The Year in American Soccer – 1985

MISL | AISA | USL | WSA | Men’s National Team | Women’s National Team | College Game | Other Action


The Death and rebirth of Outdoor Professional Soccer in the United States

In 1985, the outdoor game took a downward spiral into oblivion. Negative trends, lack of support, and red ink culminated in a serious of events which led for a brief time, to the total absence of professional outdoor soccer in the country. Many journalists proclaimed that the future of soccer in the United States lay with the indoor game.

For a time, this clearly seemed the case. The seeds of a major trend had grown in 1984, when the North American Soccer League announced that it was canceling its 1984-85 outdoor season. This led to the Major Indoor Soccer League then quickly invited NASL teams to join their league. Three teams quickly accepted the offer, while the Cosmos quit the NASL to become a touring exhibition team, and they too accepted the MISL’s offer. Meanwhile, a new indoor league, the American Indoor Soccer Association, was launched in the fall of 1984 to capitalize on the growing interest.

The NASL, staggering under heavy financial losses was rapidly disintegrating, and losing teams. The United Soccer League, despite austere financial limits, lost most of its teams after the end of their inaugural season. Only NASL seven teams attended the February 1985 organizational meetings where a desperate attempt was made to develop a plan to save the league. All for naught however. When only two teams put down a deposit to guarantee participation in the 1985 season, the league called it quits, and three teams who were in the MISL became permanent members of that league. The United Soccer League managed to survive, just barely, but only four teams remained on board.

The National team fared little better. Once again, the team for the 1986 World Cup Qualifying was slap-dash, put together at the last minute and had little training time. They were eliminated at the end of May in one of the poorest qualifying performances ever. At this time the national program ground to a complete halt; there were no immediate plans for further matches or training, and a complete reorganization seemed in order.

The final blow came just a few weeks later when the USL, staggering under heavy debt, was foreclosed by its creditors, after the end of their first half season. With the demise of the USL, the United States was without an outdoor professional league for the first time since the summer of 1933.

To an observer, it looked as though the outdoor game was dead, a surprising development given the continuing growth of youth and college soccer, which had been fueled by the interest generated by the NASL. Fortunately, the rebirth of the outdoor game began only a couple weeks after the demise of the USL. Three glimmers of hope came to light this year.

Four independent teams from the West Coast organized the Western Soccer Alliance Challenge Series. This would in turn become a full-fledged league in 1986, albeit at a very low level. But it would grow, merge and merge again to become a major part of the professional soccer pyramid in the 21st century, as the new United Soccer league’s 2nd division component, the A-League.

The 1984 Olympics had impressed FIFA Officials with its high attendance figures. This was not lost on new USSF President Werner Fricker, who set the task of making a serious bid to host the World Cup in 1994. A major reorganization of the National Team was begun to give the bid more credibility. Finally, sensing the direction of the future, the USSF established the first Women’s National Team. From these small beginnings, outdoor soccer would be reborn and reach new heights never before attained in this country. Finally, the USSF formally reorganized itself into youth, amateur and professional divisions. In response to this reorganization, the United States Amateur Soccer Association (USASA) was formed, and all of the various state soccer associations became members. Being the only organization in the country to meet USSF standards for membership (200,000+ members and representation in 26 states), the USASA became the one and only member of USSF in the Amateur division.


Major Indoor Soccer League

The MISL continued its growth in 1984-85. With the NASL canceling its 1984-85 indoor season, the MISL welcomed four of their teams into the league. Dallas was awarded an expandion franchise, and from the NASL, the Chicago Sting and San Diego Sockers returned after a season’s absence, along with newcomer, the Minnesota Strikers. Best of all, the New York Cosmos (or what was left of them) joined to fill the void left by the sudden collapse of the New York Arrows. The MISL had clearly won the battle for popularity, and in fact, only seven NASL teams survived to their February meetings. When only two teams indicated a willingness to continue, the league folded, leaving the MISL with the field to themselves.

This had two immediate results: First, an end to the costly salary war, and secondly, a huge infusion of new talent as the league scooped up legions of stranded players late in the season. More than ever, it looked as if indoor soccer was the way of the future in the United States, as the outdoor game could only boast a seriously weakened United Soccer League, and a miniscule Pacific Coast tournament called the Western Soccer Alliance. Now in its seventh season, the 14-team MISL was on a roll. The league moved its offices from Bala Cynwyd, PA to Chicago, IL. Commissioner and Founder Earl Foreman couldn’t pick a better time to retire, as he bowed out on top, turning the reins over to Francis L. Dale. But there was new competition on the horizon, with the founding of the American Indoor Soccer Association. The competition wasn’t over yet.

