 | |
| Season | 1984 |
|---|---|
| Champions | Fort Lauderdale Sun |
| Premiers | Oklahoma City Stampede |
| Matches played | 108 |
| Goals scored | 400 (3.7 per match) |
| Top goalscorer | Jose Neto (22 goals) |
← First 1985 → | |
The 1984 USL season was the United Soccer League's first and only full season.
The creation of Ingo Krieg, owner of the Jacksonville Tea Men, the United Soccer League formally announced its existence on February 1, 1984. The roots go back to Krieg's frustration over the direction taken by the second division American Soccer League, which was declining after rapid expansion to the west coast and midwestern states in the 1970s and some southern states in the 1980s had produced a string of short-lived franchises that were not able to make ends meet financially. Krieg joined with the owner of the Dallas Americans to found a new second division league called the United Soccer League that would try to operate within its means, feature primarily American players, play a mostly regional schedule to reduce travel expenses, and embrace a "grass roots" approach to growing the game in their towns. [1] In late January 1984, the Detroit Express joined Jacksonville and Dallas in announcing their intention to move to the USL for the upcoming season. [2] By late February, the USL had added the Oklahoma City Stampede (a reorganized and re-branded version of the ASL's Oklahoma City Slickers) as well as new organizations the Buffalo Storm, Fort Lauderdale Sun and New York Nationals. [3] In the following weeks, the list of teams grew to include one last ASL defector, the Rochester Flash, another new club, the Houston Dynamos, and the Charlotte Gold (also a new franchise but one that employed many of the office staff and players from the recently folded Carolina Lightnin'). On March 18, 1984, the league announced a final line-up of nine teams in three divisions (Detroit ultimately dropped out due to the league not being sanctioned by the USSF). Dr. William Burfeind, who had resigned as ASL president in January, agreed to be the USL's first commissioner. The ASL, left with no active teams, quietly closed up shop. [1] [4]
The regular season ran from May 12 through August 15, [5] and it went fairly smoothly for a recently founded league. Because the NASL was shedding franchises rapidly in the early 80's, a number of skilled and experienced professionals were available and were signed to rosters around the league. The standings reflected a relatively balanced and competitive group of clubs with no dominant or glaringly weak members. Though some franchises seemed to be on more stable footing than others, all nine teams completed their full 24-game schedules. Buffalo, Fort Lauderdale and Oklahoma City finished atop their respective divisions to earn postseason berths, and Houston defeated Dallas in a one-game wild card match to earn the fourth spot in the playoff semifinals. [6]
The semifinal round began with considerable confusion. To determine teams' place in the standings, the league had adopted a points system that awarded five points for any win, two for a shootout loss (there were no ties), and up to three bonus points per game for regulation goals scored. [7] In July, the league had announced a playoff format that would have the team with the most standings points face the team with the lowest points on one side of the bracket while the teams with the 2nd and 3rd most points would square off on the other. Teams therefore expected the semifinals matchups to be top seed Oklahoma City (127 points) vs. Buffalo (96 points) and Fort Lauderdale (122 points) vs. Houston (112 points), with Oklahoma City and Fort Lauderdale earning home field advantage for the three-game series. However, on Friday, August 17, just a few days before the first semifinal games, league officials held a conference call in which, after reviewing the minutes of an organizational meeting from April, they determined that their plan then had been for the top seed to face the wild card game winner regardless of points totals. The matchups were adjusted accordingly to be Oklahoma City vs. Houston and Fort Lauderdale vs. Buffalo. [8] The Storm owner, Sal DeRosa, announced that all games between his team and Fort Lauderdale would take place in Florida because he did not feel optimistic about his club's ability to attract fans to a mid-week game at a field with no lights on short notice. [9] The Sun made quick work of Buffalo, while Houston upset Oklahoma City. [10] The best-of-three championship round was tightly contested. The first game had to be settled by a shootout, with Houston coming out on top at home. Fort Lauderdale would rally to win Game 2 in South Florida by a score of 3-0, setting up a rubber match the next day. This game, too, would end in a tie and be decided in a shootout, but this time Fort Lauderdale prevailed to claim the first (and ultimately only) USL championship. [11]
