Edit count of the user (user_editcount) | 106 |
Name of the user account (user_name) | 'Joshuahendrix13' |
Type of the user account (user_type) | 'named' |
Time email address was confirmed (user_emailconfirm) | '20240113230126' |
Age of the user account (user_age) | 15876437 |
Groups (including implicit) the user is in (user_groups) | [
0 => '*',
1 => 'user',
2 => 'autoconfirmed'
] |
Rights that the user has (user_rights) | [
0 => 'createaccount',
1 => 'read',
2 => 'edit',
3 => 'createtalk',
4 => 'writeapi',
5 => 'viewmyprivateinfo',
6 => 'editmyprivateinfo',
7 => 'editmyoptions',
8 => 'abusefilter-log-detail',
9 => 'urlshortener-create-url',
10 => 'centralauth-merge',
11 => 'abusefilter-view',
12 => 'abusefilter-log',
13 => 'vipsscaler-test',
14 => 'collectionsaveasuserpage',
15 => 'reupload-own',
16 => 'move-rootuserpages',
17 => 'createpage',
18 => 'minoredit',
19 => 'editmyusercss',
20 => 'editmyuserjson',
21 => 'editmyuserjs',
22 => 'sendemail',
23 => 'applychangetags',
24 => 'viewmywatchlist',
25 => 'editmywatchlist',
26 => 'spamblacklistlog',
27 => 'mwoauthmanagemygrants',
28 => 'reupload',
29 => 'upload',
30 => 'move',
31 => 'autoconfirmed',
32 => 'editsemiprotected',
33 => 'skipcaptcha',
34 => 'ipinfo',
35 => 'ipinfo-view-basic',
36 => 'transcode-reset',
37 => 'transcode-status',
38 => 'createpagemainns',
39 => 'movestable',
40 => 'autoreview'
] |
Whether or not a user is editing through the mobile interface (user_mobile) | false |
Whether the user is editing from mobile app (user_app) | false |
Page ID (page_id) | 1537764 |
Page namespace (page_namespace) | 0 |
Page title without namespace (page_title) | 'United Soccer League (1984–85)' |
Full page title (page_prefixedtitle) | 'United Soccer League (1984–85)' |
Edit protection level of the page (page_restrictions_edit) | [] |
Page age in seconds (page_age) | 611871519 |
Action (action) | 'edit' |
Edit summary/reason (summary) | '' |
Time since last page edit in seconds (page_last_edit_age) | 779 |
Old content model (old_content_model) | 'wikitext' |
New content model (new_content_model) | 'wikitext' |
Old page wikitext, before the edit (old_wikitext) | '{{about|the defunct league|the active league, formerly of the same name|USL Championship|the organizing body|United Soccer League}}
{{Short description|Former soccer league in the U.S.}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2022}}
{{Use American English|date=December 2022}}
{{Infobox football league
|name = United Soccer League
|image = United Soccer League (1984).png
|pixels =
|country = United States
|confed =
|founded = 1984
|first =
|folded = 1985
|divisions =
|teams = 4–9
|feeds =
|levels =
|domest_cup =
|league_cup =
|confed_cup =
|champions = [[Fort Lauderdale Sun]]
|season = 1984
|most_champs = Fort Lauderdale Sun (1)
|shieldtitle = League Cup
|most_shields = [[Fort Lauderdale Sun|South Florida Sun]] (1)
|most_caps =
|top_goalscorer =
|tv =
}}
The '''United Soccer League''' was a professional [[soccer]] league in the United States in the mid-1980s.
==History==
By the end of 1983, professional outdoor soccer in the United States was crumbling. The [[North American Soccer League (1968–1984)|North American Soccer League]] only had nine teams planning to return for the 1984 season (down from a peak of 24 in 1980), and the de facto second division [[American Soccer League (1933-1983)|American Soccer League]] had just limped through a season featuring only six teams.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Year in American Soccer - 1983 |url=https://soccerhistoryusa.org/asha/year/1983.html |access-date=2024-06-25 |website=Soccer History USA – Audio Essays on the Beautiful Game |language=en-US}}</ref> Both leagues had seen an almost constant turnover of clubs from year to year, and neither organization had figured out how to translate the attention generated by high-profile players such as [[Pelé]] and the recent surge in American youth participation in soccer into stability or profitability for the professional game.