In the Eastern Division, Baltimore continued their reign atop the standings, but Pittsburgh fell to a disappointing 6th place. St. Louis, moved to the East, fell to a disappointing .500, after a long successful run. Memphis had been relocated to Las Vegas and finished respectably in the west, but financial troubles forced the league to fold the team after the season. Among the newcomers from the NASL, San Diego and Chicago made their impact felt immediately, as the Sockers took the western division on the strength of Steve Zungul and Branko Segota, who finished first and 3rd respectively in scoring. Karl-Heinz Granitza, who finished second, led the Chicago Sting to second place in the East. Other former NASL players making an impact were Ricky Davis of the Steamer, Jan Goosens of the Minnesota Strikers and Fred Grgurev of Las Vegas. In a sad end to a storied franchise, the New York Cosmos, minus almost all of their star players limped along at the bottom of the East standings before folding partway through the season with an 11-22 record. Only Goalkeeper Dave Brcic was a reminder of the glory days. Two players who began to make their mark this year were striker Tatu of Dallas and Goalkeeper Victor Nogueira, both of whom would remain star leaders in indoor soccer for the remainder of the 20th century.

In the playoffs, there were few surprises, the only true upset being Minnesota’s defeat of Las Vegas in the quarterfinals. The championship series again featured the division winners, Baltimore and San Diego. The San Diego Sockers defeated Baltimore in the best of seven series, 5-4, 7-3, 6-10, 14-2, and 5-3. This was the beginning of a long reign of success which would continue through the rest of the league’s existence.

                1984-85 MISL Final League Standings

Before the season, Dallas was added; San Diego, Chicago, New York, and Minnesota 
rejoined the league from the NASL.  Memphis moved to Las Vegas.

                            G   W   L   GF  GA   %   GB
     	Eastern Division
Baltimore Blast            48  32  16  252 190 .681  --
Chicago Sting              48  28  20  261 223 .583   4
Cleveland Force            48  27  21  239 228 .553   5
Minnesota Strikers         48  24  24  224 226 .500   8
St. Louis Steamers         48  24  24  211 207 .500   8
Pittsburgh Spirit          48  19  29  217 256 .396  13
New York Cosmos            48  11  22  137 185 .333  13.5

     	Western Division
San Diego Sockers          48  37  11  302 201 .771  --
Las Vegas Americans        48  30  18  269 214 .625   7
Los Angeles Lazers         48  24  24  232 230 .500  13
Kansas City Comets         48  22  26  216 221 .458  15
Wichita Wings              48  21  26  202 233 .437  15.5
Tacoma Stars               48  17  31  207 263 .354  20
Dallas Sidekicks           48  12  36  194 286 .250  25

Wild-Cards:     Kansas City Defeated St. Louis, 5-4(OT), 4-3(OT).
                Minnesota defeated Wichita (2-1, 3-8, 3-2(OT).
Quarterfinals:  Cleveland defeated Chicago 5-4(OT), 4-8, 6-1, 5-4(OT).
                San Diego defeated Kansas City, 4-3(OT), 11-7, 3-2.
                Baltimore defeated Los Angeles, 4-3, 12-3, 5-4.
                Minnesota defeated Las Vegas, 6-5, 4-6, 3-2, 4-1.
Semifinals:     San Diego def. Minnesota, 8-1, 6-5(OT), 5-8, 3-4(SO),8-0
                Baltimore defeated Cleveland, 6-5, 3-5, 4-3, 7-6, 7-4.
CHAMPIONSHIP:   San Diego defeated Baltimore, 5-4, 7-3, 6-10, 14-2, 5-3.

Cosmos withdrew after 33 games (Folded after playing several exhibition games).
After the season, Las Vegas folded.

