Tombstone
Formed: February 22, 1990
Disbanded: 1997 – merged with USISL Select League to form the USISL A-League
First Game:
Last Game: October 6, 1996
Seasons:
States & Provinces: 6
(Alberta, AZ, British Columbia, CA, OR, WA)
Leadership
APSL East Chairman:
- 1990:
APSL West Chairman:
- 1990: Bill Sage
Co-Chairmen:
- 1991: Bill Sage & ?
Commissioner/Chairman:
- – October 1993: Bill Sage (Commissioner)
- 1994: William De La Pena (Acting Chairman)
- September 1994 – ?: Richard Groff (Commissioner)
Attendance
Trophy Case
American Soccer League Conference Most Valuable Player
| YEAR | PLAYER | POSITION | TEAM |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | Phillip Gyau | Forward | Maryland Bays |
Western Soccer League Conference Most Valuable Player
| YEAR | PLAYER | POSITION | TEAM |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | Mark Dodd | Goalkeeper | Colorado Foxes |
American Professional Soccer League & A-League Most Valuable Player
| YEAR | PLAYER | POSITION | TEAM |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Jean Harbor | Forward | Maryland Bays |
| 1992 | Taifour Diane | Forward | Colorado Foxes |
| 1993 | Paulinho | Midfielder | Los Angeles Salsa |
| 1994 | Paulinho | Midfielder | Los Angeles Salsa |
| 1995 | Peter Hattrup | Midfielder | Seattle Sounders |
| 1996 | Wolde Harris | Forward | Colorado Foxes |
American Professional Soccer League & A-League Top Goalkeeper
| YEAR | COACH | TEAM |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Mark Dougherty | San Francisco Bay Blackhawks |
| 1992 | Mark Dodd | Colorado Foxes |
| 1993 | Jim St. Andre | Colorado Foxes |
| 1994 | Marcus Hahnemann | Seattle Sounders |
| 1995 | Marcus Hahnemann | Seattle Sounders |
| 1996 | Paulo Ceccarelli | Montreal Impact |
American Soccer League Conference Rookie of the Year
| YEAR | PLAYER | POSITION | TEAM |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | Steve Pittman | Defender | Fort Lauderdale Strikers |
American Professional Soccer League & A-League Rookie of the Year
| YEAR | PLAYER | POSITION | TEAM |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Ezekiel "Zico" Doe | Forward | Colorado Foxes |
| 1992 | Taifour Diane | Forward | Colorado Foxes |
| 1993 | Jason De Vos | Defender | Montreal Impact |
| 1994 | Jason Dunn | Forward | Seattle Sounders |
| 1995 | Giuliano Oliveiro | Midfielder | Vancouver 86ers |
| 1996 | Wolde Harris | Forward | Colorado Foxes |
American Soccer League Conference Coach of the Year
| YEAR | COACH | TEAM |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | Thomas Rongen | Fort Lauderdale Strikers |
American Professional Soccer League & A-League Coach of the Year
| YEAR | COACH | TEAM |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Gary Hindley | Maryland Bays |
| 1992 | Ricky Hill | Tampa Bay Rowdies |
| 1993 | Ken Fogarty | Tampa Bay Rowdies |
| 1994 | Alan Hinson | Seattle Sounders |
| 1995 | Lothar Osiander | Atlanta Ruckus |
| 1996 | Lorne Donaldson | Colorado Foxes |
Background
After the demise of the North American Soccer League in January 1985, American outdoor soccer wandered in the wilderness for several years. To the extent that soccer existed as a pro sport in America in the mid-1980’s, it was the indoor six-on-six format as played by the Major Indoor Soccer League.
In 1985, a small group of pro clubs launched a regional league on West Coast known as the Western Soccer Alliance (changed to the Western Soccer League for 1989). Their national profile was virtually zero, other than coverage in a few diehard publications like Soccer America and Soccer Digest. In 1988, a similarly low-budgeted East Coast League debuted, the American Soccer League. The ASL, in particular, exhibited a nostalgia for the glory days of the NASL, with a trio of clubs – the Fort Lauderdale Strikers, Tampa Bay Rowdies and Washington Diplomats – reviving NASL identities and, in some cases, ownership. Some former NASL players returned, but the budgets were far, far smaller and regional play was the rule of the day.
