The Kansas City Comets were a professional indoor soccer team based for most of its existence in Kansas City, Missouri. They played in the original Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL; later the Major Soccer League) from 1979β1991, when they folded. They played their home games in Kemper Arena.
The team originated as the Detroit Lightning, which joined the MISL as an expansion team in the 1979β1980 season. After a year in Detroit the team relocated to San Francisco, California, becoming the San Francisco Fog. They moved to Kansas City in 1981, where they remained for ten years. In Kansas City the team went to the league playoffs seven times, advancing to the division finals three times.
In 1979 the Major Indoor Soccer League placed an expansion franchise in Detroit, Michigan. The team, then known as the Detroit Lightning, failed to make the playoffs, and at the end of the season were purchased by entrepreneur David Schoenstadt, later the founder of Discovery Zone. Schoenstadt relocated the team to San Francisco, California, where they were renamed the San Francisco Fog. They again failed to make the playoffs in the 1980β1981 season, and Schoenstadt moved the team once more, this time to Kansas City, Missouri, rebranding them the Kansas City Comets.
The Comets failed to qualify for the playoffs in the 1981β1982 season, but were thereafter consistent playoff contenders, making a total of seven playoff appearances in ten seasons. They advanced to the quarterfinals in 1985, the division semifinals in 1987, and the division finals in 1988, 1990, and 1991. They had enjoyed a strong attendance in their early years, but ticket sales declined later in their run, dropping from an average high of 15,786 in the 1983β1984 season to a low of 7,103 in the 1990β1991 season. Though they finished second in the league in their last two seasons of operations, the Comets could not withstand the drop in revenue, and folded at the end of the 1990β1991 season.
The Comets were followed the next season by the Kansas City Attack of the National Professional Soccer League; this team was known as the "Kansas City Comets" from 2001β2005. In 2010 the Missouri Comets, based in nearby Independence, joined the new Major Indoor Soccer League, carrying on the legacy of the original Comets.
Stars and fan favorites included Enzo Di Pede, Billy Gazonas, Gino Schiraldi, Greg Makowski, Victor Petroni, Jan Goossens, Damir Haramina, Kia, Dale Mitchell, Alan Mayer, Zoran Savic, Jim Schwab, Gordon Hill, Tasso Koutsoukos, Manny Schwartz, David Doyle, Barry Wallace, Tim Clark, Elson Seale, Yilmaz Orhan, and Ty Keough as well as coaches Pat McBride and Rick Benben.
Year | League | Record | Reg. season | Playoffs | Avg. attendance |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1979β80 | MISL | 15β17 | 3rd Central Division | 1st Round | 3,520 |
Year | League | Record | Reg. season | Playoffs | Avg. attendance |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1980β81 | MISL | 11β29 | 4th West | Failed to Qualify | 4,588 |
Year | Division | League | Reg. season | Playoffs | Avg. attendance |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1981β82 | Western | MISL | 6th | did not qualify | 11,058 |
1982β83 | Western | MISL | 3rd | 1st Round | 14,692 |
1983β84 | Western | MISL | 4th | 1st Round | 15,786 |
1984β85 | Western | MISL | 4th | Quarterfinals | 12,917 |
1985β86 | Western | MISL | 5th | did not qualify | 12,428 |
1986β87 | Western | MISL | 2nd | Division Semifinals | 12,447 |
1987β88 | Western | MISL | 3rd | Division Finals | 11,211 |
1988β89 | N/A | MISL | 7th | did not qualify | 9,228 |
1989β90 | Eastern | MISL | 2nd | Division Finals | 10,475 |
1990β91 | Eastern | MSL | 2nd | Division Finals | 7,103 |
Rookie of the Year
Coach of the Year
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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The Kansas City Comets were a professional indoor soccer team based for most of its existence in Kansas City, Missouri. They played in the original Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL; later the Major Soccer League) from 1979β1991, when they folded. They played their home games in Kemper Arena.
The team originated as the Detroit Lightning, which joined the MISL as an expansion team in the 1979β1980 season. After a year in Detroit the team relocated to San Francisco, California, becoming the San Francisco Fog. They moved to Kansas City in 1981, where they remained for ten years. In Kansas City the team went to the league playoffs seven times, advancing to the division finals three times.
In 1979 the Major Indoor Soccer League placed an expansion franchise in Detroit, Michigan. The team, then known as the Detroit Lightning, failed to make the playoffs, and at the end of the season were purchased by entrepreneur David Schoenstadt, later the founder of Discovery Zone. Schoenstadt relocated the team to San Francisco, California, where they were renamed the San Francisco Fog. They again failed to make the playoffs in the 1980β1981 season, and Schoenstadt moved the team once more, this time to Kansas City, Missouri, rebranding them the Kansas City Comets.
The Comets failed to qualify for the playoffs in the 1981β1982 season, but were thereafter consistent playoff contenders, making a total of seven playoff appearances in ten seasons. They advanced to the quarterfinals in 1985, the division semifinals in 1987, and the division finals in 1988, 1990, and 1991. They had enjoyed a strong attendance in their early years, but ticket sales declined later in their run, dropping from an average high of 15,786 in the 1983β1984 season to a low of 7,103 in the 1990β1991 season. Though they finished second in the league in their last two seasons of operations, the Comets could not withstand the drop in revenue, and folded at the end of the 1990β1991 season.
The Comets were followed the next season by the Kansas City Attack of the National Professional Soccer League; this team was known as the "Kansas City Comets" from 2001β2005. In 2010 the Missouri Comets, based in nearby Independence, joined the new Major Indoor Soccer League, carrying on the legacy of the original Comets.
Stars and fan favorites included Enzo Di Pede, Billy Gazonas, Gino Schiraldi, Greg Makowski, Victor Petroni, Jan Goossens, Damir Haramina, Kia, Dale Mitchell, Alan Mayer, Zoran Savic, Jim Schwab, Gordon Hill, Tasso Koutsoukos, Manny Schwartz, David Doyle, Barry Wallace, Tim Clark, Elson Seale, Yilmaz Orhan, and Ty Keough as well as coaches Pat McBride and Rick Benben.
Year | League | Record | Reg. season | Playoffs | Avg. attendance |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1979β80 | MISL | 15β17 | 3rd Central Division | 1st Round | 3,520 |
Year | League | Record | Reg. season | Playoffs | Avg. attendance |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1980β81 | MISL | 11β29 | 4th West | Failed to Qualify | 4,588 |
Year | Division | League | Reg. season | Playoffs | Avg. attendance |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1981β82 | Western | MISL | 6th | did not qualify | 11,058 |
1982β83 | Western | MISL | 3rd | 1st Round | 14,692 |
1983β84 | Western | MISL | 4th | 1st Round | 15,786 |
1984β85 | Western | MISL | 4th | Quarterfinals | 12,917 |
1985β86 | Western | MISL | 5th | did not qualify | 12,428 |
1986β87 | Western | MISL | 2nd | Division Semifinals | 12,447 |
1987β88 | Western | MISL | 3rd | Division Finals | 11,211 |
1988β89 | N/A | MISL | 7th | did not qualify | 9,228 |
1989β90 | Eastern | MISL | 2nd | Division Finals | 10,475 |
1990β91 | Eastern | MSL | 2nd | Division Finals | 7,103 |
Rookie of the Year
Coach of the Year
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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