All-Star Game:  Western Division defeated Eastern Division 11-7.
(at Richfield Township, OH, February 24, 1985.  Att:  17,863.  MVP:  Stan Semenkovic)

Leading Scorers                    GP   G   A   TP
Steve Zungul, San Diego           48  68  68  136
Karl-Heinz Granitza, Chicago      47  64  53  117
Branko Segota, San Diego          46  66  40  106
Stan Stamenkovic, Baltimore       43  39  52   91
Tatu, Dallas                      43  59  29   88
Dale Mitchell, Tacoma             48  55  32   87
Jean Willrich, San Diego          48  43  43   86
Fred Grgurev, Las Vegas           47  48  29   77
Craig Allen, Cleveland            42  45  30   75
Jan Goossens, Minnesota           48  49  24   73
Juli Veee, Las Vegas              39  50  21   71
Stan Terlecki, Pittsburgh         39  39  32   71
Erik Rasmussen, Wichita           46  55  11   66
Phil Kitson, Baltimore            43  39  27   66
Keith Furphy, Cleveland           48  40  22   62
Thompson Usiyan, Minnesota        47  36  26   62
Mike Stankovic, Baltimore         42  33  26   59
Rick Davis, St. Louis             40  27  31   56
Gerry Gray, Chicago               24  19  40   58
Stuart Lee, Los Angeles           48  42  15   57

LEADING GOALKEEPERS   (Min. 1400 minutes to qualify)

                              GP    Min. Sho  Svs   GA   W-L   GAA
Scott Manning, Baltimore     36   2080  872  411  135  23-11  3.89
Slobo Iljevski, St. Louis    30  1681   744  396  112  11-12  4.00
Jim Gorsek, San Diego        30  1665   803  381  112   19-8  4.04
Manny Schwartz, Kansas City  40  2192  1105  546  152  19-15  4.16
Alan Mayer, Las Vegas        30  1759   801  370  124  17-12  4.23
Victor Nogueira, Chicago     43  2240   994  501  162  23-15  4.34
Tino Lettieri, Minnesota     45  2672  1193  614  198  24-21  4.45
Cris Vaccaro, Cleveland      27  1453   774  346  108   16-8  4.46
Mike Dowler, Wichita         41  2394   992  490  179  20-20  4.49
John Baretta, Tacoma         31  1637   809  402  127  11-13  4.65
Peter Mowlik, Pittsburgh     27  1452   718  371  114  11-13  4.71
Mike Mahoney, Los Angeles    40  2219  1021  554  176  20-18  4.76
David Brcic, NY/Wichita      27  1601   856  476  133   9-17  4.98
Jan Van Beveren, Dallas      30  1727   835  385  176   6-22  6.11
 
Most Valuable Player:  Steve Zungul, San Diego Sockers
Coach of the Year:  Peter Wall, Los Angeles Lazers
MISL Scoring Champion:  Steve Zungul, San Diego Sockers
MISL Pass Master (most Assists):  Steve Zungul, San Diego Sockers
Defender of the Year:  Kevin Crow, San Diego Sockers
Goalkeeper of the Year:  Scott Manning, Baltimore Blast
Rookie of the Year:  Ali Kazemaini, Cleveland Force
Championship Series Player of the Year:  Steve Zungul, San Diego Sockers

All-MISL team:

G - Scott Manning, Baltimore
D - Mike Stankovic, Baltimore
D - Branko Segota, San Diego
M - Kevin Crow, San Diego
F - Steve Zungul, San Diego
F - Karl-Heinz Granitza, Chicago

American Indoor Soccer Association

Just as the NASL was in its death throes, another league began play. Sensing the success and growth of indoor soccer, a group of investors launched a new league, the American Indoor Soccer Association. Originally named the American Professional Indoor Soccer League (APISL), the AISA focused its attention on fielding primarily American players, unlike the MISL which included a large number of foreign stars on its rosters. The league was actually founded in March 1984 and began its first season in November, in six cities in the Midwest, with a 40 game schedule. Players were mostly unknowns, with an exception being former college standout Jim Gabarra, who began play with the Louisville Thunder. In effect, the league acted for a time as a second division circuit, and it was not until the late 80’s that they began to seriously compete with the MISL for indoor dominance.

The league season was won by the Canton Invaders, who were not a scoring powerhouse, but fielded the best defensive unit and top goalkeeper Mike Barbarick. The Columbus Capitals were the scoring dynamos, landing 303 balls in the net, 59 of them from league leading scorer Lesh Shkreli. Louisville took the third spot while Kalamazoo, Milwaukee and Chicago battled until the end of the season for the final playoff spot, won by Kalamazoo. Louisville upset Columbus in the playoffs, while Canton cruised to the finals where they defeated Louisville 9-6, 8-7, 4-11 and 3-1 to win the first league championship.

