The Way American Soccer Should Be (An Alternate Dynasty)

[bbgunn]

The year: 1985. The North American Soccer League had imploded the year before. Indoor soccer was threatening to take over the soccer scene in the United States. Something had to be done.

This is a fast-sim, alternate-universe American soccer dynasty – my vision of what soccer in the U.S. could have been. It branches out from a real-life event: when the NASL folded in the mid-1980s.

[bbgunn]

New outdoor soccer league announced

October 1985 – The United States Soccer Federation (USSF), along with the Canadian Soccer Association and a consortium of wealthy businessmen, have announced the formation of the American Soccer Conference, or ASC. The new, outdoor soccer league will officially be the highest form of professional soccer in the United States and Canada.

U.S. Soccer chairman Richard Hansfield held a press conference yesterday to announce the new league. Naturally, reporters had many questions.

When will the ASC begin play?
The ASC will begin play in the fall of 1986. It will follow a calendar that runs through winter, similar to that of European leagues.

How many teams will there be?
We will have eight teams for the first season. The Toronto Blizzard and Minnesota Strikers, two teams from the defunct NASL, have already signed on. So have three other teams: the Boston Bolts and Tampa Bay Rowdies, who are leaving the American Soccer League, and F.C. Portland, who will leave the Western Soccer Alliance. We are in negotiations to have three more teams for 1986-1987.

Eventually, our goal is to have more teams than that. We hope to break the ASC into multiple divisions with promotion and relegation, like what they do in Europe.

Promotion and relegation? Will that work in the U.S.?
I strongly believe that this type of system will work here. While the first teams will be special cases, eventually we want to attract strong, local football clubs with a grassroots fan base. We want to bring them up through the pyramid if they are good enough, for example, from Third Division to Second to First. Such teams will be well-rooted in the community, and will help us to avoid many of the problems that plagued the NASL.

Will there be a salary cap?
Yes, there will be. We do not want overspending here. In fact, what we want our league to do is develop star American players. That will be cheaper than splurging on loads of foreign talent.

[bbgunn]

Eight teams announced for inaugural ASC season

December 1985 - The ASC has announced the finalization of its first eight teams:

BOSTON BOLTS
Stadium: Nickerson Field
Team Colors: purple and white
Manager: Eric Williams, age 39

MINNESOTA STRIKERS
Stadium: Metrodome (Minneapolis)
Team Colors: orange and red
Manager: David Andrews, age 43

NEW JERSEY EAGLES
Stadium: Paterson Stadium (Paterson, N.J.)
Team Colors: red and blue
Manager: Ed Kelly, age 45
Star Players: M Paul Caligiuri, age 22

F.C. PORTLAND
Stadium: Civic Stadium
Team Colors: green and yellow
Manager: Lothar Osiander, age 47

F.C. SEATTLE
Stadium: Memorial Stadium
Team Colors: blue and white
Manager: Ron Blast, age 43

TAMPA BAY ROWDIES
Stadium: Tampa Stadium
Team Colors: green and white
Manager: Don Manning, age 48

TORONTO BLIZZARD
Stadium: Varsity Stadium
Team Colors: red and blue
Manager: Finch Jones, age 51

VICTORIA RIPTIDES
Stadium: Victoria Stadium
Team Colors: red and white
Manager: Bob Gansler, age 45

The ASC will begin play in the fall of 1986.

[bbgunn]

Now for a little out-of-character explanation about what I am doing. Inspired by Rawhide's Alternate Rugby League Dynasty, I'm doing an Excel-simulated, fast-sim dynasty about what American soccer could have been.

I will be using a coach system similar to Rawhide's dynasty, as that is a great idea and I hope Rawhide does not mind me borrowing it for this dynasty. I will use a star player system, too. Both of these are just for fun and have no impact on a team's performance. There is an exception, though: a manager will have a bonus if they win a championship or a U.S. Open Cup.

One thing that I will try to do is include some real-life American history in this dynasty. The charter teams really did exist in the mid 1980s. There will also be some soccer personalities relative to the time period. For example, managers Lothar Osiander and Bob Gansler are coaching at Portland and Victoria, respectively, while midfielder Paul Caligiuri is a star with the New Jersey Eagles. If you have any suggestions about real-life personalities that could be included, let me know.

This could also be partially interactive. If you would like to become a manager or player, or a player-then-manager, in this dynasty, just let me know. Also, with expansion coming up, if you want a team in a certain city or area, or have a suggestion for a team nickname, let me know.

[bbgunn]

ASC announces creation of Second Division

June 1986 - With the inaugural American Soccer Conference season starting up in just three months, the United States' newest outdoor soccer league has announced the formation of a second division to begin play in the ASC's second season in 1987-1988.

The eight current ASC teams – those that will play in 1986-1987 – will constitute the ASC First Division the following season. Eight new teams will form the ASC Second Division. Those teams are as follows:

Edmonton Brickmen
Fort Lauderdale Flight
Los Angeles Heat
Miami Sharks
New York Cosmos
San Jose Earthquakes
San Diego Nomads
Washington Diplomats

There will be promotion and relegation between the two divisions. The last place team from the First Division will swap places with the first place team from the Second Division.

The addition of the New York Cosmos is bound to excite some fans who remember the heyday of the original Cosmos in the North American Soccer League, which folded in 1984.

