1984–85 Major Indoor Soccer League season

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

Map of clubs

Regular season schedule

Main article: 1984–85 Major Indoor Soccer League 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.

Playoffs

| RD1-seed01=WC2 | RD1-team01=St. Louis Steamers | RD1-score01=1 | RD1-seed02=WC3 | RD1-team02=Kansas City Comets | RD1-score02=2

| RD1-seed05=WC1 | RD1-team05=Minnesota Strikers | RD1-score05=2 | RD1-seed06=WC4 | RD1-team06=Wichita Wings | RD1-score06=1

| RD2-seed01=1 | RD2-team01=San Diego Sockers | RD2-score01=3 | RD2-seed02=8 | RD2-team02=Kansas City Comets | RD2-score02=0

| RD2-seed03=3 | RD2-team03=Las Vegas Americans | RD2-score03=1 | RD2-seed04=6 | RD2-team04=Minnesota Strikers | RD2-score04=3

| RD2-seed05=2 | RD2-team05=Baltimore Blast | RD2-score05=3 | RD2-seed06=7 | RD2-team06=Los Angeles Lazers | RD2-score06=0

| RD2-seed07=4 | RD2-team07=Chicago Sting | RD2-score07=2 | RD2-seed08=5 | RD2-team08=Cleveland Force | RD2-score08=3

| RD3-seed01=1 | RD3-team01=San Diego Sockers | RD3-score01=3 | RD3-seed02=6 | RD3-team02=Minnesota Strikers | RD3-score02=2

| RD3-seed03=2 | RD3-team03=Baltimore Blast | RD3-score03=3 | RD3-seed04=5 | RD3-team04=Cleveland Force | RD3-score04=2

| RD4-seed01=1 | RD4-team01=San Diego Sockers | RD4-score01=4 | RD4-seed02=2 | RD4-team02=Baltimore Blast | RD4-score02=1

Wildcard Series

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Quarterfinals

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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

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Regular season player statistics

Scoring leaders

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

Leading goalkeepers

Note: GP = Games played; Min = Minutes played; GA = Goals against; GAA = Goals against average; W = Wins; L = Losses

Playoff player statistics

Scoring leaders

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

Leading goalkeepers

Note: GP = Games played; Min = Minutes played; GA = Goals against; GAA = Goals against average; W = Wins; L = Losses

All-MISL teams

League awards

• Most Valuable Player: Steve Zungul, San Diego
• Scoring Champion: Steve Zungul, San Diego
• Pass Master: Steve Zungul, San Diego
• Defender of the Year: Kevin Crow, San Diego
• Rookie of the Year: Ali Kazemaini, Cleveland
• Goalkeeper of the Year: Scott Manning, Baltimore
• Coach of the Year: Peter Wall, Los Angeles
• Championship Series Most Valuable Player: Steve Zungul, San Diego

Team attendance totals

References

References

1. Miranda, Randy. (August 10, 1984). "Four NASL squads will play in MISL". [[Lakeland Ledger]].
2. (August 31, 1984). "MISL takes four NASL teams". [[Boca Raton News]].
3. (1984). "1984-85 Dallas Sidekicks Media Guide".
4. (February 23, 1985). "Cosmos pull out of MISL, NASL". [[Ellensburg Daily Record]].
5. (February 24, 1985). "MISL revises schedule after Cosmos pullout". [[Gainesville Sun]].
6. Dolan, Steve. (May 13, 1985). "It Takes Sockers 14 Shooters in the Shootout to Win". [[Los Angeles Times]].
7. (May 14, 1985). "Sockers' Semifinal Playoff Victory Overturned by MISL Commissioner". [[Los Angeles Times]].
8. (May 15, 1985). "Sockers Win, 7-0, to Gain MISL Final". [[Los Angeles Times]].
9. Sarni, Jim. (May 25, 1985). "Blast For Soccer Fans: CBS Airs MISL Game". [[South Florida Sun-Sentinel]].
10. (July 18, 1985). "MISL board terminates Las Vegas franchise". [[Lawrence Journal-World]].
11. (1984). "1984-85 Dallas Sidekicks Media Guide".
12. (1987). "MISL Official Tenth Anniversary Guide".
13. (1987). "MISL Official Tenth Anniversary Guide".