                1984-85 AISA Final league Standings

                            G   W   L    #   GB   GF  GA
Canton Invaders            40  31   9  .775  --  263  187
Columbus Capitals          40  26  14  .650   5  305  261
Louisville Thunder         40  21  19  .525  10  225  202
Kalamazoo Kangaroos        40  15  25  .375  16  208  243
Chicago Vultures           40  14  26  .350  17  194  267
Milwaukee Wave             40  13  27  .325  17  213  248

Semifinals:     Canton defeated Kalamazoo 6-5(OT), 7-3, 4-6, 6-5(OT)
                Louisville defeated Columbus 11-10, 14-12, 9-2
FINALS:         Canton defeated Louisville 9-6, 8-7, 4-11, 3-1

Leading Scorers                   GP   G   A   TP
Lesh Shkreli, Columbus           40  59  44  103
Neil Ridgeway, Kalamazoo         40  48  28   76
Kia Zolgharnain, Canton          40  49  25   74
Salvador Valencia, Chicago       37  44  26   70
Peter Knezic, Milwaukee          40  24  46   70
Jim Gabarra, Louisville          33  44  23   67
Mike Fall, Louisville            38  29  37   66
Art Kramer, Canton               38  39  24   63
Tim Sedlacek, Milwaukee          39  41  21   62
Tony Johnson, Columbus           38  35  25   60

LEADING GOALKEEPERS   (Min. 660 minutes to qualify)

                             GP   Min.  Sho  Svs   GA   W-L   GAA
Mike Barbarick, Canton       28  1588  1359  491  114   20-7  4.27
Rick Schweizer, Louisville   37  2155  1902  806  177  19-18  4.93
Bill Naumovski, Canton       15   810   710  279   73   11-2  5.40
Bernie Watt, Kalamazoo       20  1186   985  427  109   7-12  5.51
Sepp Gantenhammer, Columbus  12   664   595  193   65   10-0  5.87

Most Valuable Player:  Lesh Shkeli, Columbus Capitals
Coach of the Year:  Klaas deBoer, Canton Invaders
Defender of the Year: Oscar Pisano, Canton Invaders
Goalkeeper of the Year:  Rick Schweizer, Louisville Thunder

All-AISA team:

G - Rick Schweizer, Louisville Thunder
D - oscar Pisano, Canton Invaders
D - Tom Alioto, Milwaukee Wave
M - Pete Knezic, Milwaukee Wave
F - Lesh Shkreli, Columbus Capitals
F - Kia Zolgharnain, Canton Invaders

United Soccer League (Div. 2)

The USL just barely survived to see its second season. Although attendance was respectable, close to that of the ASL in its last season, the team owners did not have the deep pockets of the NASL, and the revenues were simply not enough to keep the league going. Four teams managed to survive long enough to begin the first half of the season, a rather shirt six game set. The league averaged 2,534 in attendance in this season. The league planned hold a 12-game second half, before playing a championship series, but right after the end of the first half, creditors, citing major unpaid debts foreclosed on the league. Without warning, the administration was locked out of their offices, and the league came to a sudden end. By this time, outdoor soccer had almost vanished from the country outside of the amateur leagues.

                   Final USL League Standings, 1985

Before the season, Tulsa and El Paso/Juarez were added.  Ft. Lauderdale 
changed their name to South Florida.


                            G   W   T   L   GF  GA    %   
South Florida Sun           6   4   0   2    9   8  .667
Dallas Americans            6   3   0   3   12   9  .500 
Tulsa Tornados              6   3   0   3    7   7  .500 
El Paso/Juarez Gamecocks    6   2   0   4   10  15  .333 

CHAMPION:  South Florida (No playoffs)

The league had been scheduled to play a 12 game second half of the seson, 
but folded abruptly before that session could start.

