Soccer Americana: MISL

Showing posts with label MISL. Show all posts

Monday, October 6, 2025

Pinback button : NASL - AISA - MISL

California Surf - 1978-1981 NASL

Louisville Thunder - 1984-1987 AISA

St Louis Steamers - 1979-1988 MISL

Friday, September 19, 2025

Pinback Buttons : NASL - MISL

North American Soccer League

New England Tea Men - 1978-1980

After leaving New England, the team moved to Jacksonville, Florida and became the Jacksonville Tea Men

Phoenix Inferno 1980-1983 MISL

Phoenix Pride 1983-1984

Toronto Metros-Croatia 1971-1978 NASL

Toronto Metros 1971- 1974. 1975 the team was purchased by the Toronto Croatia of the National Soccer League (NSL), and the team became the Toronto Metros-Croatia. 1979 team was renamed Toronto Blizzard

Atlanta Chiefs 1967 NPSL 1968-1981 NASL

Atlanta Apollos 1973 NASL

Pittsburgh Spirit 1978-1986 MISL

Sunday, March 3, 2019

MISL Championship 1984 : Baltimore Blast

Commemorative pictorial postmark for the 1984 MISL Championship between the Baltimore Blast and St Louis Steamers. The champions series was set up a s a best of 7-game series, that ran from May 27 to June 8 . Baltimore defeated St Louis 4 games to 1. The above postmark is dated May 31, the second game of the series with Baltimore wining 5-3.

This was the first time the MISL utilized a 7-game series in an expanded playoff format.

Various pinback buttons from the Baltimore Blast 1983-1984 season

(eBay find) commemorative Championship soda glass

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

MISL Pacific Trading Cards

1987-88

1988-89

1989-90

1990-91

1991-92

Pacific trading cards started producing Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL) cards for the 1987-88 season, with a 110 card set, featuring Tatu, Hector Marinaro, Chico Borja, Steve Zungul, Preki, Ricky Davis, Brian Quinn, Fernando Clavijo, Hugo Perez, Alan Mayer, Jan Goossens and Ray Hudson...

1988-89 again offered 110 cards featuring Steve Zungul, Fernando Clavijo, Brian Quinn, Preki, Alan Mayer, Chico Borja, Hector Marinaro and Beto...

1989-90 was another 110 card offering featuring Tatu, Steve Zungul, Fernando Clavijo, Preki, Chico Borja, Beto, Victor Nogueira...

1990-91 saw the series increase to 220 cards featuring Brian Quinn, Steve Zungul, Chico Borja, Preki, Tatu, Fernando Clavijo, Team Cards, Stadium cards and All-star cards...

1991-92 the set dropped to 160 cards, featuring a San Diego Sockers Chamnpions card, All-stars, Victor Nogueira MVP, Brian Quinn, Preki, Chico Borja, Kenny Cooper (Sr), Beto, Tatu, Hector Marinaro,

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

2008 - NJ Ironmen

2008...team signed photo...

After playing their inaugural season in the MISL, the NJ Ironmen joined the Xtreme Soccer League (XSL) finishing the season in 2nd place. The XSL operated only in 2008, suspending operations July 2009...The teams which moved from the MISL to the XSL were the NJ Ironmen, Chicago Storm, Detroit Ignition and the Milwaukee Wave...

The Ironmen played their games in the Newark Prudential Center..Their game program cover features the Ironmen dancers with mascots from the Ironmen - Metro (the former Metrostars mascot)NY Titans - Mr. Titan (lacrosse), NJ Devils - Jersey Devil (hockey) Jersey Jackals - Jack, Camden Riversharks - Finley, Somerset Patriots -Sparky (baseball) and Socceroo the Philadelphia Kixx Mascot. I don't know why the Kixx are featured unless the photo is from the 2007 season when the Ironmen played against the Kixx in the MISL. Even then why would the feature an opponent? Of the mascots shown only the NJ Devils share the Prudential Center with the Ironmen.

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

2007 - NJ Ironmen

2007.12.01 Prudential Center, Newark, NJ

Inaugural game of the New Jersey Ironmen v Detroit Ignition...

The local draw to the game was the addition of Tony Meola, in goal for the Ironmen. Daniel Antoniuk connect for a hat-trick in the inaugural game victory for the Ironmen over the Ignition 8-6.

Pele was named honorary captain for the opening game...the game program had this, written by John Archibald..barely 30 years after playing that last game at the Meadowlands, Pele has returned to the Garden State. The man known as the greatest soccer legend of all-time will soon carry us into the next generation of New Jersey sports, just as he was carried around Giants Stadium that rainy day in 1977. while the rooftop of Prudential Center may prevent the sky from dropping tears of joy upon our heads, there will undoubtedly be a need for tissues when the legend of Pele is in our presence. the roof may block the night sky, but that's alright. The brightest star in the sky will be right in front of our eyes.