When the owners of the ASL's remaining teams came together in Atlanta for their annual meetings in January 1984, the Pennsylvania Stoners and [[Oklahoma City Slickers]] announced plans to go "dormant," and Stoners president William Burfeind also resigned as league president. This left only four active teams plus the [[Rochester Flash]], who had planned to re-activate after sitting out in 1983. Meanwhile, a proposal to grant an expansion team to a group in Fort Lauderdale (hoping to capitalize on the fan base left behind when the NASL's [[Fort Lauderdale Strikers (1977–1983)|Strikers]] had been moved to Minnesota) was shot down because the ASL's by-laws allowed dormant owners to still retain voting rights and control over territories despite not fielding any active teams in those territories. At this point the owners of the [[Jacksonville Tea Men]] and [[Dallas Americans]], Ingo Krieg and Bob Spears, decided that the situation was broken beyond repair, and they took steps over the weekend to start a new league that they would call the United Soccer League.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-03-06 |title=What can only be described as “Soccapocalypse” |url=https://www.protagonistsoccer.com/kickingback/soccapocalypse |access-date=2024-06-25 |website=Protagonist Soccer |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>[http://www.funwhileitlasted.net/soccer/usl-gallery-1984-1985/] "Fun While It Lasted: United Soccer League"</ref> Almost immediately, the [[Detroit Express (1981–1983)|Detroit Express]] and the group that had been denied the chance to start a south Florida team elected to move over to the new circuit. Burfeind agreed to be the new league's commissioner.<ref>{{cite web|last=Cote |first=Greg |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/630166289/?terms=United%20Soccer%20League&match=1|title=United league brings soccer back to town|date=February 1, 1984 |work=Miami Herald|page=1C|access-date=31 January 2021}}</ref> David Fraser, who had stepped in midseason to bail the Oklahoma City Slickers out of a financial crisis in 1983 but then released his controlling interest following the season after learning that the club was still deeply in debt, seized the opportunity to revive, rename and reorganize the operation with a financial clean slate in the new league.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Donovan |first=Kevin |title=Eager Owner Brings Soccer Back to City |url=https://www.oklahoman.com/story/news/1984/03/22/eager-owner-brings-soccer-back-to-city/62809595007/ |access-date=2024-06-25 |website=The Oklahoman |language=en-US}}</ref> Similarly, an ownership group led by [[Felix Sabates]] gave many of the front office staff and players from the [[Carolina Lightnin']] the chance to keep pro soccer alive in Charlotte after principal owner Bob Benson chose to fold his ASL side.<ref>{{Cite web |last=monkfromhavana |date=2011-11-22 |title=History of the Carolina Lightnin’ |url=https://monkfromhavana.wordpress.com/2011/11/22/history-of-the-carolina-lightnin/ |access-date=2024-07-15 |website=NASLhistory |language=en}}</ref> Initial excitement for the new league was strong enough that two NASL teams, the [[Tampa Bay Rowdies (1975–93)|Tampa Bay Rowdies]] and [[Tulsa Roughnecks (1978–84)|Tulsa Roughnecks]], considered moving over as well. <ref>{{Cite web |title=The Year in American Soccer - 1984 |url=https://soccerhistoryusa.org/asha/year/1984.html |access-date=2024-06-25 |website=Soccer History USA – Audio Essays on the Beautiful Game |language=en-US}}</ref> By late March, Rochester chose to follow the crowd, and the ASL quietly ended operations.
By the time the dust settled, Tampa and Tulsa decided to stay put in the NASL, and Detroit elected not to field a team due to the new league not being sanctioned by the [[United States Soccer Federation|USSF]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-03-06 |title=What can only be described as “Soccapocalypse” |url=https://www.protagonistsoccer.com/kickingback/soccapocalypse |access-date=2024-06-25 |website=Protagonist Soccer |language=en-US}}</ref> So the USL started play in May 1984 with nine teams organized into three regional divisions: three direct transfers from the ASL (the Jacksonville Tea Men, Dallas Americans and Rochester Flash), two "re-booted" ASL clubs (the [[Oklahoma City Stampede]] and [[Charlotte Gold]]) and four new teams (the [[Buffalo Storm]], [[Fort Lauderdale Sun]], [[Houston Dynamos]], and [[New York Nationals (USL)|New York Nationals]]). Fiscal responsibility, regional rivalries, year round operation (including an indoor season in the winter months), and measured expansion were a few of the cornerstones on which the organization was to be structured. A league rule allowed only four of eighteen roster spots be taken by foreign players. In addition, a salary cap was imposed on member clubs.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Year in American Soccer - 1984 |url=https://soccerhistoryusa.org/asha/year/1984.html |access-date=2024-06-25 |website=Soccer History USA – Audio Essays on the Beautiful Game |language=en-US}}</ref> To control travel costs, the teams played an imbalanced 24-game schedule in which they played 12 games against the other two members of their regional divisions (meaning the road team was able to travel by bus and did not need to stay overnight) and 12 games against the six teams in the other divisions. They also arranged the schedules so that when teams did travel to one of the other two divisions, they visited all three teams in that division in one sweep.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Donovan |first=Kevin |title=Eager Owner Brings Soccer Back to City |url=https://www.oklahoman.com/story/news/1984/03/22/eager-owner-brings-soccer-back-to-city/62809595007/ |access-date=2024-06-25 |website=The Oklahoman |language=en-US}}</ref>
On the field, the [[1984 United Soccer League season|1984 outdoor season]] was comparatively stable and successful. Because the NASL was shrinking so rapidly, several high-quality players were available and joined the rosters of teams throughout the league. Parity in the standings reflected competitive play on the field, and even the top two teams (Oklahoma City and Fort Lauderdale) only managed 15-9 records. <ref>{{Cite web |title=The Year in American Soccer - 1984 |url=https://soccerhistoryusa.org/asha/year/1984.html |access-date=2024-06-25 |website=Soccer History USA – Audio Essays on the Beautiful Game |language=en-US}}</ref> All nine teams completed their full schedules, though there were some troubling signs (such as the Buffalo Storm declining the opportunity to host a home playoff game <ref>{{Cite web |last=Crossley |first=Drew |date=2022-03-25 |title=Buffalo Storm |url=https://funwhileitlasted.net/2022/03/25/1984-buffalo-storm-soccer/ |access-date=2024-06-25 |website=Fun While It Lasted |language=en-US}}</ref> and the New York Nationals starting 5-0 but then collapsing to a 10-14 record after losing their head coach and several key players a month into the season <ref>{{Cite web |last=Crossley |first=Drew |date=2014-02-13 |title=New York Nationals |url=https://funwhileitlasted.net/2014/02/13/1984-new-york-nationals-soccer/ |access-date=2024-06-25 |website=Fun While It Lasted |language=en-US}}</ref>). The Sun, whose roster featured former NASL [[Fort Lauderdale Strikers (1977–83)|Fort Lauderdale Strikers]] players [[Teófilo Cubillas]], [[Keith Weller]], [[Jim Tietjens]], and Ernst Jean-Baptiste, won the league title in a three-game series against the Houston Dynamos.<ref>[https://newspaperarchive.com/santa-fe-new-mexican/1984-09-02/page-18?tag=lauderdale+sun&rtserp=tags/?ndt=ex&py=1984&pm=9&pep=lauderdale-sun] "Elsewhere: Lauderdale wins USL title", "[[Santa Fe New Mexican]]", September 2, 1984.</ref>
