Failed US Clubs Since 1992
This is a list of clubs who for a multitude of reason, failed, or went to amateur status. Thought the exercise of understanding why these clubs failed would help me understand the key issue driving the success …. or failure of professional clubs soccer in the United States.
SC.
| Club | Cause of Death | History | Cause of Death Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AC St. Louis | Bad Business | Founded in December 2009, the team played its first and only season the next year in the NASL Conference of the temporary USSF D2 Pro League, the second tier of the American Soccer Pyramid. With plans to join the new North American Soccer League the following season, the club folded in January 2011 under unmanageable financial strain.[1] There were conditions placed on the special warranty deed by Anheuser-Busch that would have required Cooper to have an MLS or D1 team playing in the stadium and that he’d need to add an additional 4,000 seats to the stadium. If Cooper did not meet those conditions Anheuser-Busch could reclaim the property and sell it to a public entity or not-for-profit charitable entity. But Cooper told IMS last fall that he was able to remove those special conditions this past summer which would allow him to sell the park to whomever he wanted. https://web.archive.org/web/20180929194701/http://www.insidemnsoccer.com/2011/01/17/ac-st-louis-closes-its-doors-for-good/ | Not Murder. Death by Alcohol and Bad Business. | ||
| Albuquerque Geckos | Sold | The club was founded as the Albuquerque Geckos in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in 1997 before being sold and moved to Sacramento, California, for the 1999 season. | Not Murder. Death by sale. | ||
| Arkansas A’s | Bad Business | The Arkansas Diamonds were a soccer club based in Little Rock, Arkansas that competed in the SISL and USISL. The team was first owned by Samir Haj, a youth club coach based in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The franchise struggled for funding as it first played outdoor at Scott Field in Little Rock and its indoor games on the road. The team also played ambassador for Arkansas by hosting Russian professional soccer team Nitsru Kishnev in 1989 and 1990 in a combination of indoor and outdoor international “friendlies”. Several local players that grew up in the Arkansas soccer leagues played in the earlier years including David T. Jones, Brad Shock and Robb Fischer from the Westside Futbol Club. In 1992 the team took a hiatus as it looked for new ownership. Russellville, Arkansas businessman John Sandford came to the rescue in 1992/93 partnering with Soccer USA an indoor soccer center that was based in North Little Rock, Arkansas. The franchise reverted to the USISL and in 1994 competed as the Arkansas A’s playing its games in Sherwood, Arkansas. The team was owned by the former Arkansas State Soccer Association’s DOC Nigel Boulton and a small group of dedicated parents whose children played for the A’s youth teams run by Boulton. Funding remained a serious problem and in 1995 the group sold the franchise rights to a Tennessee businessman but the team was never reborn in Arkansas or relocated elsewhere. | Not murder. Death by bad business. | ||
| Atlanta Magic | Chaos | The Atlanta Magic were a soccer club that competed in the USISL from 1991 to 1996.[1] The club originally started in 1991/92 in the indoor USISL league. They played in the 1992 USISL outdoor season as the Atlanta Datagraphic Magic, and the 1993 USISL outdoor season as the Atlanta Lasers.[2] In 1995, they only played 2 games in the USISL Pro League, and they folded after the 1995/96 indoor season. | Not Murder. Death by chaos? Indoor. Outdoor… | ||
| Atlanta SC | Rebrand | Founded in 2007 as Atlanta FC, it became the reserve team of the Atlanta Silverbacks in 2011, and licensed the name of the first team when it folded in 2016. On February 3, 2011, the ownership groups of Atlanta FC and the Atlanta Silverbacks NASL team announced that they would partner and the team would be rebranded as the Atlanta Silverbacks Reserves.[2 | Not Murder. Death by Rebranding. | ||
| Atlanta Silverbacks/Atlanta Ruckus | No Owner | The Ruckus nearly failed even before it had played a game. Six weeks before the 1995 season, Chase experienced financial difficulties and failed to post the required $100,000 letter of credit with the league by the March 1 deadline. The league nearly revoked the franchise, but, South African businessman Johnny Imerman quickly stepped in and bought the team. In a September 1998 press conference at Zoo Atlanta, the two partners also announced the team would be known as the Atlanta Silverbacks in honor of Willie B., a silverback gorilla who was a star attraction at the zoo. On December 2, 2014, the NASL licensed the Silverbacks name from Boris Jerkunica and Henry Hardin and continued to operate the team through the 2015 season. The league was not successful in finding new ownership, and the club ceased operations on January 11, 2016 https://www.ajc.com/sports/pro-sports/silverbacks-cease-operations/SgJph3nxpzdjLQBGQmwaXM/ | Not Murder. Death by no owner. | ||
| Austin Aztex | Rebrand | On October 22, 2010, an article was published that indicated that the team was likely to move to Orlando, Florida, for the 2011 season.[14] This was confirmed on October 25,[2] as the team became Orlando City SC. | Not Murder. Death by moving and being renamed Orlando City SC. | ||
| Austin Lone Stars | Bad Business | The Austin Lone Stars were a soccer club that competed in the SISL, USISL and United Soccer Leagues from 1987 to 2000. The club originally started in 1987/88 as the Austin Sockadillos in the original indoor SISL league.[1] They became the Austin Lone Stars in 1994.[2] | Not Murder. Death by bad business. “Soccerdillos, league go in the red to build future.” | ||
| Baltimore Bays | Rebrand | The third Baltimore Bays were a soccer team based in Baltimore, Maryland that played in the USISL. They became the Eastern Shore Sharks in 1998 when they moved to Salisbury, Maryland. | Not murder. Death by Rebranding. | ||
| Bay Area Seals/San Francisco Bay Seals/San Francisco Unite All Blacks | Youth Soccer | Since 2009 the Seals have concentrated on youth development from U6 to U23 soccer. | Not Murder. Death by Youth Soccer? | ||
| Bay Cities FC | Bad Business | The club played in NISA until August 26, when financial difficulties forced the club to prematurely end the season.[2] | Not Murder. Death by bad business? | ||
| Bethlehem Steel FC | Rebrand | Founded in 2015 as Bethlehem Steel FC, the team is the official affiliate of the Philadelphia Union of Major League Soccer. The team competed for five seasons in the USL Championship (the first three as Bethlehem Steel FC) before going on hiatus from competition during the 2021 season. | Is it Murder if they are rebranded into the awful closed system that is MLS? | ||
| Birmingham Grasshoppers | College Soccer | The Grasshoppers team was designed to give his players an opportunity to compete at a high level during the off-season, but travel schedules and time away from Birmingham-Southern led Goldfarb to discontinue the Grasshoppers after four seasons. | MURDER…. By college soccer. | ||
| Boca Raton Sabres | Irrelevent | The Boca Raton Sabres were a soccer club based in Boca Raton, Florida, that competed in the USISL. | Not Murder. Death by irrelevance? | ||
| Boston Bulldogs/Worcester Wildfire | Chaos | The first year in the A-League was fraught with financial problems and lack of a regular training facility. The owner was John Curtis from Cape Cod who also owned the Cape Cod Crusaders and the new women’s franchise the Boston Renegades. Curtis was forced to sell the club before the start of the second season. The Wildfire were the official ‘farm team’ for the New England Revolution of Major League Soccer. | Not Murder. Death by disastrous start? | ||
| Boston Storm | Irrelevent | The Boston Storm were a professional soccer team based in Boston, Massachusetts, founded by Dennis Lukens, which competed in the USISL between 1993 and 1995.[1] | Not Murder. Death by irrelevance. | ||
| California Gold/Stanislaus County Cruisers | Relegation? | Following their professional 2004 campaign, Gold found themselves in the fourth tier Premier Development League in 2005. The team had been sold to a new management group, but the new group could not replicate the success of the founding partners, and as a result gave up their fully professional status.[3]Following the conclusion of the 2006 season, in which they were by far the worst team in the PDL, the team withdrew from active competition. | Not Murder. Death by… relegation? | ||
| California Jaguars/Monterey Bay Jaguars | Rebrand | California Jaguars were an American soccer team that played in Salinas, California at the Salinas Sports Complex. They joined the USISL in 1995 as the Monterey Bay Jaguars, but changed the name a year later. They played in the A-League in 1997 and 1998 seasons then moved to the USL D3 Pro League, later named the Pro Select League, in 1999.[1] | Not Murder. Death by rebranding. | ||
| California United Strikers | Hiatus | California United Strikers FC is an American professional soccer club based in Orange County, California. | Not Murder. Club on Hiatus in NISA. | ||
| California Victory | Irrelevent | The California Victory was a USL First Division professional soccer team based in San Francisco, California. It was an expansion team for the 2007 season, but ceased operation in September of that year after parent club Deportivo Alavés withdrew its support.[1]SaveTheVictory.org was a movement set in motion by the Victory’s official supporters club, the CVSA. The goal of the group was to raise enough money by accepting memberships to purchase the club, an ownership model based on the NFL’s Green Bay Packers and influenced by My Football Club. They were however ultimately unsuccessful. | Not Murder. Death by broken heart and not enough supporters. | ||
| Cape Cod Crusaders | Murder Mystery | The Cape Cod Crusaders, who won the Premier Development Soccer League national championship in 2002 and 2003, will not compete next season. | Not Murder. More like a Murder Mystery. But they did play in 8 stadiums, 6 of which were high schools. They also averaged a whopping 300 fans per game in 4 years. Did they become Mass Premier Soccer? | ||
