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The Americans make up ground on their foreign counterparts with eagerness for a newly found game. Oakland Stompers Assistant Coach Jack Hyde, an Englishman, admires the enthusiasm of Americans and their willingness to learn. "They go out and give you a 100% effort for the full 90 minutes."
Soccer experts point to Dallas' Kyle Rote Jr., 27, the most celebrated product of American soccer, as the archetypal home-grown player. Son of a legendary football running back and pass catcher, Rote did not take up soccer until he was 16, and then only as an off-season conditioning program for football. Although he still lacks the finesse of foreign-born players, Rote has diligently taught himself to play the difficult striker position. Says N.A.S.L. Commissioner Phil Woosnam, a Welshman who used to be a pro in England and was among the first—and most durable—soccer missionaries in the U.S.: "Rote is really a phenomenon. He's developed skills with his head that are as good as players' anywhere in Europe. And he's developed adequate skills with his feet."
This year's crop of American rookies is the finest in the league's history. Greg Makowski, 21, is a rugged fullback for the Caribous, and Billy Gazonas is a fleet, slick and tiny (5 ft. 5 in., 135 lbs.) playmaker at midfield for the Tulsa Roughnecks. The new American kids do not stand in awe of most of the Europeans. Says 20-year-old Gary Etherington, a Cosmos forward: "I don't see that much difference between us and them, except for the big stars." And Big Star Chinaglia is a fan of the young Americans: "They improve every year by 100%."
Chinaglia believes that pro soccer must go through an evolution if it is truly to command fan loyalty. Says he: "For the sport to grow, it has to have American superstars." If the new young soccer pros are any indication, the American superstars are surely on their way.