May 20, 1978, the Rogues finally get the franchise's first win defeating the Dallas Tornado 3-1 in front of 8,102 home fans at the Liberty Bowl. The Rogues' goals were scored by Neil Smillie, Tony Field, and Henry McCully. John O'Hare scored the lone Tornado goal. This was John Houska's first start in goal for Memphis. Dallas was expected to humiliate the Rogues as they were one of the league's established teams and Memphis, an expansion team, had lost their first nine games. One of the few who didn't sell the Rogues short was Dallas' Kyle Rote, Jr. He commented that the Tornado needed to be careful because the Rogues had nothing to lose and that made them a serious threat to pull an upset. They did.
The Rogues' line-up: J. Houska, B. Thomson, J. Faulkner, P. Beal, P. D'Agostino, N. Smillie, T. Field, H. McCully, J. Husband, D. Stride, P. Holder. Substitutes used: A. Birchenall.
I was there - my first professional soccer game! Thanks for keeping the legacy alive!
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