American Indoor Soccer Association (1989-1990)
National Professional Soccer League (1990-1991)
Tombstone
Born: August 1989 – AISA expansion franchise
Moved: September 4, 1991 (Kansas City Attack)
First Game: November 10, 1989 (W 23-11 vs. Indiana Kick)
Last Game: April 6, 1991 (L 17-16 @ Dayton Dynamo)
AISA Championships: None
NPSL Championships: None
Arena
Marketing
Team Colors:
Ownership
Owner: Ron Terwilliger
Attendance
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Source: 1997-98 National Professional Soccer League Official Guide & Record Book
Trophy Case
AISA Rookie of the Year
- 1989-90: Brian Haynes
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Background
Short-lived effort to establish the sport of indoor soccer at Atlanta’s Omni coliseum. The Atlanta Attack followed the earlier tenure of the Atlanta Chiefs of the North American Soccer League, who played two indoor campaigns at the Omni between 1979 and 1981.
The Attack formed as an expansion franchise in the five-year old American Indoor Soccer Association. By 1989, the AISA was starting to stretch its ambitions beyond 5,000-seater civic centers in the Upper Midwest. Attack founder Ron Terwilliger, one of the league’s wealthiest owners, was also offered a franchise in the larger budget Major Indoor Soccer League. And the Omni was more typical of the MISL, whose clubs often played in NBA and NHL arenas. But the housing developer was reportedly put off by the MISL’s much higher salary cap.
Croatian forward Drago Dumbovic was expected to be the Attack’s top scoring threat in 1989-90. But after a hot start, Atlanta traded Drago to the Hershey Impact two months into the season in January 1990. Drago went on to lead the AISA in scoring with 57 goals and 67 assists, most coming with Hershey. Despite trading away the league’s most explosive player, the Attack finished their expansion campaign with a respectable 2nd place finish in their division at 23-17. The Dayton Dynamo eliminated the Attack in the playoff semi-finals.
Heading into the 1990-91 season, the AISA re-branded itself as the National Professional Soccer League (NPSL). The Attack fielded another strong side, finishing 25-15. Journeyman Yugoslav forward Zoran Savic led the Attack with 56 goals and 33 assists. Once again, the Dayton Dynamo bounced Atlanta out of the playoffs, this time with an assist from the scheduling gods. Though the Attack earned home field advantage by virtue of having the NPSL’s second best regular season record, the Omni was booked during the first week of the playoffs by the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks and for a Grateful Dead concert. The Attack conceded their first round home dates to the Dynamo and lost in a two-game sweep at Dayton’s Nutter Center.
Move To Kansas City
The Attack’s top-dollar lease at the Omni proved to be the club’s undoing. New owners moved the team to Kansas City just prior to the 1991-92 NPSL season.
Former Attack owner Ron Terwilliger flirted with purchasing the Atlanta Braves in the mid-2000’s. He later purchased the Atlanta Dream of the Women’s National Basketball Association and operated that team from 2007 until 2009.
Atlanta Attack Shop
Attack Logo T from Extra Time Vintage Soccer
Atlanta Attack Video
This grainy 3-minute clip of the Attack hosting the Milwaukee Wave at the Omni in 1990 is the only video footage of the club available on YouTube.
Links
National Professional Soccer League Media Guides
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One Response
Drago didn’t have 100 GOALS in 1989-90. He had 57 goals, two three-pointers, 39 two-pointers and 16 one-pointers in the AISA’s multi-point scoring system.
6 + 78 + 16 = 100 points, but only 57 goals.