The 1988–89 Major Indoor Soccer League season was the eleventh in league history and would end with the San Diego Sockers repeating as MISL champions. It was the Sockers' seventh indoor title in eight NASL and MISL seasons. The Sockers would win seventh games in both the semifinals and championship series.
Recap The league very nearly did not make it to the fall of 1988 as both labor negotiations and rising costs threatened to fold the league. The St. Louis Steamers, Minnesota Strikers, Cleveland Force and Chicago Sting dropped out over the course of the summer. Plans for a 60-game schedule were scrapped, and a new labor agreement was signed on July 16.
The remaining seven teams would play a 48-game schedule that would see the top five teams qualify for the playoffs. The fourth and fifth-place teams would play each other, while the first-place team would play the winner in the league semifinals. The second and third-place teams played in the other semifinal, and the semifinal winners would play in the league championship series.
After the season, the Los Angeles Lazers folded and new franchises were placed in St. Louis and Cleveland for the 1989–90 season.
Teams TeamCity/AreaArenaBaltimore BlastBaltimore, MarylandBaltimore ArenaDallas SidekicksDallas, TexasReunion ArenaKansas City CometsKansas City, MissouriKemper ArenaLos Angeles LazersInglewood, CaliforniaThe ForumSan Diego SockersSan Diego, CaliforniaSan Diego Sports ArenaTacoma StarsTacoma, WashingtonTacoma DomeWichita WingsWichita, KansasKansas Coliseum
Map of clubs
Regular season schedule
The 1988–89 regular season schedule ran from November 4, 1988, to April 18, 1989. At 48 games, it was a decrease of eight games per team compared to the previous season.
Final standings
Playoffs
Wildcard Series Tacoma vs. Wichita Date Away Home Attendance April 28 Wichita 4 Tacoma 1 4,193 April 29 Wichita 4 Tacoma 1 4,338 May 6 Tacoma 5 Wichita 4 9,320 May 8 Tacoma 2 Wichita 6 6,200 Wichita wins series 3-1
Semifinals
Baltimore vs. Wichita Date Away Home Attendance May 13 Wichita 4 Baltimore 5 7,105 David Byrne scored at 5:20 of overtime May 16 Wichita 4 Baltimore 6 5,450 May 18 Baltimore 6 Wichita 4 6,027 May 19 Baltimore 3 Wichita 6 6,102 May 22 Baltimore 5 Wichita 7 6,187 May 24 Wichita 1 Baltimore 11 6,194 Baltimore wins series 4-2
San Diego vs. Dallas Date Away Home Attendance May 3 Dallas 4 San Diego 7 6,483 May 6 Dallas 5 San Diego 4 9,289 May 12 San Diego 5 Dallas 4 6,285 Steve Zungul scored at 11:12 of overtime May 13 San Diego 3 Dallas 7 7,015 May 16 San Diego 1 Dallas 4 5,407 May 18 Dallas 2 San Diego 8 7,664 May 20 Dallas 0 San Diego 1 11,604 San Diego wins series 4-3
Championship Series Baltimore vs. San Diego Date Away Home Attendance May 29 San Diego 3 Baltimore 4 6,539 Billy Ronson scored at 7:02 of overtime May 30 San Diego 5 Baltimore 4 6,280 Steve Zungul scored at 2:46 of overtime June 2 Baltimore 2 San Diego 5 11,484 June 4 Baltimore 3 San Diego 4 11,147 June 6 Baltimore 6 San Diego 3 12,884 June 8 San Diego 0 Baltimore 7 6,990 June 10 San Diego 6 Baltimore 5 11,220 San Diego wins series 4-3
Regular season player statistics
Scoring leaders
