Las Vegas Quicksilvers
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Full name | Las Vegas Quicksilvers | ||
---|---|---|---|
Nickname(s) | Silvers | ||
Founded | 1976 | ||
Dissolved | 1978 | (moved)||
Stadium | Las Vegas Stadium | ||
Capacity | 36,800 | ||
League | NASL | ||
1977 | 5th in conference | ||
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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.
Eusébio, considered by many "Africa's greatest-ever player"[1] played seventeen games for the Quicksilvers scoring two goals.
History[]
Origins[]
The team that would become the Quicksilvers was founded in January 1974 as the Baltimore Comets when the North American Soccer League added six expansion teams following the 1973 season.[2][3] After two seasons in Baltimore, the team was sold and moved to San Diego becoming the San Diego Jaws.[4] [5] After finishing last in the Southern Division for the 1976 North American Soccer League season, the team announced it would move to Las Vegas, Nevada.[6]
1977 NASL Season and Demise[]
The Quicksilvers opened the season on 9 April 1977 at home with a 1-0 win against the New York Cosmos with 11,896 fans in attendance at Las Vegas Stadium. The game was the tenth meeting in history between Eusébio and Pelé, considered by many to be the two finest players of the era.[7] After starting the season with nine wins and three loses, the team lost seven of their next eight games; head coach Derek Trevis was fired and replaced by Jim Fryatt.[8] The team finished the season in last place of the Pacific Conference Southern Division with eleven wins and fifteen losses and averaging 7,092 fans a game.[9]
In late October 1977, it was reported the Milwaukee Brewers considered purchasing the team.[10] However, less than a week later the Clark County District Attorney filed civil suit against the team for deceptive trade and false advertising. The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority also threatened the team with legal action over $32,000 in unpaid rent for the Las Vegas Stadium.[11] In December, the team was sold and moved to San Diego becoming the San Diego Sockers.[12]
Year-by-year[]
Year | League | W | L | Pts | Reg. Season | Playoffs |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1977 | NASL | 11 | 15 | 103 | 5th, Pacific Conference, Southern Division | Did not qualify |
Coaches[]
Honors[]
NASL All-Stars
- 1977: Wolfgang Sühnholz (1st team); Humberto Coelho, Alan Mayer[13] (2nd team)
Indoor Soccer Hall of Fame members
- 2019: Alan Mayer[14]
References[]
- ^ Hayward, Paul. "From Africa to posterity: How Eusébio lit up the World Cup". the Guardian. No. 5 June 2010. Guardian News & Media Limited. Retrieved 5 January 2022.
- ^ Nigro, Ken (December 5, 1973). "Baltimore returns to soccer league". Baltimore Sun. p. C1. Retrieved 16 January 2021.
- ^ "Seattle gets soccer team". Ellensburg Daily Record. 4 January 1974. Retrieved 5 January 2022.
- ^ "Comets Move to San Diego". Eugene Register-Guard. 12 October 1975. Retrieved 5 January 2022.
- ^ Lowenberger, William (October 10, 1975). "Comets to move to Calif". Baltimore Sun. p. C7. Retrieved January 16, 2021.
- ^ "Jaws Move". Lodi News-Sentinel. UPI. 20 October 1976. Retrieved 5 January 2022.
- ^ Guardian writers (29 May 2014). "The World Cup's top 100 footballers of all time". the Guardian. Guardian News & Media Limited. Retrieved 5 January 2022.
- ^ "Quicksilvers Give Coach Boot". The Evening Independent. AP. 15 July 1977. Retrieved 5 January 2022.
- ^ Litterer, David. "North American Soccer League". The Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 5 January 2022.
- ^ "Brewers May Buy Pro Soccer Team". The Pittsburgh Press. UPI. 22 October 1977. Retrieved 5 January 2022.
- ^ "Quicksilvers in trouble". Lewiston Morning Tribune. AP. 27 October 1977. Retrieved 5 January 2022.
- ^ "Sports Shorts". The Times-News. AP. 22 December 1977. Retrieved 5 January 2022.
- ^ "Somebody Likes The Way He Plays". Tampa Tribune. Tampa, Florida. August 12, 1977. p. C-1. Retrieved January 16, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Hall of Famers". indoorsoccerhall.com. September 1, 2020. Retrieved January 16, 2021.
- Las Vegas Quicksilvers
- Sports teams in Las Vegas
- North American Soccer League (1968–1984) teams
- Defunct soccer clubs in Nevada
- 1976 establishments in Nevada
- 1977 North American Soccer League season
- 1978 disestablishments in Nevada
- Soccer clubs in Nevada
- Association football clubs disestablished in 1978
- Association football clubs established in 1976
- Sam Boyd Stadium