| Cascade Surge/Oregon Surge | 2008 | On 13 October 2009, Surge President David Irby announced that the club was withdrawing from PDL competition and folding with immediate effect, stating that “changes in the economy made it harder to keep the team operating.”. The team owned by Surge International, a 501 c nonprofit organization (www.surgesoccer.org) would continue designing and implementing soccer projects for ministries around the world, including having a base of operations in Vienna, Austria where former Surge players could go to continue their soccer careers, along with other qualified players. | Not Murder. More like death by economic realities of 2008/2009. | ||
| Central California Valley Hydrea | Irrelevent | Central California Valley Hydra was an American soccer team that played in Stockton, California. The team joined the USISL in 1994 and moved to the USISL Pro League in 1995. They folded after the 1996 season. | Not Murder. Death by neglect and ireelevance. | ||
| Cetnral Jersey Riptide | Relegation? | They joined the USISL Pro League in 1996, but were relegated to the USL PDL in 1999. They became a provisional team the next season and then folded after the end of the season | Not Murder. Death by relegation? | ||
| Chattanooga Express | Relegation? | Chattanooga Express were a soccer club that competed in the USISL from 1992 to 1997. The club originally started in 1992 as the Chattanooga Railroaders in the USISL. They became the Chattanooga Express in 1993. The club played in both the indoor and outdoor USISL leagues through 1996. They moved to the USISL Pro League in 1995 and were later relegated to the USISL PDSL in 1997.[1] They played indoor for as long… | Not Murder. Death by Schizophrenia and relegation? | ||
| Chico Rooks | Murder Mystery | Initially, the team’s management announced that they would spend the 2007 NPSL season on hiatus while they re-organised and consolidated their finances; the Rooks never returned to active competition and the franchise was cancelled by the NPSL at the end of the 2007 season. | Not Murder. It’s a Murder Mystery. | ||
| Chivas USA | Fratricide | Wait, this is an MLS team. Shortly after the acquisition of the club, Vergara is alleged to have told his staff that those who did not speak Spanish would be fired. | Not Murder. Fratricide! No really, is this one you want to defend? | ||
| Cincinnati Cheetahs | Irrelevent | During their 1994 season, the Cheetahs’ home field was at St. Xavier High School in Springfield Township, Hamilton County.[1] | Not Murder. Died of irrelevance… and a High School stadium? | ||
| Cincinnati Kings | Relegation? | Prior to the beginning of the 2008 season, it was announced that the Kings would be taking voluntary relegation, and would henceforth be competing in the USL Premier Development League. In their last year they averaged 188/ | Not Murder. Death by relegation? | ||
| Cincinnati Riverhawks | Murder Mystery | The Riverhawks repeated its performance of remaining out of last place by a single spot during the 2003 season. Still, after repeated disappointing performances, the Cincinnati Riverhawks disbanded following the 2003 season.[2] | Not a Murder. It’s a Murder Mystery. | ||
| Cleveland Caps | Murder Mystery | The Cleveland Caps were an American soccer team that played in Cleveland, Ohio. | Not Murder. It’s a Murder Mystery. So successful this is all that was mentioned. | ||
| Cleveland City Stars | Chaos | The Cleveland City Stars were an American professional soccer team based in Cleveland, Ohio, United States. Founded in 2006, the team played in the USL First Division (USL-1), the second tier of the American Soccer Pyramid in 2009.[1] The club folded soon after the 2009 season. “After months of negotiation and meetings, and in the midst of the conclusion of our sale, the USL decided to terminate our franchise just prior to Thanksgiving.” | Not Murder. Death at the hands of its own? | ||
| Cocoa Expos | Irrelevent | Cocoa Expos was an American soccer team, founded in 1993. The team was a member of the United Soccer Leagues Premier Development League (PDL), the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, until 2007, when the team left the league and the franchise was terminated. | Not Murder. Death by Neglect. As in only 200 people per game cared. | ||
| Colorado Foxes | MURDER | When Major League Soccer started and the Colorado Rapids became the region’s premier team, the Foxes tried to stay afloat for two years, before relocating, becoming the San Diego Flash. | Ok. If only for good will, let’s say this was Murder. | ||
| Columbia Heat | Irrelevent | Columbia spent the season in the Premier League before withdrawing and folding at the end of the season. | Not Murder. More like benign neglect. | ||
| Columbus Xoggz | MURDER | The team averaged over 3,000 attendees per game in its first two seasons.[11] In 1996, however, came the arrival of the Columbus Crew, a team in newly founded Major League Soccer. Initially, the Xoggz were optimistic about surviving alongside the Crew, claiming in April 1996 that they had retained 90% of their sponsors and gained several others.[12] However, attendance fell to 1,500–2,000 for the 1996 season, and in February 1997, the Xoggz ceased operations.[11] | Is this Murder or, there are only enough fans to support one team.? | ||
| Connecticut Wolves | Chaos | The Connecticut Wolves were sold to the City of New Britain in 1997. City of New Britain folded the team. | This is more like a public execution…. | ||
| Crystal Palace Baltimore | Chaos | Founded in 2006, the club was originally named Crystal Palace USA and was affiliated with English side Crystal Palace. The severing of ties was attributed to the financial difficulties that resulted from the (then) English Football League championship side entering administration. | Murdered by Promotion and Relegation … in England. | ||
| Dallas Rockets | Irrelevent | The Richardson Rockets were a soccer club based in Richardson, Texas, United States, a suburb of Dallas. The club originally started in the indoor SISL league. They became the North Texas Mid-Cities Flyers for the 1991/92 USISL indoor league and were renamed the Dallas Rockets beginning with the 1992 outdoor league. Ron Higgins owned the Rockets in 1992. Phil Jones coached the team. | Not Murder. More like, they never got noticed. | ||
| Daytona Tigers | Rebrand | . The club started as the Daytona Tigers and became the Orlando Nighthawks in 1998. | Not Murder. More like death by rebranding. | ||
| Delaware Wizards | Irrelevent | They were considered DC United’s farm team but ended up folding due to financial issues and losing players to other clubs. Many players went to MLS and other USL teams. In 2008, a reincarnation of the Delaware Wizards was formed playing amateur soccer. Led by a group of former fans and ball boys of the original Delaware Wizards, they have enjoyed modest success. As of 2009, they currently play in the New Castle County Soccer League. | Not Murder. | ||
| Detroit Wheels | Irrelevent | Owned by Antonio Soave and Greg Reynolds, the team was established in 1994.[1] At the time the ownership intended to move up to the American Professional Soccer League for the 1995 season. However, mounting debts and a smaller than expected fan base saw them remain in the USISL. | Not Murder. Too much Soave, not enough Rico. | ||
| Eastern Shore Sharks | Rebrand | The third Baltimore Bays were a soccer team based in Baltimore, Maryland that played in the USISL. They became the Eastern Shore Sharks in 1998 when they moved to Salisbury, Maryland. | Not Murder. Rebrand | ||
| El Paso Patriots | Murder Mystery | In January 1990, the team ceased operations.[2] The team resumed operations in the fall of 1990 as the El Paso Spurs. Before the 1991 season, the Spurs were sold to a group which included primary investor Enrique Cervantes as well as Jaime Monardes. The new ownership group renamed the team the Patriots to capitalize on the Patriot missile’s recent success in the Gulf War and hired Brazilian Marinho Chagas as head coach.[3][4] In 2003, the team played in the Sun Bowl. Prior to the 2010 PDL season the Patriots signed a formal agreement with Mexican Premier Division team Guadalajara, and were officially rebranded as the Chivas El Paso Patriots. In addition to cross-promotion, sponsorship and player development, the agreement will also see the U-20, Division 1A and Division II Chivas teams playing regular games in El Paso.[5] In 2012, the club rebranded to their original name El Paso Patriots. | Not Murder. More like murder mystery. Whither the El Paso Patriots? | ||
| Everett Bigfoot | Rebrand | The Seattle BigFoot were an American soccer team based in Seattle, Washington. They were founded in 1995 as the Everett BigFoot and played in the USISL Pro League with home matches at Everett Memorial Stadium.[1] They merged with the Puget Sound Hammers of the USISL Premier League to become the Puget Sound BigFoot who played in the USISL PDSL during the 1997 season at West Seattle Stadium.[2][3] The Hammers were previously based in the southern Puget Sound region and played home matches in 1995 at high school stadiums in Sumner, Tacoma, and on Vashon Island. They played in 1996 at Peninsula High School in Gig Harbor with a roster of players from local colleges.[4] The team moved to Seattle for their final season; in February 1999, owner Bill Hurme announced that the team would be renamed to the Seattle Sounders Select as part of an affiliation with the Seattle Sounders of the A-League, who had already used them as an unofficial development squad in the past.[5][6] | Not Murder. Death by Rebranding? | ||
| F.C. New York | Irrelevent | F.C. New York was an American professional soccer team based first in Queens, New York City, and then Long Island, New York. The team played two seasons, starting in 2011 in the National Division of the USL Professional Division, the third tier of the American Soccer Pyramid and then moving to the National Premier Soccer League for 2012. The club did not finish its 2012 schedule before folding.[1] They did not return for the 2012 USL Pro season.[6][7] In February 2012, the team announced that it would be joining the NPSL.[8] After a 2-8-4 season, including the cancellation of many of its home matches, F.C. New York left the NPSL and disappeared soon after.[1] | Not Murder. And I was hoping this one would be… but NYCFC did not come into being until 2015. 3 years after it’s timely demise. | ||