Leading Scorers                   GP   G   A   TP
Josue Portillo, El Paso/Juarez    6   8   0    8
Mark Schwartz, South Florida      5   3   1    4
Hassan Nazari, Dallas             5   3   1    4
Boris Bandov, South Florida       6   0   4    4
Nene Cubillas, South Florida      2   1   2    3
Zequinha, Tulsa                   4   1   2    3
Joe Rausch, Dallas                5   1   2    3
Miguel Carcamo, El Paso/Juarez    5   0   3    3
Tom Fazekas, Dallas               5   3   0    3
Arnaldo Correa, El Paso/Juarez    6   2   1    3
Tony Crescitelli, South Florida   6   2   1    3

Leading Goalkeepers: (Min. 400 minutes)
                           GP  Min  SH  SV  SO GA GAA
Delroy Allen, Tulsa         5  434  60  17  0  6  1.24
Jim Tietjens, So. Florida   6  540  75  21  1  8  1.33
Randy Phillips, Dallas      5  470  62  16  1  9  1.72
Willie Villalobos, El Paso  5  470  73  17  1 13  2.49


Western Soccer Alliance (Div. 3)

On July 3 of 1985, a short time after the demise of the USL, outdoor professional soccer was born again as four independent West Coast teams created the Western Alliance Challenge Series. These included the San Jose Earthquakes, The Riptide from Victoria, British Columbia, and F. C. Portland & F. C. Seattle, two amateur teams. The series was established an a way to provide the regional soccer fans some meaningful competition, after the demise of the NASL and USL, and the cancellation of overseas tours by Aston Villa and West Bromwich Albion. Those tours had been cancelled in the wake of FIFA’s ban on international competition by English clubs. They played home and away against each other, and also played games against the Edmonton Brickmen and Canadian National Team. Although not part of the Challenge standings, the clubs also played matches against some top touring teams including Santos of Brazil and Sporting Lisbon of Portugal. San Jose won the series. Although Victoria quit the alliance, the event was well received by the fans and the remaining teams voted to establish a full-fledged league and expand for 1986. The opening game had attracted 2,906 fans to Portland’s Civic Stadium. From these humble beginnings, was eventually born the A-League which stood in the 21st century as the national 2nd division league for the US, and FIFA-recognized first division league for Canada.

                  Final WSA League Standings, 1985
San Jose Earthquakes          7   4   1   2   10   9  13
Victoria Riptide              7   3   1   3   16  11  10
F. C. Seattle                 7   3   1   3   13  13  10
F. C. Portland                7   1   2   4    8  16   5

LEAGUE CHAMPION:  San Jose

There were games played against Edmonton Brickmen and a game against the
Canadian National team.  The combined record of these games was 2-1-1 in favor
of the non-league teams.  Also included is a game against the Canadian National
Team.

After the season, Victoria withdrew from the league.

The US Men’s National Team

The Men’s national team began 1985 with a major challenge: With the folding of the NASL, the US players were left without a place to maintain the outdoor playing experience they needed to remain competitive. The team had made it through the first round of qualifying, but just barely. Even their victories game against one of the smallest teams in CONCACAF, and that while playing with a two-man advantage.

The team prepared for the next round with friendlies against Switzerland in February, and a home and away series against Canada in April. The results were underwhelming. Although they managed a draw against Switzerland, it was not against their strongest team, a common occurrence with friendly matches. With the loss of the NASL, the active roster of players resided on Major Indoor Soccer League teams, with some college players, some with amateur clubs and a few who were temporarily without a team. This lead to a lack of cohesion, and the MISL players had been playing for several months in a very different kind of game that they would face in Qualifying.

The impact of this was immediately apparent: Against Canada, they were shut out 2-0 in Vancouver and managed a draw two days later in Portland off a goal by Hugo Perez. In May, the qualification round pitted the US in two-leg series against Trinidad & Tobago and Costa Rica. The US actually did fairly well against Trinidad, defeating them 2-1 and 1-0, with goals coming from Paul Caligiuri, Chico Borja and Mark Peterson. The US had the home field advantage for both games because of an arrangement with the Trinidad federation. The next game was the Americans’ best in the series, a hard-fought 1-1 draw in front of a hostile Costa Rican crowd.

The US needed to win the final game to advance, and things looked good as that game would be back in the States. But in a major mistake, it was played at Torrance, California in front of a strongly Costa Rican crowd. The US simply couldn’t find their mark, and with their scoring effectively shut down, they lost 1-0 on May 31, and were eliminated exactly one year to the start of the World Cup. The 1986 World Cup, held in Mexico, was won by Argentina who defeated Germany 3-2 in the final.