“We are happy to have on board one of the most recognizable brands in American soccer,” ASC commissioner Doug Watkins said in a statement.

[bbgunn]

ASC 1986-1987 Season
The inaugural season is here! Teams will play each other home and away, twice over, for a 28-game schedule.

STANDINGS
Note: two points are awarded for a win, one for a draw.

TEAM		W	D	L	Pts	Manager
*New Jersey	15	6	7	36	Ed Kelly
Portland	12	8	8	32	Lothar Osiander
Seattle		13	5	10	31	Ron Blast
Victoria	11	8	9	30	Bob Gansler
Toronto	        13	3	12	29      Finch Jones
Boston		9	7	12	25	Eric Williams
Tampa Bay	9	6	13	24	Don Manning
Minnesota	5	7	16	17	David Andrews

US Open Cup Final – Minnesota Strikers def Victoria Riptides
MVP - M Paul Caligiuri, New Jersey

[bbgunn]

ASC Offseason – 1987

In a busy offseason, three managers were dismissed for their performances: Toronto's Finch Jones, Boston's Eric Williams, and Don Manning of Tampa Bay. However, due to eight new teams being added in the new Second Division, all of those managers were able to find new jobs. Jones signed with the San Diego Nomads, Williams landed with the Miami Sharks, and Manning stayed in Florida and joined the Fort Lauderdale Flight.

Meanwhile, Toronto hired experienced Jim Townsend, Boston took a chance on young, 37-year-old Mike Anderson, and Tampa Bay filled their managerial position with Sam Francis. Despite finishing dead last in the league, Minnesota's David Andrews did win the U.S. Open Cup, which allowed him to stay on with the Strikers.

NOTABLE FIRST DIVISION SIGNINGS AND CALL-UPS
Minnesota called up D Steve Trittschuh (age 22) from the reserve team.

New Jersey called up M Tab Ramos (age 18) from the reserve team.

F.C. Seattle signed M Samuel Caldwell (age 30) to a 5-year contract.

Tampa Bay signed F Ben Freeman (age 27) to a 3-year contract.

Toronto signed F Joe Jack (age 25) to a 2-year contract.

[bbgunn]

ASC SECOND DIVISION TEAMS: 1987-1988

EDMONTON BRICKMEN
Stadium: Commonwealth Stadium
Team Colors: green and red
Manager: Jason Bates

FORT LAUDERDALE FLIGHT
Stadium: Lockhart Stadium
Team Colors: gold and black
Manager: Don Manning

LOS ANGELES HEAT
Stadium: L.A. Coliseum
Team Colors: orange and white
Manager: Russell Harlan

MIAMI SHARKS
Stadium: Orange Bowl
Team Colors: light blue and gray
Manager: Eric Williams

NEW YORK COSMOS
Stadium: Shea Stadium
Team Colors: green and yellow
Manager: Ray Wilson

SAN DIEGO NOMADS
Stadium: Jack Murphy Stadium
Team Colors: brown and white
Manager: Finch Jones

SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES
Stadium: Spartan Stadium
Team Colors: blue and black
Manager: Graham Crull

WASHINGTON DIPLOMATS
Stadium: RFK Stadium
Team Colors: Red and gray
Manager: D.D. Powderly

[bbgunn]

ASC 1987-1988 Season

FIRST DIVISION STANDINGS

TEAM		W	D	L	Pts	Manager
Seattle		14	6	8	34	Ron Blast
Victoria	12	7	9	31	Bob Gansler
Portland	11	8	9	30	Lothar Osiander
Toronto	        13	3	12	29	Jim Townsend
New Jersey	9	10	9	28	Ed Kelly
Tampa Bay	8	10	10	26	Sam Francis
Minnesota	11	2	15	24	David Andrews
x-Boston	7	8	13	22	Mike Anderson

x-relegated to Second Division

First Division MVP – M Samuel Caldwell, F.C. Seattle

SECOND DIVISION STANDINGS

TEAM		W	D	L	Pts	Manager
y-New York	18	5	5	41	Ray Wilson
Edmonton	13	7	8	33	Jason Bates
Fort Lauder.	13	5	10	31	Don Manning
Washington	11	4	13	26	D.D. Powderly
San Jose	10	4	14	24	Graham Crull
Los Angeles	9	5	14	23	Russell Harlan
Miami		10	3	15	23	Eric Williams
San Diego	9	5	14	23	Finch Jones

y-promoted to First Division

U.S. Open Cup Final – F.C. Portland def. New York Cosmos

END-OF-SEASON REPORT:
F.C. Seattle only improved by three points from last season. However, that was enough to catapult them from third place to first place, giving manager Ron Blast his first trophy. Meanwhile, the previous champs New Jersey Eagles had the biggest drop, falling from first to fifth place.

Boston Bolts manager Mike Anderson did not have a great rookie season, as his team became the first ever in the ASC to be relegated. Meanwhile, the Minnesota Strikers, last season's U.S. Open Cup champions, improved enough to barely avoid relegation; however, manager David Andrews has a lot of work to do to make the Strikers a contender.

Boston's place in the First Division will be taken by the New York Cosmos, who won the first Second Division title. The Cosmos also proved they could be competitive with First Division clubs, as they made it all the way to the U.S. Open Cup final before losing to F.C. Portland.

