American Professional Soccer League (1990)
Sunbelt Independent Soccer League (1991)
United States Interregional Soccer League (1992-1994)
USISL Pro League (1995)
USISL Select League (1996)
Tombstone
Born: 1989
Folded: 1996
First Game: April 13, 1990 (L 3-1 vs. Salt Lake Sting)
Last Game: August 10, 1996 (W 3-1 vs. California Jaguars)
APSL Championships: None
SISL/USISL Championships: None
Stadia
1990: Wilson Stadium
1991-1992: University Stadium
1993-1996: Milne Stadium (6,000)11994 USISL Media Guide
1993, 1995-1996: Wilson Stadium
Branding
Team Colors:
Ownership
Owners:
- 1990: Alan Stopper
- 1991-1996: Players’ Soccer Corporation
Background
The New Mexico Chiles were an Albuquerque-based pro soccer outfit during the early 1990’s. The original Chiles were an expansion franchise in the American Professional Soccer League during the summer of 1990. At the time the APSL was the highest level of professional soccer in the United States, though the league’s members operated on shoestring budgets.
The Chiles played their first season at Wilson Stadium, a high school football and track stadium. Although the 22-club APSL stretched from coast-to-coast, the Chiles played exclusively against the other 10 clubs in the APSL’s West Confernece to keep travel costs down. The team struggled through a typical expansion season (7 wins, 13 losses), but drew well at the box office. The Chiles’ debut game on April 13, 1990 drew 5,656 onlookers to Wilson Stadium.
Fresh Chiles
Despite a number of other strong crowds during the 1990 season, team owner Alan Stopper folded the original version of the Chiles after just one season in late 1990. But a group of former Chiles players re-organized the team under a player-owned model in early 1991. They entered the team in the even more modestly-budgeted Sunbelt Independent Soccer League (SISL) and moved to University Stadium on the campus of the University of New Mexico.
1991 proved to be the Chiles’ finest season. In SISL play, Vladdy Stanojecvic led the circuit in goal scoring (15), Uwe Balzis in total scoring (31 points) and Jorge Valenzuela earned Top Goalkeeper honors.21998 USISL Media Guide The Chiles advanced to the league final, losing 3-0 on the road to the Texas-based Richardson Rockets on August 17, 1991.
Earlier in the summer, the Chiles also made a run to the semi-final round of the U.S. Open Cup in 1991. But just as in the league final, New Mexico’s Open Cup run came to an end with a shutout loss on the road against the Richardson Rockets.
Final Years & Demise
The SISL changed names several times over the next few years, taking on the USISL moniker more familiar to U.S. soccer junkies of a certain age in 1992. The Chiles plodded along quietly for five more seasons without re-capturing the success of the 1991 side.
During the Chiles’ final campaign in 1996 the Players Soccer Corporation attempted to re-capitalize the club by making 45% of the team available to the public through the purchase of stock.3Glen Rosales. “Chiles Latest Strategy Involves Investments.” The Albuquerque Journal. May 15, 1996 The team folded at the end of the season.
The USISL swiftly replaced the Chiles with a new club, the 3rd division Albuquerque Geckos, the following season. But the Geckos lasted only two seasons before leaving town.
Links
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