Off the field, the league found itself in crisis heading into the winter of 1984/85. While attendance was on par with the ASL in its last season, revenues did not keep up with expenses despite the league's more conservative fiscal structure. Team owners could not cope with the losses. The indoor season planned at the league's founding never materialized. Last minute merger negotiations between the USL and NASL ended without an agreement and were called off on March 5th. Following this letdown, the NASL abandoned plans for a 1985 season, and Houston left the USL to be independent<ref>{{Cite news |date=1985-06-27 |title=Spokesman for former USL team says league not good for soccer |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/south-florida-sun-sentinel-spokesman-for/136615169/ |access-date=2024-06-26 |work=South Florida Sun Sentinel |pages=29}}</ref> while five other clubs (New York, Rochester, Buffalo, Charlotte and Jacksonville) folded altogether.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lenard |first=John |date=2020-03-10 |title=Illustrated History of Dallas Soccer: Part 2 |url=https://3rddegree.net/illustrated-history-of-dallas-soccer-part-2 |access-date=2024-06-25 |website=3rd Degree |language=en-US}}</ref> Only Dallas, Fort Lauderdale (who were renamed South Florida Sun), and Oklahoma City (who had re-located in December and re-branded as the [[Tulsa Tornados|Tulsa Tornado's]]) chose to return. The [[El Paso/Juarez Gamecocks]] were added to bring league membership to a paltry four teams for the [[1985 United Soccer League season|1985 season]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/236427388/?terms=United%20Soccer%20League&match=1|title=USL quality will be up, says Weller|date=April 24, 1985|page=3C|work=Sun Sentinel|access-date=January 30, 2021}}</ref>
After a hasty schedule re-organization, the league began play in late May with a round-robin style exhibition series for the "USL Cup." Signs of trouble were all around. Bill Burfeind resigned as commissioner, the Tulsa team fell behind on stadium rent and forfeited two games when unpaid players and coaches refused to take the field, and the Dallas Americans were forced to offer their players stock options to cover unpaid salaries.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-03-06 |title=What can only be described as “Soccapocalypse” |url=https://www.protagonistsoccer.com/kickingback/soccapocalypse |access-date=2024-06-25 |website=Protagonist Soccer |language=en-US}}</ref> The league had initially announced that the top two teams in the standings at the end of the round-robin set of games would face off to determine the winner of the cup; however, this game (which would have pitted South Florida with their 4-2 record against Dallas at 3-3) was called off, and the league declared South Florida the cup winners. As a harbinger of things to come, no actual trophy was presented to them, causing Sun player-coach, [[Keith Weller]], to quip, "There ain't no cup."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1985-06-16/sports/8501230816_1_sun-usl-cup-goalkeeper|title=Sun Wins Invitational Cup – Wherever That May Be|work=Sun Sentinel|access-date=July 15, 2015}}</ref> A Tornado's/Gamecocks match scheduled to open the "regular season" on June 22 was cancelled (sources differ as to whether another walkout by unpaid players or stadium rent disputes was the cause), which may have been just as well, as the Gamecocks owner had already quietly ended his relationship with the league, paid his bills and salaries through the end of the month and released his players. The Sun beat Dallas 3-1 at [[Lockhart Stadium]]<ref>{{cite web|last=LaBelle |first=Frank |url=http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1985-06-23/sports/8501250110_1_first-half-goal-dallas-americans|title=Sun Rallies To Get Past Dallas 3-1|date=June 23, 1985 |work=Sun Sentinel|access-date=February 16, 2017}}</ref> on the same day in what would turn out to be the USL's final match. A few days later, creditors locked league officials out of their offices, and play was suspended for good on June 25th.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-03-06 |title=What can only be described as “Soccapocalypse” |url=https://www.protagonistsoccer.com/kickingback/soccapocalypse |access-date=2024-06-26 |website=Protagonist Soccer |language=en-US}}</ref>
The collapse of the USL and the end of the NASL a year before meant that for the first time in over fifty years there was no professional outdoor soccer league in the U.S. This was a temporary void, however, as the [[Western Soccer League|Western Soccer Alliance]] and third incarnation of the [[American Soccer League (1988–89)|American Soccer League]] would form and grow in the latter half of the 1980s, eventually to merge into the [[American Professional Soccer League]], precursor to the [[USL First Division]].
== Champions ==
{| class="wikitable"
!Year
!Champion
!Runner-up
!League Cup
|-
|[[1984 United Soccer League season|1984]]
|[[Fort Lauderdale Sun]]
|[[Houston Dynamos]]
|''Not held''
|-
|[[1985 United Soccer League season|1985]]
|colspan="2"; align="center"| ''Season canceled''
|[[South Florida Sun]]
|}
==Teams==
* [[Buffalo Storm]] (1984)
* [[Carolina Lightnin'|Charlotte Gold]] (1984)
* [[Dallas Americans]] (1984–85)
* [[El Paso/Juarez Gamecocks]] (1985)
* [[Fort Lauderdale Sun]] (1984) → South Florida Sun (1985)
* [[Houston Dynamos]] (1984)
* [[Jacksonville Tea Men]] (1984)
* [[New York Nationals (USL)|New York Nationals]] (1984)
* [[Oklahoma City Stampede]] (1984)
* [[Rochester Flash]] (1984)
* [[Tulsa Tornados]] (1985)
==References==
{{reflist}}
{{United Soccer League (1984–85)}}
{{soccer in the United States}}
{{USDefunctSoccer}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:United Soccer League (1984-85)}}
[[Category:United Soccer League (1984–85)| ]]
[[Category:Sports leagues established in 1984]]
[[Category:Sports leagues disestablished in 1985]]
[[Category:1985 disestablishments in the United States]]
[[Category:Defunct soccer leagues in the United States]]
[[Category:Former summer association football leagues]]' |
New page wikitext, after the edit (new_wikitext) | '{{about|the defunct league|the active league, formerly of the same name|USL Championship|the organizing body|United Soccer League}}
{{Short description|Former soccer league in the U.S.}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2022}}
{{Use American English|date=December 2022}}
{{Infobox football league
|name = United Soccer League
|image = United Soccer League (1984).png
|pixels =
|country = United States
|confed =
|founded = 1984
|first =
|folded = 1985
|divisions =
|teams = 4–9
|feeds =
|levels =
|domest_cup =
|league_cup =
|confed_cup =
|champions = [[Fort Lauderdale Sun]]
|season = 1984
|most_champs = Fort Lauderdale Sun (1)
|shieldtitle = League Cup
|most_shields = [[Fort Lauderdale Sun|South Florida Sun]] (1)
|most_caps =
|top_goalscorer =
|tv =
}}
The '''United Soccer League''' was a professional [[soccer]] league in the United States in the mid-1980s.
