Michael Jackson Was a Soccer Pioneer

The King of Pop embraced soccer long before it was cool. From Fulham to OGC Nice, his love for underdog clubs left a quiet but powerful legacy. This week, we look back at Michael Jackson’s unexpected soccer chapter. Plus, we revisit the story of a doctor-turned-coach, examine a brutal controversy, and much more.

This week’s stories:

• 👁️ Ophthalmologist Turned Coach

• 🏟️ The Most Scenic Stadium in America?

• 🕺 Michael Jackson Was a Soccer Pioneer

• 🫢 Major League Controversy

• 🗳️ Poll + Last Week’s Answers

• ➡️ And More

OUR HISTORY
Ophthalmologist Turned Coach

The 1970s were truly the wild west for American soccer. All you have to do is look at the Indy Daredevils of the ASL (second division at the time), who had a rollercoaster couple of years of existence.

In their debut season in 1978, they made the playoffs and drew the highest average attendance in the league. But the following year, things took a turn. 

The Daredevils ran out of money early in the ‘79 season, cycled through five head coaches in the span of a month, and by the end, they had a local doctor managing the squad.

Dr. Martin Funderberger was a Korean War veteran, a Purple Heart recipient, and a successful local ophthalmologist who also happened to like soccer. When he saw the Daredevils were in trouble, he nobly volunteered to coach the team for the remaining two months of the season for free.

Unfortunately, despite the doctor’s best efforts to save them, the Daredevils folded that year, playing their last game on this very day in 1979.

It always amazes me to learn about the lengths people would go to, just to make sure their soccer teams would survive in the 20th century. Truly admirable and inspiring for anyone in this new generation.

ARCHITECTURE
The Most Scenic Stadium in America?

Highmark Stadium, home of the Pittsburgh Riverhounds, is already one of the most unique in the country. I mean, this view is just spectacular.

But last week, the Riverhounds came out with some incredible news. With all eyes set on the USL launching a Division One league in 2028, the club will be renovating their stadium to meet the participation requirements.

This new 15k-capacity venue will preserve the gorgeous view that characterizes the Riverhounds’ current home while making some awesome upgrades. Absolutely cannot wait to see it complete!

COVER STORY
Michael Jackson Was a Soccer Pioneer

This week would’ve been Michael Jackson’s 67th birthday. Growing up, I always knew about MJ’s groundbreaking contributions to music during his life, but turns out, he was also a visionary in the soccer world.

All you have to do is look back to 1983, the year after Thriller was released. The story goes that right around that time, he had a photoshoot scheduled with his personal photographer involving four or five different wardrobe changes.

Well, the King of Pop had somehow gotten his hands on an OGC Nice kit, and after putting it on, he refused to change outfits for the rest of the shoot, much to the chagrin of the photographer. He loved it that much.

There’s been a lot of speculation about where MJ got the top, with many fans deducing that he must’ve acquired it on a trip to the Côte d’Azur while promoting his latest record.

Today, it’s commonplace to see celebrities and folks all over the world wearing soccer kits as fashion pieces, but back in the ‘80s, that wasn’t really the case, much less in America. Talk about being ahead of the curve.

That wasn’t his only trend-setting action in the soccer space, though. Over a decade later, in 1999, Michael visited Fulham’s Craven Cottage. It wasn’t a common practice for celebrities of that caliber to appear at soccer games back then, and the reason he ended up at a third-division match in England is an incredible separate story in itself.

Leave it up to Michael to lead the charge in the pop culture crossover with soccer. He was a Fulham “fan” before Dempsey made the jump across the pond, and I suppose he even beat Ryan Reynolds to the punch, falling for the charm of lower-league English football long before Wrexham mania. Makes you wonder if he’d have been at the forefront of the whole celebs buying soccer teams movement.

To make things even crazier, Fulham’s owner put up a statue of MJ outside Craven Cottage, all because of that one surreal connection to the club. Seriously. 

Even though it may have been inadvertent, it’s cool to see that MJ somehow also left his mark on the soccer world in multiple ways.

CULTURE
Major League Controversy

St. Louis City SC fans were absolutely livid with this decision over the weekend.

Slight contact? No contact? A plot to hand Thomas Müller a fairytale MLS moment? All we know is that the ref’s decision to give this stoppage time penalty sent fans ablaze.

Was it a PK? You can reach your own conclusions right here.

CLUBELEVEN
The Supporters Section

Let us know your thoughts! We’ll highlight your best answers next week.

CLUBELEVEN
Aggregates

Spoilers: Fresh off scoring his first goal with Vancouver, Müller instantly regretted a comment he made in the post-game press conference. He took it back immediately.

Double Doink: Something you don’t see very often. A wild occurrence at Patriots Point.

Name Reveal: USL Eugene finally has an official name and crest. You can check out the brand reveal right here.

Pulpo Penalty: Stopping two PKs and scoring another. One of the greatest shootout performances of all time in the US?

Centurion: Leave it up to the Brickyard Battalion to come up with an awesome way to commemorate this legend’s 100th appearance for Indy Eleven.

CULTURE
NWSL Record Attendance

What an incredible postcard. 40k+ souls taking in the Washington Spirit vs Bay FC match at Oracle Park over the weekend.

Not only was it the highest attended NWSL game ever, but it also set a new benchmark for any U.S. women's professional sports league.

“By pushing boundaries today, we are shaping what women's football will look like tomorrow. Special thanks to each and every Bay Area fan. You made this historic moment possible," read a statement from Bay FC after the match.

EXPANSION
Welcome, Sporting JAX!

The historic moments in WoSo over the weekend didn’t just end with the NWSL. In fact, a new club in the USL Super League made its long-awaited debut.

Nearly 10k fans showed out for Sporting JAX’s first-ever match, despite a heavy downpour. Amazing to realize we’re living through record-breaking days and many “firsts.”

CLUBELEVEN
Your Takes 🗯️ 

Last week, we asked you: Would you like to see an MLS or USL team in Hawaii? Here are some of your answers:

• “It would be awesome, yes. But it wouldn't work. I don't think it will ever work. No professional league has a team in Hawaii as far as I know.” - Dario

• “No, but purely because it would probably hurt either league financially.” - J.D.

• “It would be awesome... AND it wouldn't make sense. Unless! There was an annual ‘islands’ teams derby between them and Las Palmas in Spain.” - Footy Travelers

In the poll, “Yes, it would be awesome” won with about 69% of the vote, while “No, it wouldn’t make sense” earned just about 31% of the vote.

UP NEXT
Fall

Can’t believe summer is coming to an end, but it also means the most exciting part of the soccer calendar is within our sights. We’ve got some fun destinations and projects in the works for the back half of the year that we can’t wait to share with y’all!

Before closing out this week’s edition, I’d also like to wish my dad a happy birthday and a special shoutout to him for all his support through the years! I would not be this soccer-obsessed without him 🥳

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Have a great Tuesday!

Pablo