 | |
| Founded | 1989 |
|---|---|
| First season | 1993 |
| Folded | 1997 |
| Country |  United States  Mexico |
| Number of teams | 15 |
| Last champions | Seattle SeaDogs |
| Most championships | Monterrey La Raza (2 titles) |
| TV partners | Prime Network FSN Southwest |
The Continental Indoor Soccer League (CISL) was a professional indoor soccer league that played from 1993 to 1997.
In the summer of 1989 Dr Jerry Buss, the owner of the Los Angeles Lakers and California Sports, told his executive Vice President, Ron Weinstein, he was closing the doors on the Los Angeles Lazers of the Major Indoor Soccer League, MISL, and that if he ever wanted to "create a professional indoor soccer league that played in the summer months, out from under the shadow of the NBA, NFL, NHL, NCAA Football and NCAA Basketball", he would support the endeavor. It was then that the seed was planted in Ron's mind. [1] One year later, in the fall of 1990, Ron Weinstein incorporated the Continental Indoor Soccer League, CISL. Ron, along with his business partner Jorge Ragde, drafted all the necessary franchise documents to bring the league into fruition and create what was the first professional sports league to operate under the "single entity" formula in 1991. [2] Jerry Buss stood by Ron every step of the way until Earvin "Magic" Johnson announced he was HIV positive. [3] Jerry's mind was understandably taken elsewhere for a short period of time. Prior to his temporary absence, Jerry and Ron reached out to Phoenix Suns owner, Jerry Colangelo, and convinced him to be one of the inaugural members of the League. [4]
In Dr. Buss's absence, Colangelo stepped up to the plate to take the lead role in working with Ron to attract NBA and NHL owners. Through Buss's and Colangelo's cooperative efforts they orchestrated two CISL meetings in conjunction with their own NBA Board of Governors meetings. The first was held in 1991 in Marina Del Rey and the second in New York City in 1992. Needless to say their efforts paid off and the CISL was launched with 7 teams committed to begin playing in the summer of 1993 with another eight contracted for 1994. [5]
Monterrey La Raza made the CISL the first US league to have a team from Mexico participating. In 1995, a second team entered the league, the Mexico City Toros. [6] By the end of the 1995 season, the third year of the league, 50% of the teams were already profitable; a feat unprecedented in professional sports history. In 1996, Ron signed a three-year agreement with FOX Sports to televise a game of the week nationally in prime time. Concurrently he signed with General Motors to a three-year million dollar contract to be the official car of the CISL. [7] That same year, the Indiana Twisters became the next expansion franchise admitted to the league.
"The league has become very credible. ... We definitely look upon ourselves as a major-league sport. If you look at the roots of the NBA, NHL, Major League Baseball and NFL, we are so far ahead of the game from where they were when they finished their fourth year." Ron Weinstein was quoted saying to the Houston Chronicle. [8]
In the fall of 1997, the surprising demise of the league took place primarily due to differences of direction between the NBA/NHL owners and three of the leagues non NBA/NHL teams: Dallas, Portland and Houston. They collaborated in an effort to leave the CISL and form their own league, The Premier Soccer Alliance. It is the opinion of many executives within the sports world, that indoor Soccer has never again reached the pinnacle of the CISL since operations formally ceased in the winter of 1998. [9]
The Continental Indoor Soccer League Championship Trophy was titled the "Lawrence Trophy" named in honor of the commissioner and founder's father, Lawrence Albert Weinstein.
| Season | Champion | Series | Runner-Up |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | Dallas Sidekicks | 2–1 | San Diego Sockers |
| 1994 | Las Vegas Dustdevils | 2–1 | Dallas Sidekicks |
| 1995 | Monterrey La Raza | 2–1 | Sacramento Knights |
| 1996 | Monterrey La Raza | 2–0 | Houston Hotshots |
| 1997 | Seattle SeaDogs | 2–0 | Houston Hotshots |
| Team | Championships | Runner Up | Champions | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monterrey La Raza | 2 | 0 | 1995, 1996 | |
| Dallas Sidekicks | 1 | 1 | 1993 | 1994 |
| Las Vegas Dustdevils | 1 | 0 | 1994 | |
| Seattle SeaDogs | 1 | 0 | 1997 | |
| Houston Hotshots | 0 | 2 | 1996, 1997 | |
| Sacramento Knights | 0 | 1 | 1995 | |
| San Diego Sockers | 0 | 1 | 1993 |
The Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL), known in its final two seasons as the Major Soccer League, was an indoor soccer league in the United States that played matches from fall 1978 to spring 1992.
The World Indoor Soccer League (WISL) was a United States-based indoor soccer league that existed from 1998 to 2001 and consisted of nine teams.
