The Chicago Storm was an indoor soccer team in the Major Indoor Soccer League from 2004 to 2008 and the Xtreme Soccer League in 2009. The team folded after playing in a local indoor league, the Ultimate Soccer League.
History The Storm played home games during its first two seasons at the UIC Pavilion on the West Side of Chicago. Former Chicago Sting and Chicago Fire soccer great Frank Klopas coached the team during its first two seasons, and Ted Chronopoulos captained the team for their inaugural 2004 season. Chicago Sting leading scorer Karl-Heinz Granitza worked for the club's front office in 2005. In 2005–06, the Storm started the season with a 2–6 record but improved over the second half of the season to make the play-offs.
With attendance an issue, the team moved its home games to the newly built Sears Centre in Hoffman Estates, a northwest suburb of Chicago, for the 2006–07 season. Steve Morris, a former Illinois soccer player of the year, replaced Klopas as coach for the 2006–07 season.
The Storm had a developmental team in 2008 called the Tormenta. They made the playoffs that year despite a late season slide, but lost to Monterrey in the quarterfinals after losing on a golden goal.
After the MISL folded, the Storm played in the Xtreme Soccer League."TO THE XTREME!" After the XSL folded with just one year of play, the Storm joined the Ultimate Soccer League.
Year-by-year YearLeagueReg. seasonPlayoffsAttendance average2004–05MISL II6th MISL, 18-21Failed to qualify3,4082005–06MISL II4th MISL, 13-17Lost Semifinal1,5302006–07MISL II2nd MISL, 17-13Lost Semifinal2,4732007–08MISL II5th MISL, 15-15Lost Quarterfinal3,6092008–09XSL4th XSL, 7-13 No Playoffs2,6112009–10USL1st USL, 11-1UnknownNot Recorded
Final squad
Head coaches Frank Klopas 2004–2006 Steve Morris 2006–2009 Branko Savic 2009–2011
Retired numbers No. 12 Karl-Heinz Granitza
Arenas UIC Pavilion 2004–2006 Sears Centre 2006–2009 Chicago Sports Zone 2009–2010
References
External links Official site