Professional Cup

The Professional Cup was an international soccer tournament that took place in 1992 and involved eight, second tier clubs from three different leagues in North America; the American Professional Soccer League, the Canadian Soccer League, and the National Professional Soccer League.[1] Although it was billed as "inaugural" this would be the only year that the tournament was played.

Professional Cup
1992 Professional Cup
Tournament details
Host countryUnited States
Canada
DatesJuly 22, 1992 –
September 19, 1992
Teams8
Final positions
ChampionsColorado Foxes (1st title)
Runners-upTampa Bay Rowdies
Tournament statistics
Matches played11
Goals scored37 (3.36 per match)
Top scorer(s) Jean Harbor (5 goals)

Overview

The tournament was originally scheduled to be played as a standard two-legged, aggregate format in every round, but after all three of the non-APSL teams were eliminated in the first round it was decided that the remaining rounds would be single match ties.[2][3] The winning team was to receive approximately $26,800 and the runners-up, about $13,200.[4]

Nine matches, including the Final, were played in the United States, and two matches were played in Canada. The participating teams were APSL sides: Colorado Foxes, Fort Lauderdale Strikers, Miami Freedom, San Francisco Bay Blackhawks, and Tampa Bay Rowdies; CSL sides: Montreal Supra and Vancouver 86ers, as well as the NPSL's Chicago Power.[5] Although up to that point Chicago had been known only as an indoor team, in the summer of 1992 they formed an outdoor squad as well.[6][7][8]

Colorado won the Professional Cup Final, 4–1, over Tampa Bay. The Foxes, who had already won the 1992 APSL regular season, would also go on to win the APSL title seven days later, thus completing a minor treble.[9]

Match results

Bracket
  First round Semifinals Final
                             
  Colorado Foxes 3 2  
  Vancouver 86ers 2 1  
    Colorado Foxes 1  
    San Francisco Bay Blackhawks 0  
  San Francisco Bay Blackhawks 2 3
  Chicago Power 0 2  
    Colorado Foxes 4
    Tampa Bay Rowdies 1
  Fort Lauderdale Strikers 2 3  
  Miami Freedom 1 1  
    Fort Lauderdale Strikers 0
    Tampa Bay Rowdies 1  
  Tampa Bay Rowdies 5 2
  Montreal Supra 1 0  
  APSL team,   CSL team,   NPSL team

First round
Team 1 Agg. Team 2 Game 1 Game 2 Dates • Location • Attendance
Tampa Bay Rowdies 7–1 Montreal Supra5–12–0August 1 • Tampa Stadium • 600[10]
August 12 • Stade Claude-Robillard • 924[11]
Fort Lauderdale Strikers 5–2 Miami Freedom2–13–1August 8 • Colts Stadium • 1,152[12]
August 12 • Orange Bowl • 85[13]
San Francisco Bay Blackhawks 5–2 Chicago Power2–03–2July 22 • Buck Shaw Stadium • 2,050[14]
August 19[15][16][17] • Norris Stadium • (???)
Colorado Foxes 5–3 Vancouver 86ers3–22–1August 3 • Englewood Stadium • 368[18]
August 11 • Swangard Stadium • 3,083[19]

Semifinals
September 4 Tampa Bay Rowdies 1–0 Fort Lauderdale Strikers Tampa, Florida
Charles  4:01'
Sloan  81:30' (Gyau)		 Report Pittman  66:10' Stadium: Tampa Stadium
Attendance: 356
Referee: Zim Boules
September 5 Colorado Foxes 1–0 San Francisco Bay Blackhawks Englewood, Colorado
Diané  56' Report Stadium: Englewood Stadium

Professional Cup Final
Colorado Foxes 4–1 Tampa Bay Rowdies
Hooker  12:01'
Haynes  15:48'
Diané  39:30' (Santel)
Eck  89:25' (Roentved)		 report 1
report 2
report 3		 Harbor  77:48' (Rowe)
Attendance: 3,507

1992 Professional Cup Champions: Colorado Foxes

Match Stats[21] Colorado Tampa Bay
Goals scored 4 1
Total shots 17 6
Shots on target 8 2
Saves 1 4

References
  1. Brackman, David (June 12, 1992). "Rowdies add punch to schedule". St. Petersburg Times. p. 6D. Retrieved June 11, 2016.
  2. Brackman, David (August 1, 1992). "Rowdies in Professional Cup debut tonight". St. Petersburg Times. p. 4D. Retrieved June 11, 2016.
  3. Brackman, David (September 4, 1992). "Rowdies to find out tonight if titles are still within grasp". St. Petersburg Times. p. 8D. Retrieved June 11, 2016.
  4. Brousseau, Dave (August 8, 1992). "Inaugural Cup Gives Strikers A Fresh Start". Sun Sentinel. Retrieved June 11, 2016.
  5. Epifano, Anthony (August 13, 1992). "Rowdies beat Montreal 2-0". St. Petersburg Times. p. 2C. Retrieved June 11, 2016.
  6. Knowles, Joseph (June 16, 1992). "Power Forms New Club To Play Outdoor Slate". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved June 11, 2016.
  7. Knowles, Joseph (June 27, 1992). "Power`s 2nd Outdoor Venture Another Test For Rensink". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved June 11, 2016.
  8. "Power Ties In Outdoor Exhibition". Chicago Tribune. June 28, 1992. Retrieved June 11, 2016.
  9. Pearce, Alan (September 27, 1992). "Colorado blanks Rowdies for league championship". St. Petersburg Times. p. 3C. Retrieved June 11, 2016.
  10. Brackman, David (August 2, 1992). "Rowdies win big, 5-1, before small crowd". St. Petersburg Times. p. 10C. Retrieved June 11, 2016.
  11. Phillips, Randy (August 13, 1992). "Loss to Rowdies could be finish for Supra coach Vosmaer". Montreal Gazette. p. B6. Retrieved July 17, 2018.
  12. "Eichmann scores twice as Strikers top Freedom". Miami Herald. August 9, 1992. p. 7D. Retrieved June 11, 2016.
  13. "Strikers knock Freedom out of Pro Cup series". Miami Herald. August 13, 1992. p. 11D. Retrieved June 11, 2016.
  14. "Blackhawks turn out lights on Power in Professional Cup series opener". The Star-News. July 25, 1992. Retrieved June 22, 2016.
  15. Rosewater, Amy (August 19, 1992). "Power Battles San Francisco In Tourney". Chicago Sun-Times.
  16. "Tournament Loss Closes Power's Outdoor Season". Chicago Tribune. August 20, 1992. Retrieved June 13, 2016.
  17. "Soccer". San Francisco Examiner. August 20, 1992. Retrieved December 17, 2018.
  18. Stinson, Dan (August 5, 1992). "American league not a 'viable alternative' for CSL players". Vancouver Sun. p. D7. Retrieved December 22, 2018.
  19. Stinson, Dan (August 12, 1992). "86ers lose game, series to Foxes". Vancouver Sun. p. F4. Retrieved December 22, 2018.
  20. Orazi, Deborah (September 19, 1992). "Tourney Action Precedes Start of Regular Season". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. p. 6C. Retrieved June 11, 2016.
  21. "Foxes beat Rowdies 4–1, Capture Pro Cup". Tampa Tribune. September 20, 1992. p. 14 Sports. Retrieved January 6, 2018.
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