Tag: Milan Mandaric

San Jose Grizzlies

March 13, 2021

The San Jose Grizzlies were a short-lived indoor soccer entry that competed in the summer-season Continental Indoor Soccer League in 1994 and 1995.
Two decades earlier, Grizzlies owner Milan Mandaric founded the Bay Area’s popular San Jose  Earthquakes soccer team in the North American Soccer League. Serbian-American indoor star Preki arrived for the Grizzlies’ second and final season and won the CISL’s MVP award in 1995. It was the future Soccer Hall of Famer’s final season of indoor soccer before embarking on his equally legendary outdoor career with the U.S. Men’s National Team and in Major League Soccer in 1996.

Read More »
George Best of the San Jose Earthquakes on the cover of a 1981 New York Cosmos program from the North American Soccer League

San Jose Earthquakes (1974-1988)

April 11, 2018

The original ‘Quakes were part of a major expansion of the NASL in 1974 that also saw the formation of the Seattle Sounders and Vancouver Whitecaps clubs. The ‘Quakes were the toast of the league that summer. English forward Paul Child won the golden boot with 15 goals and 6 assists. At the box office, San Jose set a new league attendance record.

Read More »
Roman Rosul Oakland Stompers

Oakland Stompers

June 22, 2014

The Oakland Stompers were a One-Year Wonder in the North American Soccer League in 1978.  Club founder Milan Mandaric previously started up the NASL’s other Bay Area franchise, the popular San Jose Earthquakes, in 1974. In late 1977 he divested himself of the Earthquakes and bought the league’s struggling Connecticut Bicentennials club and moved it across the country to the Oakland Coliseum.  It was bold move considering that many at the time wondered if the Bay Area could even support its two Major League Baseball franchises.  But the NASL was riding at a peak of investor enthusiasm in 1978 amidst the belief that pro soccer would be the Sport of the 80’s.

Read More »
Florida Thundercats National Professional Soccer League

Florida Thundercats

February 17, 2013

The Florida Thundercats were an indoor soccer team from Sunrise, Florida that folded after one season of play in the National Professional Soccer League during the winter of 1998-99. The Thundercats failed despite a deeply experienced management team of pro soccer investors, operators and coaches.

Read More »
Fernando Clavijo on the cover of a 1992 St. Louis Storm program from the Major Indoor Soccer League

St. Louis Storm

October 13, 2011

The St. Louis Storm were a Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL) club that played at the old St. Louis Arena from 1989 through 1992. The Storm never quite equaled the early popularity of their MISL predecessors, the St. Louis Steamers (1979-1988), but the club featured many of the top indoor players of the era, including Preki, Branko Segota, Thompson Usiyan and Slobo Ilijevski.

Read More »