Full name | San Diego Jaws | ||
---|---|---|---|
Founded | 1976 | ||
Dissolved | 1976 (moved) | ||
Stadium | Aztec Bowl, San Diego, California | ||
League | North American Soccer League | ||
The San Diego Jaws were a professional soccer team based in San Diego, California, playing their home games at the Aztec Bowl on the campus of San Diego State University. Founded in 1976, the team was a member of the North American Soccer League, and was the league's second attempt to place a franchise in San Diego with the Toros having folded in 1968 after two seasons. The franchise lasted only one season and relocated to Las Vegas for the 1977 NASL season.
Founded as the in 1973 as the Baltimore Comets the bankrupt franchise was sold after two unsuccessful seasons on the east coast and moved by new owner Ken Keegan to the San Diego. [1] [2] It January 1976, it was announced the team had been renamed "Jaws". [3] The team hired English midfielder Derek Trevis who had won the NASL championship in 1973 as part of the Philadelphia Atoms to acts as player-manager of the new franchise. [4] Former Chapman College baseball coach Paul Deese, who claimed to have only seen two soccer games in his life, [5] was hired as General Manager. [6] Even though the team still had five open roster spots, include two of three forwards, the Jaws faced their first opponent the Dallas Tornados in a preseason game on March 12, 1976, [7] losing 2-0 in front of a mostly unpaid crowd of 6,754. [8] A week later, the team competed in the 1976 NASL Indoor tournament in Daly City, California, losing both games in which they participated. [9] In another preseason game on March 24, 1976, this one held at Balboa Stadium, in front of 18,128 people in attendance the Jaws tied the New York Cosmos holding Pelé scoreless in the 1-1 draw. [10]
San Diego began the outdoor season with a 1–0 win in overtime against the San Antonio Thunder with 5,200 fans in attendance. [11] Later that month, the team hosted the Mexican Olympic team at Southwestern College in Chula Vista, California losing 2-1 with Hugo Sánchez scoring both of Mexico's goals. [12] [13] It was reported that team owner Ken Keegan was seeking investors from the local community, with five limited partners added to the ownership group by mid July. [14] The Jaws ended the season at home losing to the Minnesota Kicks 1-0 before 9,400 fans after two overtime periods. [15] The Jaws finished the season with a record of 9 wins and 15 losses, last place in the Pacific Conference Southern Division. [16] For the season, the team averaged over 6,000 fans at each home game, but it was reported the average paid attendance was only about 2,500. [17] After weeks of speculation, on October 19, 1976, it was reported the team would be moving to Las Vegas. [17]
After one season in Las Vegas, the franchise was sold and returned to San Diego as the San Diego Sockers. [18]
Year | League | W | L | T | Pts | Reg. Season | Playoffs |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1976 | NASL indoor | 0 | 2 | — | 0 | 3rd, West Regional | did not qualify |
1976 | NASL | 9 | 15 | — | 82 | 5th, Pacific Conference, Southern Division | did not qualify |
Indoor All-Stars
Indoor Soccer Hall of Fame members
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.
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 Minnesota Strikers were an American soccer team that competed in the North American Soccer League (NASL) for the 1984 season and in the Major Indoor Soccer League from 1984 through 1988. The team was based in Minneapolis/St. Paul metropolitan area and played their outdoor home games at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome and the Met Center for indoor games. Founded in 1967 as the Washington Darts and playing in Miami as the Gatos and the Toros before playing seven season as the Fort Lauderdale Strikers the team left Florida following the 1983 North American Soccer League season. After the 1987–88 season and playing four seasons in the MISL the team ceased operations.
Balboa Stadium is an American football and soccer stadium on the west coast of the United States, located in San Diego, California. Just east of San Diego High School, the original stadium was built in 1914 as part of the 1915 Panama–California Exposition, also in Balboa Park, with a capacity of 15,000. A horseshoe design that opened to the south, it was designed by the Quayle Brothers architectural firm and originally called City Stadium.
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 Baltimore Comets were a professional soccer team based in Baltimore, Maryland. Founded in 1974, the Comets were an expansion team that played two seasons in the North American Soccer League. The team originally played its home matches at Memorial Stadium but moved to Burdick Field located at Towson University during the 1975 season. At the conclusion of the 1975 NASL season the team moved to San Diego, California rebranding as the Jaws.
The Las Vegas Quicksilvers were an American soccer team that competed in the North American Soccer League (NASL) during the 1977 season. The team was based in Las Vegas, Nevada and played their home games at Las Vegas Stadium. After the 1977 season, the team relocated to San Diego and became the San Diego Sockers.
Brian William Joy is an English former professional football right-back.
Alan Mayer is an American retired soccer goalkeeper. He played professionally in the North American Soccer League and Major Indoor Soccer League and earned six caps with the United States men's national soccer team.
Doug Wark is a former Scottish-American soccer forward who spent five seasons in the North American Soccer League and three in the Major Indoor Soccer League. He earned one cap with the U.S. national team in 1975.
Christopher George Dangerfield is an English former footballer who spent most of his career in the United States.
San Diego Sockers are an American professional indoor soccer franchise playing in the Western Division of the Major Arena Soccer League, representing the San Diego area since 2009. The Sockers first played home games at Chevrolet Del Mar Arena at the Del Mar Fairgrounds adjacent to the Del Mar Racetrack in Del Mar, California. They moved to Pechanga Arena, the original home of the MISL Sockers, for the 2012–2013 season. The Sockers plan on moving into Frontwave Arena, a 7,600 seat multi-purpose indoor sports arena in Oceanside, CA once it opens. The projected opening date is in the first quarter of 2024.
Derek Alan Trevis was an English professional footballer who played as a midfielder. Active in both England and the United States, Trevis made nearly 500 career league appearances.
Vidal Fernandez is a Mexican-American former soccer player who played professionally in the North American Soccer League, Major Indoor Soccer League and Western Soccer Alliance.
Ronald Vernon Newman was an English professional association football player and coach. He was a member of the American National Soccer Hall of Fame.
Sports in San Diego include two men's and one women's major professional sports teams, several teams from other highest-level professional leagues, minor league teams, semi-pro and club teams, and college athletics. The most popular team in San Diego is the San Diego Padres of Major League Baseball (MLB). Also widely popular locally are the college teams of the San Diego State Aztecs, which play in NCAA Division I (FBS).
The 1984–85 Major Indoor Soccer League season was the seventh in league history and ended with the San Diego Sockers winning their second MISL title in three seasons over the Baltimore Blast. It was the Sockers' fourth straight indoor title, as they had also won the North American Soccer League's indoor league in the spring of 1984.
Chula Vista Futbol Club is an American soccer club from Chula Vista, California. The club's first team competes in the NISA Nation.
San Diego 1904 FC was an American professional soccer team based in San Diego, California, United States. In December 2021, the team was absorbed by Albion San Diego, which effectively took over 1904's membership in the National Independent Soccer Association (NISA).
San Diego Football Club is an American soccer team based in San Diego, California. It is scheduled to enter Major League Soccer (MLS) as an expansion team in 2025 and will play home matches at Snapdragon Stadium, a multi-use venue built in 2022. The franchise's ownership group is led by British-Egyptian businessman and former politician Mohamed Mansour and the Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation, a federally recognized Indian tribe. The group was awarded an expansion team on May 18, 2023; the team will be the 30th in MLS.