==History==
By the end of 1983, professional outdoor soccer in the United States was crumbling. The [[North American Soccer League (1968–1984)|North American Soccer League]] only had nine teams planning to return for the 1984 season (down from a peak of 24 in 1980), and the de facto second division [[American Soccer League (1933-1983)|American Soccer League]] had just limped through a season featuring only six teams.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Year in American Soccer - 1983 |url=https://soccerhistoryusa.org/asha/year/1983.html |access-date=2024-06-25 |website=Soccer History USA – Audio Essays on the Beautiful Game |language=en-US}}</ref> Both leagues had seen an almost constant turnover of clubs from year to year, and neither organization had figured out how to translate the attention generated by high-profile players such as [[Pelé]] and the recent surge in American youth participation in soccer into stability or profitability for the professional game.
When the owners of the ASL's remaining teams came together in Atlanta for their annual meetings in January 1984, the Pennsylvania Stoners and [[Oklahoma City Slickers]] announced plans to go "dormant," and Stoners president William Burfeind also resigned as league president. This left only four active teams plus the [[Rochester Flash]], who had planned to re-activate after sitting out in 1983. Meanwhile, a proposal to grant an expansion team to a group in Fort Lauderdale (hoping to capitalize on the fan base left behind when the NASL's [[Fort Lauderdale Strikers (1977–1983)|Strikers]] had been moved to Minnesota) was shot down because the ASL's by-laws allowed dormant owners to still retain voting rights and control over territories despite not fielding any active teams in those territories. At this point the owners of the [[Jacksonville Tea Men]] and [[Dallas Americans]], Ingo Krieg and Bob Spears, decided that the situation was broken beyond repair, and they took steps over the weekend to start a new league that they would call the United Soccer League.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-03-06 |title=What can only be described as “Soccapocalypse” |url=https://www.protagonistsoccer.com/kickingback/soccapocalypse |access-date=2024-06-25 |website=Protagonist Soccer |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>[http://www.funwhileitlasted.net/soccer/usl-gallery-1984-1985/] "Fun While It Lasted: United Soccer League"</ref> Almost immediately, the [[Detroit Express (1981–1983)|Detroit Express]] and the group that had been denied the chance to start a south Florida team elected to move over to the new circuit. Burfeind agreed to be the new league's commissioner.<ref>{{cite web|last=Cote |first=Greg |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/630166289/?terms=United%20Soccer%20League&match=1|title=United league brings soccer back to town|date=February 1, 1984 |work=Miami Herald|page=1C|access-date=31 January 2021}}</ref> David Fraser, who had stepped in midseason to bail the Oklahoma City Slickers out of a financial crisis in 1983 but then released his controlling interest following the season after learning that the club was still deeply in debt, seized the opportunity to revive, rename and reorganize the operation with a financial clean slate in the new league.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Donovan |first=Kevin |title=Eager Owner Brings Soccer Back to City |url=https://www.oklahoman.com/story/news/1984/03/22/eager-owner-brings-soccer-back-to-city/62809595007/ |access-date=2024-06-25 |website=The Oklahoman |language=en-US}}</ref> Similarly, an ownership group led by [[Felix Sabates]] gave many of the front office staff and players from the [[Carolina Lightnin']] the chance to keep pro soccer alive in Charlotte after principal owner Bob Benson chose to fold his ASL side.<ref>{{Cite web |last=monkfromhavana |date=2011-11-22 |title=History of the Carolina Lightnin’ |url=https://monkfromhavana.wordpress.com/2011/11/22/history-of-the-carolina-lightnin/ |access-date=2024-07-15 |website=NASLhistory |language=en}}</ref> Initial excitement for the new league was strong enough that two NASL teams, the [[Tampa Bay Rowdies (1975–93)|Tampa Bay Rowdies]] and [[Tulsa Roughnecks (1978–84)|Tulsa Roughnecks]], considered moving over as well. <ref>{{Cite web |title=The Year in American Soccer - 1984 |url=https://soccerhistoryusa.org/asha/year/1984.html |access-date=2024-06-25 |website=Soccer History USA – Audio Essays on the Beautiful Game |language=en-US}}</ref> By late March, Rochester chose to follow the crowd, and the ASL quietly ended operations.
