Minnesota Strikers

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Minnesota Strikers
MinnesotaStrikers.png
Club logotype showing a map of Minnesota and a soccer ball
Full nameMinnesota Strikers
Nickname(s)Strikers
Founded1984
(Previously Fort Lauderdale Strikers)
Dissolved1988
(rebranded to Fort Lauderdale Strikers)
Stadium Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome
Met Center
Capacity62,000
15,000
Coach David Chadwick 1984 NASL
Alan Merrick1984–88 MISL
League North American Soccer League
Major Indoor Soccer League

The Minnesota Strikers were an American soccer team that competed in the North American Soccer League (NASL) for the 1984 season and in the Major Indoor Soccer League from 1984 through 1988. The team was based in Minneapolis/St. Paul metropolitan area and played their outdoor home games at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome and the Met Center for indoor games. Founded in 1967 as the Washington Darts and playing in Miami as the Gatos and the Toros before playing seven season as the Fort Lauderdale Strikers the team left Florida following the 1983 North American Soccer League season. After the 1987–88 season and playing four seasons in the MISL the team ceased operations.

Contents

History

Origins and 1984 NASL season

Founded in 1963 as the amateur club Washington Britannica and eventually rebranding as the Washington Darts, the team joined the North American Soccer League in 1970 after playing three seasons in the American Soccer League and winning two consecutive ASL championships. [1] [2] After the 1970 season, the team was sold to John Bilotta, former part owner of the Rochester Lancers, and Arthur Bant a hotel owner, who relocated and rebranded as the team as the Miami Gatos. [3] [4] After one season, the team was sold to a group of 25 local business leaders [5] including Miami Dolphins owner Joe Robbie and his wife Elizabeth and renamed the Toros. [6] In December 1976 and after five seasons in Miami, the team announced it was moving to Fort Lauderdale. [7] Following the conclusion of the 1983 outdoor season season long rumors that the team was looking to move were confirmed when General Manager Tim Robbie met with officials in Minneapolis [8] On November 30, 1983, team owner Elizabeth Robbie, Minnesota Governor Rudy Perpich, and NASL president Howard Samuels officially announced the team was moving and indicated the team had lost around $1 million in the last year. [9]

The Strikers played their first game on the road against the Tampa Bay Rowdies, their former cross-state rivals in the Florida Derby, winning a game decided by a shootout. [10] The team played its first home game at Metrodome on May 12, 1984, defeating the Chicago Sting 3-2. [11] The Strikers ended the season with a record of fourteen wins and ten losses, tied for best record in the league. However, NASL rules awarded six points for a win, four for a shootout win, and one point for each goal scored during regulation up to three per game. This resulted in four other teams earning more than the 115 points the Strikers had for the season. This put the Strikers in third place of the Western Division and missing the playoffs. [12] [13] Prior to Soccer Bowl '84, the team announced head coach David Chadwick, who had moved with the team from Fort Lauderdale, would not return and hired Alan Merrick as his replacement. [14]

Major Indoor Soccer League 1984 - 1988

On August 28, 1984, along with three other NASL team, the Strikers joined the Major Indoor Soccer League for the 1984–85 season. [15] Finishing the season with a record of twenty-four wins and twenty-four losses, the Strikers qualified for the playoffs as a wildcard. [16] After defeating the Wichita Wings two games to one in the Wildcard Series, the Strikers beat the Las Vegas Americans in the Quarterfinals three games to one. The May 12, 1984, game four of the Semifinals against the San Diego Sockers ended in a tie and was won by the Sockers in a shootout, resulting in a three game to one series victory for San Diego. However, the Strikers protested that Sockers player Jacques LaDouceur who scored a goal during the shootout was ineligible. The next day, MISL Commissioner Francis Dale ruled in the Strikers favor and awarded the game to Minnesota, resulting in a two games all series tie. [17] In the fifth game of the series, San Diego defeated the Strikers seven goals to none. [18] The Strikers finished the 1985–86 Major Indoor Soccer League season with a record of twenty-six wins and twenty-two losses and second place in the Eastern Division. [16] Minnesota defeated the Dallas Sidekicks in the first round of the playoffs three games to one [19] and the Cleveland Force in the Division Finals, also three game to one, to earn a spot in the Championship Series. [20] After trailing the best of seven series against the Sockers three games to one, the Strikers were able to tie the series at three games a piece. However, San Diego was able to capture their fifth straight indoor title with a 5-3 victory over Minnesota on May 27, 1986. [21] The Strikers finished the 1986–87 season with a record of twenty six wins and twenty six losses, in fourth place of the Eastern Division and qualifying for the playoffs. [16] Meeting Cleveland in the first round of the playoffs, the Force defeated the Strikers three games to two. [22]