| Florida Stars | Murder Mystery | The Florida Stars were an American soccer team based in North Miami, Florida that played in the USISL. The club moved to the USISL Pro League in 1995. | Not Murder. More like murder mystery. | ||
| Fort Lauderdale Kicks/Fort Lauderdale Strikers/Florida Strikers | Murder Mystery | The Florida Strikers were a soccer team based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. In 1994, they began play in the United States Interregional Soccer League as the Fort Lauderdale Kicks. The next year, with the folding of the American Professional Soccer League Strikers, the Kicks took the name Fort Lauderdale Strikers for themselves. This only lasted one year as the team changed names again, becoming the Florida Strikers before the 1996 season. The team folded in 1997. | Not a Murder, but no one knows. | ||
| Ft. Lauderdale Striks | Bad Business | The Fort Lauderdale Strikers were an American soccer team established in 1988 as part of the third American Soccer League. In 1990, it moved to the American Professional Soccer League where it spent five seasons before folding in 1994. | Not Murder. Death before MLS… | ||
| Fort Lauderdale Strikers/Miami FC | MURDER | The Fort Lauderdale Strikers were an American professional soccer team based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida founded in 2006, that last played in the North American Soccer League (NASL), the second tier of the American soccer pyramid in 2016. The majority of their home games were played in Lockhart Stadium. The Strikers were named after the original Strikers, who played in the old North American Soccer League from 1977 to 1983. The team was known as Miami FC from 2006 until 2011 before re-branding as the Strikers in 2011. They had an in-state rivalry with the Tampa Bay Rowdies.[1][2] | Not Murder. But I will concede since it is impossible to track which Fort Lauderdale Strikers we are talking about. | ||
| Fresno FC | Chaos | Fresno Football Club was an American professional soccer team based in Fresno, California. Founded in 2017, the team was a member of the USL Championship, a second-tier league in the American Soccer Pyramid. Their first game took place on March 17, 2018.[1] The team folded on October 29, 2019, after the ownership group was unable to secure construction of a soccer-specific stadium.[2] On February 1, 2021, the team’s franchise rights were transferred to Monterey Bay FC, an expansion USL Championship team based in Monterey County, California.[4] | Not Murder. Death by government and sale. | ||
| Greenville Lions | Murder Mystery | The Greenville Lions were founded as a professional soccer team in 2001 based out of Greenville, South Carolina to play in the third tier of the American soccer pyramid at the time, the USL D3 Pro League. The team was owned by Miguel Banda and Scott Halkett served as Club President. Following a successful first season, losing the championship game 0–1 to the Utah Blitzz,[1] the club would launch and operate amateur teams in the USL Premier Development League (PDL) and the Super Y-League[2] | Not Murder? Another murder mystery. Maybe no longer pro? | ||
| Hawaii Tsunami | Irrelevent | The Hawaii Tsunami were a soccer club that competed in the United Soccer Leagues from 1994 to 1997. The club was based in Honolulu, Hawaii. | Not Murder. They just got washed away…. | ||
| Hershey Wildcats | Irrelevent | Less than a week after the championship match, in October 2001, Hershey Entertainment announced that the Wildcats were folding.[2] Weak attendance, including a crowd of only 750 for the 2001 playoff semifinal, was a factor in the decision to fold the team.[2][3] With the league unable to find a new owner for the club, the players became free agents. | Not Murder. Death by irrelevance. | ||
| Houston Hurricanes | Irrelevent | Attendance averaged about 1,000 or less per game for the club’s five seasons, and the franchise ceased playing in the USISL after the 2000 season and participated in the Lone Star Alliance before folding in 2001. | Not Murder. Death by irrelevance. | ||
| Indiana Blast | Irrelevent | Indiana Blast was an American soccer team, founded in 1996.[1] The team was a member of the United Soccer Leagues, played in the USISL and A-League (1997–2004) until folding at the end of the 2004 season. | Not Murder. Death by poor performance. | ||
| Jacksonville Armada | Alive? | Jacksonville Armada FC is an American professional soccer team based in Jacksonville, Florida. They were founded in 2013 as an expansion franchise in the North American Soccer League (NASL), the second tier of American soccer, and played until the league folded in 2018. Armada FC then moved to the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL), the fourth tier of the American soccer pyramid, during the 2018 season before going on hiatus. They are set to resume play in MLS Next Pro in 2025. On October 31, 2018, club president Nathan Walter announced that Jacksonville Armada would play in the NPSL in 2019.[18] However on December 10, Walter announced that the team’s U-23 side would compete in the 2019 NPSL season as the organization’s focus shifted to player development. In the meantime the first team would continue to explore options for a return to competition in 2020.[19] A new stadium is set to be constructed in time for the 2025 season with 2,500 to 3,000 seats in its initial configuration. Jacksonville will remain an independent team in the league, which is composed mostly of reserve teams for MLS clubs.[24] | Not Murder. Sounds like they are very much alve… | ||
| Jacksonville Cyclones | Key Man Loss | The Jacksonville Cyclones were a professional soccer team based in Jacksonville, Florida. They played in the A-League from 1997 to 1999. The team originated as the Tampa Bay Cyclones, who played in Tampa, Florida from 1995 to 1996 before moving to Jacksonville. The team folded in 1999 shortly after the death of their manager Dennis Viollet, the former Manchester United and England striker.[2] | Not Murder. And actual death of a key player in the organization. | ||
| Jersey Dragons | Irrelevent | The Jersey Dragons were a soccer club that competed in the United Soccer Leagues from 1994 to 1996. The club was based in Hoboken, New Jersey. | Not Murder. Death by irrelevance. | ||
| Lansing Ignite FC | Irrelevent | Lansing Ignite FC was a professional soccer team based in Lansing, Michigan, United States. The club began play in the newly-formed USL League One in 2019 and ceased operations following their inaugural season. | Not Murder. One year… | ||
| Las Vegas Quicksilver | Irrelevent | The second Las Vegas Quicksilvers were a soccer club that competed in the USISL. | Not Murder. Death by irrelevance. | ||
| Lehigh Valley Steam | Stadium | Lehigh Valley Steam was a soccer club that competed in the A-League in 1999. Based in Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania, the club has problems securing a home stadium and folded after a single season. The club featured future U.S. national team player Kerry Zavagnin and was coached by Daryl Shore. | Not Murder. Death by no stadium. | ||
| Lexington Bluegrass Bandits | Relegation? | They joined the USISL in 1994, and moved to the USISL Pro League in 1995. They were relegated to the USISL Premier League the next year.[1] | Not Murder. Death by relegation. | ||
| Los Angeles Fireballs | Rebrand | Tucson Fireballs were a soccer club that competed in the United Soccer Leagues from 1997 to 2001. The club originally started as the Los Angeles Fireballs. They moved to Tucson, Arizona and became the Tucson Fireballs in 2000. | Not Murder. They just moved. | ||
| Los Angeles Salsa | CONCACAF | The club, founded in 1992, was owned by ophthalmologist William De La Pena and entered the APSL in 1993 as an expansion team. They hosted the APSL Championship, which they lost to the Colorado Foxes; the Salsa played in the 1994 CONCACAF Champions’ Cup and were eliminated in the second round. The team left the APSL in January 1995 after plans to play in Mexico’s Primera División A fell apart due to opposition from CONCACAF.[1] The Salsa played for one season in the USISL Pro League before folding in 1996. | Not Murder. Death by gambling… and losing. | ||
| Los Angeles Salsa U-23/East Los Angeles Cobras | Irrelevent | The East Los Angeles Cobras were an American soccer team that played in East Los Angeles, California. They joined the USISL in 1993 and later became affiliated with the Los Angeles Salsa of the American Professional Soccer League.[1] The Cobras moved to the USISL Pro League in 1995 and were temporarily renamed the Los Angeles Salsa U-23 as a replacement for the parent club.[2] | Not Murder. Death by irrelevance. | ||
| Louisville Thoroughbreds | Still Born? | No information | Not Murder. Death by not living? | ||
| Maryland Mania | Chaos | Maryland Mania was a soccer club based in Baltimore Maryland that competed in the A-League for one year, in 1999. The Mania’s original home was UMBC Stadium in Catonsville, but they club relocated to Anne Arundel Community College midway through the season. Justin Fashanu was hired to coach the Mania, but fled the United States during the pre-season when he was accused of sexually assaulting an underage boy.[1] He was replaced as coach by Darryl Gee who was replaced by Paul Kitson during the season. | Not Murder. Just bad all around. | ||
| Memphis Jackals | Irrelevent | The Memphis Storm was an American soccer team based in Memphis, Tennessee which existed from 1986 to 1994. They underwent several names changes including the Rogues, the Survivors, the United Express and finally the Jackals. They played in the American Indoor Soccer Association, and the Sunbelt Independent Soccer League, which later came to be known as the United States Interregional Soccer League. | Not Murder. Death by indoor/outdoor schyzophrenia. | ||
| Miami Freedom | Irrelevent | The Miami Sharks were an inaugural franchise of the third incarnation of the American Soccer League in 1988. The team was renamed the Miami Freedom and joined the American Professional Soccer League in 1990 when the ASL merged with the Western Soccer League. The club played in the Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida. | Not Murder. Death by irrelevance. | ||
| Miami Fusion | Fratricide | In 2002, after four years of lackluster ticket sales and revenues, MLS contracted the Fusion along with its other Florida-based team, the Tampa Bay Mutiny. | Not Murder. Death by Fratricide. | ||
