1991–92 Major Soccer League season

The 1991–92 Major Soccer League season was the 14th in league history and would end with the San Diego Sockers winning their tenth title in 11 indoor seasons.

The offseason was arguably one of the most unstable in league history. Attempts to save the Kansas City Comets failed and the club folded.[1] Both San Diego and the Dallas Sidekicks were saved by civic outpouring and new ownership groups.[2] A reborn version of the Pittsburgh Spirit was announced on April 29,[3] and the owners of the NHL's Buffalo Sabres expressed interest in putting a team in Buffalo. When faced with the instability of the league, however, both sets of potential owners decided to not put up the $350,000 line of credit needed to play in 1991–92.[4][5]

Despite the upheaval, the seven teams left soldiered on. The regular season was wide open as playoff positioning went right down to the final game on the schedule. The Cleveland Crunch's George Fernandez scored in overtime to put Cleveland into the playoffs and knock the Wichita Wings out.[6] Wichita had been in first place at the beginning of February,[7] but a 6–13 finish doomed their chances at the postseason. Still, the playoffs themselves went according to form as San Diego defeated Baltimore and Dallas for their fifth straight MSL/MISL title.

There were early signs that the league would survive for another year. Attendance was up over 1990–91,[8] and there was an announcement in April that the league would have a 1992-93 season with 44 games and all seven teams would return.[9] However, the Tacoma Stars announced they were folding on June 5.[10] The hoped-for expansion into Buffalo never came to pass as the Buffalo Blizzard chose to join the smaller and more financially stable National Professional Soccer League on June 18.[11]

Attempts to find a new ownership group for the St. Louis Storm failed, leaving the MSL with five teams. Commissioner Earl Foreman announced the dissolution of the league on July 10.[12]

The remaining teams scattered; San Diego and Dallas joined the Continental Indoor Soccer League,[13] while Cleveland and Wichita joined the NPSL.[14] Baltimore Blast owner Ed Hale decided not to join either league, and folded the team instead.[15] However, a new ownership group was awarded an NPSL expansion franchise for Baltimore called the Spirit.

Teams

Team City/Area Arena
Baltimore Blast Baltimore, Maryland Baltimore Arena
Cleveland Crunch Cleveland, Ohio Richfield Coliseum
Dallas Sidekicks Dallas, Texas Reunion Arena
San Diego Sockers San Diego, California San Diego Sports Arena
St. Louis Storm St. Louis, Missouri St. Louis Arena
Tacoma Stars Tacoma, Washington Tacoma Dome
Wichita Wings Wichita, Kansas Kansas Coliseum

Regular Season Schedule

The 1991–92 regular season schedule ran from October 19, 1991 to April 4, 1992. At 40 games, it was the shortest schedule for the league since the 1980–81 season and the seven-team lineup was its smallest since the inaugural season of 1978–79.[16]

Final Standings

Playoff teams in bold.

W L Pct. GB GF GA Home Road
San Diego Sockers 2614.650–24318616–410–10
Dallas Sidekicks 2218.550423122916–46–14
Cleveland Crunch 2020.500624922913–77–13
Baltimore Blast 1921.475721323011–98–12
Wichita Wings 1822.450819823612–86–14
Tacoma Stars 1822.450822824215–53–17
St. Louis Storm 1723.425924125112–85–15

Playoffs

Semifinals Championship Series
      
1 San Diego Sockers 4
4 Baltimore Blast 1
1 San Diego Sockers 4
2 Dallas Sidekicks 2
2 Dallas Sidekicks 4
3 Cleveland Crunch 2

Semifinals

San Diego vs. Baltimore
Date Away Home Attendance
April 8 Baltimore 4 San Diego 5 5,599
April 10 Baltimore 7 San Diego 6 5,621
April 14 San Diego 5 Baltimore 4 4,148
Kevin Crow scored at 5:34 of overtime
April 16 San Diego 6 Baltimore 3 4,458
April 18 San Diego 4 Baltimore 3 4,594
San Diego wins series 4–1
Dallas vs. Cleveland
Date Away Home Attendance
April 14 Cleveland 3 Dallas 6 7,474
April 16 Cleveland 6 Dallas 7 6,549
Tatu scored at 3:59 of overtime
April 18 Dallas 6 Cleveland 7 8,752
Chris Szanto scored at 1:39 of overtime
April 21 Dallas 8 Cleveland 7 7,289
David Doyle scored at 7:59 of overtime
April 24 Dallas 7 Cleveland 8 7,913
Zoran Karic scored at :47 of overtime
April 26 Cleveland 4 Dallas 8 6,824
Dallas wins series 4–2

