1981–82 NASL Indoor season

North American Soccer League 1981–82 Indoor season
Season 1981–82
Champions San Diego Sockers
(2nd title)
Premiers Edmonton Drillers
Matches played 117
Goals scored 1,392 (11.9 per match)
Top goalscorer Juli Veee
(51 goals)
Highest attendance 19,398[1]
(Tampa Bay @ Chicago)
Average attendance 6,202
1983 →

The 1981–82 season was the North American Soccer League's third indoor soccer season.

Overview

Thirteen of a possible 14 NASL teams participated. Fort Lauderdale was the only non-participant in the 18-game regular season. The Los Angeles Aztecs and the Minnesota Kicks had been schedules to participate but were unable, due to mounting financial issues. By early December both teams had folded. Other changes in the indoor structure included the separating of the teams into two conferences, each with two divisions. The Atlantic Conference contained the East and Central Divisions, while the Pacific Conference held the West and Northwest Divisions. During the regular season teams played eighteen matches within their conference only. Four teams from each conference advanced to the playoffs, which included the two division winners, along with the two non-division winners with the best won-loss record.[2][3][4] The championship series was broadcast live on ESPN.[5][6] The San Diego Sockers won the championship with a two-game finals sweep of the Tampa Bay Rowdies. This was the Sockers' first ever NASL title.

Regular season

W = Wins, L = Losses, GB = Games behind 1st place, % = Winning percentage, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against

Atlantic Conference

East DivisionWLGB%GFGA
Montreal Manic9 9--.5009397
Toronto Blizzard8101.4448696
Jacksonville Tea Men7112.38986 106
New York Cosmos 6123.333102123
Central DivisionWLGB%GFGA
Chicago Sting 126--.667139 117
Tampa Bay Rowdies 117 1.611121113
Tulsa Roughnecks1082 .556128 103

Pacific Conference

West DivisionWLGB%GFGA
San Diego Sockers 108 --.556 147 110
Portland Timbers 711 3 .38986 103
San Jose Earthquakes 5135 .27883 141
Northwest DivisionWLGB%GFGA
Edmonton Drillers135-- .72213391
Vancouver Whitecaps1083.5569394
Seattle Sounders994.5009597

NASL All-Stars

[7]

Pacific Conference   Position   Atlantic Conference
Volkmar Gross, San Diego G Jürgen Stars, Tampa Bay
Alan Hudson, Seattle D Barry Wallace, Tulsa
Martin Donnelly, San Diego D Mike Connell, Tampa Bay
Jan Goossens, Edmonton F Tatu, Tampa Bay
Kai Haaskivi, Edmonton F Karl-Heinz Granitza, Chicago
Juli Veee, San Diego F Gordon Hill, Montreal

Playoffs

Bracket

First round
Best-of-3 		Conference Finals
Best-of-3 		Championship Series
Best-of-3
               
P1 Edmonton Drillers 8 12 -
P4 Seattle Sounders 6 4 -
P1 Edmonton Drillers 2 3 -
P2 San Diego Sockers 8 12 -
P2 San Diego Sockers 4 8 -
P3 Vancouver Whitecaps 3 4 -
P2 San Diego Sockers 9 10 -
A3 Tampa Bay Rowdies 6 5 -
A1 Chicago Sting 4 7(OT) 1
A4 Tulsa Roughnecks 5 6 3
A4 Tulsa Roughnecks 4 4 0
A3 Tampa Bay Rowdies 5 3 1
A2 Montreal Manic 7 3(OT) 1
A3 Tampa Bay Rowdies 8(OT) 2 2(3OT)

1st round

If a playoff series is tied after two games, a 15 minute, tie breaker mini-game is played.

Higher seed Lower seed Game 1 Game 2 Mini-game Attendance
Edmonton Drillers - Seattle Sounders 8–6 12–4 x February 17 • Kingdome • 4,112
February 20 • Northlands Coliseum • 6,027
San Diego Sockers - Vancouver Whitecaps 4–3 8–4 x February 19 • Pacific Coliseum • 5,128
February 21 • San Diego Sports Arena • 9,728
Montreal Manic - Tampa Bay Rowdies 7–8 (OT) 3–2 (OT) 1–2 (3OT) February 18 • Bayfront Center • 5,043
February 21 • Montreal Forum • 15,855
Chicago Sting - Tulsa Roughnecks 4–5 7–6 (OT) 1–3 February 16 • Expo Square Pavilion • 5,482
February 18 • Chicago Stadium • 16,077

Semi-finals

Higher seed Lower seed Game 1 Game 2 Mini-game Attendance
Tampa Bay Rowdies - Tulsa Roughnecks 5–4 3–4 1–0[8] February 25 • Expo Square Pavilion • 7,021
March 1 • Bayfront Center • 5,545
Edmonton Drillers - San Diego Sockers #2–8 3–12[9] x February 25 • San Diego Sports Arena • 8,435
March 1 • San Diego Sports Arena • 12,840

#Although Edmonton was the higher seed, a scheduling conflict forced both games to be played in San Diego.[10]

Championship Finals

*Higher seed Lower seed Game 1 Game 2 Mini-game Attendance
Tampa Bay Rowdies - San Diego Sockers 6–9 5–10 x March 3 • San Diego Sports Arena • 12,840
March 8 • Bayfront Center • 6,325

*Championship finals re-seeded based on regular-season won-loss record.

Postseason awards

References

  1. ↑ Beard, Randy (March 5, 1982). "Veee: Future of soccer is indoors". The Evening Independent. p. 1-C. Retrieved September 24, 2016 – via Google News Archive Search.
  2. ↑ "NASL to proceed with season sans three". Ellensburg Daily Record. November 5, 1981. p. 12. Retrieved September 24, 2016 – via Google News Archive Search.
  3. ↑ "NASL cuts indoor entries". The Spokesman-Review. November 5, 1981. p. 42. Retrieved September 24, 2016 – via Google News Archive Search.
  4. ↑ Brockmann, John (December 5, 1981). "Rowdies Indoor Opener With Manic Is A Sellout". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. p. 14-B. Retrieved October 24, 2016 – via Google News Archive Search.
  5. ↑ eddiebear60 (June 26, 2016). "San Diego Sockers vs Tampa Bay Rowdies, 1982 NASL Indoor Finals, Game 1". Retrieved September 24, 2016 – via YouTube.
  6. ↑ eddiebear60 (March 23, 2013). "San Diego Sockers vs Tampa Bay Rowdies, 1982 NASL Indoor Finals, Game 2". Retrieved September 24, 2016 – via YouTube.
  7. ↑ https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1964&dat=19820331&id=fYBXAAAAIBAJ&sjid=tjsNAAAAIBAJ&pg=6819,8303699
  8. ↑ Scheiber, Dave (March 2, 1982). "Rowdies give Tulsa the boot". St. Petersburg Times. p. 1c. Retrieved October 24, 2016 – via Google News Archive Search.
  9. ↑ Flanagan, Mike (March 3, 1982). "Sockers soared after they took indoor seriously". The Evening Independent. p. 1c. Retrieved September 24, 2016 – via Google News Archive Search.
  10. ↑ "Drillers come up empty". The Evening Independent. March 2, 1982. p. 3-C. Retrieved September 24, 2016 – via Google News Archive Search.
  11. ↑ Reeves, Dave (March 9, 1982). "Sockers sock Rowdies". Lakeland Ledger. p. 1D. Retrieved October 24, 2016 – via Google News Archive Search.
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