[bbgunn]

ASC Offseason – 1988

There was only one managerial move in the offseason. The Boston Bolts let go of manager Mike Anderson after the team was relegated to the Second Division. They replace him with B.J. Burns.

TRANSACTIONS
The Minnesota Strikers called up 22-year-old Andy Mendenhall from the reserve team.

F.C. Seattle has signed 25-year-old defender Paul Phelps to a 3-year contract.



ASC to add two teams to Second Division, expand First Division to 10

July 1988 – The American Soccer Conference announced that they will be adding two new teams to their Second Division in time for the 1989-1990 season. In addition, the ASC will expand the First Division from eight to ten teams.

After the upcoming season, the last-place team in the First Division will be relegated, as usual. However, the top three teams in the Second Division will be promoted. With the two new teams being added to the Second Division, that will bring the number of teams in the First Division in 1989-1990 to ten, and the number of Second Division teams will remain the same (eight).

There has not yet been an announcement on which two teams will join the ASC in 1989-1990.

[gi]

Detroit would love a team.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by gi

Detroit would love a team.

As would the 1968 NASL Champions from Atlanta

[Qwikshot]

Philly!

[thealmighty]

If you are going for real life with your first star player, I'm going to assume (oftentimes a bad idea) that you mean Paul Caligiuri.

[bbgunn]

Originally Posted by thealmighty

If you are going for real life with your first star player, I'm going to assume (oftentimes a bad idea) that you mean Paul Caligiuri.

OOPS!!! Necessary edits have been made... thanks.

[Young Drachma]

Ooh... Nice idea!

[bbgunn]

ASC Preview – 1988-1989
The New York Cosmos rejoin the top level of professional American soccer for the first time since the NASL folded. Led by manager Ray Wilson, and with young 21-year-old midfielder John Harkes among its best players, the newly-promoted Cosmos are seeking to challenge the establishment. They not only ran away with the Second Division last season, but they also went on a Cinderella run in the U.S. Open Cup, knocking off several First Division teams in the process. While the Cosmos will most likely not win the First Division, they should finish somewhere in the middle of the pack.

So who will win the championship? Defending champs F.C. Seattle added help in the back line by signing defender Paul Phelps, a former indoor soccer player. They look to be the favorites this year, but they will be challenged by the New Jersey Eagles, who want to show that last year was an aberration. Look out for Portland and Victoria as well.

[bbgunn]

ASC 1988-1989 Season

FIRST DIVISION STANDINGS

TEAM			W	D	L	Pts	Manager
Tampa Bay Rowdies	18	4	6	40	Sam Francis
Victoria Riptides	16	2	10	34	Bob Gansler
F.C. Portland		13	5	10	31	Lothar Osiander
F.C. Seattle		12	6	10	30	Ron Blast
Minnesota Strikers	12	1	15	25	David Andrews
New Jersey Eagles	9	5	14	23	Ed Kelly
New York Cosmos	        8	5	15	21	Ray Wilson
x-Toronto Blizzard	7	6	15	20	Jim Townsend

x-relegated to Second Division

First Division MVP – F Ben Freeman, Tampa Bay Rowdies

SECOND DIVISION STANDINGS

TEAM			W	D	L	Pts	Manager
y-Boston Bolts	        18	4	6	40	B.J. Burns
y-Los Angeles Heat	14	7	7	35	Russell Harlan
y-Miami Sharks	        14	2	12	30	Eric Williams
San Diego Nomads	11	8	9	30	Finch Jones
Edmonton Brickmen	10	7	11	27	Jason Bates
Fort Lauderdale Flight  11	4	13	26	Don Manning
San Jose Earthquake     6	6	16	18	Graham Crull
Washington Diplomats    7	4	17	18	D.D. Powderly

y-promoted to First Division

U.S. Open Cup Final – Boston Bolts def Fort Lauderdale Flight

END-OF-SEASON REPORT:
Manger Sam Francis accomplished the largest single-season improvement in league history as the Tampa Bay Rowdies went from 26 to 40 points on the way to winning their first ASC First Division Championship. Forward Ben Freeman was named season MVP.

The western teams (Portland, Seattle, Victoria) continue to be the class of the First Division, while Minnesota continues to improve, little by little, under David Andrews.

However, the Toronto Blizzard were relegated to the Second Division after finishing the season poorly, a result that is likely to cost manager Jim Townsend his job.

In the Second Division, the Boston Bolts won the title and promotion under new manager B.J. Burns. They also won the U.S. Open Cup, beating Fort Lauderdale in a matchup of Second Division teams. Los Angeles and Miami also won promotion. (Miami edged out San Diego for the third promotion spot based on head-to-head competition.)

[bbgunn]

Originally Posted by Dark Cloud

Ooh... Nice idea!

Thanks, although it is not completely original.

[bbgunn]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

As would the 1968 NASL Champions from Atlanta

Detroit and Atlanta will be included in the next round of expansion, while Philly will follow.

[Rawhide]

This is great to read. Good luck with it!

[bbgunn]

Originally Posted by Rawhide

This is great to read. Good luck with it!

Thank you. I'll try to expand the ASC over the years, but I hope it doesn't become too big to manage!

[bbgunn]

ASC Offseason – 1989

NEW CLUBS
The American Soccer Conference is pleased to announce the addition of two more clubs:

ATLANTA CHIEFS
Colors: red and yellow
Stadium: Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium

MOTOR CITY FC (Detroit)
Colors: red and black
Stadium: Silverdome

Both clubs will be placed in the Second Division for 1989-1990.

