford, Massachusetts, the most populous New Bedford**New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park*New Bedford, New Jersey *New Bedford, Ohio*New Bedford, Pennsylvania...

.
By this time Sterge was having financial difficulties (which ended in action by the Securities and Exchange Commission) and was compelled to sell off many of his players, including Eusebio, who went to the eventual champions Toronto Metros-Croatia. Attendance plummeted, the Minutemen lost their last 12 matches, and after the season they folded.

Former players

Shep Messing

Shep Messing

Shep Messing is a former American soccer goalkeeper and current broadcaster. He played seven seasons in the North American Soccer League and six in the Major Indoor Soccer League. He was also a member of the U.S...

 (1975) Mickey Cohen

Mickey Cohen (soccer)

Mickey Cohen is an American former professional soccer goalkeeperwho played in the North American Soccer League and American Soccer League.Cohen attended Long Island University where he played on the men's soccer team. In 1971, he signed with the Connecticut Wildcats of the American Soccer League...

 (1976) Bert Bowery

Bert Bowery

Bertram Nathanial Bowery is an English former professional footballer who played in England and the United States as a striker.-Early and personal life:Bowery was born in Saint Kitts and Nevis, and grew up in England...

 (1976) John Coyne

John Coyne (footballer)

John David Coyne is an Australian former international association football player who played as a striker. Active as a professional in England, the United States and Australia, Coyne made over 150 career appearances....

 (1974) http://www.neilbrown.newcastlefans.com/player1/johncoyne.htm Geoff Davies

Geoff Davies

Geoffrey Peter "Geoff" Davies is an English retired professional footballer who played in England and the United States as a midfielder.-Playing career:...

 (1975–76) http://home.att.net/~nasl/players.htm#D Paddy Greenwood

Paddy Greenwood

Paddy Greenwood is an English retired professional footballer who played in England and the United States as a left back.-Career:...

 (1974/1976) http://home.att.net/~nasl/players.htm#G Eusebio

Eusébio

Eusébio da Silva Ferreira, GCIH, GCM , commonly known simply as Eusébio, is a retired Mozambican-born Portuguese football forward. He is considered one of the best footballers of all-time by the IFFHS, experts and fans...

 (1975) Ian McKechnie

Ian McKechnie

Ian Hector McKechnie is a Scottish former footballer, who played as a goalkeeper.Ian McKechnie was born at a maternity unit in Bellshill but was raised in the village of Lenzie in Dunbartonshire and later in Chryston in Lanarkshire, near Glasgow...

 (1974) http://home.att.net/~nasl/players.htm#M

Year-by-year

Year	League	W	L	T	Pts	Regular Season	Playoffs	Avg. Attendance
1974	NASL	10	9	1	94	1st, Northern Division	Won Quarterfinal (Baltimore Baltimore Comets The Baltimore Comets were a soccer team based out of Baltimore, Maryland that played in the North American Soccer League. They played from 1974 to 1975. Their home field was Memorial Stadium... ) Lost Semifinal (Los Angeles Los Angeles Aztecs The Los Angeles Aztecs were a soccer team that competed in the North American Soccer League from 1974-81. The team was based in Los Angeles, California and part-owned by Elton John.-History:... )	9,642
1975	NASL	13	9	—	116	1st, Northern Division	Lost Quarterfinal (Miami Miami Toros The Miami Gatos were a soccer team based out of Miami that played in the North American Soccer League. The club was previously known as the Washington Darts. After the 1972 season, the team was renamed the Miami Toros... )	4,422
1976	NASL	7	17	—	72	5th, Atlantic Conference, Northern Division	Did Not Qualify	2,581