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.

Major Soccer League
Season1990–91
ChampionsSan Diego Sockers
(7th title)
Matches208
Goals2,277 (10.95 per match)
Top goalscorerBrazil Tatu (78 goals)
Average attendance6,600

Recap

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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

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Map of clubs

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Eastern Division Western Division

Regular Season Schedule

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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

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Playoff teams in bold.

Eastern Division W L Pct. GB GF GA Home Road
Cleveland Crunch2923.558--32628020-69-17
Kansas City Comets2626.500326328317-99-17
Wichita Wings2131.408825730817-94-22
Baltimore Blast2131.408829831515-116-20
Western Division W L Pct. GB GF GA Home Road
San Diego Sockers3418.654--30225020-614-12
St. Louis Storm3220.615232028820-612-14
Tacoma Stars2527.481925425917-98-18
Dallas Sidekicks2032.3851425729411-159-17

Playoffs

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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

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Kansas City vs. Wichita
DateAwayHomeAttendance
April 12Wichita 0Kansas City 66,144
April 14Kansas City 9Wichita 84,737
Kansas City wins series 2-0
St. Louis vs. Tacoma
DateAwayHomeAttendance
April 9Tacoma 2St. Louis 95,832
April 11St. Louis 3Tacoma 42,760
Gary Heale scored at 1:30 of overtime
April 13Tacoma 2St. Louis 97,084
St. Louis wins series 2-1

Division Finals

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Cleveland vs. Kansas City
DateAwayHomeAttendance
April 18Kansas City 2Cleveland 75,357
April 20Kansas City 5Cleveland 710,021
April 24Cleveland 6Kansas City 74,639
Carl Valentine scored at 11:26 of overtime
April 26Cleveland 5Kansas City 49,451
April 28Cleveland 4Kansas City 53,889
Ted Eck scored at 4:27 of overtime
May 1Kansas City 8Cleveland 67,239
May 4Kansas City 6Cleveland 712,718
Cleveland wins series 4-3
San Diego vs. St. Louis
DateAwayHomeAttendance
April 18St. Louis 6San Diego 95,157
April 20St. Louis 4San Diego 58,534
Rod Castro scored at 3:58 of overtime
April 21San Diego 4St. Louis 55,751
April 25San Diego 11St. Louis 44,633
April 27San Diego 7St. Louis 46,032
San Diego wins series 4-1

Championship Series

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San Diego vs. Cleveland
DateAwayHomeAttendance
May 10Cleveland 4San Diego 87,785
May 12Cleveland 4San Diego 36,996
May 17San Diego 6Cleveland 514,571
May 19San Diego 5Cleveland 710,831
May 21San Diego 6Cleveland 112,102
May 23Cleveland 6San Diego 812,073
San Diego wins series 4-2

Scoring leaders

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GP = Games Played, G = Goals, A = Assists, Pts = Points

Player Team GP G A Pts
Brazil Tatu Dallas Sidekicks517866144
Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Zoran Karic Cleveland Crunch477348121
United States Preki St Louis Storm526853121
Netherlands Jan Goossens Kansas City Comets415358111
Canada Hector Marinaro Cleveland Crunch456344107
Nigeria Thompson Usiyan St Louis Storm516438102
United States Dale Ervine Wichita Wings52623092
Canada Dale Mitchell Baltimore Blast51424082
Canada Domenic Mobilio Baltimore Blast50493382
United States Brian Quinn San Diego Sockers45195574

All-MISL Teams

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First Team  Position  Second Team
United States Victor Nogueira, San Diego G Puerto Rico Cris Vaccaro, Tacoma
United States Kevin Crow, San Diego D United States Bernie James, Cleveland
United States Fernando Clavijo, St Louis D Scotland Ralph Black, Tacoma
Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Zoran Karic, Cleveland M United States Brian Quinn, San Diego
Brazil Tatu, Dallas F Nigeria Thompson Usiyan, St Louis
United States Preki, St Louis F Denmark Jan Goossens, Kansas City

League awards

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Most Valuable Player: United States Victor Nogueira, San Diego

Scoring Champion: Brazil Tatu, Dallas

Pass Master: Brazil Tatu, Dallas

Defender of the Year: United States Kevin Crow, San Diego

Rookie of the Year: England David Banks, San Diego

Newcomer of the Year: Canada Paul Peschisolido, Kansas City

Goalkeeper of the Year: United States Victor Nogueira, San Diego

Coach of the Year: England Trevor Dawkins, Cleveland

Championship Series Most Valuable Player: Liberia Ben Collins, San Diego

Championship Series Unsung Hero: United States Glenn Carbonara, San Diego

Team Attendance Totals

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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

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  1. "Kansas City soccer team folds". Times-News (Hendersonville, North Carolina). July 17, 1991. p. 16. Retrieved April 26, 2012.
  2. MSL Official Guide 1990-91. 1990. p. 50.
  3. 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.

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