In addition, F.C. Seattle announced a name change to Seattle Sounders, the name of the old NASL club that used to play in the city. The name Sounders still has a lot of meaning to those in Seattle, and the ASC club in the city, which won the championship in 1987-88, hopes that will translate into even more success.

MANAGER MOVEMENT
Out of last year's First Division teams, the only one with a job opening was relegated Toronto, who fired Jim Townsend after last season's disaster. The Blizzard replaced him with young Mike Anderson, who we last saw with Boston in 1987-88 when the Bolts were relegated.

There was a lot of movement in the Second Division. San Diego let go of Finch Jones, replacing him with former Toronto head man Jim Townsend. After two seasons, San Jose fired Graham Crull and hired in his place D.D. Powderly, who was fired by Washington. In Powderly's place, the Diplomats hired 53-year-old Timmy Truman, who makes his debut in the ASC after many years in lower leagues.

The two new clubs hired managers as well. Atlanta hired charismatic Orem Washington to lead their troops, while Motor City signed former San Jose manager Graham Crull.

TRANSACTIONS
There was only one major free agent signing: that of forward Joe Jack, who activated his relegation clause with the Toronto Blizzard. He signed with yearly contender F.C. Portland, making that team even better.

[bbgunn]

ASC announces long-term, gradual expansion

July 1989 – The American Soccer Conference announced yesterday that they will continue to add two teams to the conference every season for the foreseeable future, which eventually will expand the First Division to 20 teams in 1994.

Each season, two new teams will be added to the ASC Second Division. Meanwhile, one First Division team will be relegated at the end of the season, while three Second Division teams will be promoted. That will expand the First Division by two teams each season, while keeping the number of Second Division teams at eight. This will continue until the 1994-95 season, when the First Division will have 20 teams.

The ASC also indicated that, starting from 1995, the Second Division will be expanded as well, although no details were given at the time. The conference also stated that a Third Division will be created sometime after 1995.

Out-of-character note: If you have a suggestion for a city that could be represented by a new club, or even a team nickname, let me know.

[Rawhide]

I'd love to see some non-major league cities or states get represented in the Third Division when it comes online.

Just curious, are you going to factor in the 1994 World Cup? I'd imagine that in OTL, it would pose a big disruption to your competition. On the other hand, I've only realised that you're doing a winter competition, so the timing wouldn't matter a dot.

[bbgunn]

Originally Posted by Rawhide

I'd love to see some non-major league cities or states get represented in the Third Division when it comes online.

Just curious, are you going to factor in the 1994 World Cup? I'd imagine that in OTL, it would pose a big disruption to your competition. On the other hand, I've only realised that you're doing a winter competition, so the timing wouldn't matter a dot.

Yeah, it's a winter competition for now, but I am thinking of switching it to a summer one (I was thinking, wouldn't soccer attendance be quite low in the U.S. winter, especially in the Northeast?), in which case there would be a disruption for the World Cup. We'll see what happens... might make a good storyline.

The Third Division is what I'm looking forward to, personally, for the same reason you gave above.

[bbgunn]

Sorry for the slow pace in this dynasty, but I've been quite busy over the last couple of days, and I will be for a few more days. In addition, I've been making some tweaks to the spreadsheet I use for this dynasty. Anyway, I'll put up some new results as soon as I can.

[bbgunn]

Commissioner ousted from ASC, new commissioner appointed
August 15, 1989 – In a stunning development, the ten First Division teams of the American Soccer Conference have voted 9-1 to immediately remove the sitting commissioner from power. Those teams also voted 6-4 to replace the commissioner with former manager Finch Jones. The vote took place yesterday, only a few weeks before the season is to start.

The ouster comes as First Division teams are becoming very unhappy with the direction of the ASC. Among their concerns is the rapid expansion of the First Division to 20 teams by 1994, the year of the World Cup in the U.S. New commissioner Jones has stated his intent to stop expansion at 12 teams and grow the lower divisions instead.

“We are moving too fast,” Jones said. “We still have First Division teams that are not making a profit. Some of our Second Division teams are in dangerous financial waters as well. I think 12 teams per division is enough for the time being.”

The ASC will carry out their plan of expanding the First Division to 12 teams in 1990-91, but will stay there, while an eight-team Third Division is created in 1991-92. In addition to that, the number of games each First Division team will play will be reduced from 28 to 22 in 1990-91.

Jones has also said he will move the season to a spring-summer format as soon as possible, an idea that is catching on with many owners. “The end of the season and the U.S. Open Cup final rounds compete with the NBA and Stanley Cup playoffs,” Jones said. “A February-August season is better for us. That way, the end of the season will only compete against regular-season baseball and preseason football.”

The 54-year-old Finch Jones previously managed Toronto Blizzard from 1986-1987 and the San Diego Nomads from 1987-1989.

