Football league season
The 1985–86 Major Indoor Soccer League season was the eighth in league history and ended with the San Diego Sockers winning their third MISL title in four seasons over the Minnesota Strikers . It was the Sockers' fifth straight indoor title, as they had also won the North American Soccer League 's indoor league in 1982 and 1984.
Recap [ ]
For the most part, the league format remained unchanged. A 48-game season would be followed with an eight-team playoff, similar to the playoff system used from 1982 to 1984. There would be one major change in gameplay, however. The shootout, part of the MISL since its inception, was dropped in favor of multiple overtime periods to decide games, if necessary.[1] There was a steady national TV contract for the first time since 1983, as ESPN would televise 15 regular-season games and assorted playoff games.[2]
The East and West division races were a study in contrasts. San Diego ran away with the West again, despite selling reigning league MVP Steve Zungul to the Tacoma Stars for $200,000 halfway through the regular season.[3] Tacoma would go 11-8 with Zungul, who won the league scoring title for the sixth time in the MISL's eight years. However, the Stars lost in four games to the Sockers in the league semifinals.[4]
In the East, the six-team division was separated by only four games. The playoff positions were only confirmed when the Baltimore Blast defeated the Pittsburgh Spirit in the season finale.[5] The Dallas Sidekicks switched divisions and promptly won 13 more games than the previous year, making the playoffs for the first time and earning Gordon Jago Coach of the Year honors.
For the second straight year, the Strikers and Sockers went to a deciding game in their playoff matchup. San Diego became the first team to rally from a two-game deficit to win a MISL playoff series, as the Strikers' 3-1 lead in the championship series disappeared under three straight Socker wins. In the first seventh game in MISL history, the Sockers held off a late Minnesota charge to win 5-3. San Diego's Brian Quinn scored two goals and an assist on his way to playoff MVP honors.[6]
After the season, the Spirit folded,[7] and the league made plans to return to New York with an expansion franchise.
Teams [ ]
Team
City/Area
Arena
Baltimore Blast
Baltimore, Maryland
Baltimore Arena
Chicago Sting
Chicago
Chicago Stadium
Cleveland Force
Cleveland, Ohio
Richfield Coliseum
Dallas Sidekicks
Dallas, Texas
Reunion Arena
Kansas City Comets
Kansas City, Missouri
Kemper Arena
Los Angeles Lazers
Inglewood, California
The Forum
Minnesota Strikers
Bloomington, Minnesota
Met Center
Pittsburgh Spirit
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Civic Arena (Pittsburgh)
San Diego Sockers
San Diego, California
San Diego Sports Arena
St. Louis Steamers
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis Arena
Tacoma Stars
Tacoma, Washington
Tacoma Dome
Wichita Wings
Wichita, Kansas
Kansas Coliseum
Regular season schedule [ ]
Main article:
The 1985–86 regular season schedule ran from October 25, 1985, to April 6, 1986. Despite the loss of two teams from the 1984-85 lineup, the schedule remained at 48 games.[8]
Final standings [ ]
Playoff teams in bold .
