Miami Toros

The Miami Toros was a professional soccer team in the North American Soccer League from 1972 to 1976. The club was founded in 1967 as the Washington Darts, and moved to Miami, where they played the 1972 season in the NASL's Southern Division as the Miami Gatos. In 1973, the club rebranded as the Miami Toros. Their home field was at times the Miami Orange Bowl, Tamiami Field and Miami Dade College's North Campus Stadium.[1][2]

Miami Toros (1973–76)
Full nameMiami Gatos / Miami Toros
Founded(Previously Washington Darts)
1972 Miami Gatos
1973 Miami Toros
Dissolved1976
(rebranded Fort Lauderdale Strikers)
GroundMiami-Dade North Stadium (1972),
Miami Orange Bowl (1973–1975), Tamiami Field (1974, 1976)
Miami, Florida
ChairmanJohn Bilotta (1972–1973)
Joe Robbie (1973–1976)
LeagueNASL

After the 1976 season, the team moved to Fort Lauderdale and became known as the Fort Lauderdale Strikers and later moved to Minnesota and became known as the Minnesota Strikers.[3]

Prominent players included 1973 league MVP Warren Archibald who was from Point Fortin, the smallest borough in Trinidad and Tobago, and 1975 league MVP Juan Carlos Moramarco who was from Rosario, Argentina.

Beginning in 1975, the Toros had a rivalry with the Tampa Bay Rowdies that grew even fiercer after the Toros moved to Ft. Lauderdale and became the Strikers.[4][5][6]

Main article: Fort Lauderdale–Tampa Bay rivalry
Miami Gatos (1972)

Year-by-year
Year League W L T Pts Reg. Season Playoffs Attendance
1972 NASL 3 8 3 44 4th, Southern Division Did not qualify 2,112
1973 NASL 8 5 6 88 3rd, Eastern Division Did not qualify 5,479
1974 NASL 9 5 6 107 1st, Eastern Division Won Semifinal (Dallas)
Lost Championship (Los Angeles Aztecs)		 7,340
1975 NASL indoor 2 0 — 4 2nd, Region 3 Did not qualify N/A
1975 NASL 14 8 — 123 2nd, Eastern Division Won Quarterfinal (Boston)
Lost Semifinal (Tampa Bay)		 4,921
1976 NASL indoor 1 1 — 2 3rd, Eastern Regional Did not qualify N/A
1976 NASL 6 18 — 63 4th, Atlantic Conference, Eastern Division Did not qualify 3,070

Honors

Former management

Head coaches

Owners/GMs
  • Garo Yepremian (1972)[1]
  • John Bilotta (1971–72)
  • Joe Robbie (1973–76)
  • Angel Lorie, Jr. (Managing Partner) (1972–75)
  • Elizabeth Robbie (Managing Partner) (1976)

References
  1. Ed, Uncle (2010-10-13). "Football in Miami and Beyond: Ft Lauderdale Strikers History: PART II: PRO SOCCER COMES TO MIAMI". Football in Miami and Beyond. Retrieved 2016-10-15.
  2. "St. Petersburg Times – Google News Archive Search". news.google.com. Retrieved 2016-10-15.
  3. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2011-06-04. Retrieved 2011-05-20.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  4. "Sarasota Herald-Tribune – Google News Archive Search". news.google.com. Retrieved 2016-10-15.
  5. "St. Petersburg Times – Google News Archive Search". news.google.com. Retrieved 2016-10-15.
  6. Rowdie, Tb (2013-05-28). "TAMPA BAY ROWDIES APPRECIATION BLOG: Rowdies Press Photos – 1975 Rowdies vs. Toros Brawl". TAMPA BAY ROWDIES APPRECIATION BLOG. Retrieved 2016-10-15.
  7. . 1 May 2008 https://web.archive.org/web/20080501104955/http://home.att.net/~nasl/nasl.htm. Archived from the original on 1 May 2008. Retrieved 1 November 2017. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  8. "John Young :: thefinalball.com". www.thefinalball.com. Retrieved 2016-10-15.
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