[bbgunn]

ASC 1989-1990: First Division
CHAMPIONS: Tampa Bay Rowdies

TEAM		GP	W	D	L	Pts	GF	GA	Gdiff	Manager
Tampa Bay	28	16	5	7	37	48	31	17	Sam Francis
Minnesota	28	14	6	8	34	49	37	12	David Andrews
Victoria	28	12	8	8	32	49	42	7	Bob Gansler
Portland	28	12	6	10	30	51	43	8	Lothar Osiander
Boston		28	11	8	9	30	48	46	2	B.J. Burns
Los Angeles	28	12	6	10	30	48	41	7	Russell Harlan
New Jersey	28	10	7	11	27	42	41	1	Ed Kelly
Seattle		28	10	6	12	26	42	45	-3	Ron Blast
New York	28	8	5	15	21	37	53	-16	Ray Wilson
x-Miami	        28	5	3	20	13	33	68	-35	Eric Williams

x – relegated to Second Division

Manager of the Year: David Andrews, Minnesota Strikers
MVP: F Eric Wynalda, Los Angeles Heat
Leading Goalscorer: F Eric Wynalda, Los Angeles Heat (20 goals)

The Tampa Bay Rowdies became the first team in ASC history to repeat as First Division champions. Manager Sam Francis became the first manager to win two First Division championships, and the first to do it back-to-back. However, there was some controversy involving the first-ever Manager of the Year award. Many thought that Francis should have received the award, but the winner was David Andrews of the second-place Minnesota Strikers, who took his team from 12-1-15 to 14-6-8.

Boston Bolts did well in their return to the First Division, and the Los Angeles Heat, in their first First Division season, also did well, finishing 6th out of ten teams. Young 20-year-old L.A. striker Eric Wynalda scored 20 goals, a single-season record, as he won both the MVP and the first-ever Leading Goalscorer award. Not bad at all.

[bbgunn]

ASC 1989-1990: U.S. Open Cup (entire results!)
Home teams are listed first.

First Round (Play-in)
Washington Diplomats 4-3 San Jose Earthquakes
San Diego Nomads 0-2 Toronto Blizzard

Round of 16
Minnesota Strikers 0-1 Washington Diplomats
Boston Bolts 4-3 Toronto Blizzard
Motor City FC 1-2 Seattle Sounders
Miami Sharks 1-2 F.C. Portland
New York Cosmos 0-1 Fort Lauderdale Flight
Los Angeles Heat 1-2 Victoria Riptides
Edmonton Brickmen 2-2 New Jersey Eagles (NJ wins on penalties 3-1)
Atlanta Chiefs 0-2 Tampa Bay Rowdies

Quarterfinals
Boston Bolts 2-3 F.C. Portland (extra time)
New Jersey Eagles 1-2 Tampa Bay Rowdies
Fort Lauderdale Flight 1-5 Seattle Sounders
Victoria Riptides 2-1 Washington Diplomats

Semifinals
F.C. Portland 3-1 Tampa Bay Rowdies
Seattle Sounders 4-2 Victoria Riptides (extra time)

Final (Rose Bowl, Los Angeles)
Seattle Sounders 4-4 F.C. Portland (Portland wins on penalties 5-4)

CHAMPIONS: F.C. Portland

F.C. Portland, and their manager Lothar Osiander, both win their second U.S. Open Cup in three years by beating rivals Seattle Sounders in a match that seemingly did not want to end. Both teams scored an amazing 4 goals each in regulation, then went through extra time before going to penalties.

[bbgunn]

ASC 1989-1990: Second Division

TEAM			GP	W	D	L	Pts	GF	GA	Gdiff	Manager
y-Toronto		28	16	6	6	38	63	39	24	Mike Anderson
y-Motor City		28	13	8	7	34	48	37	11	Orem Washington
y-Washington		28	10	11	7	31	49	44	5	Timmy Truman
San Jose		28	11	5	12	27	46	46	0	D.D. Powderly
Atlanta			28	10	6	12	26	43	55	-12	Graham Crull
Edmonton		28	9	7	12	25	43	54	-11	Jason Bates
San Diego		28	8	7	13	23	42	46	-4	Jim Townsend
Fort Lauderdale	        28	6	8	14	20	37	50	-13	Don Manning

y – promoted to First Division

[bbgunn]

ASC Offseason – 1990

Two new teams were added to the Second Division: F.C. Philadelphia 1776 and Chicago F.C. They will begin play this fall.

The only manager to be fired after last season was Eric Williams of the relegated Miami Sharks. He is the first manager in the ASC to be fired from two different teams, having been fired from Boston Bolts after the 1986-87 season. Miami replaced him with rookie manager Sergio Perez, who was an assistant in the Mexican Second Division.

Meanwhile, 58-year-old Jim Townsend retired from his post with San Diego Nomads after only one year with the team, saying he wanted to pursue other endeavors and spend time with his family. Townsend also managed the Toronto Blizzard from 1987-1989. San Diego replaced him with rookie manager Victor Hammsfield.

In player news, New Jersey Eagles captain Paul Caligiuri resigned with the team for the next five years.

[Rawhide]

When you look at what Andrews has done with Minnesota over the long-term, it's probably most deserving that he receives an award for coach of the year.

I wonder if Eric Williams will get another gig?

[gi]

Go Detroit!

[bbgunn]

Originally Posted by Rawhide

When you look at what Andrews has done with Minnesota over the long-term, it's probably most deserving that he receives an award for coach of the year.

I wonder if Eric Williams will get another gig?

Originally Posted by gi

Go Detroit!

Thanks for reading, guys. What Andrews has done is quite impressive. If there were relegation in the first year of the ASC, Minnesota would have been sent down. Now they are knocking on the door of a championship.

