▁early ▁ 1 9 7 5 , ▁but ▁by ▁aut umn ▁eventually ▁scale d ▁that ▁plan ▁back . ▁The ▁following ▁year ▁the ▁NAS L ▁st aged ▁an ▁ind oor ▁tournament : ▁six teen ▁of ▁the ▁twenty ▁teams ▁participated . ▁It ▁was ▁divided ▁into ▁four ▁regional ▁tournament s , ▁with ▁the ▁regional ▁w inners ▁meeting ▁in ▁San ▁Francisco ▁for ▁the ▁overall ▁title ▁in ▁a ▁similar ▁format ▁to ▁the ▁NCAA ▁college ▁basketball ▁tournament . ▁In ▁the ▁region als , ▁two ▁teams ▁would ▁play ▁each ▁other , ▁and ▁then ▁w inners ▁would ▁play ▁los ers ▁in ▁a ▁two - game ▁series . ▁The ▁team ▁with ▁the ▁best ▁record ▁advanced ▁to ▁the ▁semif inals ; ▁in ▁the ▁event ▁of ▁teams ▁having ▁identical ▁records , ▁the ▁side ▁with ▁the ▁best ▁total ▁goal ▁differential ▁advanced ▁out ▁of ▁the ▁region . ▁That ▁first ▁year ▁the ▁goals ▁stayed ▁ 4 ▁x ▁ 1 6 ▁and ▁the ▁games ▁remained ▁divided ▁into ▁three ▁ 2 0 ▁minute ▁frames ▁like ▁those ▁played ▁against ▁the ▁Red ▁Army ▁club ▁the ▁previous ▁year . ▁ ▁Four ▁NAS L ▁clubs , ▁Chicago , ▁Den ver , ▁Port land ▁and ▁San ▁Antonio ▁did ▁not ▁particip ate ▁in ▁the ▁tournament . ▁However ▁three ▁of ▁them ▁were ▁recently ▁announced , ▁expansion ▁teams ▁that ▁had ▁yet ▁to ▁play ▁an ▁out door ▁season ▁either . ▁ ▁The ▁San ▁Jose ▁Earth qu akes ▁defeated ▁the ▁newly ▁formed ▁T ampa ▁Bay ▁Row d ies ▁ 8 – 5 ▁in ▁the ▁Championship ▁Final . ▁Paul ▁Child ▁of ▁San ▁Jose ▁scored ▁seven ▁goals ▁in ▁the ▁region als