Related Research Articles
The North American Soccer League (NASL) was the top-level major professional soccer league in the United States and Canada that operated from 1968 to 1984. It was the first soccer league to be successful on a national scale in the United States. The league final was called the Soccer Bowl from 1975 to 1983 and the Soccer Bowl Series in its final year, 1984. The league was headed by Commissioner Phil Woosnam from 1969 to 1983. The NASL laid the foundations for soccer in the United States that helped lead to the country hosting the 1994 FIFA World Cup and the set-up of Major League Soccer (MLS) in 1996.
Western Soccer Alliance was a professional soccer league featuring teams from the West Coast of the United States and Western Canada. The league began in 1985 as the Western Alliance Challenge Series. In 1986, it became the Western Soccer Alliance. In 1989, it existed for a single year as the Western Soccer League before merging with the American Soccer League to form the American Professional Soccer League in 1990.
Football Club Seattle Storm, also known as the F.C. Seattle Storm, was an American soccer team based in Seattle, Washington. F.C. Seattle was a "super club" created to provide Seattle players an opportunity to play at a higher level than the local recreational and semi-pro leagues. In addition to playing exhibition matches against top international teams, F.C. Seattle was a member of the short lived Western Soccer Alliance, was a founding member of the American Professional Soccer League and later spent three seasons in the Pacific Coast Soccer League.
Bob Rigby is a retired U.S. soccer goalkeeper. Rigby played twelve seasons in the North American Soccer League, three in the Major Indoor Soccer League, one in the Western Soccer Alliance and earned six caps with the United States men's national soccer team. Rigby was the color commentator with the Philadelphia Union of Major League Soccer.
Greg Kern is a Canadian former soccer player who played at both the professional and international levels as a defender.
San Jose Earthquakes was a professional soccer club that played from 1974 to 1988. The team began as an expansion franchise in the North American Soccer League (NASL), and was originally set to play in San Francisco; but slow season ticket sales led to a late switch to San Jose's Spartan Stadium. The switch to sports-starved San Jose was an immediate hit, and the Earthquakes led the league with attendance over 15,000 per game in 1974, double the league average. The team's success led Spartan Stadium to be chosen as site of the first NASL Soccer Bowl in 1975. From 1983 to 1984, the team was known as the Golden Bay Earthquakes. During this time, it also played in the original Major Indoor Soccer League and in the NASL's indoor circuit, winning the first ever NASL indoor tournament in 1975. Their indoor games were first played at the Cow Palace and later at the Oakland Coliseum Arena.
Portland Timbers, previously known as F.C. Portland, came into existence in 1985 as an independent U.S. soccer team based in Portland, Oregon. In 1989, the team adopted the name Portland Timbers. Portland was composed of both professional and amateur players. The amateur players largely came from local Portland amateur leagues. It played its games in Portland's Civic Stadium.
Chance Fry is a retired U.S. soccer forward who began his career straight out of high school with the Seattle Sounders of the North American Soccer League. With the collapse of the NASL, he moved to indoor soccer as well as U.S. minor leagues. Since retiring from playing, Fry has become a college soccer coach. He also earned five caps with the U.S. national team in 1984 and was the 1990 American Professional Soccer League leading goal scorer.
Robert Zipp is a retired U.S. soccer player who currently serves as a youth soccer referee.
Victoria Riptides were a professional soccer team based out of Victoria, British Columbia. The team played for two seasons; the 1984 season of the Pacific Coast Soccer League, and 1985 season of the Western Alliance Challenge Series. Their home games were played at Royal Athletic Park.
Billy Crook is a former U.S. soccer defender who spent two seasons in the North American Soccer League, eight in Major Indoor Soccer League, two in the Western Soccer Alliance, at least two in the Continental Indoor Soccer League, and four in the American Professional Soccer League. He also earned one cap with the U.S. national team. He currently coaches youth soccer in Sumner, Washington.
Christopher George Dangerfield is an English former footballer who spent most of his career in the United States.
Rick Brian Blubaugh is an American former Professional Soccer Player. He spent four seasons in the Western Soccer Alliance, one in the Major Indoor Soccer League and one in the Continental Indoor Soccer League.
Mark Nickeas is an English retired football defender. He spent five seasons in the North American Soccer League, one in the Major Indoor Soccer League and two in the Western Soccer Alliance.
History of the 1986 Western Soccer Alliance season.
Fred Hamel is a retired American soccer midfielder who played professionally in the North American Soccer League and Western Soccer Alliance. He is currently a professor at the University of Puget Sound.
The history of the Portland Timbers stretches back to 1975, when the original Timbers club joined the North American Soccer League, to the present club that plays in Major League Soccer.
The 2013 season is the 101st season of competitive soccer in the United States.
The 1985 season was the first season of existence for the second incarnation of the Portland Timbers. The club was then branded as F.C. Portland for the season and competed in the Western Alliance Challenge Series. Including the first Timbers franchise, this was the ninth season all together.
The 1984 Golden Bay Earthquakes season was the club's eleventh as a franchise in the North American Soccer League, then the top tier of American soccer. The Earthquakes finished in fifth place in the Western Division. The League folded at the end of the season, and the team would then participate in the four-team 1985 Western Alliance Challenge Series, which led to the formal establishment of the Western Soccer Alliance in 1986.
References
- ↑ "The Year in American Soccer - 1984". Archived from the original on 2013-07-13. Retrieved 2010-05-29.
- ↑ Western Alliance Founded
- ↑ "Western Alliance Challenge Series 1985 Season". A-League Archive. Retrieved 2019-09-03.