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | T | L | GF | GA | GD | BP | Pts | PCT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Buffalo Storm | 24 | 11 | 0 | 13 | 48 | 41 | +7 | 41 | 96 | .313 |
| 2 | New York Nationals | 24 | 10 | 0 | 14 | 32 | 53 | −21 | 34 | 84 | .125 |
| 3 | Rochester Flash | 24 | 7 | 0 | 17 | 27 | 49 | −22 | 30 | 65 | .917 |
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | T | L | GF | GA | GD | BP | Pts | PCT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fort Lauderdale Sun | 24 | 15 | 0 | 9 | 53 | 34 | +19 | 47 | 122 | .604 |
| 2 | Charlotte Gold | 24 | 11 | 0 | 13 | 48 | 59 | −11 | 50 | 105 | .500 |
| 3 | Jacksonville Tea Men | 24 | 11 | 0 | 13 | 46 | 50 | −4 | 43 | 98 | .354 |
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | T | L | GF | GA | GD | BP | Pts | PCT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oklahoma City Stampede | 24 | 15 | 0 | 9 | 55 | 42 | +13 | 52 | 127 | .708 |
| 2 | Houston Dynamos | 24 | 13 | 0 | 11 | 54 | 38 | +16 | 47 | 112 | .521 |
| 3 | Dallas Americans | 24 | 14 | 0 | 10 | 37 | 34 | +3 | 40 | 110 | .417 |
| Houston Dynamos (TX) | 2–1 | Dallas Americans (TX) |
|---|---|---|
| Jose Neto Jose Neto  69' |
| Houston Dynamos (TX) | 3–1 (a.e.t.) | Oklahoma City Stampede (OK) |
|---|---|---|
| Walter Schlothauer 2' Jose Neto 94' (pen.)Manny Neves 109' (pen.) | 12',  110' Thompson Usiyan |
| Oklahoma City Stampede (OK) | 1–2 | Houston Dynamos (TX) |
|---|---|---|
| Kenny Killingsworth 13' |  28' Manny Andruszewski 55', 69' Jose Neto |
| Fort Lauderdale Sun (FL) | 3–0 | Buffalo Storm (NY) |
|---|---|---|
| Mark Schwartz 59:20' (Cubillas) Teófilo Cubillas 62:58', 76:59' (Crescitelli)Tom Groark 70:13'John Lignos 76:59' |
| Fort Lauderdale Sun (FL) | 5–1 | Buffalo Storm (NY) |
|---|---|---|
| Mark Schwartz 12:16', 17:49', 45:21' Teófilo Cubillas 42:20'Christiansen 52'Dave Watson 56:53' | 49:12', 52' Jerry Martello 55' Corney |
| Houston Dynamos (TX) | 1–1 (a.e.t.) | Fort Lauderdale Sun (FL) |
|---|---|---|
| Giulio Bernardi 105:30' | 78' Tom Mulroy 83' Asa Hartford 98:12' Keith Weller (Christensen) David Irving | |
| Penalties | ||
Jose Neto  Walter Schlothauer Giulio Bernardi Lesh Shkreli | 4–2 |  Mark Longwell Boris Bandov Ronil Dufrene Tom Groark |
| Fort Lauderdale Sun (FL) | 3–0 | Houston Dynamos (TX) |
|---|---|---|
| Mark Schwartz (Crescitelli) 11:04' Mark Schwartz (Cubillas) 22:43'Teófilo Cubillas (Dufrene) 33:15' | Report |
| Fort Lauderdale Sun (FL) | 1–1 (a.e.t.) | Houston Dynamos (TX) |
|---|---|---|
| Dave Watson (Bandov)41:08' | Report | 33:20' Jose Neto (Hilton) |
| Penalties | ||
| Teófilo Cubillas Mark Schwartz John Lignos Tom Mulroy Boris Bandov ? ? ? Dave Watson | 3–2 | Jose Neto ? ? Nathan Sacks Beto Dos Santos ? ? Manny Andruszewski Glenn Davis [16] |
| Rank | Scorer | Club | Goals | Assists | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jose Neto | Houston Dynamos | 22 | 8 | 30 |
| 2 | David Kemp | Oklahoma City Stampede | 28 | ||
| 3 | Thompson Usiyan | Oklahoma City Stampede | 26 | ||
| 4 | Mark Schwartz | Fort Lauderdale Sun | 13 | 6 | 19 |
| 5 | Carlos Salguero | Buffalo Storm | 19 | ||
| 6 | Tony Johnson | Houston Dynamos | 11 | 7 | 18 |
The Miami Fusion F.C. was a professional soccer team based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. They played in Major League Soccer (MLS) for four seasons, from 1998 to 2001. Announced in 1997 as one of the league's first two expansion teams, their best season was 2001, when they won the Supporters' Shield with the best regular season finish. In 2002, after four years of lackluster ticket sales and revenues, MLS contracted the Fusion along with its other Florida-based team, the Tampa Bay Mutiny. The Fusion played their home games at Lockhart Stadium.
Fort Lauderdale/South Florida Sun was a professional U.S. soccer team which played two seasons in the United Soccer League.
The Fort Lauderdale Strikers were a professional soccer team based in the Miami metropolitan area. They competed in the North American Soccer League (NASL) from 1977 to 1983. They played their home matches at Lockhart Stadium.
The United Soccer League was a professional soccer league in the United States in 1984 and 1985.
The Jacksonville Tea Men were a soccer team based in Jacksonville, Florida, United States. Overall, the Tea Men played a total of four years in Jacksonville, first in the major league-level North American Soccer League (NASL) from 1980–1982, then in the lower level American Soccer League in 1983 and United Soccer League in 1984. The NASL incarnation of the club was Jacksonville's first professional soccer team, and the first major league-level sport franchise ever based in the city.