| Milwaukee Rampage | Alive? | The Milwaukee Rampage still exists as a professional soccer club and non-profit in Milwaukee.[2] | Not Murder. I am not dead yet. | ||
| Milwaukee Wave United | Alive? | In late 2004, Wave ownership withdrew from the A-League, ending the club’s two-year experiment with outdoor soccer. The club continued to play in the Major Indoor Soccer League and still exists as an indoor professional club today. | Not Murder. I am not dead yet. | ||
| Minnesota Thunder | Bad Business | Minnesota’s participation in this new league was, however, not to be. In early November 2009 they released all players from their contracts,[34] partly in response to heavy debts and unpaid bills, including wages. The organization was operating with a skeleton staff of 3 people as they tried to reorganize in their final days. In January 2010, the National Sports Center announced the formation of a new club, the NSC Minnesota Stars that functioned as a replacement for the Thunder.[35] | Not Murder. But the Beer Garden was cool. | ||
| MLS Project 40 | Fratricide | Not even looking for history here. | Not Murder. Death by Fratricide. | ||
| Mobile Revelers | Irrelevent | Mobile Revelers were an American soccer team that played in Mobile, Alabama. | Not Murder. Death by irrelevance. | ||
| Montclair Standard Falcons | Irrelevent | The Fontana Falcons were an American soccer team based in Fontana, California. They joined the USISL in 1993 as the Montclair Standard Falcons from Montclair, California and moved to the USISL Premier League in 1995. The club moved to Fontana in 1996, and folded after the season. | Not Murder. Death by irrelevance. | ||
| Myrtle Beach Boys | Irrelevent | No history. | Not Murder. Death by irrelevance. | ||
| Myrtle Beach Seadawgs | Irrelevent | Myrtle Beach Seadawgs were an American soccer team that played in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Their home field was Doug Shaw Memorial Stadium. | Not Murder. Death by irrelevance. | ||
| Nashville Metros/Tennessee Rhythm | Irrelevent | In 1999 due to financial circumstances, the club was forced to reorganize. The side was renamed the Tennessee Rhythm and moved from Nashville to Franklin, but returned to their original venue in 2001, reverting to their original name at the same time. | Not Murder. Death by irrelevance. | ||
| New Hampshire Ramblers | FIFA | New Hampshire Ramblers were an American soccer club. In 1995, the club was originally called the Montreal Ramblers, but were forced to move by FIFA before playing any games. Ramblers de Montreal made a cross border move to USA in 1995 as a USISL expansion franchise called New Hampshire Ramblers.[1] Soccer authorities in Canada initially refused to grant Ramblers the right to relocate the semi-professional football franchise. 5,6. The move of Ramblers FC franchise from Canada to US destroyed its progress on the field as many important players could not move to USA either because of work permits or ties to Montreal. The club was dealt a final blow when its original founder and patron Noel Okorougo departed to Europe in 1995 to work on Nike’s Football aspirations in Africa. The USISL franchise lasted only one season in USA finishing 5th ahead of Connecticut Wolves and Boston Storm in Division 3 Pro League Capital Conference which also featured New York Fever, North Jersey Imperials, Pennsylvania Freedom and Albany Alleycats. 7 . Subsequently, John Motta converted the residue of the club to form New Hampshire Phantoms 5,6. | Not Murder. Death by FIFA. | ||
| New Jersey Stallions/New York-New Jersey Stallions/New Jersey Stallions | Alive? | The club originally started in 1996 as the New York/New Jersey Stallions in the original USISL Select League, before moving to Toms River, New Jersey and becoming the New Jersey Stallions in 1999. They moved to Union Township, Union County, New Jersey in 2000, and then to Wayne, New Jersey in 2003, before demoting themselves to the USL PDL for the 2004 season, their final one in competition. They played their final home games in the stadium at DePaul Catholic High School in Wayne, New Jersey, 19 miles north of the state’s largest city, Newark. Still exist as a youth academy. | Not Murder. I am not dead yet. | ||
| New Mexico Chiles | Irrelevent | The New Mexico Chiles were an American soccer club established in 1990 which competed in the American Professional Soccer League. In 1991, the team merged with the New Mexico Roadrunners and moved to the USISL until its disestablishment in 1996. After one season, the club was purchased and moved to Sacramento, where it would ultimately be operated by the league for the majority of the year before ceasing operations at the end of the 1999 season. | Not Murder. Death by irrelevance. So they were sold. | ||
| New Orleans Storm/New Orleans Riverboat Gamblers | Irrelevent | The New Orleans Riverboat Gamblers was an American soccer club that competed in the USISL from 1993 to 1999. Based in New Orleans, Louisiana, the club was renamed the New Orleans Storm in 1998. The team folded after the 1999 season. | Not Murder. Death by irrelevance | ||
| New York Centaurs/New York Fever | Irrelevent | The New York Centaurs were an A-League professional soccer club, based in New York City. The team played only one season in 1995. The New York Fever of the USISL Pro League, debuted in 1994, playing two seasons in the league before merging with the Centaurs organization in 1996. The unified New York Fever team competed in one season in the A-League in 1996 before folding. | Not Murder. Death by irrelevance. | ||
| New York Cosmos | Bad Business | The club previously competed in the North American Soccer League (NASL). With the NASL, the team won the Soccer Bowl Trophy in 2013, 2015, and 2016. They have been on hiatus since January 2021, citing the COVID-19 pandemic, though all the other teams in the league continued to play.[6][7] In less than five full seasons of play before going on hiatus, the Cosmos garnered a legacy of success on the field and mismanagement, lawsuits, and unpaid bills off the field.[8][9][10][11] | Not Murder. Just shambolic. But they did have Eric Cantona as an ambassador. | ||
| New York Freedom | Irrelevent | The New York Freedom are a defunct American soccer club based in New York City. | Not Murder. So popular there is no information about them. | ||
| North Bay Breakers | Irrelevent | The North Bay Breakers were an American soccer team based in Santa Rosa, California. They joined the USISL in 1994 and moved to the USISL Premier League in 1995. | Not Murder. So popular there is no information about them. | ||
| North Jersey Imperials | Relegation? | The North Jersey Imperials became defunct after the 2001 season. | Not Murder. Death by relegation. | ||
| Northern Nevada Aces | Irrelevent | The Aces would become a founding member of the Men’s Premier Soccer League (later known as the National Premier Soccer League), switching to the league to play two seasons from 2003-2004, before folding following the 2004 season. | Not Murder. Death by irrelevance. | ||
| NY Cosmos | Chaos | SEE New York Cosmos. | Is it Murder when they seem to still be alive? | ||
| OKC Energy FC | Stadium | Although having not officially ceased operations, the club is not fielding a roster and has relieved head coach Leigh Veidman, having canceled their 2022 and 2023 seasons. The club cites inability to meet league requirements for field conditions. | Not Murder. Death by Field Requirements. | ||
| Oklahoma City Slickers | Irrelevent | The Oklahoma City Slickers was the name given to two different American soccer clubs based in Oklahoma City. The first team competed in the second American Soccer League in 1982 and 1983. The second Oklahoma City Slickers competed in the USISL from 1993 to 1996. Home games were played at historical Taft Stadium in Oklahoma City. | Not Murder. Irrelevent | ||
| Oklahoma City Slickers | Bad Business | Despite measures to keep salaries and travel costs in this new league manageable, though, stability ultimately proved just as elusive for the USL as it had for their predecessors. In December, Fraser announced plans to move the team to Tulsa and rename it the Tornado’s (the apostrophe is not a typo), hoping to fill the void left by the folding of the Roughnecks the previous September.[12] The league cancelled an indoor season planned for the winter of 1984/85, and in February a last-ditch set of USL/NASL merger discussions that hoped to bring a financial boost to the USL and a boost in membership to the flagging NASL ended without an agreement. In short order the NASL folded and six of the nine USL teams either ended operations or withdrew from the league. Only Dallas and Fort Lauderdale (renamed South Florida) along with an expansion team in El Paso/Juarez joined Tulsa to attempt the USL’s 1985 outdoor season. [13] The league hastily re-arranged its schedule to open with a “Cup Championship” of home-and-home series between all teams, which began in late May. The Tornado’s organization immediately began showing signs of serious financial distress. | Mot Murder. Death by … not paying bills. | ||
| Orange County Waves/Orange County Zodiac | Rebrand | Blue Star began life as Orange County Zodiac in the USISL A-League in 1997, finishing fifth in the Pacific Conference in their inaugural season, with Gustavo Leal leading the scoring charts. The team suffered three years of middling results, only advancing to the post season in 1999, where they lost to the Seattle Sounders in the Round of 16. The Zodiac played some of their games at Santa Ana Stadium. They changed their name to Orange County Waves prior to the 2000 season, their final one in the A-League, but finished rock bottom of the Pacific Conference, and took the 2000–01 offseason to consider their options. | Not Murder. Death by Rebranding and Relegation. | ||
| Orlando Lions | Merger | Founded in 1985, the Orlando Lions joined the third incarnation of the American Soccer League in 1988. The team joined the American Professional Soccer League in 1990 when the ASL merged with the Western Alliance. They merged with the Fort Lauderdale Strikers after the 1990 season. The club played in Orlando, Florida. | Not Murder. Death by Merger. | ||