The field was packed with children lined up around the center circle. Pele walked onto the field into the center of the circle for the first kick and presentations. then the children, who never saw Pele play converged on the man. He touched them on the head, shook their hands and smiled. Drawn like a magnet the children would not leave the field. Announcement were made and the mass of children moved with Pele like a game of magnet ball.

When the field finally cleared, and Pele had departed, we waited for the game to start. The players did not take the field. We waited, an announcement was made that the players will soon take the field and start the game. We later learned that the players were still in the locker room getting autographs and shaking hands with Pele, meeting their hero just as the children on the field had done...

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Philadelphia Kixx - NPSL-MISL

2003.03.22 Philadelphia Kixx v Milwaukee Wave, First Union Spectrum, Philadelphia, Pa.

The defending MISL Champion Kixx defeated the Wave 15-12 in front of a crowd of 7,437. Kixx forward Joe Scigliano connected on the game winning goal at 10:00 of the 4th quarter. Peter Pappas earned the victory in goal...

The Philadelphia Kixx usually played their games in the Spectrum (1967-2009). In 2001 the Kixx crossed the Delaware River to play at the Sovereign Bank Arena in Trenton, NJ...

The Kixx clinched a berth in the NPSL playoffs with a 20-15 victory at the Sovereign Bank Arena, Trenton, NJ. Don D'Ambra had three 2-point goals and an assist for 7 points. Pat Morris and Scott Henderson also scored of the Kixx who are averaging 22 points a game during a 3-game win streak..

2000-2001 Kixx game program....The Philadelphia Kixx formed in 1995 as part of the National Professional Soccer League (1984-2001). When the league disbanded, six of the teams formed the Major Indoor Soccer League. The Kixx won the first MISL Championship (2001-2002 season)...The MISL folded in 2008 and the Kixx joined the National Indoor Soccer League, which changed it's name to the Major Indoor Soccer League in 2008.

The program featured the rules of the game (NPSL) individual player profiles, 1999-2000 statistics and a very nice 2-page Kixx timeline from inception to the end of the 2000 season.

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

World Cup USA94 - first day covers

An unofficial first day is created when a stamp is postally canceled at a post office other than the one at which it was issued. Following my attendance at the first day ceremony in East Rutherford I traveled to Kearny...Soccer Town, USA...to obtain an unofficial cancel. Kearny is the birthplace of Tony Meola, US National Team; John Harkes, US National team, Ted Gillen, Metrostars and was home to Tab Ramos, US National team...The above cover is signed by Tony Meola, US National team, Metrostars, Kansas City Wizards, NY Red Bull (MLS) NJ Ironmen (MISL)....The residents of Kearny played soccer back into the 1800's as one of the starting places for high level competition in the amateur leagues.. Although cultural diversity of Kearny has changed over the years they still lean on their Scottish heritage and soccer...

This cover features unofficial postal cancelations from East Rutherford and Union, NJ...Union is the home of Kean College, which served as training facility for Saudi Arabia during their stay in the US.

The cover is signed by Peter Vermes, US National team, NJ native, graduate of Rutgers University...played for the Tampa Bay Rowdies (NASL); Metrostars, Colorado Rapids, KC Wizards (MLS)...

Don Thompson hand painted cachet

Saturday, February 5, 2011

NJ Rockets - 1981-82 MISL

March 26, 1982 NJ Rockets unused game ticket v Buffalo Stallions

NJ Rockets - 1981-82 MISL

Game ticket NJ Rockets v Baltimore Blast

Game Program Volume IV, Issue 3

Photo credits: Denny Leary, Seth Rubenstein, Janis Rettaliata, Robert L. Smith, Janet Macoska

Features of the program included the following articles - John Marks' A Look at goalkeepers, From Out to In: Don Ebert's Comeback, Avalanche Rescue: Players help high school students, The Helmet Man: Mayer's kamikaze style, He is Mr. Wichita: Roy Turner, What's in a name: the nickname headache, MISL rules, Jekyll and Hyde: Mepham's double life,The Arrow's bow: Alberto is the trigger, player profiles, team rosters....

The Rockets first goal ever - The rockets Brian Alderson (8) watches intently as his shot heads toward the net past the NY Arrows Gene Strenicer (13) and goalkeeper Shep Messing in the first game ever played by the Rockets in the MISL.

The New Jersey Rockets were an indoor soccer team that played their home games in the Brendan Byrne Arena, Meadowlands, East Rutherford, New Jersey during in the Major Soccer League for the 1981-82 season.

Playing in the Eastern Division of the MISL during the 1981-82 season the NJ Rockets finished in 5^th place with a record of 17-27, behind the NY Arrows, Pittsburgh Spirits, Baltimore Blast and Buffalo Stallions, and ahead of the Cleveland Forces and the Philadelphia Fever. New Jersey suspended operations at the end of the season.

From the article "What's In a name?" ...we liked the nickname Comets, but our new partners, Kansas City, had already selected that. Most important, we wanted something relatively short, something modern, something that connoted action. When all was said and done, we picked the name Rockets.....