The Dallas Sidekicks were one of the longest operating professional soccer teams, either indoor or outdoor, in the United States, based in Dallas, Texas, and operating from 1984 until suspending operations following the 2003–04 season. The team was founded as a member of the original Major Indoor Soccer League. Over the years, the team played in four other leagues. The team's most famous player was Tatu, who was known for throwing his shirt into the stands after every goal. The team hosted the 1989 MISL All-Star Game. The team was one of the most successful franchises in indoor soccer history, making the playoffs in 16 of their 19 seasons of play. In the playoffs, the team made it to the championship game/series eight times, winning four titles.
The San Diego Sockers were a soccer and indoor soccer team based in San Diego, California. The team played in the indoor and outdoor editions of the North American Soccer League (NASL) until 1984 as well as the original Major Indoor Soccer League and CISL. The franchise folded in 1996 and was the last surviving NASL franchise.
The Anaheim Splash was a U.S. indoor soccer team that played in the Continental Indoor Soccer League (CISL). It was founded in 1992 as the Los Angeles United, but was sold after the season. The new ownership moved the team to Anaheim, California and renamed it the Anaheim Splash. The team folded in 1997, along with the CISL.
The Los Angeles Lazers were an indoor soccer team that played in the Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL) from 1982 to 1989.
Antonio Carlos Pecorari, commonly known as Tatu, is a Brazilian football coach and former player, and one of the most accomplished indoor football players of all time. He is currently the head coach of the Mesquite Outlaws in the Major Arena Soccer League. His nickname means "armadillo" in Portuguese.
The Houston Hotshots are a professional indoor soccer team in Houston, Texas. They play in the Premier Arena Soccer League (PASL) From 1994 to 1997 and 2000–2001, the Houston Hotshots were a full professional indoor soccer team in Houston, Texas. They played in the Continental Indoor Soccer League (CISL) from 1994 to 1997, and moved to the World Indoor Soccer League in 1999 after the CISL folded. The Hotshots folded in early 2001 after failing to attract new investors. On June 28, 2015, William Alsobrook filed the necessary paperwork to revive the club and announced his intention to field a team in the upcoming Premier Arena Soccer League season.
Samuel Ekemé Ndiba is a Cameroonian former football player who spent ten seasons in Cameroon, one in Major League Soccer, at least two in the USISL, one in the Continental Indoor Soccer League and five in the National Professional Soccer League / Major Indoor Soccer League. He was a member of the Cameroon national football team at the 1994 World Cup.
Paul Dougherty is an English former professional soccer player and soccer coach who began his career with Wolverhampton Wanderers in England. He then moved to the United States where he became a journeyman player, bouncing through sixteen teams in multiple indoor and outdoor leagues.
Danny Pena is a retired U.S. soccer defensive midfielder. He spent most of his career, both indoors and outdoors, with teams in the western U.S.
The Seattle SeaDogs were an indoor soccer team based in Seattle, Washington, United States. They played in the Continental Indoor Soccer League (CISL) from 1995 to 1997 with home games at Mercer Arena and KeyArena. The team were owned by the Ackerley Group, who also operated the Seattle SuperSonics, and were announced in 1993 amid a wave of new professional soccer teams in the Seattle metropolitan area.
The IndianaTwisters were a professional indoor soccer team that played in the Continental Indoor Soccer League in 1996 and 1997.
The original Monterrey La Raza was a professional indoor soccer team based in Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico. The team was founded on December 29, 1992 as a member of the Continental Indoor Soccer League. After the CISL folded, the La Raza took one season off and attempted to join the National Professional Soccer League before joining the World Indoor Soccer League in 1999. The team folded after it was expelled from the WISL before the 2001 season due to the lack of progress on building Arena Monterrey.
Arizona Sandsharks was a U.S. indoor soccer team that played in the Continental Indoor Soccer League (CISL). It was founded in 1992 and folded in 1997, along with the CISL.
Terry Woodberry, also spelled as Terry Woodbury, is a former English-American football (soccer) midfielder who spent his entire career playing indoor soccer in the United States. He was also a member of the U.S. Futsal team which took second place at the 1992 FIFA Futsal World Cup.
Rene Ortiz is a retired Mexican-American soccer player. He spent most of his playing career in indoor soccer with two seasons in the Western Soccer Alliance and one season in Major League Soccer. He currently coaches the Mexican national arena soccer team and the Hilltop High School soccer teams.
Eloy Salgado is a retired American soccer forward who played professionally in the Major Indoor Soccer League, National Professional Soccer League and USISL.
The 2012–13 Dallas Sidekicks season was the first season of the new Dallas Sidekicks professional indoor soccer club. The Sidekicks, a Central Division team in the Professional Arena Soccer League, played their home games in the Allen Event Center in Allen, Texas. The team was led by general manager and head coach Tatu with assistant coaches Mike Powers and Caesar Cervin.
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