| Orlando Nighthawks | Irrelevent | Following Khan’s death and a lack of commitment on the part of New Jersey-based owner Phil Neto, the team returned with a depleted squad due to other players signing off to play for the Central Florida Kraze and Cocoa Expos and only won one game. Following the season, the team folded. See Daytona Tigers. | Not Murder. Death by Neglect. | ||
| Orlando Sundogs | Stadium | The team nearly folded before the end of the season, but were purchased by the Atlanta Ruckus. During the off season, the team tried to find a suitable venue for an A-League team outside the Florida Citrus Bowl, but ran out of options and time. Thus, the franchise was terminated by the USISL. | Not Murder. Death by Stadium. | ||
| Penn FC/Harrisburg City Islanders | Irrelevent | Harrisburg City Islanders, known as Penn FC in their final season, were an American professional soccer team based in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 2003, the team most recently played in the USL Pro, the second tier of the United States soccer league system.[1] In October 2018, the club formally announced it will not participate in the 2019 season and would have resume play in 2020 as a member of USL League One, a league in the third tier.[2] On November 15, 2017 the team was rebranded as Penn FC.[3] The rebrand served in conjunction with a partnership with Rush Soccer youth development program. Penn FC served Rush Soccer’s professional team and the club’s most important piece to their extensive network. The team played its home games at FNB Field on City Island. The team’s colors were blue, black and grey corresponding to Rush Soccer’s branding established in 1997. In December 2019, ahead of the 2020 season, reports noted that the club had ceased operations and no longer had any employees on payroll.[4] | Not Murder. Death by irrelevance. | ||
| Pensacola Barracudas | Irrelevent | The Pensacola Barracudas were an American soccer team that played in Pensacola, Florida. | Not Murder. Death by irrelevance. | ||
| Philadelphia Freedom | Irrelevent | The Philadelphia Freedom was a soccer club that competed in the USISL and the USISL Pro League. The team was known as the Pennsylvania Freedom through the 1995/96 indoor season before changing its name prior to the 1996 outdoor season. The team folded at the end of the 1997 season. | Not Murder. Death by irrelevance. | ||
| Philadelphia Fury | Irrelevent | Not Murder. They are inactive. | |||
| Phoenix FC | Asleep | It was announced that the Fury would take part in the inaugural NISA season. The regular season is split into two halves, fall and spring, with playoffs at the end. The fall season, named “NISA Showcase”, will feature 8 teams, with the East and West champions earning berths into the 2020 playoffs.[13] While more teams are expected to compete in the Spring half in the season, the Fury will take part in both the second half “full” season and the fall “NISA Showcase.”[13] On September 18, 2019, it was announced that the Fury’s lead investor had pulled out of the project, and the team would pull out of the NISA Showcase in order to reorganize for the Spring Season,[14] though the team has since been inactive. | |||
| Portland Firebirds | Rebrand | They began as the Palo Alto Firebirds based in Palo Alto, California. They moved to San Jose, California in 1994 and became the Silicon Valley Firebirds. They were renamed the Portland Firebirds after they moved to Portland, Oregon in 1995. The next year they moved to Corvallis and became the Willamette Valley Firebirds. | Not Murder. Death by rebrand. | ||
| Puerto Rico FC | Weather | Puerto Rico FC was a professional football club based in Bayamón, Puerto Rico. Founded in 2015, the team played in the North American Soccer League (NASL), the second tier of the American soccer pyramid. The team debuted in the 2016 fall season. The team played its home games at the Juan Ramón Loubriel Stadium until the stadium was severely damaged by Hurricane Maria in September 2017.[2] The team last played during the 2017 NASL season. | Not Murder. Death by Hurricane Maria. | ||
| Puerto Rico Islanders | Rebrand | The Puerto Rico Islanders were a professional association football team based in Bayamón, Puerto Rico. They played in several different leagues from 2004 to 2012, when they suspended operations. In their last two seasons they played in the North American Soccer League (NASL), the second tier of the American soccer pyramid. They played their home games at Juan Ramón Loubriel Stadium. The team’s colors were orange and white. They were succeeded by Puerto Rico FC. The Islanders announced in late 2012 that they would sit out the spring half of the 2013 North American Soccer League season;[17] later, they announced that they would sit out the entire 2013 season with the aim of restructuring and returning for 2014.[18] This came on the heels of a season where the Islanders were forced to play home games at Bayamon Soccer Complex while Juan Ramón Loubriel Stadium was being renovated and subsequently averaged just 1,864 fans. In August 2013, club management informed the league that the Islanders would not resume league activities in 2014 due to an inability to secure adequate funding.[19] In 2015, Puerto Rico FC was founded and the Islanders’ supporter groups were revived. The new club began play during 2016 North American Soccer League season. | Not Murder. Death by rebrand to Puerto Rico FC. | ||
| Raleigh Express/Raleigh Capital Express/Raleigh Flyers | Irrelevent | he Raleigh Express was a soccer club that competed in the United Soccer Leagues from 1993 to 2000. Based in Raleigh, North Carolina, the club started as the Raleigh Flyers in the USISL before moving to the A-League in 1997. In 1999, the club was renamed the Express, and in 2000, became the Raleigh Capital Express. They would become the inaugural winners of the Southern Derby competition, and shortly thereafter folded. | Not Murder. Death by irrelevance. | ||
| Rayo OKC | Bad Business | Rayo OKC, also known as Rayo Oklahoma City, was an American professional soccer team based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. They joined the North American Soccer League (NASL) – the second tier of the American soccer pyramid – beginning with the 2016 season. They played home games at Yukon High School’s Miller Stadium in Yukon, Oklahoma.[3] The club permanently ceased operations following the 2016 season, citing huge financial losses, management issues and heavy competition from the nearby Oklahoma City Energy FC of the USL as the main reasons.[4] | Not Murder. Death by … competition? | ||
| Real Maryland Monarchs | Irrelevent | Real Maryland F.C., commonly known as the Real Maryland Monarchs, was an American soccer team based in Rockville, Maryland, United States. Founded in 2007, the team played in the USL Premier Development League (PDL), the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, in the South Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference, having voluntarily self-relegated from the USL Second Division at the end of 2010. The team suspended operations after the 2012 season. | Not Murder. Death by irrelevance. Best 1000 people per game. | ||
| Reno 1868 FC | COVID | Reno 1868 FC was an American professional soccer team based in Reno, Nevada. Founded in 2015, the team made its debut in the USL Championship in March 2017 and ceased operations after the 2020 season. On November 6, 2020, the club announced it was ceasing operations as a result of the financial and operational impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.[8] | Not Murder. Death by COVID. | ||
| Reno Rattlers | Irrelevent | The Reno Rattlers were an American soccer team based in Reno, Nevada from 1994 to 1998.[1] The club began in the USISL and moved to the USL Second Division in 1995. The team moved up to the USISL Select League in 1996,[2] but returned to the Pro League the next season. The Rattlers disbanded following the 1998 season. The Rattlers played most home contests at Earl Wooster High School in Reno.[3] | Not Murder. Death by irrelevance. | ||
| Rhode Island Stingrays | Irrelevent | Rhode Island Stingrays was an American soccer team based in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. Founded in 1995, the team played in the USL Premier Development League (PDL), the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, until 2009, after which the franchise folded and the team left the league. Attendance stats are calculated by averaging each team’s self-reported home attendances from the historical match archive at https://web.archive.org/web/20100105175057/http://www.uslsoccer.com/history/index_E.html. 2005: 332 2006: 310 2007: 305 2008: not yet available 2009: 167 | Not Murder. Death by irrelevance. | ||
| Rio Grande Valley FC Toros | MURDER | Rio Grande Valley FC, also known as RGVFC or Rio Grande Valley FC Toros, was an American professional soccer team based in Edinburg, Texas operated by Lone Star, LLC. They joined the USL Championship in the 2016 season. The team served as a hybrid affiliate of the Houston Dynamo of Major League Soccer.[1] Chris Canetti, Houston Dynamo president, called the relationship “an important and necessary step.” The hybrid affiliation, a first for the USL, meant that the Dynamo would be responsible for the soccer operation of the club, selecting players and coaching staff. The ownership group, Lone Star, was responsible for operations and day-to-day management of the club.[1][2]In March 2015, Bert Garcia announced that the Rio Grande Valley Vipers of the NBA D-league had been awarded a franchise pending concrete plans for a stadium and a name[5] and confirmed a report[6] on MLSSoccer.com that the Houston Dynamo would likely be the MLS affiliate for the USL team in the Rio Grande Valley. In December 2015, the Houston Dynamo signed Dynamo Academy product Charly Flores as the first player of the Toros. In December 2020, RGV FC Toros separated from the Houston Dynamo and became an independent soccer club.[7] On December 18, 2023, RGV FC Toros announced they were ceasing all soccer and business operations, officially ending their eight year business partnership with USL.[8] | Murder. Not sure how, but let’s call it murder. | ||
