1980–81 NASL Indoor season

The 1980–81 season was the North American Soccer League's second indoor soccer season.

North American Soccer League -1980–81 Indoor Season-
Season1980–81
ChampionsEdmonton Drillers
PremiersChicago Sting
Matches played171
Goals scored1,998 (11.68 per match)
Top goalscorer Karl-Heinz Granitza (42 goals)
Average attendance5,146

Overview

A total of 19 of a possible 21 NASL teams participated. New York and Montreal (who was moving from Philadelphia) were the only hold-outs this indoor season. Just as the season was getting underway, the Jacksonville Tea Men relocated from New England.[1] Teams played an 18-game regular season. The four Canadian teams were realigned into one division and forced to play only one another during the regular season. This was due to early season litigation which restricted NASL teams' travel between the U.S. and Canada.[2] The Edmonton Drillers won the championship in a two-game finals-sweep of the Chicago Sting. This was the Drillers' first, and only, NASL indoor title. Kai Haaskivi of Edmonton won both the regular season and playoff MVP awards.[3][4]

Regular season

W = Wins, L = Losses, GB = Games Behind 1st Place, % = Winning Percentage, GF = Goals For, GA = Goals Against[5]

Eastern DivisionWLGB%GFGA
Atlanta Chiefs135–.7229775
Tampa Bay Rowdies994.500126120
Jacksonville Tea Men8105.44496102
Fort Lauderdale Strikers11712.05658125
Central DivisionWLGB%GFGA
Chicago Sting135–.722146103
Minnesota Kicks1261.6679373
Detroit Express7116.38990106
Southern DivisionWLGB%GFGA
California Surf108–.556104118
Tulsa Roughnecks991.500111113
Dallas Tornado7113.389110125
San Diego Sockers6124.333106121
Northern DivisionWLGB%GFGA
Vancouver Whitecaps117–.6119196
Edmonton Drillers1081.556128109
Calgary Boomers1081.55610094
Toronto Blizzard5136.278101121
Western DivisionWLGB%GFGA
Los Angeles Aztecs117–.61111899
Portland Timbers1081.55611093
San Jose Earthquakes1081.556118115
Seattle Sounders992.50010698

NASL All-Stars

All-star selections were made, by region, by the NASL coaches and general managers. Each voter cast ballots for one goalie and five outfield players regardless of position.[6]

All-North team  Position[6]  All-East team  Position[6]  All-West team
Bruce Grobbelaar, Vancouver G Tino Lettieri, Minnesota G Mike Hewitt, San Jose
– D Björn Nordqvist, Minnesota D Mihalj Keri, Los Angeles
Gerry Gray, Vancouver M – M Alan Hudson, Seattle
Carl Valentine, Vancouver F Steve Wegerle, Tampa Bay F Stuart Lee, Portland
Kai Haaskivi, Edmonton F Pato Margetic, Detroit F George Best, San Jose
Drew Ferguson, Edmonton F Keith Furphy, Atlanta F Juli Veee, San Diego
Juan Carlos Molina, Calgary F Karl-Heinz Granitza, Chicago F Chris Dangerfield, Los Angeles
Bobby Prentice, Toronto F

Playoffs

Bracket
First Round
Best-of-3 		Semifinals
Best-of-3 		Championship Series
Best-of-3
               
P1 Chicago Sting 6 8(OT) –
W2 Portland Timbers 2 7 –
P1 Chicago Sting 8 5 4
E1 Atlanta Chiefs 3 9 2
E1 Atlanta Chiefs 10 5(OT) –
C2 Minnesota Kicks 8 4 –
P1 Chicago Sting 6 4 –
N2 Edmonton Drillers 9 5 –
N2 Edmonton Drillers 8 10 –
W1 Los Angeles Aztecs 3 6 –
N2 Edmonton Drillers 9 6 –
C1 Vancouver Whitecaps 7 4 –
C1 Vancouver Whitecaps 0 8 4
S1 California Surf 3 5 0

1st round

If a playoff series is tied after two games, a 15 minute, tie breaker mini-game is played.

