Houston Hurricane
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| Houston Hurricane | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Full name | Houston Hurricane | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Nickname(s) | Hurricane | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Founded | 1978 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Dissolved | 1980 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ground | Astrodome (Capacity 45,000) |
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| Chairman | Hans van der Mende | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Manager | Timo Liekoski Eckhard Krautzun |
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| League | North American Soccer League | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The Houston Hurricane was a soccer team based out of Houston that played in the NASL. They played from 1978 to 1980. Their home field was the Astrodome. Their colors were orange, white and red.
The team was the last of 6 expansion teams granted for the season and had about 3 months to sign players and sell tickets. Though the coach, Timo Liekoski, who had been an assistant with the Dallas Tornado, was capable, assembling a competitive team in so short a time would be daunting. In any case, the Hurricane placed last in its first season with 10 wins of 30 matches (there were no draws allowed in the NASL) and drew a miserable average attendance of 5,806, with only Chicago Sting and San Diego Sockers drawing worse in the 30-team league.
For 1979, the Hurricane did much better, winning the division with 22 wins in 30 matches, and Liekoski was awarded Coach of the Year honors. But the Hurricane could not do as well in the playoffs, losing to Philadelphia Fury in two straight losses. Attendance was better at 6,211 a match but still was next to last in the league - the worst, ironically, was Philadelphia. Considering that Kyle Rote, Jr. had joined the Hurricane that season, it would have to have to have been a disappointment. In any case, Rote left the Hurricane on a relief mission to Cambodia and later retired.
The Hurricane didn't do as well in what turned out to be their final season, placing second in the division and again losing in the playoffs versus Edmonton Drillers. They won 14 and lost 18 in the expanded schedule (now 32 matches) and attendance fell to 5,818 a match, with only Atlanta Chiefs and again, Philadelphia being the only teams with worse gates. That was enough for the Hurricane's owners (who were actually based in Denver, Colorado) and the team folded in late 1980.
[edit] Former Players
Mel Blyth (1980)- Paul Hammond (1978-80) [1]
- Stewart Jump (1978-80) [2]
- Brian Kettle (1978-79)
- Mark Lindsay Footballer) (1978-79) [3]
- Larry Lloyd (1978) [4]
Iain Anderson (Scottish footballer) (1978-79)
[edit] Year-by-year
| Year | League | W | L | T | Pts | Reg. Season | Playoffs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | NASL | 10 | 20 | — | 96 | 4th, American Conference, Central Division | Did not qualify |
| 1979 | NASL | 22 | 8 | — | 187 | 1st, American Conference, Central Division | Lost Conference Quarterfinal (Philadelphia) |
| 1979/80 | NASL Indoor | Did not enter | |||||
| 1980 | NASL | 14 | 18 | — | 130 | 2nd, American Conference, Central Division | Lost 1st Round (Edmonton) |
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