The team's final season was the 1987–88 Major Indoor Soccer League season. The Strikers finished in first place of the Eastern Division with a record of thirty-one wins and twenty-five losses. [16] A fight broke out with less than two minutes remaining in the second game of the Division Semifinals against the Baltimore Blast which resulted in players from both teams being ejected. [23] The Strikers went on to defeat the Blast three games to one in the series. [24] Facing the Cleveland Force in the Division Finals, the Strikers lost the series four games to one. [25] On June 22, 1988, Executive Vice President Tim Robbie announced that his family had been looking to sell the team for two years but had not been able to find a buyer and therefore, owners Joe and Elizabeth Robbie had decided to terminate the franchise rather than post a $400,000 letter of credit with the league. [26]

Year-by-year

YearDivisionLeagueReg. seasonPlayoffsOpen CupAvg. Attend.
1984 1NASL3rd, Westerndid not qualifydid not enter14,262
1984–85 N/AMISL4th, EasternSemifinalsN/A4,809
1985–86 N/AMISL2nd, EasternRunners-upN/A6,503
1986–87 N/AMISL4th, EasternDivision SemifinalsN/A6,977
1987–88 N/AMISL1st, EasternDivision FinalsN/A5,930

International Friendlies

DateVisitorScoreHostVenueLocationAttendance
May 23, 1984 Flag of the Netherlands.svg AFC Ajax 4–2 Flag of the United States.svg Minnesota StrikersMetrodome Minneapolis, Minnesota 6,079 [27]
June 13, 1984 Flag of Scotland.svg Glasgow Rangers 2–5 Flag of the United States.svg Minnesota StrikersMetrodome Minneapolis, Minnesota 6,866 [28]

Honors

1984 (NASL)

Ricardo Alonso Flag of Argentina.svg , John Bain Flag of Scotland.svg , Bob Bolitho Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg , Ben Collins Flag of the United States.svg , Bill Crook Flag of the United States.svg , Peter Daniel Flag of England.svg , Gary Etherington Flag of the United States.svg Flag of England.svg , Ken Fogarty Flag of England.svg , Jan Goossens Flag of the Netherlands.svg , Ray Hudson Flag of England.svg , Godfrey Ingram Flag of England.svg , Mike Jeffries Flag of the United States.svg , Brian Kidd Flag of England.svg , Tino Lettieri Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg , Terry Leiendecker Flag of the United States.svg , Dwight Lodeweges Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Flag of the Netherlands.svg , John McGrane Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg , Robert Meschbach Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg , Bruce Miller Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg , Paul Price Flag of England.svg , Thomas Rongen Flag of the Netherlands.svg , Craig Scarpelli Flag of the United States.svg , Carl Strong Flag of the United States.svg , Barry Wallace Flag of England.svg , Alan Willey Flag of England.svg

1984–85 (MISL)

Ricardo Alonso Flag of Argentina.svg , John Bain Flag of Scotland.svg , Ben Collins Flag of the United States.svg , Bill Crook Flag of the United States.svg , Chris Dangerfield Flag of England.svg , Drago Dumbović Flag of Yugoslavia (1946-1992).svg , Gary Etherington Flag of the United States.svg Flag of England.svg , Ken Fogarty Flag of England.svg , Jan Goossens Flag of the Netherlands.svg , Ray Hudson Flag of England.svg , Mike Jeffries Flag of the United States.svg , Matt Kennedy Flag of the United States.svg , Tino Lettieri Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg , Steve Litt Flag of England.svg , Dwight Lodeweges Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Flag of the Netherlands.svg , John McGrane Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg , Bruce Miller Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg , Thomas Rongen Flag of the Netherlands.svg , Craig Scarpelli Flag of the United States.svg , Gregg Thompson Flag of the United States.svg , Thompson Usiyan Flag of Nigeria.svg , Barry Wallace Flag of England.svg , Alan Willey Flag of England.svg

