Football league season
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.
Recap [ ]
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-division 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 [ ]
Main article:
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 . Archived from the original on 2012-07-16. 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 [ ]
Seasons Clubs Commissioners All-Star Game