And Motor City getting promoted in their first year of existence is amazing!

[bbgunn]

More Offseason News – 1990

It's a sad day for Victoria fans, but a happy one for Vancouver fans.

The Victoria Riptides, consistently one of the First Division's best teams, have immediately moved east to Vancouver. The team will now be known as the Vancouver Whitecaps, borrowing the nickname of the city's team in the old North American Soccer League. As part of the deal, the Whitecaps will play one of their 11 home games in Victoria over the next five years.

The team released a statement thanking fans in the British Columbia provincial capital for their support over the years and expressing their hope that they will continue to support the team.

In other news, F.C. Portland are not going anywhere, but like Vancouver, they too will adopt the nickname of their city's former NASL team. The club will now be known as the Portland Timbers.


ASC First Division – 1990-91 Season Preview
Another season of First Division soccer is back! Last year, the Tampa Bay Rowdies became the first team to win back-to-back championships. Can manager Sam Francis lead them to three-in-a-row? Not if the Minnesota Strikers and Vancouver Whitecaps have anything to say about it. The Strikers feature the league's best back line, anchored by defensmen Steve Trittschuh (age 25) and Andy Mendenhall (24). Vancouver does not have any star players, but manager Bob Gansler has a cohesive and selfless group of players that can play with anybody.

The New Jersey Eagles should be improved, with midfielder Tab Ramos (20) showing signs of brilliance late last year. Meanwhile, forward Eric Wynalda (21) and the Los Angeles Heat are looking to move up, but the Heat lost a lot of players to free agency in the offseason.

At the other end, the most likely team to be relegated looks to be the Washington Diplomats, even though they have one of the best young goalkeepers in the game in Tony Meola (21). The two other promoted teams – Toronto Blizzard and Motor City F.C. – will be surprisingly competitive after acquiring some free agents. Motor City's defenseman Marcelo Balboa (23) was probably the best player in the Second Division last year.

In a late development, ASC commissioner Finch Jones announced that the last-place team in the First Division after the season would be relegated, while the Second Division champion would automatically be promoted to the First Division. Also, the next-to-last team in the First Division will play the Second Division runner-up in a one-game playoff, hosted by the First Division team. The winner would go to the First Division, and the loser would go to the Second Division.

[bbgunn]

ASC 1990-1991: First Division
CHAMPIONS: Seattle Sounders

TEAM		GP	W	D	L	Pts	GF	GA	Gdiff	Manager
Seattle		22	15	3	4	33	43	24	19	Ron Blast
Portland	22	11	5	6	27	43	35	8	Lothar Osiander
Tampa Bay	22	11	4	7	26	38	26	12	Sam Francis
Vancouver	22	10	5	7	25	46	38	8	Bob Gansler
Minnesota	22	11	3	8	25	40	34	6	David Andrews
Motor City	22	10	3	9	23	48	44	4	Graham Crull
Toronto	        22	7	9	6	23	41	37	4	Mike Anderson
Boston		22	9	5	8	23	40	40	0	B.J. Burns
New Jersey	22	9	5	8	23	32	35	-3	Ed Kelly
New York	22	5	7	10	17	34	42	-8	Ray Wilson
y-Los Angeles	22	5	2	15	12	27	50	-23	Russell Harlan
x-Washington	22	1	5	16	7	28	55	-27	Timmy Truman

x – relegated to Second Division
y – will play the Second Division runner-up in a Promotion Playoff

Manager of the Year: Graham Crull, Motor City F.C.
MVP: M Samuel Caldwell, Seattle Sounders
Leading Goalscorer: F Joe Jack, Portland Timbers (13 goals)

The Seattle Sounders become the second team to win two First Division titles with their victory this year. Manager Ron Blast joined Sam Francis as the only two men to manage teams to two championships. However, in the closest Manager of the Year vote yet, Blast lost to Motor City F.C. manager Graham Crull, who seems to be building a winner in Detroit. In only their second year of existence, and their first in the First Division, they finished sixth out of 12 teams, led the First Division in goals scored, and won more games than they lost.

At the other end of the spectrum, many experts picked the Washington Diplomats to be relegated, but who knew they would stink up the joint that badly? Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Heat will play the Second Division runner-up for the right to play in the First Division next year. A loss could cost manager Russell Harlan his job. Ed Kelly of the New Jersey Eagles and Ray Wilson of the New York Cosmos may lose their jobs as well.

[bbgunn]

ASC 1990-1991: U.S. Open Cup
Home teams are listed first.

First Round (Play-in)
San Jose Earthquakes 2-0 Edmonton Brickmen
Fort Lauderdale Flight 3-3 San Diego Nomads (SD wins on penalties 4-3)
Chicago F.C. 3-1 Miami Sharks
F.C. Philadelphia 1776 2-3 Atlanta Chiefs (extra time)

Round of 16
Tampa Bay Rowdies 3-1 San Jose Earthquakes
Boston Bolts 2-0 San Diego Nomads
Seattle Sounders 3-1 Chicago F.C.
Vancouver Whitecaps 2-2 Atlanta Chiefs (VAN wins on penalties 4-2)
New Jersey Eagles 3-3 New York Cosmos (NY wins on penalties 3-1)
Toronto Blizzard 2-0 Minnesota Strikers
Washington Diplomats 2-4 Portland Timbers
Motor City F.C. 0-2 Los Angeles Heat