The Carolina Lightnin' was a professional American soccer club based in Charlotte, North Carolina that was a member of the American Soccer League from 1981 to 83. After the Lightnin' folded, much of the front office staff and some of the players joined a new club called the Charlotte Gold that played in the United Soccer League in 1984. Both the Lightnin' and the Gold played home matches at American Legion Memorial Stadium.
Dallas Americans was an American professional soccer club based in Dallas, Texas. The team played in the American Soccer League in 1983 and the United Soccer League in 1984 and 1985. Both leagues unofficially served as the second division of professional American soccer at the time. The team's home games were played at John Clark Stadium in Plano, Texas.
The Oklahoma City Slickers was the name given to two different American soccer clubs based in Oklahoma City. The first team competed in the second American Soccer League in 1982 and 1983. The club was re-organized and re-branded in 1984 as the Oklahoma City Stampede and again in 1985 as the Tulsa Tornado's to play in the short-lived United Soccer League. The second Oklahoma City Slickers competed in the USISL from 1993 to 1996. Home games were played at historical Taft Stadium in Oklahoma City.
The Rochester Flash was an American soccer club based in Rochester, New York, that was a member of the American Soccer League from 1981-82 and of the United Soccer League in 1984.
Houston Dynamos was a U.S. soccer team that existed in various forms from 1983 to 1991. In 1991, the team's owners changed the name to Houston International, but the team lasted only through the 1992 season before folding. The Dynamos were founded by Pete Kane and John M Gaughan. The Dynamos were founded with the intention of a continued building of the sport of soccer in Houston Texas. The Dynamos were the first team to give contracts to its players based on an entire year not on a season. The Houston Dynamos players year round went to parks, schools and events promoting the sport of soccer. In 1985 the Dynamos brought Pele to Houston creating great interest in the sport and spreading goodwill.
The Fort Lauderdale Strikers were an American soccer team established in 1988 as part of the third American Soccer League. In 1990, it moved to the American Professional Soccer League where it spent five seasons before folding in 1994. The Strikers won the 1989 ASL championship, as well as the 1989 National Pro Soccer Championship.
Buffalo Storm were an American professional soccer team. They played for one season (1984) in the United Soccer League, with home games at All-High Stadium.
The Tulsa Tornado's were a professional outdoor soccer team from Tulsa, Oklahoma. They played in the 2nd division United Soccer League during the partially completed 1985 season.
The 1985 USL season was the United Soccer League's second and final season. The season was abruptly canceled after the pre-season League Cup and one regular season game.
The 1988 American Soccer League was the first season of the third American Soccer League which took place during the summer of 1988.
The 1989 American Soccer League was the second season of the third American Soccer League.
The Fort Lauderdale–Tampa Bay rivalry, also known as the Florida Derby, refers to the suspended soccer rivalry that most recently involved the Fort Lauderdale Strikers and the Tampa Bay Rowdies, both of whom played in the North American Soccer League through the 2016 season. Over the years the rivalry has spanned more than one hundred matches across eight soccer leagues and several tournaments, and involved nine different teams from the two regions of Florida. At times it has involved players, coaches, management and fans. Even the press has fanned the rivalry's flames at times. From 2010 through 2014, the winner of the regular season series automatically won the Coastal Cup as well. The status of the rivalry beyond 2016 remains unclear because the Rowdies have since joined the United Soccer League, while the Strikers ongoing ownership and legal battles of 2016 and 2017 have left them defunct.
The 1988 Fort Lauderdale Strikers season was the first season of the new team in the new American Soccer League. It was the first outdoor team to be fielded by the club in a professional league in four years, since the original North American Soccer League. It was the club's twenty-second season in professional soccer. This also marked the return of the Fort Lauderale Striker's name after moving the club back from Minnesota to Florida. Previously, the club had been represented as the Minnesota Strikers. During their inaugural year in the ASL, the team won the Southern Division and made it through the playoffs and into the ASL Championship. They were this year's Runner's-up.
The 1989 Fort Lauderdale Strikers season was the second season of the team in the new American Soccer League. It was the club's twenty-third season in professional soccer. The team finished in second place in the Southern Division, and made it through the playoffs and into the ASL Championship. They became the 1989 Champions. They also won the 1989 National Pro Soccer Championship which pitted the ASL Champions against the Western Soccer League Champions in a unification match to determine a national champion. Following the season, the American Soccer League merged with the WSL to form the American Professional Soccer League in 1990. The team would be absorbed into the new league and continue to play there.
The Coastal Cup is a trophy and soccer competition among the USL Championship (USL) teams based in Florida. Established in 2010, the trophy was originally awarded to the best team in regular season play among Florida-based franchises. Head-to-head playoff games, U.S. Open Cup matches and friendlies have no bearing on the outcome of this competition. The Fort Lauderdale Strikers did not field a team in 2017 and were later dissolved. The Tampa Bay Rowdies also participated in this cup from 2010 though 2016, before leaving the NASL for the USL. With Miami FC joining the USL, the competition restarted in 2020.