1980–81 NASL indoor season

Indoor soccer league season

Football league season

North American Soccer League
1980–81 indoor season
Season	1980–81
Champions	Edmonton Drillers
Premiers	Chicago Sting
Matches played	171
Goals scored	1,998 (11.68 per match)
Top goalscorer	Karl-Heinz Granitza (42 goals)
Average attendance	5,146
← 1979–80 1981–82 →

The 1980–81 season was the North American Soccer League's second indoor soccer season.

Overview

A total of 19 of a possible 21 NASL teams participated. New York and Montreal (who was moving from Philadelphia) were the only hold-outs this indoor season. Just as the season was getting underway, the Jacksonville Tea Men relocated from New England. Teams played an 18-game regular season. The four Canadian teams were realigned into one division and forced to play only one another during the regular season. This was due to early season litigation which restricted NASL teams' travel between the U.S. and Canada. The Edmonton Drillers won the championship in a two-game finals-sweep of the Chicago Sting. This was the Drillers' first, and only, NASL indoor title. Kai Haaskivi of Edmonton won both the regular season and playoff MVP awards.

Map of clubs

Boomers

Drillers

Blizzard

Whitecaps

Chiefs

Strikers

Tea Men

Rowdies

Sting

Express

Kicks

Aztecs

Timbers

Earth
quakes

Sounders

Surf

Tornado

Sockers

Rough
necks

Northern Division

Eastern Division

Central Division

Western Division

Southern Division

Regular season

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

Eastern Division	W	L	GB	%	GF	GA
Atlanta Chiefs	13	5	–	.722	97	75
Tampa Bay Rowdies	9	9	4	.500	126	120
Jacksonville Tea Men	8	10	5	.444	96	102
Fort Lauderdale Strikers	1	17	12	.056	58	125

Central Division	W	L	GB	%	GF	GA
Chicago Sting	13	5	–	.722	146	103
Minnesota Kicks	12	6	1	.667	93	73
Detroit Express	7	11	6	.389	90	106

Southern Division	W	L	GB	%	GF	GA
California Surf	10	8	–	.556	104	118
Tulsa Roughnecks	9	9	1	.500	111	113
Dallas Tornado	7	11	3	.389	110	125
San Diego Sockers	6	12	4	.333	106	121

Northern Division	W	L	GB	%	GF	GA
Vancouver Whitecaps	11	7	–	.611	91	96
Edmonton Drillers	10	8	1	.556	128	109
Calgary Boomers	10	8	1	.556	100	94
Toronto Blizzard	5	13	6	.278	101	121

Western Division	W	L	GB	%	GF	GA
Los Angeles Aztecs	11	7	–	.611	118	99
Portland Timbers	10	8	1	.556	110	93
San Jose Earthquakes	10	8	1	.556	118	115
Seattle Sounders	9	9	2	.500	106	98

NASL All-Stars

All-star selections were made, by region, by the NASL coaches and general managers. Each voter cast ballots for one goalie and five outfield players regardless of position.

All-North team	Position	All-East team	Position	All-West team
Bruce Grobbelaar, Vancouver	G	Tino Lettieri, Minnesota	G	Mike Hewitt, San Jose
–	D	Björn Nordqvist, Minnesota	D	Mihalj Keri, Los Angeles
Gerry Gray, Vancouver	M	–	M	Alan Hudson, Seattle
Carl Valentine, Vancouver	F	Steve Wegerle, Tampa Bay	F	Stuart Lee, Portland
Kai Haaskivi, Edmonton	F	Pato Margetic, Detroit	F	George Best, San Jose
Drew Ferguson, Edmonton	F	Keith Furphy, Atlanta	F	Juli Veee, San Diego
Juan Carlos Molina, Calgary	F	Karl-Heinz Granitza, Chicago	F	Chris Dangerfield, Los Angeles
Bobby Prentice, Toronto	F

Playoffs

Bracket

First round Best-of-3					Semifinals Best-of-3					Championship series Best-of-3

P1	Chicago Sting	6	8(OT)	–

W2	Portland Timbers	2	7	–
					P1	Chicago Sting	8	5	4

					E1	Atlanta Chiefs	3	9	2
E1	Atlanta Chiefs	10	5(OT)	–

C2	Minnesota Kicks	8	4	–
										P1	Chicago Sting	6	4	–

										N2	Edmonton Drillers	9	5	–
N2	Edmonton Drillers	8	10	–

W1	Los Angeles Aztecs	3	6	–
					N2	Edmonton Drillers	9	6	–

					C1	Vancouver Whitecaps	7	4	–
C1	Vancouver Whitecaps	0	8	4

S1	California Surf	3	5	0

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	-	Los Angeles Aztecs	8–3	10–6	x	February 16 • L.A. Sports Arena • 1,621 February 19 • Northlands Coliseum • 4,310
Vancouver Whitecaps	-	California Surf	0–3	8–5	4–0	February 18 • Long Beach Arena • 472 February 21 • Pacific Coliseum • 8,496
Atlanta Chiefs	-	Minnesota Kicks	10–8	5–4 (OT)	x	February 16 • Met Center • 6,354 February 20 • The Omni • 6,150
Chicago Sting	-	Portland Timbers	#6–2	8–7 (OT)	x	February 17 • Chicago Stadium • 3,254 February 19 • Chicago Stadium • 6,286

#Scheduling conflicts at the Portland Coliseum forced both games to be played in Chicago.