After this heartbreaking and unexpected elimination, the US was ill prepared for a friendly against England on June 16. Despite a relatively friendly Los Angeles crowd, they were shut out 5-0.

In the 1985 U-17 World Championship, the inaugural tournament, the United States U-17 team qualified for the first U-17 World Championships, and as of 2000, has qualified for every tournament. However, in 1985, they did not make it out of pool play to the eight-team quarterfinals.

            USA Men's National Team results (+ = not full internationals)

    1985 Totals:  2W,  3D,  3L
=======================================================================
Jun 16 85  L 0-5  England                    Los Angeles, CA, USA
May 31 85  L 0-1  Costa Rica                 Torrance, CA, USA (WCQ'86)
May 26 85  D 1-1  Costa Rica                 Alajuela, Costa Rica (WCQ'86)
               Kerr
May 19 85  W 1-0  Trinidad                   Torrance, CA, USA (WCQ'86)
               Caligiuri
May 15 85  W 2-1  Trinidad                   St. Louis, MO, USA (WCQ'86)
               Borja, Peterson
Apr 04 85  D 1-1  Canada                     Portland, OR, USA
               Perez
Apr 02 85  L 0-2  Canada                     Vancouver, Canada
Feb 08 85  D 1-1  Switzerland                Tampa, FL, USA
               Van Der Beck

The US Women’s National Team

Although it was hardly noticed by the press, or even much of the soccer world, a momentous event took place on August 18, 1985, as the US Women’s National team played its first ever game. With the growth of women’s soccer in the colleges it was natural that a national team would eventually be formed. Interestingly, the US was actually a little behind a number of other countries in establishing the team, but made up for this with the incredibly quick rise to world dominance.

The team was coached by Mike Ryan, and featured such names as Enos, Boyer, Orrison, Bender and Wyant. Not exactly household names today, and the first game was hardly anything to write home about either, a 0-1 loss to host Italy in the town of Jesolo. Over the next week, three more games were played in the region, a 2-2 draw with Denmark, a 1-3 loss to England and a 1-0 loss to Denmark. Thus, was finished their first year. The players went their separate ways, with the team not to group until well into 1986, under a new coach, the legendary Anson Dorrance of the University of North Carolina. An interesting footnote was the second game. The US lead the scoring, and the first goal ever scored for the Americans was scored by a young collegian from the University of Central Florida, Michelle Akers-Stahl, who would be widely considered the greatest women’s player in history when she retired in early 2000.

             USA Women's National Team Results
=============================================================================
     1985 results:   0W, 1D, 3L  
Aug 24 85  L 0-1  Denmark                    Jesolo, Italy
Aug 23 85  L 1-3  England                    Caorle, Italy
               Akers
Aug 21 85  D 2-2  Denmark                    Jesolo, Italy
               Akers, Pickering
Aug 18 85  L 0-1  Italy                      Jesolo, Italy

The College Game

In the NCAA Division 1 tournament, third round action saw Hartwick defeat Boston University 1-0. American defeated South Carolina 2-0, Evansville defeated Penn State 1-0, and UCLA defeated Southern Methodist 2-0. In the semifinals, American defeated Hartwick 1-0 and UCLA defeated Evansville 3-1. The championship match was held in Seattle, Washington on December 14, where UCLA defeated American 1-0 in EIGHT overtimes to win the national championship.

In the NCAA Division 2 tournament, second round action saw New York Tech defeat Southern Connecticut State 3-1. Florida International defeated Missouri-St. Louis 1-0, Davis & Elkins defeated Gannon 2-1, and Seattle Pacific defeated Cal State-Northridge 3-2. In the semifinals, Florida International defeated New York Tech 4-1, and Seattle Pacific defeated Davis & Elkins 2-1. The championship was held in Miami, FL, on December 7, where Seattle Pacific defeated Florida International 3-2.

In the NCAA Division 3 tournament, third round action saw UNC-Greensboro defeat Salem State 3-0. Fredonia State defeated Union 2-1, Washington (Mo.) defeated Univ. of Cal. San Diego 1-0 on penalty kicks, and Rowan defeated Elizabethtown 4-3. In the semifinals, UNC-Greensboro defeated Fredonia State 2-0 and Washington (Mo.) defeated Rowan 2-1. The championship was held in St. Louis, MO on December 8 where UNC-Greensboro defeated Washington (Mo) 2-1 for the national championship.