By the time the dust settled, Tampa and Tulsa decided to stay put in the NASL, and Detroit elected not to field a team due to the new league not being sanctioned by the [[United States Soccer Federation|USSF]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-03-06 |title=What can only be described as “Soccapocalypse” |url=https://www.protagonistsoccer.com/kickingback/soccapocalypse |access-date=2024-06-25 |website=Protagonist Soccer |language=en-US}}</ref> So the USL started play in May 1984 with nine teams organized into three regional divisions: three direct transfers from the ASL (the Jacksonville Tea Men, Dallas Americans and Rochester Flash), two "re-booted" ASL clubs (the [[Oklahoma City Stampede]] and [[Charlotte Gold]]) and four new teams (the [[Buffalo Storm]], [[Fort Lauderdale Sun]], [[Houston Dynamos]], and [[New York Nationals (USL)|New York Nationals]]). Fiscal responsibility, regional rivalries, year round operation (including an indoor season in the winter months), and measured expansion were a few of the cornerstones on which the organization was to be structured. A league rule allowed only four of eighteen roster spots be taken by foreign players. In addition, a salary cap was imposed on member clubs.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Year in American Soccer - 1984 |url=https://soccerhistoryusa.org/asha/year/1984.html |access-date=2024-06-25 |website=Soccer History USA – Audio Essays on the Beautiful Game |language=en-US}}</ref> To control travel costs, the teams played an imbalanced 24-game schedule in which they played 12 games against the other two members of their regional divisions (meaning the road team was able to travel by bus and did not always need to stay overnight) and 12 games (just once at home and once away) against the six teams in the other two divisions. They also arranged the schedules so that when teams did make their only visit to the teams outside of their divisions, they visited all three teams in that division in one sweep (meaning only two stretches of just short of a week each during a season that teams would go on the road for more than one game and would need to travel by plane).<ref>{{Cite web |last=Donovan |first=Kevin |title=Eager Owner Brings Soccer Back to City |url=https://www.oklahoman.com/story/news/1984/03/22/eager-owner-brings-soccer-back-to-city/62809595007/ |access-date=2024-06-25 |website=The Oklahoman |language=en-US}}</ref>
On the field, the [[1984 United Soccer League season|1984 outdoor season]] was comparatively stable and successful. Because the NASL was shrinking so rapidly, several high-quality players were available and joined the rosters of teams throughout the league. Parity in the standings reflected competitive play on the field, and even the top two teams (Oklahoma City and Fort Lauderdale) only managed 15-9 records. <ref>{{Cite web |title=The Year in American Soccer - 1984 |url=https://soccerhistoryusa.org/asha/year/1984.html |access-date=2024-06-25 |website=Soccer History USA – Audio Essays on the Beautiful Game |language=en-US}}</ref> All nine teams completed their full schedules, though there were some troubling signs (such as the Buffalo Storm declining the opportunity to host a home playoff game <ref>{{Cite web |last=Crossley |first=Drew |date=2022-03-25 |title=Buffalo Storm |url=https://funwhileitlasted.net/2022/03/25/1984-buffalo-storm-soccer/ |access-date=2024-06-25 |website=Fun While It Lasted |language=en-US}}</ref> and the New York Nationals starting 5-0 but then collapsing to a 10-14 record after losing their head coach and several key players a month into the season <ref>{{Cite web |last=Crossley |first=Drew |date=2014-02-13 |title=New York Nationals |url=https://funwhileitlasted.net/2014/02/13/1984-new-york-nationals-soccer/ |access-date=2024-06-25 |website=Fun While It Lasted |language=en-US}}</ref>). The Sun, whose roster featured former NASL [[Fort Lauderdale Strikers (1977–83)|Fort Lauderdale Strikers]] players [[Teófilo Cubillas]], [[Keith Weller]], [[Jim Tietjens]], and Ernst Jean-Baptiste, won the league title in a three-game series against the Houston Dynamos.<ref>[https://newspaperarchive.com/santa-fe-new-mexican/1984-09-02/page-18?tag=lauderdale+sun&rtserp=tags/?ndt=ex&py=1984&pm=9&pep=lauderdale-sun] "Elsewhere: Lauderdale wins USL title", "[[Santa Fe New Mexican]]", September 2, 1984.</ref>
Off the field, the league found itself in crisis heading into the winter of 1984/85. While attendance was on par with the ASL in its last season, revenues did not keep up with expenses despite the league's more conservative fiscal structure. Team owners could not cope with the losses. The indoor season planned at the league's founding never materialized. Last minute merger negotiations between the USL and NASL ended without an agreement and were called off on March 5th. Following this letdown, the NASL abandoned plans for a 1985 season, and Houston left the USL to be independent<ref>{{Cite news |date=1985-06-27 |title=Spokesman for former USL team says league not good for soccer |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/south-florida-sun-sentinel-spokesman-for/136615169/ |access-date=2024-06-26 |work=South Florida Sun Sentinel |pages=29}}</ref> while five other clubs (New York, Rochester, Buffalo, Charlotte and Jacksonville) folded altogether.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lenard |first=John |date=2020-03-10 |title=Illustrated History of Dallas Soccer: Part 2 |url=https://3rddegree.net/illustrated-history-of-dallas-soccer-part-2 |access-date=2024-06-25 |website=3rd Degree |language=en-US}}</ref> Only Dallas, Fort Lauderdale (who were renamed South Florida Sun), and Oklahoma City (who had re-located in December and re-branded as the [[Tulsa Tornados|Tulsa Tornado's]]) chose to return. The [[El Paso/Juarez Gamecocks]] were added to bring league membership to a paltry four teams for the [[1985 United Soccer League season|1985 season]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/236427388/?terms=United%20Soccer%20League&match=1|title=USL quality will be up, says Weller|date=April 24, 1985|page=3C|work=Sun Sentinel|access-date=January 30, 2021}}</ref>