| Riverside County Elite | Irrelevent | In 1998, Jack Fielding founded the Riverside County Elite as a U-21 team with the intention of eventually entering it into the USISL.[1] He and his wife created the Riverside Soccer Development Corporation and entered into a partnership with the San Diego Soccer Development Corporation which operated the San Diego Flash. Fielding initially owned, operated and coached the team. In late 1999, Jan K. Skwara became the club CEO.[2] In January 2000, the team hired Tom Evans as head coach.[3] On April 16, 2000, the team replaced Evans with Rob Manriquez.[4] In May 2000, it qualified for the U.S. Open Cup.[5] The team played its home games at West Valley High School in Hemet, California.[6] Although successful on the field, the team never drew many fans and finished the season deeply in debt.[7] Owner Jack Fielding folded the club in December 2000. | Not Murder. Death by irrelevance. | ||
| Roanoke Wrath | Irrelevent | The Roanoke Wrath were an American soccer team that played in Roanoke, Virginia. Established as a replacement for the Roanoke RiverDawgs, the Wrath were under the local ownership group Roanoke Pro Soccer, Inc. and played the majority of their home games at the former Victory Stadium.[1] | Not Murder. Death by irrelevance. | ||
| Rochester New York FC/Rochester Rhinos/Rochester Raging Rhinos | Bad Business | Rochester New York FC, formerly known as the Rochester Raging Rhinos and later the Rochester Rhinos, was an American soccer team based in Rochester, New York, United States. In 2023, the club withdrew from the professional level in MLS Next Pro. The club won the 1999 U.S. Open Cup, marking the only time a non-MLS team has won the U.S. Open Cup since MLS started play in 1996. Founded in 1996 as the Rochester Raging Rhinos, they changed their name to Rochester Rhinos to start the 2008 season. The club began a four-year hiatus after the 2017 USL season in the second tier of the United States soccer league system.[5] The team then rebranded as Rochester New York FC and played its first and only season in MLS Next Pro in 2022, but departed before the beginning of the 2023 season.[6][1][2] The club was affiliated with the youth club Empire United Soccer Academy, which rebranded as Rochester New York FC Youth and continues to operate as a separate club. The youth club currently has a team in the United Premier Soccer League. On September 1, 2021, it was announced that the club had gone through an extensive makeover as part of the club’s rebirth, the Rhinos had a complete rebrand to Rochester New York FC or RNYFC for short, and had a new logo introduced. The new club badge features an abstract rendering of Rochester’s High Falls waterfall.[28] The club returned to play in 2022, and were the only independent club in the new MLS Next Pro league.[6] They made the playoffs but were eliminated in the quarterfinals. On March 10, 2023, Rochester New York FC withdrew from MLS Next Pro and ceased operations[1] citing an “unsustainable business model”.[29] | Not Murder. Death by “unsustainable business model.” | ||
| Rockford Raptors | Alive? | The Rockford Raptors were an American soccer team based in Rockford, Illinois. The team began in the USISL and moved to the USISL Pro League in 1995. In 1999, the team was relegated to the Premier Development League. The Raptors are now a soccer club for boys and girls U8-U19. The Raptors produced a player that was in the Residency program for the USA. The player’s name is Peri Marosevic. They are also associated with the National Premier Soccer League. | Not Murder. Not dead yet. A youth club. | ||
| Sacramento Geckos/Team Sacramento | Irrelevent | The Geckos emerged from a turbulent soccer history in New Mexico, following on the heels of a decade of semi-professional/professional club soccer in Albuquerque from 1986-1996 with the Albuquerque Outlaws, Albuquerque Gunners, New Mexico Roadrunners, and New Mexico Chiles. With this rich soccer history, Albuquerque and owner Al Valentine made the commitment to pro soccer with the debut of the Geckos in the USL D-3 Pro League in 1997. The team had instant success with a 15-3 (W-L) record, winning the league championship in its first year. Following this success, the team jumped up to tier 2 in the American soccer pyramid, joining the USL A-League in 1998. The club failed to produce similar results and, burdened with financial problems, was sold to a new ownership group in Sacramento, California.[1] Doomed from the outset, the Sacramento Geckos struggled with the existing club debt and further poor results on the field, setting an all-time league record for losing all 28 games and being outscored 91-16 for the year,[2] lasting only half a season before the United Soccer Leagues were forced to buy the team, renaming them Team Sacramento. The team folded following the 1999 season.[3] SEE ALBUQUERUE GECKOS | Not Murder. Death by irrelevance. | ||
| Sacramento Scorpions | Irrelevent | The Sacramento Scorpions was a USISL American soccer team that played in Sacramento, California from 1996 to 1998. During its brief existence, the team received several LA Galaxy players on loan. | Not Murder. Death by irrelevance. | ||
| San Antonio Pumas | Chaos | The San Antonio Pumas were an American soccer team founded in 1988 as the San Antonio Heat in the original indoor SISL league. They became the San Antonio Generals before the 1989/90 indoor season and then the San Antonio Pumas before the 1993 outdoor season. They folded after the 1998 season. In mid-June 1997, Giovanni De Avila, head of the America of Houston Corporation, purchased the team from Nicholson. He paid all of the Pumas debts and brought in Mexican World Cup player Francisco Javier Cruz[18] However, De Avila was late with payments to Harlandale Memorial Stadium which led to the Pumas moving to Fox Tech High School at mid-season.[19] As the team continued to search for a suitable stadium, the coach ordered the players to leave the field in the second half of a July 28, 1996 game against the Austin Lone Stars.[20] Despite the turmoil, the team finished the season at 7–10 which put them into the playoffs.[21] In the first game of the playoffs, which the Pumas won 4–3 over the Texas Toros, Francisco Javier Cruz, now head coach, was arrested after charging onto the field to confront a referee.[22] A few days later, the team was forced to forfeit the game when the league discovered it had used a player not listed on the game day roster.[23] In April 1999, Da Avila transferred ownership of the Pumas to former coach Guillermo Espinosa.[24] This was too late to allow Espinosa to enter the team into the USISL for the 1999 season, but intended to return in 2000. Financial difficulties prevented him from doing so and the team ceased operations. | Not Murder. Death by Chaos. | ||
| San Antonio Scorpions | Government | The San Antonio Scorpions were an American professional soccer team based in San Antonio, Texas. Founded in 2010, the team made its debut in the North American Soccer League in 2012. The Scorpions played at Toyota Field, a soccer specific stadium that was completed in 2013. The club operated differently from most professional sports clubs in terms of its operating profit. As part of owner Gordon Hartman’s Soccer for a Cause, all net profits from Scorpions operations went towards funding Morgan’s Wonderland, a wheelchair accessible theme park located in the Longhorn Quarry, next to STAR Soccer Complex and Toyota Field.[1] On December 22, 2015, it was announced that Toyota Field and S.T.A.R. Soccer Complex were sold to the City of San Antonio and Bexar County, a deal which was accompanied by an agreement for Spurs Sports and Entertainment to operate the facilities and field San Antonio FC, which plays in the USL.[2][3] | Not Murder. Death by Government. | ||
| San Diego Flash | Key Man Loss | San Diego Flash was an American soccer team based in San Diego, California, United States. Founded in 1998, the team returned to competitive play in 2011 and most recently played in the Southern Conference of the West Division of the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL), the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid. For the 2001 season the team was known as San Diego F.C.. The team originally spent four years playing in the A-League, but spent almost a decade away from competitive soccer following its withdrawal from that league in 2001. Spearheaded by the efforts of former English Premier League footballer Warren Barton with former Flash player, Jerome Watson as assistant coach, general manager Travis Chesney and former US national team striker Eric Wynalda,[2] the team returned to the field as an exhibition team in 2010 leading to its return to competitive league play in 2011. The Flash dissolved before the 2018 NPSL season, dissolving with the passing of the team owner. | Not Murder. Death by …. Death of an Owner. | ||
| San Diego Gauchos | Irrelevent | San Diego Gauchos were an American soccer team, founded in 2002. The team was a member of the United Soccer Leagues Premier Development League (PDL), the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, until 2006, when the team was sold to new owners, and the franchise was disbanded. Following the conclusion of the 2007 season the Gauchos were sold to new owners, who decided to dispense with the men’s soccer team, and concentrate their efforts on their USL W-League franchise, the San Diego Gauchos Women, which was to be re-branded as the San Diego Sunwaves. Average attendance 2006: 465 2005: 315 | Not Murder. Death by irrelevance and …. Women? | ||
| San Diego Loyal | MURDER | San Diego Loyal Soccer Club was an American professional soccer team based in San Diego, California. The team was founded by Warren Smith and Landon Donovan. San Diego Loyal made its debut in 2020 as an expansion team in the USL Championship. The team shut down following the 2023 season after failing to find a long-term home venue. | Not Murder. But everyone says it is because of the MLS San Diego Expansion. | ||
| San Diego Top Guns | Stadium | The San Diego Top Guns were an American soccer team based in San Diego, California, that played in the USISL.[1] They debuted in 1993 and team played home matches at San Diego Mesa College’s football field, which was smaller than a regulation pitch.[2] The Top Guns withdrew from USISL in September 1996 and forfeited their territorial rights.[3] | Not Murder. Death but field. | ||
| Los Angeles Heroes | Irrelevent | The Los Angeles Heroes were an American soccer club who played in the United Soccer Leagues from 1993 to 2002. They began life as the San Fernando Valley Golden Eagles upon joining the league, became the San Fernando Valley Heroes when they were relegated to the Premier Development League in 1999 and were renamed the Los Angeles Heroes for their final season in 2002. | Not Murder. Death by irrelevance. | ||
