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.
With the NASL near death in the summer of 1984, a handful of teams made plans to switch from outdoor to indoor soccer once the NASL season ended in October.[1] Along with the Sockers, the Chicago Sting, Minnesota Strikers and New York Cosmos formally made the leap in late August.[2] With the addition of the Dallas Sidekicks, the league went back to a 14-team, two-dvision setup.
With an influx of new teams, the league expanded the playoffs even further. 10 teams would qualify, the top three in each division and the next best four wild-card teams. The wild-card teams would play a best-of-three series. The second and third round were best-of-five series, and the championship round would be a best-of-seven series. Each successive round would see the winners reseeded, similar to the NHL playoff format used for almost 20 years.[3]
While the Sting and Strikers made the playoffs, the Cosmos struggled. On February 22, with their record at 11-22, the team announced they were pulling out of the MISL effective immediately.[4] The league would scramble to fill out the schedule,[5] but only the Wichita Wings would play an uneven number of games.
The Strikers would make a run from the wildcard series to the league semifinals, only falling to San Diego in a decisive fifth game. Trailing in the series two games to one, Minnesota actually lost the fourth game in a shootout,[6] but lodged a protest with commissioner Francis Dale over San Diego's shooting order. Dale upheld the protest and declared the Strikers winners.[7] Despite the Sockers only being made aware of the fifth game once they landed at the San Diego airport, they shut out Minnesota to win the series[8]
This would be the final year the MISL would have games aired on network television, CBS broadcast Game 4 of the championship series live on May 25.[9]
Despite having the league's third-best record, the Las Vegas Americans would be terminated by the league after the season due to financial difficulties.[10]
Teams
Regular season schedule
The 1984–85 regular season schedule ran from November 2, 1984, to April 14, 1985.
Despite the Cosmos leaving the league in mid-season, each team played their scheduled 48 games with the exception of Wichita.[11]
Final standings
Playoff teams in bold.
Playoffs
Wildcard Series
| Minnesota vs. Wichita |
|---|
| Date | Away | Home | Attendance |
| April 17 | Wichita 1 | Minnesota 2 | 4,233 |
| April 19 | Minnesota 3 | Wichita 8 | 7,053 |
| April 21 | Wichita 2 | Minnesota 3 | 4,032 |
| | Jan Goossens scored at 2:45 of overtime |
| Minnesota wins series 2-1 |
|
| St. Louis vs. Kansas City |
|---|
| Date | Away | Home | Attendance |
| April 17 | Kansas City 5 | St. Louis 4 | 7,636 |
| | Damir Haramina scored at 8:14 of overtime |
| April 19 | St. Louis 3 | Kansas City 2 | 10,241 |
| | Tasso Koutsoukos scored at 1:22 of overtime |
| Kansas City wins series 2-0 |
|
Quarterfinals
| San Diego vs. Kansas City |
|---|
| Date | Away | Home | Attendance |
| April 24 | Kansas City 3 | San Diego 4 | 7,552 |
| | Brian Quinn scored at 11:45 of overtime |
| April 26 | Kansas City 7 | San Diego 11 | 9,560 |
| April 28 | San Diego 3 | Kansas City 2 | 10,458 |
| San Diego wins series 3-0 |
|
| Chicago vs. Cleveland |
|---|
| Date | Away | Home | Attendance |
| April 19 | Cleveland 5 | Chicago 4 | 6,550 |
| | Peter Ward scored at 10:31 of overtime |
| April 21 | Cleveland 4 | Chicago 8 | 5,005 |
| April 24 | Chicago 1 | Cleveland 6 | 8,112 |
| April 27 | Chicago 4 | Cleveland 5 | 11,248 |
| | Keith Furphy scored at 5:01 of overtime |
| Cleveland wins series 3-1 |
|
| Baltimore vs. Los Angeles |
|---|
| Date | Away | Home | Attendance |
| April 24 | Los Angeles 3 | Baltimore 4 | 7,108 |
| April 26 | Los Angeles 3 | Baltimore 11 | 9,493 |
| April 28 | Baltimore 5 | Los Angeles 4 | 4,746 |
| Baltimore wins series 3-0 |
|
| Las Vegas vs. Minnesota |
|---|
| Date | Away | Home | Attendance |
| April 24 | Minnesota 6 | Las Vegas 5 | 5,278 |
| April 26 | Minnesota 4 | Las Vegas 6 | 6,016 |
| April 28 | Las Vegas 2 | Minnesota 3 | 7,134 |
| May 1 | Las Vegas 1 | Minnesota 4 | 5,094 |
| Minnesota wins series 3-1 |
|
Semifinals
| San Diego vs. Minnesota |
|---|
| Date | Away | Home | Attendance |
| May 5 | Minnesota 1 | San Diego 8 | 8,494 |
| May 8 | Minnesota 5 | San Diego 6 | 10,143 |
| | Jean Willrich scored at 1:15 of overtime |
| May 10 | San Diego 5 | Minnesota 8 | 8,270 |
| May 12 | San Diego 3 | Minnesota 3 | 7,871 |
| | Minnesota wins shootout 3-2** |
| May 14 | Minnesota 0 | San Diego 7 | 10,059 |
| San Diego wins series 3-2 |
|
| Baltimore vs. Cleveland |
|---|
| Date | Away | Home | Attendance |
| May 3 | Cleveland 5 | Baltimore 6 | 7,568 |
| May 5 | Cleveland 5 | Baltimore 3 | 8,205 |
| May 10 | Baltimore 3 | Cleveland 4 | 13,093 |
| May 11 | Baltimore 7 | Cleveland 6 | 13,861 |
| May 14 | Cleveland 4 | Baltimore 7 | 9,184 |
| Baltimore wins series 3-2 |
|
**San Diego won the shootout 4-3, but Minnesota appealed the result, as the Sockers used an ineligible player. The Strikers were declared winners on May 13.