After a hasty schedule re-organization, the league began play in late May with a round-robin style exhibition series for the "USL Cup." Signs of trouble were all around. Bill Burfeind resigned as commissioner, the Tulsa team fell behind on stadium rent and forfeited two games when unpaid players and coaches refused to take the field, and the Dallas Americans were forced to offer their players stock options to cover unpaid salaries.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-03-06 |title=What can only be described as “Soccapocalypse” |url=https://www.protagonistsoccer.com/kickingback/soccapocalypse |access-date=2024-06-25 |website=Protagonist Soccer |language=en-US}}</ref> The league had initially announced that the top two teams in the standings at the end of the round-robin set of games would face off to determine the winner of the cup; however, this game (which would have pitted South Florida with their 4-2 record against Dallas at 3-3) was called off, and the league declared South Florida the cup winners. As a harbinger of things to come, no actual trophy was presented to them, causing Sun player-coach, [[Keith Weller]], to quip, "There ain't no cup."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1985-06-16/sports/8501230816_1_sun-usl-cup-goalkeeper|title=Sun Wins Invitational Cup – Wherever That May Be|work=Sun Sentinel|access-date=July 15, 2015}}</ref> A Tornado's/Gamecocks match scheduled to open the "regular season" on June 22 was cancelled (sources differ as to whether another walkout by unpaid players or stadium rent disputes was the cause), which may have been just as well, as the Gamecocks owner had already quietly ended his relationship with the league, paid his bills and salaries through the end of the month and released his players. The Sun beat Dallas 3-1 at [[Lockhart Stadium]]<ref>{{cite web|last=LaBelle |first=Frank |url=http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1985-06-23/sports/8501250110_1_first-half-goal-dallas-americans|title=Sun Rallies To Get Past Dallas 3-1|date=June 23, 1985 |work=Sun Sentinel|access-date=February 16, 2017}}</ref> on the same day in what would turn out to be the USL's final match. A few days later, creditors locked league officials out of their offices, and play was suspended for good on June 25th.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-03-06 |title=What can only be described as “Soccapocalypse” |url=https://www.protagonistsoccer.com/kickingback/soccapocalypse |access-date=2024-06-26 |website=Protagonist Soccer |language=en-US}}</ref>
The collapse of the USL and the end of the NASL a year before meant that for the first time in over fifty years there was no professional outdoor soccer league in the U.S. This was a temporary void, however, as the [[Western Soccer League|Western Soccer Alliance]] and third incarnation of the [[American Soccer League (1988–89)|American Soccer League]] would form and grow in the latter half of the 1980s, eventually to merge into the [[American Professional Soccer League]], precursor to the [[USL First Division]].
== Champions ==
{| class="wikitable"
!Year
!Champion
!Runner-up
!League Cup
|-
|[[1984 United Soccer League season|1984]]
|[[Fort Lauderdale Sun]]
|[[Houston Dynamos]]
|''Not held''
|-
|[[1985 United Soccer League season|1985]]
|colspan="2"; align="center"| ''Season canceled''
|[[South Florida Sun]]
|}
==Teams==
* [[Buffalo Storm]] (1984)
* [[Carolina Lightnin'|Charlotte Gold]] (1984)
* [[Dallas Americans]] (1984–85)
* [[El Paso/Juarez Gamecocks]] (1985)
* [[Fort Lauderdale Sun]] (1984) → South Florida Sun (1985)
* [[Houston Dynamos]] (1984)
* [[Jacksonville Tea Men]] (1984)
* [[New York Nationals (USL)|New York Nationals]] (1984)
* [[Oklahoma City Stampede]] (1984)
* [[Rochester Flash]] (1984)
* [[Tulsa Tornados]] (1985)
==References==
{{reflist}}
{{United Soccer League (1984–85)}}
{{soccer in the United States}}
{{USDefunctSoccer}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:United Soccer League (1984-85)}}
[[Category:United Soccer League (1984–85)| ]]
[[Category:Sports leagues established in 1984]]
[[Category:Sports leagues disestablished in 1985]]
[[Category:1985 disestablishments in the United States]]
[[Category:Defunct soccer leagues in the United States]]
[[Category:Former summer association football leagues]]' |
Unified diff of changes made by edit (edit_diff) | '@@ -36,5 +36,5 @@
When the owners of the ASL's remaining teams came together in Atlanta for their annual meetings in January 1984, the Pennsylvania Stoners and [[Oklahoma City Slickers]] announced plans to go "dormant," and Stoners president William Burfeind also resigned as league president. This left only four active teams plus the [[Rochester Flash]], who had planned to re-activate after sitting out in 1983. Meanwhile, a proposal to grant an expansion team to a group in Fort Lauderdale (hoping to capitalize on the fan base left behind when the NASL's [[Fort Lauderdale Strikers (1977–1983)|Strikers]] had been moved to Minnesota) was shot down because the ASL's by-laws allowed dormant owners to still retain voting rights and control over territories despite not fielding any active teams in those territories. At this point the owners of the [[Jacksonville Tea Men]] and [[Dallas Americans]], Ingo Krieg and Bob Spears, decided that the situation was broken beyond repair, and they took steps over the weekend to start a new league that they would call the United Soccer League.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-03-06 |title=What can only be described as “Soccapocalypse” |url=https://www.protagonistsoccer.com/kickingback/soccapocalypse |access-date=2024-06-25 |website=Protagonist Soccer |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>[http://www.funwhileitlasted.net/soccer/usl-gallery-1984-1985/] "Fun While It Lasted: United Soccer League"</ref> Almost immediately, the [[Detroit Express (1981–1983)|Detroit Express]] and the group that had been denied the chance to start a south Florida team elected to move over to the new circuit. Burfeind agreed to be the new league's commissioner.<ref>{{cite web|last=Cote |first=Greg |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/630166289/?terms=United%20Soccer%20League&match=1|title=United league brings soccer back to town|date=February 1, 1984 |work=Miami Herald|page=1C|access-date=31 January 2021}}</ref> David Fraser, who had stepped in midseason to bail the Oklahoma City Slickers out of a financial crisis in 1983 but then released his controlling interest following the season after learning that the club was still deeply in debt, seized the opportunity to revive, rename and reorganize the operation with a financial clean slate in the new league.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Donovan |first=Kevin |title=Eager Owner Brings Soccer Back to City |url=https://www.oklahoman.com/story/news/1984/03/22/eager-owner-brings-soccer-back-to-city/62809595007/ |access-date=2024-06-25 |website=The Oklahoman |language=en-US}}</ref> Similarly, an ownership group led by [[Felix Sabates]] gave many of the front office staff and players from the [[Carolina Lightnin']] the chance to keep pro soccer alive in Charlotte after principal owner Bob Benson chose to fold his ASL side.<ref>{{Cite web |last=monkfromhavana |date=2011-11-22 |title=History of the Carolina Lightnin’ |url=https://monkfromhavana.wordpress.com/2011/11/22/history-of-the-carolina-lightnin/ |access-date=2024-07-15 |website=NASLhistory |language=en}}</ref> Initial excitement for the new league was strong enough that two NASL teams, the [[Tampa Bay Rowdies (1975–93)|Tampa Bay Rowdies]] and [[Tulsa Roughnecks (1978–84)|Tulsa Roughnecks]], considered moving over as well. <ref>{{Cite web |title=The Year in American Soccer - 1984 |url=https://soccerhistoryusa.org/asha/year/1984.html |access-date=2024-06-25 |website=Soccer History USA – Audio Essays on the Beautiful Game |language=en-US}}</ref> By late March, Rochester chose to follow the crowd, and the ASL quietly ended operations.