Playoffs [ ]
Quarterfinals [ ]
Cleveland vs. Baltimore
Date
Away
Home
Attendance
April 8
Baltimore 2
Cleveland 7
8,666
April 13
Baltimore 8
Cleveland 3
19,468
April 15
Cleveland 6
Baltimore 8
7,631
April 18
Cleveland 4
Baltimore 3
12,232
Kai Haaskivi scored at 3:21 of overtime
April 20
Baltimore 1
Cleveland 5
16,626
Cleveland wins series 3-2
Minnesota vs. Dallas
Date
Away
Home
Attendance
April 12
Dallas 3
Minnesota 5
7,101
April 13
Dallas 2
Minnesota 7
5,151
April 16
Minnesota 3
Dallas 4
10,218
April 19
Minnesota 7
Dallas 4
13,908
Minnesota wins series 3-1
San Diego vs. St. Louis
Date
Away
Home
Attendance
April 10
St. Louis 6
San Diego 7
7,506
Gary Collier scored at 11:31 of overtime
April 12
St. Louis 3
San Diego 5
10,123
April 16
San Diego 7
St. Louis 8
7,506
April 19
San Diego 10
St. Louis 4
9,464
San Diego wins series 3-1
Wichita vs. Tacoma
Date
Away
Home
Attendance
April 9
Tacoma 5
Wichita 6
7,382
April 12
Tacoma 5
Wichita 4
9,561
April 16
Wichita 4
Tacoma 5
14,162
Fran O'Brien scored at 8:02 of overtime
April 18
Wichita 1
Tacoma 3
17,094
Tacoma wins series 3-1
Semifinals [ ]
Cleveland vs. Minnesota
Date
Away
Home
Attendance
April 25
Minnesota 2
Cleveland 5
18,797
April 27
Minnesota 6
Cleveland 2
16,877
May 2
Cleveland 5
Minnesota 6
10,254
Thompson Usiyan scored at 2:08 of overtime
May 4
Cleveland 3
Minnesota 7
10,351
Minnesota wins series 3-1
San Diego vs. Tacoma
Date
Away
Home
Attendance
April 23
Tacoma 4
San Diego 10
8,308
April 29
Tacoma 2
San Diego 7
9,432
May 1
San Diego 3
Tacoma 4
15,290
May 7
San Diego 8
Tacoma 5
19,476
San Diego wins series 3-1
Championship Series [ ]
San Diego vs. Minnesota
Date
Away
Home
Attendance
May 9
Minnesota 2
San Diego 7
10,370
May 11
Minnesota 6
San Diego 1
9,172
May 16
San Diego 2
Minnesota 7
15,756
May 18
San Diego 3
Minnesota 4
15,849
May 21
Minnesota 4
San Diego 7
10,613
May 23
San Diego 6
Minnesota 3
15,944
May 26
Minnesota 3
San Diego 5
10,613
San Diego wins series 4-3
Regular season player statistics [ ]
[9]
Scoring leaders [ ]
GP = Games Played, G = Goals, A = Assists , Pts = Points
Player
Team
GP
G
A
Pts
Steve Zungul
San Diego/Tacoma
46
55
60
115
Erik Rasmussen
Wichita Wings
47
67
41
108
Branko Segota
San Diego Sockers
45
60
46
106
Tatu
Dallas Sidekicks
44
49
32
81
Craig Allen
Cleveland Force
43
50
31
81
Stan Stamenkovic
Baltimore Blast
45
37
44
81
Karl-Heinz Granitza
Chicago Sting
43
28
47
75
Chico Borja
Wichita Wings
37
33
41
74
Preki
Tacoma Stars
48
41
30
71
Hugo Perez
San Diego Sockers
41
41
25
66
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
Keith Van Eron
Baltimore Blast
27
1491
91
3.66
14
10
Jim Gorsek
San Diego Sockers
24
1323
82
3.72
19
2
David Brcic
Pittsburgh Spirit
43
2659
167
3.77
21
22
Mike Dowler
Tacoma Stars
23
1327
92
4.16
9
12
Zoltán Tóth
San Diego Sockers
28
1562
109
4.19
17
9
Cris Vaccaro
Cleveland Force
36
2012
143
4.26
19
14
Victor Nogueira
Chicago Sting
37
1905
137
4.31
17
14
Tino Lettieri
Minnesota Strikers
41
2386
175
4.40
24
15
Krys Sobieski
Dallas Sidekicks
40
2469
182
4.42
24
16
Slobo Illjevski
St. Louis Steamers
39
2178
163
4.49
19
17
Playoff player statistics [ ]
[10]
Scoring leaders [ ]
GP = Games Played, G = Goals, A = Assists , Pts = Points
Player
Team
GP
G
A
Pts
Branko Segota
San Diego Sockers
13
13
