1984–85 Major Indoor Soccer League season


The 1984–85 Major Indoor Soccer League season was the seventh in league history and ended with the San Diego Sockers winning their second MISL title in three seasons over the Baltimore Blast. It was the Sockers' fourth straight indoor title, as they had also won the North American Soccer League's indoor league in the spring of 1984.

Recap

With the NASL near death in the summer of 1984, a handful of teams made plans to switch from outdoor to indoor soccer once the NASL season ended in October. Along with the Sockers, the Chicago Sting, Minnesota Strikers and New York Cosmos formally made the leap in late August. With the addition of the Dallas Sidekicks, the league went back to a 14-team, two-division setup.
With an influx of new teams, the league expanded the playoffs even further. 10 teams would qualify, the top three in each division and the next best four wild-card teams. The wild-card teams would play a best-of-three series. The second and third round were best-of-five series, and the championship round would be a best-of-seven series. Each successive round would see the winners reseeded, similar to the NHL playoff format used for almost 20 years.
While the Sting and Strikers made the playoffs, the Cosmos struggled. On February 22, with their record at 11-22, the team announced they were pulling out of the MISL effective immediately. The league would scramble to fill out the schedule, but only the Wichita Wings would play an uneven number of games.
The Strikers would make a run from the wildcard series to the league semifinals, only falling to San Diego in a decisive fifth game. Trailing in the series two games to one, Minnesota actually lost the fourth game in a shootout, but lodged a protest with commissioner Francis Dale over San Diego's shooting order. Dale upheld the protest and declared the Strikers winners. Despite the Sockers only being made aware of the fifth game once they landed at the San Diego airport, they shut out Minnesota to win the series
This would be the final year the MISL would have games aired on network television, CBS broadcast Game 4 of the championship series live on May 25.
Despite having the league's third-best record, the Las Vegas Americans would be terminated by the league after the season due to financial difficulties.

Teams

Regular season schedule

The 1984–85 regular season schedule ran from November 2, 1984, to April 14, 1985.
Despite the Cosmos leaving the league in mid-season, each team played their scheduled 48 games with the exception of Wichita.

Final standings

Playoff teams in bold.
Eastern DivisionWLPct.GBGFGAHomeRoad
Baltimore Blast3216.667--25219019-513-11
Chicago Sting2820.583426122320-48-16
Cleveland Force2721.563523922815-912-12
Minnesota Strikers2424.500822422616-88-16
St. Louis Steamers2424.500821120716-88-16
Pittsburgh Spirit1929.3961321725616-83-21
New York Cosmos1122.33313½1371857-94-13

Western DivisionWLPct.GBGFGAHomeRoad
San Diego Sockers3711.771--30220118-619-5
Las Vegas Americans3018.625726921418-612-12
Los Angeles Lazers2424.5001323223014-1010-14
Kansas City Comets2226.4581521622113-119-15
Wichita Wings2126.43715½20223314-107-16
Tacoma Stars1731.3542020726311-136-18
Dallas Sidekicks1236.333251942868-164-20

Playoffs

Wildcard Series

Quarterfinals

Semifinals

**San Diego won the shootout 4-3, but Minnesota appealed the result, as the Sockers used an ineligible player. The Strikers were declared winners on May 13.

Championship Series

Regular season player statistics

Scoring leaders

GP = Games Played, G = Goals, A = Assists, Pts = Points
PlayerTeamGPGAPts
Steve ZungulSan Diego Sockers486868136
Karl-Heinz GranitzaChicago Sting476453117
Branko SegotaSan Diego Sockers466640106
Stan StamenkovicBaltimore Blast43395291
TatuDallas Sidekicks43592988
Dale MitchellTacoma Stars48553287
Jean WillrichSan Diego Sockers48434386
Fred GrgurevLas Vegas Americans48482977
Craig AllenCleveland Force42453075
Jan GoossensMinnesota Strikers48492473

Leading goalkeepers

Note: GP = Games played; Min – Minutes Played; GA = Goals Against; GAA = Goals Against Average; W = Wins; L = Losses
PlayerTeamGPMinGAGAAWL
Scott ManningBaltimore Blast3620801353.892311
Slobo IlljevskiSt. Louis Steamers3016811124.001112
Jim GorsekSan Diego Sockers3016651124.04198
Manny SchwartzKansas City Comets4021921524.161915
Alan MayerLas Vegas Americans3017591244.231712
Victor NogueiraChicago Sting4324401624.342315
Tino LettieriMinnesota Strikers4526721984.452421
Cris VaccaroCleveland Force2714531084.46168
Mike DowlerWichita Wings4123941794.492020
John BarettaTacoma Stars3116371274.651113

Playoff player statistics

Scoring leaders

GP = Games Played, G = Goals, A = Assists, Pts = Points
PlayerTeamGPGAPts
Steve ZungulSan Diego Sockers13132437
Branko SegotaSan Diego Sockers1322830
Jean WillrichSan Diego Sockers13111223
Brian QuinnSan Diego Sockers13111122
Andy ChapmanCleveland Force914519
Stan StamenkovicBaltimore Blast1181119

Leading goalkeepers

Note: GP = Games played; Min – Minutes Played; GA = Goals Against; GAA = Goals Against Average; W = Wins; L = Losses
PlayerTeamGPMinGAGAAWL
Jim GorsekSan Diego Sockers9516212.4471
Mike DowlerWichita Wings318082.6712
Cris VaccaroCleveland Force9546384.1853
Slobo IlijevskiSt. Louis Steamers212994.1902
Tino LettieriMinnesota Strikers11667514.5965
Manny SchwartzKansas City Comets4222174.5922

All-MISL teams

Honorable Mention Position
Jim Gorsek, San DiegoG
Bruce Savage, BaltimoreD
Gerry Gray, ChicagoD
Benny Dargle, ClevelandM
Dale Mitchell, TacomaF
Fred Grgurev, Las VegasF

League awards