-By the time the dust settled, Tampa and Tulsa decided to stay put in the NASL, and Detroit elected not to field a team due to the new league not being sanctioned by the [[United States Soccer Federation|USSF]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-03-06 |title=What can only be described as “Soccapocalypse” |url=https://www.protagonistsoccer.com/kickingback/soccapocalypse |access-date=2024-06-25 |website=Protagonist Soccer |language=en-US}}</ref> So the USL started play in May 1984 with nine teams organized into three regional divisions: three direct transfers from the ASL (the Jacksonville Tea Men, Dallas Americans and Rochester Flash), two "re-booted" ASL clubs (the [[Oklahoma City Stampede]] and [[Charlotte Gold]]) and four new teams (the [[Buffalo Storm]], [[Fort Lauderdale Sun]], [[Houston Dynamos]], and [[New York Nationals (USL)|New York Nationals]]). Fiscal responsibility, regional rivalries, year round operation (including an indoor season in the winter months), and measured expansion were a few of the cornerstones on which the organization was to be structured. A league rule allowed only four of eighteen roster spots be taken by foreign players. In addition, a salary cap was imposed on member clubs.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Year in American Soccer - 1984 |url=https://soccerhistoryusa.org/asha/year/1984.html |access-date=2024-06-25 |website=Soccer History USA – Audio Essays on the Beautiful Game |language=en-US}}</ref> To control travel costs, the teams played an imbalanced 24-game schedule in which they played 12 games against the other two members of their regional divisions (meaning the road team was able to travel by bus and did not need to stay overnight) and 12 games against the six teams in the other divisions. They also arranged the schedules so that when teams did travel to one of the other two divisions, they visited all three teams in that division in one sweep.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Donovan |first=Kevin |title=Eager Owner Brings Soccer Back to City |url=https://www.oklahoman.com/story/news/1984/03/22/eager-owner-brings-soccer-back-to-city/62809595007/ |access-date=2024-06-25 |website=The Oklahoman |language=en-US}}</ref>
+By the time the dust settled, Tampa and Tulsa decided to stay put in the NASL, and Detroit elected not to field a team due to the new league not being sanctioned by the [[United States Soccer Federation|USSF]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-03-06 |title=What can only be described as “Soccapocalypse” |url=https://www.protagonistsoccer.com/kickingback/soccapocalypse |access-date=2024-06-25 |website=Protagonist Soccer |language=en-US}}</ref> So the USL started play in May 1984 with nine teams organized into three regional divisions: three direct transfers from the ASL (the Jacksonville Tea Men, Dallas Americans and Rochester Flash), two "re-booted" ASL clubs (the [[Oklahoma City Stampede]] and [[Charlotte Gold]]) and four new teams (the [[Buffalo Storm]], [[Fort Lauderdale Sun]], [[Houston Dynamos]], and [[New York Nationals (USL)|New York Nationals]]). Fiscal responsibility, regional rivalries, year round operation (including an indoor season in the winter months), and measured expansion were a few of the cornerstones on which the organization was to be structured. A league rule allowed only four of eighteen roster spots be taken by foreign players. In addition, a salary cap was imposed on member clubs.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Year in American Soccer - 1984 |url=https://soccerhistoryusa.org/asha/year/1984.html |access-date=2024-06-25 |website=Soccer History USA – Audio Essays on the Beautiful Game |language=en-US}}</ref> To control travel costs, the teams played an imbalanced 24-game schedule in which they played 12 games against the other two members of their regional divisions (meaning the road team was able to travel by bus and did not always need to stay overnight) and 12 games (just once at home and once away) against the six teams in the other two divisions. They also arranged the schedules so that when teams did make their only visit to the teams outside of their divisions, they visited all three teams in that division in one sweep (meaning only two stretches of just short of a week each during a season that teams would go on the road for more than one game and would need to travel by plane).<ref>{{Cite web |last=Donovan |first=Kevin |title=Eager Owner Brings Soccer Back to City |url=https://www.oklahoman.com/story/news/1984/03/22/eager-owner-brings-soccer-back-to-city/62809595007/ |access-date=2024-06-25 |website=The Oklahoman |language=en-US}}</ref>
On the field, the [[1984 United Soccer League season|1984 outdoor season]] was comparatively stable and successful. Because the NASL was shrinking so rapidly, several high-quality players were available and joined the rosters of teams throughout the league. Parity in the standings reflected competitive play on the field, and even the top two teams (Oklahoma City and Fort Lauderdale) only managed 15-9 records. <ref>{{Cite web |title=The Year in American Soccer - 1984 |url=https://soccerhistoryusa.org/asha/year/1984.html |access-date=2024-06-25 |website=Soccer History USA – Audio Essays on the Beautiful Game |language=en-US}}</ref> All nine teams completed their full schedules, though there were some troubling signs (such as the Buffalo Storm declining the opportunity to host a home playoff game <ref>{{Cite web |last=Crossley |first=Drew |date=2022-03-25 |title=Buffalo Storm |url=https://funwhileitlasted.net/2022/03/25/1984-buffalo-storm-soccer/ |access-date=2024-06-25 |website=Fun While It Lasted |language=en-US}}</ref> and the New York Nationals starting 5-0 but then collapsing to a 10-14 record after losing their head coach and several key players a month into the season <ref>{{Cite web |last=Crossley |first=Drew |date=2014-02-13 |title=New York Nationals |url=https://funwhileitlasted.net/2014/02/13/1984-new-york-nationals-soccer/ |access-date=2024-06-25 |website=Fun While It Lasted |language=en-US}}</ref>). The Sun, whose roster featured former NASL [[Fort Lauderdale Strikers (1977–83)|Fort Lauderdale Strikers]] players [[Teófilo Cubillas]], [[Keith Weller]], [[Jim Tietjens]], and Ernst Jean-Baptiste, won the league title in a three-game series against the Houston Dynamos.<ref>[https://newspaperarchive.com/santa-fe-new-mexican/1984-09-02/page-18?tag=lauderdale+sun&rtserp=tags/?ndt=ex&py=1984&pm=9&pep=lauderdale-sun] "Elsewhere: Lauderdale wins USL title", "[[Santa Fe New Mexican]]", September 2, 1984.</ref>
