Detroit Cougars (soccer)
The Detroit Cougars were a soccer team based in Detroit, Michigan, which played in the United Soccer Association and the North American Soccer League. The USA was made up of teams imported from foreign leagues. The Detroit club consisted of players from Glentoran F.C. and their player-coach John Colrain of the Irish Football League.
The Cougars were partly owned by the Detroit Lions' William Clay Ford and the Detroit Tigers' John Fetzer, and also shared the Lions' and Tigers' home field, Tiger Stadium, though when scheduling conflicts arose home games were moved to the University of Detroit Stadium. One such match on June 14, 1967 against the Houston Stars ended in an infamous player riot.
Following the 1967 season, the USA merged with the National Professional Soccer League to form the North American Soccer League; the Irish players did not return, and the Cougars' second season was even worse than the first. After winning just nine of 43 games played in two years, the team folded immediately after the 1968 season. The NASL would return to Detroit in 1978 in the form of the Detroit Express.
For the 50th anniversary of Glentoran's arrival in Detroit, local semi-pro side Detroit City FC announced that it would host Glentoran at Keyworth Stadium for an international friendly; City beat the Irish visitors, 1-0.Year-by-year