Quarterfinals
Vancouver 2-0 Seattle
Los Angeles 3-3 Tampa Bay (LA wins on penalties 4-2)
Boston 2-1 New York
Toronto 3-1 Portland

Semifinals
Los Angeles 0-4 Vancouver
Toronto 2-1 Boston

Final (Rose Bowl, Los Angeles)
Toronto 2-3 Vancouver

CHAMPIONS: Vancouver Whitecaps

The Vancouver Whitecaps won veteran manager Bob Gansler his first trophy of any kind by beating the Toronto Blizzard in a surprisingly all-Canadian U.S. Open Cup final. It will be Vancouver's last U.S. Open Cup as well, thanks to an outcry from American supporters who claimed that the Cup should be for American teams only. U.S. Soccer closed the exception allowing Canadian teams to participate immediately after the final. The Canadian clubs announced their own competition in 1991-1992.

[bbgunn]

ASC 1990-1991: Second Division

TEAM		GP	W	D	L	Pts	GF	GA	Gdiff	Manager
z-Fort Lauderdal21	12	6	3	30	39	24	15	Don Manning
y-Philadelphia	21	9	5	7	23	34	30	4	Gerhard Becker
Miami		21	7	8	6	22	30	30	0	Sergio Perez
San Diego	21	8	5	8	21	31	31	0	Victor Hammsfield
San Jose	21	6	7	8	19	28	28	0	D.D. Powderly
Edmonton	21	8	3	10	19	31	32	-1	Jason Bates
Chicago	        21	7	4	10	18	29	38	-9	Chris Douglas
Atlanta		21	7	2	12	16	27	36	-9	Orem Washington

z – promoted to First Division
y – will play the Second Division runner-up in a Promotion Playoff

[bbgunn]

ASC 1990-1991: Promotion Playoff

Los Angeles 4-1 Philadelphia

The Los Angeles Heat will stay in the First Division, while F.C. Philadelphia 1776 will remain in the Second Division.

[bbgunn]

In order to save some time, I'm doing away with the star player system.

[bbgunn]

ASC Offseason

ASC Commissioner Finch Jones finally got his wish for a spring-summer season, as the owners voted for the immediate change. The next season will begin in February 1992 instead of September 1991.

In addition, Jones announced that there would be no new expansion teams for the 1992 season, but the ASC will create an 8-team Third Division the following season.

*****

Portland Timbers' manager Lothar Osiander has suddenly retired from the team at age 53. Here's a quick look at one of the more successful managers in the ASC's short history:

1986-87, Portland Timbers, 12-8-8, 2nd Place
1987-88, Portland Timbers, 11-8-9, 3rd Place (won U.S. Open Cup)
1988-89, Portland Timbers, 13-5-10, 3rd Place
1989-90, Portland Timbers, 12-6-10, 4th Place (won U.S. Open Cup)
1990-91, Portland Timbers, 11-5-6, 2nd Place

The Timbers have hired Don Manning away from the newly-promoted Fort Lauderdale Flight to replace Osiander.

There were many other managerial changes as well. After five seasons, the New Jersey Eagles let go of Ed Kelly and replaced him with manager Dave Wimstet (age 53), a veteran of minor soccer leagues. Kelly, who won one championship, did not have to wait long for a new position. He was hired as the new manager of Fort Lauderdale.

Despite their promotion playoff win, the Los Angeles Heat let go of Russell Harlan after four seasons and hired Jason Bates away from the Edmonton Brickmen of the Second Division. This was basically a manager trade; Harlan was subsequently hired by Edmonton.

The New York Cosmos fired Ray Wilson and hired Orem Washington away from the Atlanta Chiefs of the Second Division. The Chiefs then proceeded to hire Wilson to fill their vacancy.

[bbgunn]

ASC First Division – 1992 Season Preview
The change to a spring-summer season has come about, and after a long offseason fans are ready for some more soccer! Who will win it all this year? The easy advice? Take your pick between the defending champs Seattle Sounders, Tampa Bay Rowdies, Vancouver Whitecaps, and Minnesota Strikers. They all look like championship material. The Vegas bookies are giving a slight edge to the Rowdies. If that comes true, Tampa Bay would have their third championship in four seasons.

Last season was no fluke for Motor City F.C. They may be even better this year. Don't be surprised if they finish in third or fourth place. Last year's Manager of the Year Graham Crull is doing a great job in Detroit.

At the bottom of the table, new manager Ed Kelly should give the Fort Lauderdale Flight a good chance of avoiding relegation. Don't be surprised to see the Los Angeles Heat or the New York Cosmos relegated instead.

[Rawhide]

Come on Minnesota

[gi]

Ahhh..if only we had that team in Detroit...

Enjoying the format, thanks for investing the time in this dynasty!

[bbgunn]

Originally Posted by gi

Ahhh..if only we had that team in Detroit...

Enjoying the format, thanks for investing the time in this dynasty!

Thank you for reading it! This Detroit team is special, as you will soon see...