Championship Series
| San Diego vs. Baltimore |
|---|
| Date | Away | Home | Attendance |
| May 17 | Baltimore 4 | San Diego 5 | 11,639 |
| May 19 | Baltimore 3 | San Diego 7 | 12,185 |
| May 23 | San Diego 6 | Baltimore 10 | 11,074 |
| May 25 | San Diego 14 | Baltimore 2 | 9,084 |
| May 28 | Baltimore 3 | San Diego 5 | 12,948 |
| San Diego wins series 4-1 |
|
Regular season player statistics
[12]
Scoring leaders
GP = Games Played, G = Goals, A = Assists, Pts = Points
| Player |
Team |
GP |
G |
A |
Pts |
| Steve Zungul |
San Diego Sockers | 48 | 68 | 68 | 136 |
| Karl-Heinz Granitza |
Chicago Sting | 47 | 64 | 53 | 117 |
| Branko Segota |
San Diego Sockers | 46 | 66 | 40 | 106 |
| Stan Stamenkovic |
Baltimore Blast | 43 | 39 | 52 | 91 |
| Tatu |
Dallas Sidekicks | 43 | 59 | 29 | 88 |
| Dale Mitchell |
Tacoma Stars | 48 | 55 | 32 | 87 |
| Jean Willrich |
San Diego Sockers | 48 | 43 | 43 | 86 |
| Fred Grgurev |
Las Vegas Americans | 48 | 48 | 29 | 77 |
| Craig Allen |
Cleveland Force | 42 | 45 | 30 | 75 |
| Jan Goossens |
Minnesota Strikers | 48 | 49 | 24 | 73 |
Leading goalkeepers
Note: GP = Games played; Min – Minutes Played; GA = Goals Against; GAA = Goals Against Average; W = Wins; L = Losses
| Player |
Team |
GP |
Min |
GA |
GAA |
W |
L |
| Scott Manning | Baltimore Blast | 36 | 2080 | 135 | 3.89 | 23 | 11 |
| Slobo Illjevski | St. Louis Steamers | 30 | 1681 | 112 | 4.00 | 11 | 12 |
| Jim Gorsek | San Diego Sockers | 30 | 1665 | 112 | 4.04 | 19 | 8 |
| Manny Schwartz | Kansas City Comets | 40 | 2192 | 152 | 4.16 | 19 | 15 |
| Alan Mayer | Las Vegas Americans | 30 | 1759 | 124 | 4.23 | 17 | 12 |
| Victor Nogueira | Chicago Sting | 43 | 2440 | 162 | 4.34 | 23 | 15 |
| Tino Lettieri | Minnesota Strikers | 45 | 2672 | 198 | 4.45 | 24 | 21 |
| Cris Vaccaro | Cleveland Force | 27 | 1453 | 108 | 4.46 | 16 | 8 |
| Mike Dowler | Wichita Wings | 41 | 2394 | 179 | 4.49 | 20 | 20 |
| John Baretta | Tacoma Stars | 31 | 1637 | 127 | 4.65 | 11 | 13 |
Playoff player statistics
[13]
Scoring leaders
GP = Games Played, G = Goals, A = Assists, Pts = Points
| Player |
Team |
GP |
G |
A |
Pts |
| Steve Zungul |
San Diego Sockers | 13 | 13 | 24 | 37 |
| Branko Segota |
San Diego Sockers | 13 | 22 | 8 | 30 |
| Jean Willrich |
San Diego Sockers | 13 | 11 | 12 | 23 |
| Brian Quinn |
San Diego Sockers | 13 | 11 | 11 | 22 |
| Andy Chapman |
Cleveland Force | 9 | 14 | 5 | 19 |
| Stan Stamenkovic |
Baltimore Blast | 11 | 8 | 11 | 19 |
Leading goalkeepers
Note: GP = Games played; Min – Minutes Played; GA = Goals Against; GAA = Goals Against Average; W = Wins; L = Losses
| Player |
Team |
GP |
Min |
GA |
GAA |
W |
L |
| Jim Gorsek | San Diego Sockers | 9 | 516 | 21 | 2.44 | 7 | 1 |
| Mike Dowler | Wichita Wings | 3 | 180 | 8 | 2.67 | 1 | 2 |
| Cris Vaccaro | Cleveland Force | 9 | 546 | 38 | 4.18 | 5 | 3 |
| Slobo Ilijevski | St. Louis Steamers | 2 | 129 | 9 | 4.19 | 0 | 2 |
| Tino Lettieri | Minnesota Strikers | 11 | 667 | 51 | 4.59 | 6 | 5 |
| Manny Schwartz | Kansas City Comets | 4 | 222 | 17 | 4.59 | 2 | 2 |
All-MISL teams
| First Team | Position | Second Team |
| Scott Manning, Baltimore |
G |
Slobo Ilijevski, St. Louis |
| Mike Stankovic, Baltimore |
D |
