The CISL started in 1993 following the collapse in 1992 of the Major
Indoor Soccer League, the Canadian Soccer League and the Lone Star
Soccer Alliance. To fill in the gap, the founders established an
indoor league to replace the MISL, but scheduled it during the summer,
placing it in competition with outdoor soccer and not the NPSL.
There were ten charter members: Dallas and San Diego joined from
the failed MISL, plus expansion teams Portland, Monterrey, Sacramento,
Arizona, Los Angeles, Carolina, Las Vegas and Pittsburgh. The last
three teams chose not to play during 1993, and started the following year.
The league folded at the end of 1997.
Indoor soccer attendance figures, courtesy of Kenn Tomasch
Final Team Standings and Playoff results
The CISL started in 1993 following the collapse in 1992 of the Major Indoor Soccer League, the Canadian Soccer League and the Lone Star Soccer Alliance. To fill in the gap, the founders established an indoor league to replace the MISL, but scheduled it during the summer, placing it in competition with outdoor soccer and not the NPSL. There were ten charter members: Dallas and San Diego joined from the failed MISL, plus expansion teams Portland, Monterrey, Sacramento, Arizona, Los Angeles, Carolina, Las Vegas and Pittsburgh. The last three teams chose not to play during 1993, and started the following year. The CISL folded a couple months after the end of the 1997 season.
1993
G W L % GB GF GA
Dallas Sidekicks 28 23 5 .821 -- 230 150
San Diego Sockers 28 20 8 .714 3 208 159
Portland Pride 28 16 12 .571 7 192 177
Monterrey La Raza 28 15 13 .536 8 239 249
Sacramento Knights 28 12 16 .429 11 195 237
Arizona Sandsharks 28 6 22 .214 17 201 243
Los Angeles United 28 6 22 .214 17 161 211
Semifinals: Dallas defeated Monterrey 11-6
San Diego defeated Portland 9-1
Championship Series: Dallas defeated San Diego 3-6, 11-5, 5-4
1994
Carolina, Las Vegas and Pittsburgh were activated. Houston, Detroit,
Washington, and San Jose were added. Los Angeles moved to Anaheim.
Seattle was added but remained inactive until 1995.
G W L % GB GF GA
Eastern Division
Dallas Sidekicks 28 24 4 .857 -- 255 160
Monterrey La Raza 28 17 11 .607 7 271 210
Washington Warthogs 28 14 14 .500 10 215 193
Pittsburgh Stingers 28 13 15 .464 11 165 189
Detroit Neon 28 11 17 .393 13 188 204
Houston Hotshots 28 7 21 .250 17 150 223
Carolina Vipers 28 3 25 .107 21 126 245
Western Division
Anaheim Splash 28 20 8 .714 -- 227 172
San Diego Sockers 28 18 10 .643 2 222 178
Las Vegas Dustdevils 28 17 11 .607 3 200 198
Sacramento Knights 28 15 13 .536 5 163 179
Portland Pride 28 15 15 .500 6 176 189
San Jose Grizzlies 28 12 16 .429 8 177 181
Arizona Sandsharks 28 11 17 .393 9 200 214
Quarterfinals: Anaheim defeated Sacramento 4-10, 8-5, 5-4 (OT)
Las Vegas defeated San Diego, 10-6, 6-7 (OT), 6-5 (OT)
Dallas defeated Pittsburgh 15-3, 5-3
Washington defeated Monterrey 11-9, 4-5 (OT), 16-11
Semifinals: Las Vegas defeated Anaheim 5-4, 8-5
Dallas defeated Washington 15-7, 10-7
Championship Series: Las Vegas defeated Dallas 4-10, 10-9, 9-8
1995
Before the season, Mexico was added. Seattle was activated. Carolina
chose to be inactive for the 1995 season.