In the NCAA Women’s tournament, second round action saw Massachusetts defeat Boston College 3-0. George Mason defeated Cortland State 1-0, North Carolina defeated North Carolina State 4-2, and Colorado College defeated Univ. Cal. at Santa Barbara 3-0. In the semifinals, George Mason defeated Massachusetts 3-0, and North Carolina defeated Colorado College 3-2. The championship was held in Fairfax, VA on November 24, where George Mason defeated North Carolina 2-0 to take the national title.

NAIA Championship: (Men) West Virginia Weslayen defeated Fresno Pacific 4-3 (4 overtimes).

NAIA Championship: (Women) Westmount defeated Puget Sound, 4-2.

NJCAA Men’s Championship: Florissant Valley Community College 2, Mercer County Comm. Coll. 0

NJCAA Women’s Championship: Monroe Community College 1, Nassau Comm. Coll. 0

NCCAA Division 1 Championship: The King’s College

NCCAA Division 2 Championship: Philadelphia College of Bible 3, Moody Bible Institute 0

Coaches' Final Division 1 Poll - Men:

1.  Evansville
2.  UCLA
3.  Hartwick
4.  Clemson
5.  American
6.  South Carolina
7.  Virginia
8.  UNLV
9.  Connecticut
10. Southern Methodist

Coaches' Final Division 1 Poll - Women:

1.  George Mason
2.  North Carolina
3.  Massachusetts
4.  Colorado College
5.  Cortland State
6.  Wisconsin
7.  Boston College
8.  UC Santa Barbara
9.  William & Mary
10. Brown

College All-Americans - Men:

G - Tim Borer, old Dominion
D - Paul Caligiuri, UCLA
D - Shaun Pendleton, Akron
D - Michael Reynolds, George Mason
M - John Kerr, Duke
M - Mark Metrick, Hartwick
M - Bruce Murray, Clemson
F - Michael Brady, American
F - Eric Eichmann, Clemson
F - Thomas Kain, Duke
F - Sam Sumo, George Mason

College All-Americans - Women:

G - Janine Szpara, Colorado College
D - Debbie Belkin, Massachusetts
D - Sharon Hoag, Colorado College
D - Cathy Klein, Cortland State
D - Megan McCarthy, William & Mary
D - Colleen O'Day, Brown
F - Pam Baughman, George Mason
F - Lori Bessmer, Cortland State
F - Kristin Bowsher, Massachusetts
F - Lisa Gmitter, George Mason
F - April Heinrichs, North Carolina

Hermann Trophy: Thomas Kain, Duke

NSCAA Division 1 Coach of the Year: Peter Mehlert, American

ISAA Player of the Year: Michael Brady, American

ISAA Goalkeeper of the Year: Warren Lipka, South Carolina


Other Action

1985 US Open Cup Final: On June 30, San Francisco Greek-American A. C. defeated St. Louis Kutis 2-1.

1985 National Amateur Cup Final: On June 30, Washington DC Club Espana defeated Washington FC Mitre Eagles 2-1.

James P. McGuire (U-19 Men) Cup: Columbia (MD) Jays

Athena (U-19 Women) Cup: Sting, Dallas

CONCACAF Nations Cup: This was actually the CONCACAF World Cup qualifying tournament. The USA finished 2-1-1 in pool play, good for second place. Unfortunately, this was not enough to qualify. Canada took to spot and went to the Cup (See National Team section above.)

World U-20 Championship: The US failed to qualify. Brazil defeated Spain 1-0 for the title.

World U-16 championship: The US lost to Guinea 1-0, beat Bolivia 2-1 and lost to China 3-1, failing to advance from pool play Nigaria defeated Germany 2-0 in the final.

CONCACAF Champions Cup: Chicago Croatian participated but did not advance. Olimpia (Honduras) defeated Defence Force (Trinidad & Tobago) 2-1 for the title.

CONCACAF U-17 Championship: The United States did not advance out of pool play. Mexico won the title, Costa Rica was second.

National Soccer Hall of Fame: In 1985, Gene Edwards and Don Greer were inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame. Mario Donnangelo was inducted into the National Intercollegiate Soccer Officials Association Hall of Fame.

USSF Male Player of the Year: Perry Van Der Beck

USSF Female Player of the Year: Sharon Remer