Higher seed Lower seed Game 1 Game 2 Mini-game Attendance
Edmonton Drillers-Los Angeles Aztecs8–310–6xFebruary 16 • L.A. Sports Arena • 1,621
February 19 • Northlands Coliseum • 4,310
Vancouver Whitecaps-California Surf0–3[7]8–54–0February 18 • Long Beach Arena • 472
February 21 • Pacific Coliseum • 8,496
Atlanta Chiefs-Minnesota Kicks10–85–4 (OT)xFebruary 16 • Met Center • 6,354
February 20 • The Omni • 6,150
Chicago Sting-Portland Timbers#6–28–7 (OT)xFebruary 17 • Chicago Stadium • 3,254
February 19 • Chicago Stadium • 6,286

#Scheduling conflicts at the Portland Coliseum forced both games to be played in Chicago.[8]

Semi-finals
Higher seed Lower seed Game 1 Game 2 Mini-game Attendance
Vancouver Whitecaps-Edmonton Drillers7–94–6xFebruary 24 • Northlands Coliseum • 3,420
February 28 • Pacific Coliseum • 11,758
Chicago Sting-Atlanta Chiefs8–35–94–2February 25 • The Omni • 9,187
February 28 • Chicago Stadium • 12,376

Championship Finals
Higher seed Lower seed Game 1 Game 2 Mini-game Attendance
Chicago Sting-Edmonton Drillers*6–94–5xMarch 2 • Edmonton Gardens • 5,089[9]
March 7 • Chicago Stadium • 16,257

*Scheduling conflicts at the Northlands Coliseum forced Game 1 of the Finals to be moved across the street to the Edmonton Gardens.[10]

Championship match reports
March 2, 1981 Game 1 Edmonton Drillers 9–6 Chicago Sting Edmonton, Alberta
8:30 P.M. (MST) Raduka  3:09'
Guðmundsson  9:09' (Haaskivi)
Haaskivi  11:58' (Guðmundsson, Raduka)
Haaskivi  19:35' (James, Guðmundsson)
Haaskivi  21:45' (Sweeney, de Luca)
Oostrom  24:53' (Haaskivi, Guðmundsson)
Haaskivi  34:56' (Raduka, Guðmundsson)
Haaskivi  51:03' (Sweeney, Oostrom)
Haaskivi  58:23' (Guðmundsson, Oostrom)		 Report Hall  15:31' (Peter, Granitza)
Hall  23:06' (Glenn, Steele)
Simanton  26:05' (Granitza, Ryan)
Long  34:18' (Granitza)
Fajkus  40:08' (Steele, Glenn)
Simanton  53:54' (Granitza, Spalding)		 Stadium: Edmonton Gardens
Attendance: 5,089
March 7, 1981 Game 2 Chicago Sting 4–5 Edmonton Drillers Chicago, Illinois
2:00 P.M. (CST) Granitza  12:28' (Ryan, Fajkus)
Steffenhagen  23:59' (Simanton, Glenn)
Hall  32:33' (Mishalow)
Peter  58:54' (Hall)		 Report Sweeney  31:15' (Goossens)
Knight  37:57' (Haaskivi)
Oostrom  40:14' (Haaskivi)
Guðmundsson  46:53'
Oostrom  58:49' (Haaskivi)		 Stadium: Chicago Stadium
Attendance: 16,257
Referee: Toros Kibritjan (USA)


1980–81 NASL Indoor Champions: Edmonton Drillers

Post season awards

References
  1. "Tea Men are leaving N.E. for new home in Florida". The Day. November 17, 1980. p. 28. Retrieved October 24, 2016 – via Google News Archive Search.
  2. Conklin, Mike (March 3, 1981). "Sting may be in for a surprise in finals". Chicago Tribune. p. 3, Sec 5. Retrieved 22 December 2016.
  3. "Timbers-Sounders Game Opens NASL Indoor Season". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. December 3, 1981. p. 15-B. Retrieved October 24, 2016 – via Google News Archive Search.
  4. Conklin, Mike (March 7, 1981). "It's official –Arno to join Sting's uphill battle". Chicago Tribune. p. Sec 2 p.2. Retrieved January 6, 2021 – via newspapers.com.
  5. 1983 Official North American Soccer League Guide
  6. Henderson, Jim (April 21, 1981). "For Keith Bailey, The Long Wait Is Finally Over". The Tampa Tribune. p. 5-C. Retrieved January 6, 2021.
  7. Jones, Graham L. (February 19, 1981). "Surf Beats Whitecaps, 3–0". Los Angeles Times. p. III-12. Retrieved December 20, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. Conklin, Mike (February 16, 1981). "Sting home for playoff opener". Chicago Tribune. p. 3, Sec 4. Retrieved 22 December 2016.
  9. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sAdBFlMvZts
  10. Conklin, Mike (March 3, 1981). "Finn star peppers Sting with 6 goals, Edmonton wins". Chicago Tribune. p. 1, Sec 5. Retrieved 21 December 2016.
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