| San Francisco Bay Diablos | Chaos | Owner Mario Chavez coached the team during its inaugural season in 1993. In 1994, he brought in former Nigerian international Tony Igwe to coach. Igwe lasted only four games with the team losing all four games. Chavez, then struck a deal with Salvador Lopez to bring in the 1993 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup Champions C.D. Mexico (aka, El Farolito Soccer Club) to take over the club and run the team. The team enjoyed immediate success and if not for an 18-point deduction in points for a rules violation, the club would have made their first and only playoff appearance. In 1995, Lopez withdrew his support and the cooperation between the two clubs ceased. The Diablos struggled their way to the end of the season and folded at that time after three seasons in the league. | Not Murder. Death by Chaos. | ||
| San Francisco Bay Seals | Alive? | The Seals continued in the A-League until 2000 when the franchise stopped professional soccer and returned to youth development. The Seals continued as members of the Y-League and expanded their youth development to include college level players in 2006 by entering the PDL. Since 2009 the Seals have concentrated on youth development from U6 to U23 soccer. | Not Murder. Still alive as a Youth Club’ | ||
| San Francisco Delta | Bad Business | The San Francisco Deltas were an American professional soccer team based in San Francisco, California, United States. Founded in 2016, the team made its debut in the North American Soccer League in 2017.[2] The franchise played its home games at Kezar Stadium[3] located at the south-east end of Golden Gate Park. In its only year of play, they won the 2017 NASL championship and then folded 12 days later. Helmick wanted to run the club like a tech startup, leading to some of “the most convoluted and confounding series of choices in American soccer”, including hiring a Director of Marketing who admitted she had “no business being the Director of Marketing of anything really, let alone for a professional soccer team in one of the world’s greatest cities”.[6][7] The Deltas promised to bring tech-inspired innovations to the sport, including a virtual reality fan experience and artificial intelligence ticketing system, none of which were ever fully realized.[8] Despite that on-field success, the team struggled to draw fans or attention in San Francisco. In July, Helmick wrote a blog post lamenting poor attendance at the games. He warned that the Deltas might not return for a second season if that situation didn’t improve, challenging the fans with “only you can fix this”.[10] He asked each supporter to bring one friend to the next game, who would then each bring one to the following game, a “proposal that superficially looked like a pyramid scheme.”[11] The Deltas continued to succeed on the field and struggle off it all season. After the team earned a spot in the NASL championship final, the San Francisco Chronicle reported that the Deltas could fold even if they won the championship, citing poor attendance and over $8 million in losses.[12] On November 12, 2017, the Deltas beat the New York Cosmos 2–0 to win the NASL championship. Twelve days later, on November 24, 2017, the Deltas announced that it had ceased operations effective immediately, releasing all players and staff from their contracts.[13][8] | Not Murder. Death for delusion of grandeur and idiocy. | ||
| San Jose Hawks/San Francisco Bay Blackhawks | MURDER | San Francisco Bay Blackhawks were a professional soccer team which came into existence in 1989 as a team in the Western Soccer League (WSL). The Blackhawks spent time in the American Professional Soccer League (APSL) and the United States Interregional Soccer League (USISL). In 1993, the team competed in USISL as the San Jose Hawks, but left organized competition at the end of the season. Van Voorhis folded the team at the end of the 1993 season after losing money in a soccer-related lawsuit. In 1994, shortly after having successfully landed a San Jose Major League Soccer franchise and handing over all existing Hawks player contracts, front-office resources and the rights to play in Spartan Stadium to MLS in exchange for Type C stock in the league, Van Voorhis was forced to accept a buyout from the league because of financial difficulties stemming from a divorce. This left the franchise (subsequently named the San Jose Clash) league-owned for several years. | Murder. Not sure really, but this is as close to what I will call murder. | ||
| Santa Cruz Surf | Irrelevent | The Santa Cruz Surf was an American soccer team based in Santa Cruz, California that played in the USISL. | Not Murder. Death by irrelevance. | ||
| Shasta Scorchers | Irrelevent | Shasta Scorchers were an American soccer team based in Redding, California that played in the USISL. The club moved to the USISL Premier League in 1995. | Not Murder. Death by irrelevance. | ||
| Shreveport/Bossier Lions | Irrelevent | No infrormation… Shreveport/Bossier Lions, a soccer team which played in the D3 Professional League, took the field during the 1998 season. 1998 Shreveport/Bossier Lions (4-14) – Roster – Stats | Not Murder. Death by irrelevance. | ||
| Silicon Valley Firebirds | Irrelevent | They began as the Palo Alto Firebirds based in Palo Alto, California. They moved to San Jose, California in 1994 and became the Silicon Valley Firebirds. They were renamed the Portland Firebirds after they moved to Portland, Oregon in 1995. The next year they moved to Corvallis and became the Willamette Valley Firebirds. | Not Murder. Death by irrelevance. | ||
| Sioux City Breeze | Irrelevent | The Sioux City Breeze were a soccer club based in Sioux City, Iowa. The club began in the USISL and moved to the USISL Premier League in 1995. | Not Murder. Death by irrelevance. | ||
| South Carolina Shamrocks | Irrelevent | The South Carolina Shamrocks were an American soccer team that played in Spartanburg, South Carolina. The Shamrocks played the 1998 and 1999 seasons at Greer City Stadium, then called Shamrock Stadium. | Not Murder. Death by irrelevance. | ||
| South Florida Flamingos | Murder Mystery | No infrormation… Except cfor a Monday Coed Flag Footbal team. | Not Murder. More like disappearance. Could be murder, but no body has been fond. | ||
| Southwest Florida Manatees | Irrelevent | The Southwest Florida Manatees were an American soccer team that played in Cape Coral, Florida. In the 1997 season they played in the United States Interregional Soccer League Premier Development Soccer League. In the 1998 season, they played in the USISL D-3 Pro League. In 1998, the Southwest Florida Manatees were an affiliate for the Tampa Bay Mutiny of Major League Soccer.[1] The team folded after the 1998 USISL D-3 Pro League season. | Not Murder. Death by irrelevance. | ||
| Saint Louis FC | COVID | Saint Louis FC was an American professional soccer team based in St. Louis, Missouri. The team was founded in May 2014, and competed in the USL Championship. On August 25, 2020, citing the financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic during 2020, it was announced that the 2020 season would be the final season of operation for the club.[17] | Not Murder. Death by COVID. | ||
| St. Louis Knights | Irrelevent | The St. Louis Knights were an American soccer team based in St. Louis, Missouri. The team began in the USISL and moved to the USISL Pro League in 1995. | Not Murder. Death by irrelevance. | ||
| Staten Island Vipers | Irrelevent | The Staten Island Vipers were a soccer club that competed in the USL A-League in 1998 and 1999. The club was based on Staten Island, New York City. The team played its games at Tottenville High School and Wagner College. The team dissolved following the 1999 season. | Not Murder. Death by irrelevance. | ||
| Stumptown AC | Irrelevent | Stumptown AC, formerly Stumptown Athletic, was an American professional soccer team that played in the National Independent Soccer Association (NISA) | Not Murder. Death by irrelevance. | ||
| Syracuse Salty Dogs | Stadium | The team suspended operations in October 2004 due to financial difficulties and has not played since. However, groups have been working to return pro soccer to Syracuse. Despite high attendance in the A-League over both years of play and reasonable success on the field, the team faltered financially. The club’s budget had been strained as a result of using P&C Stadium (now known as NBT Bank Stadium), which is run by the SkyChiefs. During their first season, the team was forced to play several home games at the Liverpool Athletic Complex at Liverpool High School, which was primarily a football field in Liverpool, NY[1] (also shared by the CNY Express, an amateur American football team). During its second season, the team’s playoff home games were in Cortland, NY for similar reasons. During the 2004 season, there were proposals to build a downtown soccer stadium near Armory Square. After the team’s folding, Matt Driscoll, Syracuse’s mayor, stated that realization of such a stadium is only feasible if a team returns. The Syracuse Pro Sports group filed for bankruptcy and folded the team in October 2004.[2] | Not Murder. Death by Stadium. | ||
| Tallahassee Tempest | Irrelevent | The Tallahassee Tempest were an American soccer team that played in Tallahassee, Florida. | Not Murder. Death by Irrelevance. | ||
| Tampa Bay Cyclones | Key Man Loss | The Jacksonville Cyclones were a professional soccer team based in Jacksonville, Florida. They played in the A-League from 1997 to 1999. The team originated as the Tampa Bay Cyclones, who played in Tampa, Florida from 1995 to 1996 before moving to Jacksonville. The team folded in 1999 shortly after the death of their manager Dennis Viollet, the former Manchester United and England striker.[2] | Not Murder. Death by Passing of Owner. | ||
| Tampa Bay Mutiny | Fratricide | However, in subsequent years, dropping attendance and revenues became problems, especially as their on-field success declined and the lease at their second home pitch of Raymond James Stadium removed sources of gameday revenues. | Not Murder. Death by Fratricide…. And Nick Sackiewicz. | ||