19
32
Brian Quinn
San Diego Sockers
13
13
10
23
Jan Goossens
Minnesota Strikers
15
12
9
21
Jean Willrich
San Diego Sockers
15
9
10
19
Thompson Usiyan
Minnesota Strikers
15
11
8
19
Juli Veee
San Diego Sockers
15
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
P.J. Johns
Cleveland Force
5
277
14
3.03
3
1
Tino Lettieri
Minnesota Strikers
15
866
51
3.52
9
6
Zoltán Tóth
San Diego Sockers
7
414
27
3.09
5
2
Scott Manning
Baltimore Blast
3
175
13
4.45
3
1
Seamus McDonough
Wichita Wings
2
128
10
4.65
1
1
All-MISL teams [ ]
First Team
Position
Second Team
David Brcic, Pittsburgh
G
Jim Gorsek, San Diego
Kim Roentved, Wichita
D
Bruce Savage, Baltimore
Fernando Clavijo, San Diego
D
Bernie James, Cleveland
Branko Segota, San Diego
M
Chico Borja, Wichita
Steve Zungul, San Diego/Tacoma
F
Tatu, Dallas
Erik Rasmussen, Wichita
F
Craig Allen, Cleveland
Honorable Mention
Position
Krys Sobieski, Dallas
G
Kevin Crow, San Diego
D
Victor Moreland, Dallas
D
Brian Quinn, San Diego
F
Stan Stamenkovic, Baltimore
F
League Awards [ ]
Most Valuable Player : Steve Zungul, San Diego/Tacoma
Scoring Champion : Steve Zungul, San Diego/Tacoma
Pass Master : Steve Zungul, San Diego/Tacoma
Defender of the Year : Kim Roentved, Wichita
Rookie of the Year : Dave Boncek, Kansas City Comets
Goalkeeper of the Year : Keith Van Eron, Baltimore
Coach of the Year : Gordon Jago, Dallas
Championship Series Most Valuable Player : Brian Quinn, San Diego
Team attendance totals [ ]
Club
Games
Total
Average
Cleveland Force
24
307,040
12,793
Kansas City Comets
24
298,269
12,428
Baltimore Blast
24
246,046
10,252
St. Louis Steamers
24
244,543
10,189
San Diego Sockers
24
229,935
9,581
Wichita Wings
24
202,725
8,447
Pittsburgh Spirit
24
186,597
7,775
Tacoma Stars
24
182,696
7,612
Chicago Sting
24
176,287
7,345
Dallas Sidekicks
24
165,694
6,904
Minnesota Strikers
24
156,071
6,503
Los Angeles Lazers
24
114,480
4,770
OVERALL
288
2,510,383
8,717
References [ ]
^ "MISL's Seven New Rules" . Los Angeles Times . October 23, 1985. Retrieved 2012-05-27 .
^ MISL Official Guide 1989-90 . 1989. p. 49.
^ Reinmuth, Gary (February 6, 1986). "Sockers` Zungul Sold To Tacoma" . Chicago Tribune . Retrieved 2012-05-27 .
^ Appleman, Marc (May 8, 1986). "Sockers Rally for 8-5 Win: San Diego Opens MISL Finals Friday Against Minnesota" . Los Angeles Times . Retrieved 2012-05-27 .
^ Tuma, Gary (April 7, 1986). "Typical Spirit Ending: On Road Without Offense" . Pittsburgh Post-Gazette . p. 19. Retrieved 2012-05-27 .
^ Appleman, Marc (May 27, 1986). "Sockers Take 7 to Win 5; Strikers Bow Out, 5-3 : There Are a Few Twists to the Story This Time as San Diego Struggles to Win 5th Consecutive Indoor Title" . Los Angeles Times . Retrieved 2012-05-27 .
^ Tuma, Gary (April 12, 1986). "DeBartolo folds losing Spirit". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette . pp. 9–10.
^ 1985-86 MISL Media Guide . 1985. pp. 38–39.
^ MISL Official Tenth Anniversary Guide . 1987. p. 50.
^ MISL Official Tenth Anniversary Guide . 1987. p. 79.
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.
Griffin, John, ed. (1989). MISL Official Guide 1989-90 . Overland Park, Kansas: Major Indoor Soccer League Communications Department.
External links [ ]
Seasons Clubs Commissioners All-Star Game