[bbgunn]

ASC 1992 Season
FIRST DIVISION CHAMPIONS: Tampa Bay Rowdies

TEAM		GP	W	D	L	Pts	GF	GA	Gdiff	Manager
Tampa Bay	22	13	4	5	30	55	30	25	Sam Francis
Motor City	22	12	5	5	29	42	34	8	Graham Crull
Minnesota	22	11	6	5	28	42	29	13	David Andrews
Vancouver	22	9	9	4	27	42	31	11	Bob Gansler
New Jersey	22	9	8	5	26	36	31	5	Dave Wimstet
Boston		22	7	7	8	21	31	40	-9	B.J. Burns
Portland	22	6	7	9	19	35	36	-1	Don Manning
Seattle		22	6	7	9	19	30	39	-9	Ron Blast
Los Angeles	22	7	5	10	19	35	44	-9	Jason Bates
Toronto	        22	5	6	11	16	37	43	-6	Mike Anderson
y-Fort Lauderd  22	2	12	8	16	28	42	-14	Ed Kelly
x-New York	22	4	6	12	14	24	38	-14	Orem Washington
x – relegated to Second Division
y – will play the Second Division runner-up in a Promotion Playoff

Manager of the Year: Graham Crull, Motor City F.C.

The Rowdies have done it again! Tampa Bay wins their third championship in four years. This one, however, certainly was not easy. Going into the last week of the season, first-place Tampa Bay was only one point ahead of Minnesota, Motor City and Vancouver, all with a shot at the championship. Motor City beat Seattle to go to 29 points, then Minnesota drew with Toronto to go to 28 points and eliminate themselves from the title. That left the nighttime matinee game, Tampa Bay-Vancouver, which became a virtual championship game as the winner would likely take the title. Tampa Bay did just that to win the trophy again.

Motor City's manager Graham Crull became the first man to win two Manager of the Year awards. The team from Detroit was not only extremely close to winning the title, but they also won the U.S. Open Cup (more on that later). Meanwhile, the Portland Timbers suffered their first losing season, and the Seattle Sounders continued their roller-coaster performance, playing their way to the club's second losing season ever (both sandwiching a championship in 1990-91).

Hopefully New York Cosmos manager Orem Washington enjoyed his brief stay in the First Division, as he may lose his job thanks to a 14-point performance which saw the Cosmos earn relegation.

SECOND DIVISION CHAMPIONS: San Jose Earthquakes

TEAM		GP	W	D	L	Pts	GF	GA	Gdiff	Manager
z-San Jose	21	12	2	7	26	42	31	11	Ziggy Lucas
y-Washington	21	9	5	7	23	43	35	8	Timmy Truman
Atlanta		21	9	5	7	23	33	29	4	Ray Wilson
Chicago	        21	8	6	7	22	36	35	1	Chris Douglas
Miami		21	6	7	8	19	34	38	-4	Sergio Perez
Edmonton	21	7	5	9	19	33	40	-7	Russell Harlan
Philadelphia	21	7	4	10	18	34	37	-3	Gerhard Becker
San Diego	21	6	6	9	18	30	40	-10	Victor Hammsfield

z – promoted to First Division
y – will play the First Division 11th place team in a Promotion Playoff

ASC 1992: Promotion Playoff


Washington 2
Fort Lauderdale 0


The Washington Diplomats are promoted to the First Division and the Fort Lauderdale Flight relegated.

[bbgunn]

ASC 1992: U.S. Open Cup
Home teams are listed last.

Play-in Round
Atlanta 1
San Diego 2

Round of 16
San Diego 1 (SD wins on pen 2-1)
San Jose 1

Boston 1
Los Angeles 2

Tampa Bay 2
Washington 1

Minnesota 2 (MIN wins on penalties 4-3)
Seattle 2

Motor City 4
Philadelphia 0

New York 0
Miami 1

Fort Lauderdale 1
New Jersey 2 (extra time)

Portland 3
Chicago 1

Quarterfinals – All four went to extra time!
Los Angeles 3 (extra time)
San Diego 2

Minnesota 1
Tampa Bay 2 (extra time)

Miami 1
Motor City 2 (extra time)

Portland 3
New Jersey 4 (extra time)

Semifinals
Tampa Bay 3
Los Angeles 2

New Jersey 1
Motor City 2

Final (Rose Bowl, Los Angeles)
Tampa Bay 1
Motor City 2

CHAMPIONS: Motor City F.C.

Motor City wins the first trophy in its history by beating the Tampa Bay Rowdies in the U.S. Open Cup final. Tampa Bay was quite close to becoming the first team to win the Double, but so was Motor City, who finished one point back in the First Division.

[bbgunn]

ASC 1992: Canadian Cup
The Canadian Cup features a double round-robin competition between the ASC's three Canadian teams: Edmonton, Vancouver and Toronto. The top team in the standings is the winner.

MATCH RESULTS
Edmonton 1
Vancouver 3

Toronto 3
Edmonton 0

Vancouver 2
Toronto 1

Vancouver 4
Edmonton 1

Edmonton 0
Toronto 2

Toronto 2
Vancouver 2

TEAM		W	D	L 	Pts
Vancouver	3	1	0	7
Toronto	        2	1	1	5
Edmonton	0	0	4	0

CHAMPIONS: Vancouver Whitecaps

[bbgunn]

As much as I want to do this, it takes too much time and work for my liking. With so many Excel spreadsheets to handle, and with me doing a lot of things manually, this is a beast that is hard to maintain control over. After taking some time to step back and evaluate this, I sadly declare this dynasty over.

Thanks to all that followed along, and my apologies. If a better way comes along in the future, I'll think about a redux.