Championship Series

San Diego vs. Dallas
Date Away Home Attendance
April 30 Dallas 3 San Diego 7 5,269
May 2 Dallas 7 San Diego 9 7,921
May 5 San Diego 5 Dallas 4 6,703
Paul Wright scored at 1:57 of overtime
May 8 San Diego 6 Dallas 10 8,655
May 9 San Diego 2 Dallas 4 8,171
May 12 Dallas 2 San Diego 8 10,117
San Diego wins series 4–2

Team Attendance Totals

Club Games Total Average
St. Louis Storm 20 205,323 10,266
San Diego Sockers 20 186,962 9,348
Baltimore Blast 20 164,129 8,206
Wichita Wings 20 164,127 8,206
Cleveland Crunch 20 141,120 7,056
Dallas Sidekicks 20 140,053 7,003
Tacoma Stars 20 96,426 4,821
Overall 140 1,098,140 7,844

League awards

Most Valuable Player: Victor Nogueira, San Diego

Scoring Champion: Zoran Karic, Cleveland

Pass Master: Zoran Karic, Cleveland

Defender of the Year: Kevin Crow, San Diego

Rookie of the Year: Tommy Tanner, Cleveland

Goalkeeper of the Year: Victor Nogueira, San Diego

Coach of the Year[17] Gordon Jago, Dallas

Championship Series Most Valuable Player: Thompson Usiyan, San Diego

Championship Series Unsung Hero: Kevin Crow, San Diego

References

  1. ↑ "Kansas City soccer team folds". Times-News (Hendersonville, North Carolina). July 17, 1991. p. 16. Retrieved April 26, 2012.
  2. ↑ Finnegan, Tara (June 29, 1991). "Sockers, Sidekicks get new owners". Baltimore Sun. Retrieved April 26, 2012.
  3. ↑ Fink, David (April 30, 1991). "Pittsburgh to rejoin pro soccer league for 1991-92". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. p. 19. Retrieved April 26, 2012.
  4. ↑ Lawrence, Merlisa (August 21, 1991). "Mullin Says No To Soccer". Pittsburgh Press. p. E1.
  5. ↑ "Major Soccer League Set To Open 14th Season". Los Angeles Times. October 20, 1991. Retrieved April 26, 2012.
  6. ↑ "Fernandez's Goal Gets Crunch in Playoffs". Los Angeles Times. April 5, 1992. Retrieved April 26, 2012.
  7. ↑ Geis, John (February 15, 1992). "Sockers Mix Some Skill, Brawn to Get Past Wichita". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 26, 2012.
  8. ↑ Geis, John (April 6, 1992). "Owners Don't Delay in Making '92 Plans". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 26, 2012.
  9. ↑ Geis, John (April 9, 1992). "Lost Quarter Is Costly to Blast". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 26, 2012.
  10. ↑ "Tacoma Stars Fold; Only Six Teams Left In MSL". Seattle Times. June 6, 1992. Retrieved April 26, 2012.
  11. ↑ McKee, Sandra (June 19, 1992). "Another summer, another scare in MSL". Baltimore Sun. Retrieved April 26, 2012.
  12. ↑ Geis, John (July 11, 1992). "S.D. Sockers Due to Follow League Demise". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 26, 2012.
  13. ↑ Geis, John (October 16, 1992). "CISL Owners Discuss Expansion". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 26, 2012.
  14. ↑ "NPSL approves Cleveland, Wichita". Milwaukee Sentinel. August 1, 1992. p. 6B. Retrieved April 26, 2012.
  15. ↑ Preston, Mike (July 11, 1992). "Now a team without a league, Blast will explore new fields". Baltimore Sun. Retrieved April 26, 2012.
  16. ↑ MSL Official Guide 1991-92. 1991. pp. 162–163.
  17. ↑ "Dallas' Jago Named MSL Coach Of Year". Wichita Eagle. April 29, 1992. p. B5.

Griffin, John, ed. (1991). MSL Official Guide 1991-92. Baltimore: Major Soccer League Communications Department. 

External links

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