G W L % GB
Eastern Division
Monterrey La Raza 28 23 5 .821 --
Dallas Sidekicks 28 18 10 .643 5.0
Washington Warthogs 28 13 15 .464 10.0
Pittsburgh Stingers 28 10 18 .357 13.0
Detroit Neon 28 5 23 .179 18.0
Southern Division
Anaheim Splash 28 17 11 .607 --
Mexico Toros 28 17 11 .607 --
San Diego Sockers 28 17 11 .607 --
Arizona Sandsharks 28 11 17 .393 6.0
Houston Hotshots 28 8 20 .286 9.0
Western Division
Sacramento Knights 28 20 8 .714 --
San Jose Grizzlies 28 15 13 .536 5.0
Las Vegas DustDevils 28 13 15 .464 7.0
Seattle SeaDogs 28 12 16 .429 8.0
Portland Pride 28 11 17 .393 9.0
Quarterfinals: Sacramento defeated San Jose 7-8, 4-0, 5-4
Monterrey defeated Las Vegas 13-8, 7-4
Anaheim defeated San Diego 6-5, 3-4, 8-6
Dallas defeated Mexico 8-7, 2-0
Semifinals: Sacramento defeated Anaheim 5-4, 5-6 (OT), 5-1
Monterrey defeated Dallas 9-8 (OT), 5-4
CHAMPIONSHIP: Monterrey defeated Sacramento 12-6, 4-5 (OT), 10-7
After the season, Pittsburgh, Las Vegas, San Jose, Mexico City, and the
inactive Carolina franchise folded.
1996
GP W L Pct. GB GF GA
Eastern Division
Monterrey La Raza 28 18 10 .643 --- 196 159
Houston Hotshots 28 18 10 .643 --- 186 167
Dallas Sidekicks 28 16 12 .571 2 212 181
Washington Warthogs 28 13 15 .464 5 151 170
Detroit Neon 28 13 15 .464 5 173 197
Indianapolis Twisters 28 10 18 .357 8 160 188
Western Division
San Diego Sockers 28 17 11 .607 --- 173 156
Anaheim Splash 28 15 13 .536 2 180 169
Sacramento Knights 28 14 14 .500 3 143 153
Portland Pride 28 10 18 .357 7 156 185
Seattle SeaDogs 28 10 18 .393 7 143 148
Quarterfinals: San Diego defeated Washington 11-2, 6-11, 4-2.
Houston defeated Sacramento 2-1, 6-10, 8-5.
Monterrey defeated Detroit 13-5, 4-9, 12-3
Dallas defeated Anaheim 6-5, 5-4.
Semifinals: Houston defeated San Diego 9-7, 4-8, 10-5
Monterrey defeated Dallas 10-4, 5-3.
CHAMPIONSHIP: Monterrey defeated Houston, 10-6, 6-5.
1997
Arizona returned to action. San Diego folded just before the start of the season.
GP W L Pct. GF GA GB
Eastern Division
Monterrey La Raza 28 20 8 .714 190 166 ---
Indiana Twisters 28 17 11 .607 194 177 3.0
Houston Hotshots 28 17 11 .607 199 157 3.0
Dallas Sidekicks 28 13 15 .464 165 160 7.0
Washington Warthogs 28 12 16 .429 170 178 8.0
Detroit Safari 28 3 25 .107 134 217 17.0
Western Division
Seattle SeaDogs 28 21 7 .750 170 128 ---
Anaheim Splash 28 16 12 .571 165 134 5.0
Sacramento Knights 28 14 14 .500 146 148 7.0
Portland Pride 28 13 15 .464 144 158 8.0
Arizona Sandsharks 28 8 20 .286 135 189 13.0
First Round Series: Seattle defeated Portland, 8-2, 6-5
Houston defeated Indiana, ?-?, 4-7, 2-1 (MG)
Second round series: Monterrey defeated Dallas, 7-3, 5-10, 2-1 (MG)
Sacramento defeated Anaheim, 7-3, 6-3
Seattle defeated Sacramento, ?-?, 4-3
Monterrey defeated Houston, 7-6, 2-3, 4-3 (MG)
CHAMPIONSHIP: Seattle defeated Houston, 6-5, 7-1
Houston, Washington, Portland and Dallas left after the 1997 season. On December 23, 1997, the league folded, but Sacramento, Dallas, Portland and Arizona (renamed Phoenix) formed the new Premier Soccer Alliance in the summer of 1998, and the Indiana Twisters joined the NPSL for the 1998-99 season.