After the 1989 season, the champions of the ASL (Ft. Lauderdale Strikers) and WSL (San Diego Nomads) met in a post-season national championship match at Boston’s Nickerson Field. In 1990, the ASL and WSA merged, forming the nationwide American Professional Soccer League (APSL). From 1990 to 1995, the APSL was essentially the United States 1st Division league, although FIFA never granted the APSL that official sanction, since the league also included teams from Canada.
The formation of Major League Soccer in 1994 and its debut in 1996 effectively ended any pretensions that the APSL had to top flight status. The league played it’s final two seasons (1995 and 1996) under a new name: The A-League. Prior to the 1997 season, the remnants of the APSL were absorbed into the United Soccer Leagues and the league became a de facto 2nd division feeder league to Major League Soccer. The A-League name continued until 2004, when the re-branded the league as USL 1st Division.
The teams covered here played in the Western Soccer Alliance, American Soccer League or the APSL between 1986 and 1996. For teams that played in The A-League after its absorption by the USL in 1997, please see the A-League/USL 1st Division page.
For the sake of clarity, clubs are listed here in each version of this league in which they played:
American Soccer League Franchise List
| Franchise | Years Active | ASL Champions |
|---|---|---|
| Albany Capitals | 1988-1989 | None |
| Boston Bolts | 1988-1989 | None |
| Fort Lauderdale Strikers | 1988-1989 | 1989 |
| Maryland Bays | 1988-1989 | None |
| Miami Sharks | 1988-1989 | None |
| New Jersey Eagles | 1988-1989 | None |
| Orlando Lions | 1988-1989 | None |
| Tampa Bay Rowdies | 1988-1989 | None |
| Washington Diplomats | 1988-1989 | 1988 |
| Washington Stars | 1988-1989 | None |
APSL/A-League Franchise List
| FRANCHISE | YEARS ACTIVE | WSA/WSL CHAMPIONS |
|---|---|---|
| Albany Capitals | 1990-1991 | Never |
| Arizona Condors | 1990 | Never |
| Atlanta Ruckus | 1995-1996 | Never |
| Boston Bolts | 1990 | Never |
| California Emperors | 1990 | Never |
| Colorado Foxes | 1990-1996 | 1992 & 1993 |
| Fort Lauderdale Strikers | 1990-1994 | Never |
| Los Angeles Heat | 1990 | Never |
| Los Angeles Salsa | 1993-1994 | Never |
| Maryland Bays | 1990-1991 | 1990 |
| Miami Freedom | 1990-1992 | Never |
| Montreal Impact | 1993-1996 | 1994 |
| New Jersey Eagles | 1990 | Never |
| New Mexico Chiles | 1990 | Never |
| New York Centaurs | 1995 | Never |
| New York Fever | 1996 | Never |
| Orlando Lions | 1990 | Never |
| Penn-Jersey Spirit | 1990-1991 | Never |
| Portland Timbers | 1990 | Never |
| Real Santa Barbara | 1990 | Never |
| Rochester Raging Rhinos | 1996 | Never |
| Salt Lake Sting | 1990-1991 | Never |
| San Diego Nomads | 1990 | Never |
| San Francisco Bay Blackhawks | 1990-1992 | 1991 |
| Seattle Sounders | 1995-1996 | 1995 & 1996 |
| Seattle Storm | 1990 | Never |
| Tampa Bay Rowdies | 1990-1993 | Never |
| Toronto Blizzard | 1993 | Never |
| Toronto Rockets | 1994 | Never |
| Vancouver 86ers | 1993-1996 | Never |
| Washington Diplomats | 1990 | Never |
| Washington Stars | 1990 | Never |
American Professional Soccer League Shop
Downloads
Press Release: April 12, 1989 – Western & American Soccer Leagues Plan Merger
4-12-1989 Western & American Soccer Leagues Plan Merger
Links
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