The New Jersey Stallions are a long-time youth club soccer program operating out of Clifton, New Jersey. But during the late 1990’s and early 2000’s the organization also operated men’s – and, briefly, women’s – pro & amateur teams in the United Soccer Leagues. The Stallions debuted in 1996 and the Lady Stallions women’s club joined the USL in 2003. Following the 2004 season, the Stallions shuttered both their men’s and women’s USL adult clubs.
The Orlando Sundogs were a pro soccer team that endured a single grim campaign in the USISL A-League during the summer of 1997. The A-League was the 2nd Division of men’s pro soccer in the U.S. at the time, one level below Major League Soccer. The Sundogs’ troubles were many, but a big one was their choice of stadium: the 64,000 Citrus Bowl, a former World Cup (1994) and Olympic (1996) stadium. The ‘Dogs averaged an invisible 1,278 fans per match in the gargantuan bowl.
The Albuquerque Geckos were a short-lived lower-division pro soccer club that played in 1997 and 1998. The Geckos were part of the sprawling United Systems of Independent Soccer Leagues, joining the USISL’s 39-team nationwide D3 Pro League and winning the league title as an expansion club in 1997. An attempt to jump up to the costlier 2nd Division A-League for the Geckos second season in 1998 proved fatal. The Geckos moved away to Sacramento in 1999 and disbanded not long afterwards.
The Boston Bulldogs were a short-lived lower-division American pro soccer side that played in suburban Framingham, Massachusetts from 1999 through 2001. The team served as a farm club of Major League Soccer’s New England Revolution. Former Scottish international Steve Nicol, who won England’ Football of the Year award with Liverpool in 1988-89, was the Bulldogs player-manager. The money-bleeding professional club disbanded following the 2001 season and transitioned its business activities towards an elite youth soccer academy that became known as Mass Premier Soccer.
Publisher receives compensation for affiliate advertising on this website.
*Like our new look? Next up: site speed. You can help with a tip for our Speed Fund today. Thank you!