GP = Games Played, G = Goals, A = Assists, Pts = Points Player Team GP G A Pts Preki Tacoma Stars 48 51 53 104 Chico Borja Wichita Wings 45 34 53 87 Dale Mitchell Kansas City Comets 47 46 36 82 Erik Rasmussen Wichita Wings 48 42 36 78 Hector Marinaro Los Angeles Lazers 44 47 28 75 Gary Heale Los Angeles Lazers 48 37 29 66 Tatu Dallas Sidekicks 43 35 29 64 Branko Segota San Diego Sockers 31 29 34 63 Peter Ward Tacoma Stars 47 41 19 60 Carl Valentine Baltimore Blast 46 31 26 57
Leading goalkeepers
Note: GP = Games played; Min – Minutes played; GA = Goals against; GAA = Goals against average; W = Wins; L = Losses Player Team GP Min GA GAA W LVictor Nogueira San Diego Sockers 33 1996 95 2.86 19 13 P.J. Johns Tacoma Stars 31 1946 114 3.51 18 13 Scott Manning Baltimore Blast 29 1596 102 3.83 17 9Joe Papaleo Dallas Sidekicks 24 1463 94 3.86 13 11Cris Vaccaro Wichita Wings 40 2298 154 4.02 22 14 Krys Sobieski Dallas Sidekicks 23 1415 98 4.16 11 12Slobo Ilijevski Baltimore Blast 23 1232 89 4.34 12 9Kris Peat Los Angeles Lazers 24 1273 94 4.43 14 8Mike Dowler Tacoma Stars 17 1068 82 4.60 5 12
Playoff Player Statistics
Scoring leaders
GP = Games Played, G = Goals, A = Assists, Pts = Points Player Team GP G A Pts Billy Ronson Baltimore Blast 13 17 8 25 Domenic Mobilo Baltimore Blast 13 16 6 22 Branko Segota San Diego Sockers 12 12 10 22 Chico Borja Wichita Wings 10 10 9 19 David Byrne Baltimore Blast 13 10 7 17
Leading goalkeepers
Note: GP = Games played; Min – Minutes played; GA = Goals against; GAA = Goals against average; W = Wins; L = Losses Player Team GP Min GA GAA W LJoe Papaleo Dallas Sidekicks 4 237 9 2.28 3 1Victor Nogueira San Diego Sockers 14 829 52 3.76 8 6 P.J. Johns Tacoma Stars 3 171 11 3.86 1 2 Scott Manning Baltimore Blast 13 740 48 3.89 7 5Cris Vaccaro Wichita Wings 10 569 44 4.64 5 5
All-MISL Teams First Team Position Second Team Victor Nogueira, San Diego GScott Manning, BaltimoreKevin Crow, San Diego DTim Wittman, BaltimoreBruce Savage, Baltimore DChico Moreira, WichitaChico Borja, Wichita MBranko Segota, San DiegoPreki, Tacoma FHector Marinaro, Los AngelesDale Mitchell, Kansas City FErik Rasmussen, Wichita
Honorable Mention Position P.J. Johns, Tacoma GFernando Clavijo, Los Angeles DMike Powers, Dallas DKai Haaskivi, Baltimore MTatu, Dallas FCarl Valentine, Baltimore F
League awards Most Valuable Player: Preki, Tacoma
Scoring Champion: Preki, Tacoma
Pass Master: Preki, Tacoma/Chico Borja, Wichita
Defender of the Year: Kevin Crow, San Diego
Rookie of the Year: Rusty Troy, Baltimore
Newcomer of the Year: Domenic Mobilio, Baltimore
Goalkeeper of the Year: Victor Nogueira, San Diego
Coach of the Year: Kenny Cooper, Baltimore
Championship Series Most Valuable Player: Victor Nogueira, San Diego
Championship Series Unsung Hero: Paul Daugherty, San Diego
Team Attendance Totals ClubGamesTotalAverageKansas City Comets24221,4659,228Wichita Wings24207,4658,644Dallas Sidekicks24205,6078,567San Diego Sockers24201,1868,383Baltimore Blast24196,0688,170Tacoma Stars24162,7516,781Los Angeles Lazers24116,7744,866OVERALL1681,311,3167,805
References
External links 1988-89 summary at The MISL: A Look Back 1989 page - Dallas Sidekicks Memorial Archive The Year in American Soccer - 1989