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

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
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

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

Playoff teams in bold.

W L Pct. GB GF GA Home Road
San Diego Sockers2614.650–24318615–511–9
Dallas Sidekicks2218.550423122916–46–14
Cleveland Crunch2020.500624922913–77–13
Baltimore Blast1921.475721323011–98–12
Wichita Wings1822.450822823612–86–14
Tacoma Stars1822.450819824215–53–17
St. Louis Storm1723.425924125112–85–15

Playoffs
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
San Diego vs. Baltimore
DateAwayHomeAttendance
April 8Baltimore 4San Diego 55,599
April 10Baltimore 7San Diego 65,621
April 14San Diego 5Baltimore 44,148
Kevin Crow scored at 5:34 of overtime
April 16San Diego 6Baltimore 34,458
April 18San Diego 4Baltimore 34,594
San Diego wins series 4–1
Dallas vs. Cleveland
DateAwayHomeAttendance
April 14Cleveland 3Dallas 67,474
April 16Cleveland 6Dallas 76,549
Tatu scored at 3:59 of overtime
April 18Dallas 6Cleveland 78,752
Chris Szanto scored at 1:39 of overtime
April 21Dallas 8Cleveland 77,289
David Doyle scored at 7:59 of overtime
April 24Dallas 7Cleveland 87,913
Zoran Karic scored at :47 of overtime
April 26Cleveland 4Dallas 86,824
Dallas wins series 4–2

Championship Series
San Diego vs. Dallas
DateAwayHomeAttendance
April 30Dallas 3San Diego 75,269
May 2Dallas 7San Diego 97,921
May 5San Diego 5Dallas 46,703
Paul Wright scored at 1:57 of overtime
May 8San Diego 6Dallas 108,655
May 9San Diego 2Dallas 48,171
May 12Dallas 2San Diego 810,117
San Diego wins series 4–2

Team Attendance Totals
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

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

Player Team GP G A Pts
Zoran Karic Cleveland Crunch373963102
Preki St Louis Storm39455297
Hector Marinaro Cleveland Crunch40534194
Tatu Dallas Sidekicks39474188
Chico Borja Wichita Wings33325284
Dale Mitchell Tacoma Stars40453479
Paul Wright San Diego Sockers39502777
Dale Ervine Wichita Wings33423375
David Doyle Dallas Sidekicks40512374
Branko Segota St Louis Storm34472572

All-MISL Teams
First Team  Position  Second TeamThird 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

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
  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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