Wikipedia

1991–92 Major Soccer League season

The 1991–92 Major Soccer League season was the 14th and final season in league history and would end with the San Diego Sockers winning their tenth NASL or MISL title in 11 indoor seasons, and fifth MISL title in a row.

Major Soccer League
Season1991–92
ChampionsSan Diego Sockers
(8th title)
Matches played140
Top goalscorerHector Marinaro (53 goals)
Average attendance7,844
Final season →

Recap

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After a relatively tranquil 1990-91 season, the league's unstable finances reared their head again at season's end. Attempts to find other financiers for 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 were reports in April that the league planned on a 1992-93 season with all seven teams returning and an expanded schedule of 44 games.[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 new owners 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, folding the team instead.[15] A new ownership group was awarded an NPSL expansion franchise for Baltimore called the Spirit and signed Blast coach Kenny Cooper to lead the team.

Teams

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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

Map of clubs

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  Major Soccer League clubs

Regular-season schedule

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Main article: 1991–92 Major Soccer League 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

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Playoff teams in bold.

W L Pct. GB GF GA Home Road
San Diego Sockers 26 14 .650 – 243 186 15–5 11–9
Dallas Sidekicks 22 18 .550 4 231 229 16–4 6–14
Cleveland Crunch 20 20 .500 6 249 229 13–7 7–13
Baltimore Blast 19 21 .475 7 213 230 11–9 8–12
Wichita Wings 18 22 .450 8 228 236 12–8 6–14
Tacoma Stars 18 22 .450 8 198 242 15–5 3–17
St. Louis Storm 17 23 .425 9 241 251 12–8 5–15

Playoffs

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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

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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

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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

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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

Scoring leaders

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GP = Games played, G = Goals, A = Assists, Pts = Points

Player Team GP G A Pts
Zoran Karic Cleveland Crunch 37 39 63 102
Preki St Louis Storm 39 45 52 97
Hector Marinaro Cleveland Crunch 40 53 41 94
Tatu Dallas Sidekicks 39 47 41 88
Chico Borja Wichita Wings 33 32 52 84
Dale Mitchell Tacoma Stars 40 45 34 79
Paul Wright San Diego Sockers 39 50 27 77
Dale Ervine Wichita Wings 33 42 33 75
David Doyle Dallas Sidekicks 40 51 23 74
Branko Segota St Louis Storm 34 47 25 72

All-MISL Teams

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First Team   Position   Second Team Third Team
Victor Nogueira, San Diego G Joe Papaleo, Dallas Cris Vaccaro, Baltimore
Kevin Crow, San Diego D Ben Collins, San Diego Danny Pena, Wichita
Iain Fraser, Baltimore D George Fernandez, Cleveland Wes McLeod, Dallas
Zoran Karic, Cleveland M Chico Borja, Wichita Branko Segota, St Louis
Tatu, Dallas F David Doyle, Dallas Hector Marinaro, Cleveland
Preki, St Louis F Dale Ervine, Wichita Paul Wright, San Diego

League awards

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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

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  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". The 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". The 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". The 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.

Moorhouse, Jim, ed. (1993). 1993 San Diego Sockers Media Guide. San Diego: San Diego Sockers.

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