Soccer Bowl Series '84, also known as Soccer Bowl '84, was the championship series of the 1984 NASL season, and the last championship of the original NASL. In a departure from previous years, it was a best-of-three series between the Chicago Sting and the Toronto Blizzard as opposed to a single-game championship. The first game of the series was held on Monday, October 1 at Comiskey Park, in Chicago, Illinois; the Sting won it, 2–1. The second game was played at Varsity Stadium, in Toronto, Ontario on October 3. Chicago won again, this time by a score of 3–2, to sweep the series and claim its second North American championship.
Background
Chicago Sting The Chicago Sting finished the regular season with a 13–11 record, while the Blizzard went 14–10. However, due to the NASL's point system, the Sting were crowned the Eastern Division champions, and also won the league's regular season title with 120 points. This ensured that they would retain home field advantage throughout the playoffs. Since all series were best-of-three ties, that meant a Game 3 if necessary, would be in Chicago. The Sting defeated the Vancouver Whitecaps in their semi-finals series, two games to one.
Toronto Blizzard The Toronto Blizzard qualified for the playoffs as runners-up in the Eastern Division and faced the San Diego Sockers in the other semi-final series. The Blizzard earned a return trip to the finals with a two–game sweep of the Western Division champion Sockers. Games 1 and 3 of the Soccer Bowl Series were scheduled to be played at Comiskey Park, while game 2 was set for Toronto's Varsity Stadium.
Sportsvision televised the series in the Chicago area; this coverage was simulcast on the then-new TSN (which had started up a month earlier) cable channel in Canada.
Series summary Champion Runner-up Game 1 Venue Game 2 Venue Res. Chicago Sting Toronto Blizzard Comiskey Park Varsity Stadium Notes
Match details Game 1
GK 1 Victor Nogueira DF 5 Hayden Knight DF 7 Victor Kodelja DF 6 Dave Huson MF 9 Manny Rojas MF 4 Gerry Gray MF 8 Rudy Glenn MF 11 Mark Simanton FW 12 Karl-Heinz Granitza (c) FW 10 Pato Margetic FW 3 Seninho Substitutes:FW 16 Robert Meschbach FW 20 Elvis ComrieDF 28 Frantz Mathieu Manager: Willy Roy
GK 1 Paul Hammond DF 24 Colin Miller DF 2 Bruce Wilson (c) DF 17 Derek Spalding DF 4 Conny Karlsson MF 10 Cliff Calvert MF 16 Randy Ragan MF 12 Pasquale de Luca MF 8 Ace Ntsoelengoe FW 19 David Byrne FW 11 Roberto Bettega Substitutes:MF 9 John Paskin MF 20 Charlie Falzon Manager: Bob Houghton
Assistant referees: Ulrich Strom John Pozadzides
Game 2
GK 1 Paul Hammond DF 2 Bruce Wilson (c) DF 17 Derek Spalding DF 4 Conny Karlsson DF 10 Cliff Calvert MF 16 Randy Ragan MF 5 Jimmy Nicholl MF 12 Pasquale de Luca MF 8 Ace Ntsoelengoe FW 19 David Byrne FW 11 Roberto BettegaSubstitutes:MF 9 John Paskin MF 20 Charlie Falzon Manager: Bob Houghton
GK 1 Victor Nogueira DF 5 Hayden Knight DF 7 Victor Kodelja DF 6 Dave Huson MF 9 Manny Rojas MF 4 Gerry Gray MF 8 Rudy Glenn MF 11 Mark Simanton FW 12 Karl-Heinz Granitza (c) FW 10 Pato Margetic FW 3 SeninhoSubstitutes:FW 16 Robert Meschbach FW 20 Elvis ComrieDF 28 Frantz Mathieu Manager: Willy Roy
1984 NASL Champions: Chicago Sting Series MVP: Pato Margetic (Chicago) Assistant referees: Dilvo DiPlacido Michael Saunders
Championship Statistics +Game 1Statistic Chicago TorontoGoals scored 2 1Total shots 16 12Shots on target 6 9Saves 8 4Corner kicks 6 5Fouls 21 26Offsides 8 3Yellow cards 7 5Red cards 0 0+Game 2Statistic Chicago TorontoGoals scored 3 2Total shots 12 20Shots on target 7 9Saves 7 4Corner kicks 5 9Fouls 12 20Offsides 6 2Yellow cards 0 1Red cards 0 0
Post-match controversy Earlier in the year Sting ownership had requested a one-year leave of absence from the NASL, and were denied. With only a few games remaining in the season, Sting chairman Lee Stern, believing that indoor soccer represented the future of the sport, announced that 1984 would be the Chicago Sting's last in the NASL. They, along with three other teams had been granted full admittance to the MISL. The Blizzard, who were run by former Sting president Clive Toye, were one of the franchises fighting to keep the NASL going.
In the immediate aftermath of Chicago's title clinching victory, Toye's actions and subsequent words were unsporting in nature. He refused to honor the long-standing tradition of entering the winning side's locker room to congratulate the victors. He then followed that up by taking verbal jabs at both Willy Roy and Karl-Heinz Granitza to reporters, by referring to them as "cheats" and the Sting as "unworthy champions" among other things. While in the midst of Chicago's post match celebration, not surprisingly, Granitza responded in kind. In the end the pettiness and lack of sportsmanship by both men mattered little, as Chicago left with the league's final trophy. The following spring, with Toye as the NASL's interim president, the league would cease operations.
See also 1984 North American Soccer League season
References
External links Video of the games (pt 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 2c)