1985–86 (MISL)

Tony Bono Flag of the United States.svg , David Byrne Flag of England.svg , Dan Canter Flag of the United States.svg , Stan Cummins Flag of England.svg , Chris Dangerfield Flag of England.svg , Drago Dumbović Flag of Yugoslavia (1946-1992).svg , Gary Etherington Flag of the United States.svg Flag of England.svg , Ken Fogarty Flag of England.svg , Jan Goossens Flag of the Netherlands.svg , Ray Hudson Flag of England.svg , Bill Irwin Ulster Banner.svg , Mike Jeffries Flag of the United States.svg , Matt Kennedy Flag of the United States.svg , Tasso Koutsoukos Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg , Tino Lettieri Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg , Dwight Lodeweges Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Flag of the Netherlands.svg , Bruce Miller Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg , Kazbek Tambi Flag of the United States.svg , Gregg Thompson Flag of the United States.svg , Thompson Usiyan Flag of Nigeria.svg , Alan Willey Flag of England.svg

1986–87 (MISL)

Tony Bono Flag of the United States.svg , David Byrne Flag of England.svg , Dan Canter Flag of the United States.svg , Stan Cummins Flag of England.svg , Chris Dangerfield Flag of England.svg , Enzo Di Pede Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg , Helmut Dudek Flag of Germany.svg , Gary Etherington Flag of the United States.svg Flag of England.svg , Ken Fogarty Flag of England.svg , Ray Hudson Flag of England.svg , Greg Ion Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg , Mike Jeffries Flag of the United States.svg , Matt Kennedy Flag of the United States.svg , Steve Kinsey Flag of England.svg , Tasso Koutsoukos Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg , Tino Lettieri Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg , Dwight Lodeweges Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Flag of the Netherlands.svg , Hector Marinaro Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg , John O'Hara Flag of the United States.svg , Gregg Thompson Flag of the United States.svg , Thompson Usiyan Flag of Nigeria.svg , Alan Willey Flag of England.svg ; Elizabeth Robbie, President; Chris Wright, General Manager, Tim Robbie, Executive Vice President; Alan Merrick, Head Coach; Bruce Miller, Assistant Coach.

1987-88 (MISL)

Jerry Adzic Flag of Yugoslavia (1946-1992).svg , Tony Bono Flag of the United States.svg , Alex Bunbury Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg , David Byrne Flag of England.svg , Stan Cummins Flag of England.svg , Chris Dangerfield Flag of England.svg , Gary Etherington Flag of the United States.svg Flag of England.svg , George Gelnovatch Flag of the United States.svg , Tom Gleason Flag of the United States.svg , Tim Harris Flag of the United States.svg , Ray Hudson Flag of England.svg , Steve Kinsey Flag of England.svg , Tino Lettieri Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg , Dwight Lodeweges Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Flag of the Netherlands.svg , Hector Marinaro Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg , John O'Hara Flag of the United States.svg , Neill Roberts Flag of South Africa.svg , Troy Snyder Flag of the United States.svg , Mike Sweeney Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg , Gregg Thompson Flag of the United States.svg , Alan Willey Flag of England.svg ; Elizabeth Robbie, President; Chris Wright, General Manager, Tim Robbie, Executive Vice President; Alan Merrick, Head Coach; Bruce Miller, Assistant Coach.

NASL coach

Coach (MISL)

Strikers NASL draft

1984

RoundPlayerSchool
1Greg KennedyIndiana
2 Ronil Dufrene Florida International
3David McDanielDuke

Strikers MISL drafts

1985

RoundPlayerSchool
1 Paul DiBernardo Indiana University
2Peter SawkinsYale University
3 Tony Bono Drexel University
4Bruce BellingerSouthern Illinois-Edwardsville

1986

RoundPlayerSchool
2Peter SmithUniversity of Tampa
3Paul SchojanRochester Institute of Technology
4Andy PantasonUniversity of Connecticut
4Tony ScheuermanStillwater High School

1987

RoundPlayerSchool
1 Brent Goulet Warner Pacific University
3 George Gelnovatch University of Virginia
4 Troy Snyder Penn State University

Media

Radio

Television

See also

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