| Tampa Bay Rowdies | Alive? | Another in a long series of Rowdies. | Not Murder. Otherwise they would be dead? | ||
| Texas Lightning | Rebrand | The Dallas Lightning were a U.S. soccer club that competed in the USISL from 1993 to 1996 and the USISL W-League from 1995 to 1997. The men’s team folded after the 1995–96 USISL indoor season and the women’s team folded after the 1997 USISL W-League season. | Not Murder. Death by moving. | ||
| Texas Rattlers/Texas Toros/Dallas Toros/Dallas Fort Worth Toros | Bad Business | DFW Tornados (also known as Dallas–Fort Worth Tornados) was an American soccer team based in Dallas, Texas, United States. Founded in 1986, the team played in the USL Premier Development League (PDL), the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, in the Mid South Division of the Southern Conference. The franchise folded at the end of the 2010 season and left the league thereafter. | Not Murder. Death of a Thousand Cuts. | ||
| Tucson Amigos | Irrelevent | The Tucson Amigos were a soccer club based in Tucson, Arizona that competed in the SISL, USISL and United Soccer Leagues. The founder of the Tucson Amigos was Dennis Archer, a local business owner who owned the Tucson Amigos Indoor Soccer Center. | Not Murder. Death by irrelevance. | ||
| Tucson Fireballs | Irrelevent | Tucson Fireballs were a soccer club that competed in the United Soccer Leagues from 1997 to 2001. The club originally started as the Los Angeles Fireballs. They moved to Tucson, Arizona and became the Tucson Fireballs in 2000. | Not Murder. Death by irrelevance. | ||
| Relegation? | The second Tulsa Roughnecks were an American soccer team that played in the United Soccer Leagues from 1993–99. In 1999, the team went under new ownership which renamed it the Green Country Roughnecks.[6] In 1999, Adibi purchased the team, renamed it the Tulsa Roughnecks and withdrew it from the USL. The Roughnecks spent the 1999–2000 winter season playing with several unafilliated indoor teams in an ad hoc league.[7 | Not Murder. Death by … relegation? | |||
| Utah Blitzz | MURDER | Utah Blitzz was an American professional soccer team in based in Salt Lake City, Utah that played in the USL Pro Select League (later known as the USL Second Division). The club was founded in 2000 but folded following the 2004 season to make way for the Major League Soccer franchise, Real Salt Lake, to begin play in 2005. During its short existence the club was very successful, winning two league titles in total while finishing first or second in the Western Conference every season. The club played its home games at Rice-Eccles Stadium on the campus of the University of Utah. On July 12, 2004, the country’s first division pro league, Major League Soccer, announced that an expansion franchise had been awarded to Salt Lake City, with the new team to begin play in 2005. Following the championship victory in the 2004 season, the Blitzz ownership decided it would be best to step aside and not compete for attention or fans with the new MLS club. However, due to the success of the Blitzz, many staff and players would find a role in the Real Salt Lake (RSL) organization, including Agnello, who would go on to serve as a first team assistant coach for RSL.[2] | Murder. Although it sounds my like retirement. | ||
| Valley United FC | Legal Issues | Valley United FC was an American professional soccer club based in Phoenix, Arizona that played in the National Independent Soccer Association, in the 3rd tier of the US soccer pyramid, from 2022.[1] On May 17, 2022, the team announced that they were working through “internal roster issues at the club” which resulted in the resignation of Head Coach Adrian Gaitan and General Manager Yuval Raichman.[6][7] Danny De Olivera was promoted to the team’s head coach.[8] The issues, identified as alleged violations of United States Immigration law, involved six players, who were released from the club. The roster violations resulted in a forfeit of three league matches.[9] The team went on to play six more matches[10] before suspending operations for the season on July 26, 2022. To promote “sporting integrity,” all VUFC results were removed, ultimately resulting in a forfeit of the entire season.[11] The club did not participate in the 2023 NISA season,[12] but the club’s badge remains on the NISA website.[13] | Not Murder. Death by Law Breaking. | ||
| Vermont Voltage/Vermont Wanderers | Irrelevent | Vermont Voltage was an American soccer team based in St. Albans, Vermont, United States. Founded in 1997, the team played in the USL Premier Development League (PDL), the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, in the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference, having spent the 2009 season on hiatus. The Voltage folded after the 2014 season. | Not Murder. Don’t know why, but if it were murder, maybe it would say so? | ||
| Virginia Beach Mariners/Hampton Roads Hurricanes/Hampton Roads Mariners | Chaos | The Virginia Beach Mariners were an American soccer club, who formerly played in the USL First Division of the United Soccer Leagues, the second division in the US Soccer hierarchy behind Major League Soccer. On March 30, 2007 the team folded due to lack of ownership. The Mariners played at the Virginia Beach Sportsplex in Virginia Beach, Virginia, from 1999 up to their demise in 2007. The team was founded in 1994 as the Hampton Roads Hurricanes, but they changed their name to Mariners after the first year. For the 2003 season, the team changed their name from Hampton Roads Mariners to the more widely recognizable Virginia Beach Mariners. The team went on a one- year hiatus in 1997, after which they joined the A-League. In 2006, the Mariners added a USL Premier Development League club, the Virginia Beach Submariners. Shortly after the termination of the Mariners, the Submariners were taken over by the Hampton Roads Piranhas, a women’s W-League soccer club, who renamed the team the Hampton Roads Piranhas to reflect the change of ownership. | Not Murder. Death by Chaos. | ||
| VSI Tampa Bay FC | Stadium | VSI Tampa Bay FC was an American soccer team based in Plant City, Florida. They played in USL Pro, the third tier of the American soccer pyramid, in the 2013 season. VSI Tampa Bay FC were owned by VisionPro Sports Institute and were affiliated with a women’s team in the W-League, an amateur team in the USL Premier Development League (PDL), and a youth team in the Super-20 League.[1] All the teams folded in 2013. While the W-League and PDL teams had been successful in 2012, the USL Pro team struggled throughout its only season. The remote stadium in Plant City made it difficult to attract fans, and the team suffered from competition from the more successful Tampa Bay Rowdies of the North American Soccer League. The organization folded all of its teams after the 2013 season.[9] | Not Murder. Death by competition and Stadium. | ||
| Washington Mustangs | Irrelevent | The Washington Mustangs were an American soccer team that played in Washington, DC in the now-defunct United States Interregional Soccer League. | Not Murder. Death by Irrelevance. | ||
| Wichita Blue | Irrelevent | Wichita Blue, known in 1994 as Wichita Blue Angels, was an American soccer club based in Wichita, Kansas. The Blue played in several leagues including the Heartland Soccer League, Lone Star Soccer Alliance and the USISL. In 1988, the Blue, owned by Ahmad Hassan joined the Heartland Soccer League.[1] In 1990, the team switched to the Lone Star Soccer Alliance.[2] In 1991, the Blue added a women’s team and played their home games in Cessna Stadium. Following the 1992 season, the LSSA folded. The Blue sat out the 1993 season. In 1994, the team moved to the USISL where they were known as the Wichita Blue Angels.[3] In 1995, the team resumed its original name, the Wichita Blue. The team withdrew from the league following the 1996 USISL season. In 1999, the team returned to the USISL, but after finishing 7th out of 8 teams in the Heartland Division, the team permanently disbanded. | Not Murder. Death by irrelevance and Chaos. | ||
| Wilmington Hammerheads FC | Alive? | Wilmington Hammerheads FC was a semi-professional American soccer team based in Wilmington, North Carolina. Founded in 1996, the team last competed in the Premier Development League, the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid in 2017. | Not Murder. Just a Youth Soccer Club. | ||
| Yakima Reds | 2008 | Yakima Reds was an American soccer team based in Yakima, Washington, United States. Founded in 1995, the team played in the USL Premier Development League (PDL), the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference. The franchise folded at the end of the 2010 season and left the league thereafter. On 25 September 2008, the Reds’ management announced that the club was folding and withdrawing from the USL, citing the economic climate and the financial difficulties being suffered by the ownership group, Irwin Research & Development, as the reasons.[1] However, on 17 November 2008, the club announced that a last-minute takeover of the club’s ownership had taken place by local businessman Perry Piercy, and that the Reds would continue to compete in 2009.[2] Unfortunately for Yakima, the optimism and enthusiasm at being afforded a last-minute reprieve did not translate to positive results on the pitch; they struggled all year, ultimately winning just three regular season games | Not Murder. Death by Bad Economy. | ||
| Albion San Diego | Youth Soccer | On December 15, 2021, Albion announced a merger with San Diego 1904 FC of NISA, after that club lost a major source of financing. The new club was to compete in NISA as Albion San Diego, starting with the 2022 season.[2] We will look to 2025 as we will pause operations for 2024 after two incredible years of success to reorganize and finalize ownership group going forward. | Not Murder. Sounds like no one wants to own it. | ||
| Flower City Union | Irrelevent | Flower City Union is an American professional soccer team based in Rochester, New York, United States, that plays in the National Independent Soccer Association, a third tier league of the United States soccer league system. Its home stadium is Rochester Community Sports Complex Stadium. Flower City Union won their first championship in 2023, winning the 2023 National Independent Soccer Association Championship. | Not Murder. Death by Irrelevance. |