' |
New page size (new_size) | 15977 |
Old page size (old_size) | 15748 |
Size change in edit (edit_delta) | 229 |
Lines added in edit (added_lines) | [
0 => 'By the time the dust settled, Tampa and Tulsa decided to stay put in the NASL, and Detroit elected not to field a team due to the new league not being sanctioned by the [[United States Soccer Federation|USSF]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-03-06 |title=What can only be described as “Soccapocalypse” |url=https://www.protagonistsoccer.com/kickingback/soccapocalypse |access-date=2024-06-25 |website=Protagonist Soccer |language=en-US}}</ref> So the USL started play in May 1984 with nine teams organized into three regional divisions: three direct transfers from the ASL (the Jacksonville Tea Men, Dallas Americans and Rochester Flash), two "re-booted" ASL clubs (the [[Oklahoma City Stampede]] and [[Charlotte Gold]]) and four new teams (the [[Buffalo Storm]], [[Fort Lauderdale Sun]], [[Houston Dynamos]], and [[New York Nationals (USL)|New York Nationals]]). Fiscal responsibility, regional rivalries, year round operation (including an indoor season in the winter months), and measured expansion were a few of the cornerstones on which the organization was to be structured. A league rule allowed only four of eighteen roster spots be taken by foreign players. In addition, a salary cap was imposed on member clubs.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Year in American Soccer - 1984 |url=https://soccerhistoryusa.org/asha/year/1984.html |access-date=2024-06-25 |website=Soccer History USA – Audio Essays on the Beautiful Game |language=en-US}}</ref> To control travel costs, the teams played an imbalanced 24-game schedule in which they played 12 games against the other two members of their regional divisions (meaning the road team was able to travel by bus and did not always need to stay overnight) and 12 games (just once at home and once away) against the six teams in the other two divisions. They also arranged the schedules so that when teams did make their only visit to the teams outside of their divisions, they visited all three teams in that division in one sweep (meaning only two stretches of just short of a week each during a season that teams would go on the road for more than one game and would need to travel by plane).<ref>{{Cite web |last=Donovan |first=Kevin |title=Eager Owner Brings Soccer Back to City |url=https://www.oklahoman.com/story/news/1984/03/22/eager-owner-brings-soccer-back-to-city/62809595007/ |access-date=2024-06-25 |website=The Oklahoman |language=en-US}}</ref> '
] |
Lines removed in edit (removed_lines) | [
0 => 'By the time the dust settled, Tampa and Tulsa decided to stay put in the NASL, and Detroit elected not to field a team due to the new league not being sanctioned by the [[United States Soccer Federation|USSF]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-03-06 |title=What can only be described as “Soccapocalypse” |url=https://www.protagonistsoccer.com/kickingback/soccapocalypse |access-date=2024-06-25 |website=Protagonist Soccer |language=en-US}}</ref> So the USL started play in May 1984 with nine teams organized into three regional divisions: three direct transfers from the ASL (the Jacksonville Tea Men, Dallas Americans and Rochester Flash), two "re-booted" ASL clubs (the [[Oklahoma City Stampede]] and [[Charlotte Gold]]) and four new teams (the [[Buffalo Storm]], [[Fort Lauderdale Sun]], [[Houston Dynamos]], and [[New York Nationals (USL)|New York Nationals]]). Fiscal responsibility, regional rivalries, year round operation (including an indoor season in the winter months), and measured expansion were a few of the cornerstones on which the organization was to be structured. A league rule allowed only four of eighteen roster spots be taken by foreign players. In addition, a salary cap was imposed on member clubs.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Year in American Soccer - 1984 |url=https://soccerhistoryusa.org/asha/year/1984.html |access-date=2024-06-25 |website=Soccer History USA – Audio Essays on the Beautiful Game |language=en-US}}</ref> To control travel costs, the teams played an imbalanced 24-game schedule in which they played 12 games against the other two members of their regional divisions (meaning the road team was able to travel by bus and did not need to stay overnight) and 12 games against the six teams in the other divisions. They also arranged the schedules so that when teams did travel to one of the other two divisions, they visited all three teams in that division in one sweep.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Donovan |first=Kevin |title=Eager Owner Brings Soccer Back to City |url=https://www.oklahoman.com/story/news/1984/03/22/eager-owner-brings-soccer-back-to-city/62809595007/ |access-date=2024-06-25 |website=The Oklahoman |language=en-US}}</ref> '
] |
Whether or not the change was made through a Tor exit node (tor_exit_node) | false |
Unix timestamp of change (timestamp) | '1721061083' |