Jorge Espinoza, Las Vegas |
| Branko Segota, San Diego |
D |
Jean Willrich, San Diego |
| Kevin Crow, San Diego |
M |
Kim Roentved, Wichita |
| Steve Zungul, San Diego |
F |
Stan Stamenkovic, Baltimore |
| Karl-Heinz Granitza, Chicago |
F |
Tatu, Dallas |
| Honorable Mention | Position |
| Jim Gorsek, San Diego |
G |
| Bruce Savage, Baltimore |
D |
| Gerry Gray, Chicago |
D |
| Benny Dargle, Cleveland |
M |
| Dale Mitchell, Tacoma |
F |
| Fred Grgurev, Las Vegas |
F |
League awards
- Most Valuable Player: Steve Zungul, San Diego
- Scoring Champion: Steve Zungul, San Diego
- Pass Master: Steve Zungul, San Diego
- Defender of the Year: Kevin Crow, San Diego
- Rookie of the Year: Ali Kazemaini, Cleveland
- Goalkeeper of the Year: Scott Manning, Baltimore
- Coach of the Year: Peter Wall, Los Angeles
- Championship Series Most Valuable Player: Steve Zungul, San Diego
Team attendance totals
| Club |
Games |
Total |
Average |
|---|
| Cleveland Force |
24 |
310,284 |
12,929 |
| Kansas City Comets |
24 |
310,017 |
12,917 |
| St. Louis Steamers |
24 |
305,054 |
12,711 |
| Baltimore Blast |
24 |
265,224 |
11,051 |
| Chicago Sting |
24 |
255,073 |
10,628 |
| San Diego Sockers |
24 |
230,272 |
9,595 |
| Wichita Wings |
24 |
209,035 |
8,710 |
| Pittsburgh Spirit |
24 |
187,021 |
7,793 |
| Tacoma Stars |
24 |
173,317 |
7,222 |
| Las Vegas Americans |
24 |
152,083 |
6,337 |
| Los Angeles Lazers |
24 |
121,488 |
5,062 |
| Dallas Sidekicks |
24 |
119,248 |
4,969 |
| Minnesota Strikers |
24 |
115,408 |
4,809 |
| New York Cosmos |
16 |
66,900 |
4,181 |
| OVERALL |
328 |
2,820,424 |
8,599 |
References
- ↑ Miranda, Randy (August 10, 1984). "Four NASL squads will play in MISL". Lakeland Ledger. p. D1. Retrieved 2012-05-08.
- ↑ "MISL takes four NASL teams". Boca Raton News. August 31, 1984. p. 2C. Retrieved 2012-05-08.
- ↑ 1984-85 Dallas Sidekicks Media Guide. 1984. p. 34.
- ↑ "Cosmos pull out of MISL, NASL". Ellensburg Daily Record. February 23, 1985. p. 11. Retrieved 2012-05-08.
- ↑ "MISL revises schedule after Cosmos pullout". Gainesville Sun. February 24, 1985. p. 10F. Retrieved 2012-05-08.
- ↑ Dolan, Steve (May 13, 1985). "It Takes Sockers 14 Shooters in the Shootout to Win". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2012-05-08.
- ↑ "Sockers' Semifinal Playoff Victory Overturned by MISL Commissioner". Los Angeles Times. May 14, 1985. Retrieved 2012-05-08.
- ↑ "Sockers Win, 7-0, to Gain MISL Final". Los Angeles Times. May 15, 1985. Retrieved 2012-05-08.
- ↑ Sarni, Jim (May 25, 1985). "Blast For Soccer Fans: CBS Airs MISL Game". South Florida Sun-Sentinel. Retrieved 2012-05-08.
- ↑ "MISL board terminates Las Vegas franchise". Lawrence Journal-World. July 18, 1985. p. 18. Retrieved 2012-05-08.
- ↑ 1984-85 Dallas Sidekicks Media Guide. 1984. pp. 50–54.
- ↑ MISL Official Tenth Anniversary Guide. 1987. p. 51.
- ↑ MISL Official Tenth Anniversary Guide. 1987. p. 80.
1984-85 Dallas Sidekicks Media Guide. Dallas: Dallas Sidekicks. 1984.
1985-86 MISL Media Guide. Chicago: Major Indoor Soccer League. 1985.
Leary, Dan; Griffin, John (1987). MISL Official Tenth Anniversary Guide. New York: Major Indoor Soccer League Communications Department.
External links