1990–91 Major Soccer League season
The 1990–91 Major Soccer League season was the 13th and penultimate in league history and would end with the San Diego Sockers winning their ninth NASL or MISL title in ten indoor seasons and fourth MISL title in a row.
| Season | 1990–91 |
|---|---|
| Champions | San Diego Sockers (7th title) |
| Matches played | 208 |
| Top goalscorer | Tatu (78 goals) |
| Average attendance | 6,600 |
← 1989–90 1991–92 → | |
Recap
This was the first offseason in MISL history that did not have any franchise movement or collapse. After the season, however, the Kansas City Comets folded.[1] In a nod to the burgeoning nationwide interest in outdoor soccer after the 1990 World Cup, the league's name was changed on July 24. Also, Commissioner Earl Foreman was selected to chair the United States Soccer Federation's exploratory committee for a first-division outdoor league.[2]
Teams
Regular Season Schedule
The 1990–91 regular season schedule ran from October 19, 1990, to April 7, 1991. The 52 games per team was unchanged from the 1989–90 schedule.[3]
Final standings
Playoff teams in bold.
| Eastern Division | W | L | Pct. | GB | GF | GA | Home | Road |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cleveland Crunch | 29 | 23 | .558 | -- | 326 | 280 | 20-6 | 9-17 |
| Kansas City Comets | 26 | 26 | .500 | 3 | 263 | 283 | 17-9 | 9-17 |
| Wichita Wings | 21 | 31 | .408 | 8 | 257 | 308 | 17-9 | 4-22 |
| Baltimore Blast | 21 | 31 | .408 | 8 | 298 | 315 | 15-11 | 6-20 |
| Western Division | W | L | Pct. | GB | GF | GA | Home | Road |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Diego Sockers | 34 | 18 | .654 | -- | 302 | 250 | 20-6 | 14-12 |
| St. Louis Storm | 32 | 20 | .615 | 2 | 320 | 288 | 20-6 | 12-14 |
| Tacoma Stars | 25 | 27 | .481 | 9 | 254 | 259 | 17-9 | 8-18 |
| Dallas Sidekicks | 20 | 32 | .385 | 14 | 257 | 294 | 11-15 | 9-17 |
Playoffs
| Division Semifinals | Division Finals | Championship Series | |||||||||||
| E2 | Kansas City Comets | 2 | |||||||||||
| E3 | Wichita Wings | 0 | |||||||||||
| E1 | Cleveland Crunch | 4 | |||||||||||
| E2 | Kansas City Comets | 3 | |||||||||||
| E1 | Cleveland Crunch | 2 | |||||||||||
| W1 | San Diego Sockers | 4 | |||||||||||
| W2 | St. Louis Storm | 2 | |||||||||||
| W3 | Tacoma Stars | 0 | |||||||||||
| W1 | San Diego Sockers | 4 | |||||||||||
| W2 | St. Louis Storm | 1 | |||||||||||
Division Semifinals
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Division Finals
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Championship Series
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Scoring leaders
GP = Games Played, G = Goals, A = Assists, Pts = Points
| Player | Team | GP | G | A | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tatu | Dallas Sidekicks | 51 | 78 | 66 | 144 |
| Zoran Karic | Cleveland Crunch | 47 | 73 | 48 | 121 |
| Preki | St Louis Storm | 52 | 68 | 53 | 121 |
| Jan Goossens | Kansas City Comets | 41 | 53 | 58 | 111 |
| Hector Marinaro | Cleveland Crunch | 45 | 63 | 44 | 107 |
| Thompson Usiyan | St Louis Storm | 51 | 64 | 38 | 102 |
| Dale Ervine | Wichita Wings | 52 | 62 | 30 | 92 |
| Dale Mitchell | Baltimore Blast | 51 | 42 | 40 | 82 |
| Domenic Mobolio | Baltimore Blast | 50 | 49 | 33 | 82 |
| Brian Quinn | San Diego Sockers | 45 | 19 | 55 | 74 |
All-MISL Teams
| First Team | Position | Second Team |
|---|---|---|
| Victor Nogueira, San Diego | G | Cris Vaccaro, Tacoma |
| Kevin Crow, San Diego | D | Bernie James, Cleveland |
| Fernando Clavijo, St Louis | D | Ralph Black, Tacoma |
| Zoran Karic, Cleveland | M | Brian Quinn, San Diego |
| Tatu, Dallas | F | Thompson Usiyan, St Louis |
| Preki, St Louis | F | Jan Goossens, Kansas City |
League Awards
Most Valuable Player: Victor Nogueira, San Diego
Scoring Champion: Tatu, Dallas
Pass Master: Tatu, Dallas
Defender of the Year: Kevin Crow, San Diego
Rookie of the Year: David Banks, San Diego
Newcomer of the Year: Paul Peschisolido, Kansas City
Goalkeeper of the Year: Victor Nogueira, San Diego
Coach of the Year: Trevor Dawkins, Cleveland
Championship Series Most Valuable Player: Ben Collins, San Diego
Championship Series Unsung Hero: Glenn Carbonara, San Diego
Team Attendance Totals
| Club | Games | Total | Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| St. Louis Storm | 26 | 200,769 | 7,722 |
| Baltimore Blast | 26 | 193,223 | 7,432 |
| San Diego Sockers | 26 | 187,000 | 7,192 |
| Kansas City Comets | 26 | 184,678 | 7,103 |
| Dallas Sidekicks | 26 | 179,864 | 6,918 |
| Wichita Wings | 26 | 164,033 | 6,309 |
| Tacoma Stars | 26 | 142,523 | 5,482 |
| Cleveland Crunch | 26 | 120,630 | 4,640 |
| OVERALL | 208 | 1,372,720 | 6,600 |
References
- "Kansas City soccer team folds". Times-News (Hendersonville, North Carolina). July 17, 1991. p. 16. Retrieved April 26, 2012.
- MSL Official Guide 1990-91. 1990. p. 50.
- MSL Official Guide 1990-91. 1990. pp. 189–192.
Griffin, John, ed. (1990). MSL Official Guide 1990-91. Overland Park, Kansas: Major Soccer League Communications Department.
Griffin, John, ed. (1991). MSL Official Guide 1991-92. Baltimore: Major Soccer League Communications Department.