Semi-finals

Higher seed		Lower seed	Game 1	Game 2	Mini-game	Attendance
Vancouver Whitecaps	-	Edmonton Drillers	7–9	4–6	x	February 24 • Northlands Coliseum • 3,420 February 28 • Pacific Coliseum • 11,758
Chicago Sting	-	Atlanta Chiefs	8–3	5–9	4–2	February 25 • The Omni • 9,187 February 28 • Chicago Stadium • 12,376

Championship finals

Higher seed		Lower seed	Game 1	Game 2	Mini-game	Attendance
Chicago Sting	-	Edmonton Drillers	*6–9	4–5	x	March 2 • Edmonton Gardens • 5,089 March 7 • Chicago Stadium • 16,257

*Scheduling conflicts at the Northlands Coliseum forced Game 1 of the Finals to be moved across the street to the Edmonton Gardens.

Championship match reports

Edmonton Drillers v Chicago Sting

March 2, 1981 Game 1	Edmonton Drillers	9–6	Chicago Sting	Edmonton, Alberta
8:30 P.M. (MST)	Raduka 3:09' Guðmundsson 9:09' (Haaskivi) Haaskivi 11:58' (Guðmundsson, Raduka) Haaskivi 19:35' (James, Guðmundsson) Haaskivi 21:45' (Sweeney, de Luca) Oostrom 24:53' (Haaskivi, Guðmundsson) Haaskivi 34:56' (Raduka, Guðmundsson) Haaskivi 51:03' (Sweeney, Oostrom) Haaskivi 58:23' (Guðmundsson, Oostrom)	Report	Hall 15:31' (Peter, Granitza) Hall 23:06' (Glenn, Steele) Simanton 26:05' (Granitza, Ryan) Long 34:18' (Granitza) Fajkus 40:08' (Steele, Glenn) Simanton 53:54' (Granitza, Spalding)	Stadium: Edmonton Gardens Attendance: 5,089

Chicago Sting v Edmonton Drillers

March 7, 1981 Game 2	Chicago Sting	4–5	Edmonton Drillers	Chicago, Illinois
2:00 P.M. (CST)	Granitza 12:28' (Ryan, Fajkus) Steffenhagen 23:59' (Simanton, Glenn) Hall 32:33' (Mishalow) Peter 58:54' (Hall)	Report	Sweeney 31:15' (Goossens) Knight 37:57' (Haaskivi) Oostrom 40:14' (Haaskivi) Guðmundsson 46:53' Oostrom 58:49' (Haaskivi)	Stadium: Chicago Stadium Attendance: 16,257 Referee: Toros Kibritjan (USA)

1980–81 NASL indoor champions: Edmonton Drillers

Post season awards

Most Valuable Player: Kai Haaskivi, Edmonton
Finals MVP: Kai Haaskivi, Edmonton

References

"Tea Men are leaving N.E. for new home in Florida". The Day. November 17, 1980. p. 28. Retrieved October 24, 2016 – via Google News Archive Search.
Conklin, Mike (March 3, 1981). "Sting may be in for a surprise in finals". Chicago Tribune. p. 3, Sec 5. Retrieved December 22, 2016.
"Three NASL team fold". The Phoenix. November 25, 1980. p. C5. Retrieved December 17, 2021.
"Timbers-Sounders Game Opens NASL Indoor Season". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. December 3, 1981. p. 15-B. Retrieved October 24, 2016 – via Google News Archive Search.
Conklin, Mike (March 7, 1981). "It's official –Arno to join Sting's uphill battle". Chicago Tribune. p. Sec 2 p.2. Retrieved January 6, 2021 – via newspapers.com.
1983 Official North American Soccer League Guide
^ Henderson, Jim (April 21, 1981). "For Keith Bailey, The Long Wait Is Finally Over". The Tampa Tribune. p. 5-C. Retrieved January 6, 2021.
Jones, Graham L. (February 19, 1981). "Surf Beats Whitecaps, 3–0". Los Angeles Times. p. III-12. Retrieved December 20, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
Conklin, Mike (February 16, 1981). "Sting home for playoff opener". Chicago Tribune. p. 3, Sec 4. Retrieved December 22, 2016.
"Kai Haaskivi 6 goals 1981 NASL Indoor Finals Edmonton Drillers". Archived from the original on December 5, 2021 – via YouTube.
Conklin, Mike (March 3, 1981). "Finn star peppers Sting with 6 goals, Edmonton wins". Chicago Tribune. p. 1, Sec 5. Retrieved December 21, 2016.

Soccer in Edmonton

Clubs

Professional	Edmonton Drillers (1979–1982) Edmonton Eagles (1983) Edmonton Brick Men (1985–1992) Edmonton Drillers (1996–2000) Edmonton Aviators (2004) Edmonton Aviators Women (2004) Edmonton Drillers (2007–2010) FC Edmonton (2011–2022)
Semi-professional	Edmonton Scottish (1907–) BTB Soccer Club (2013–)

Events

Notable matches

Canada v Australia (1993)
Canada v Mexico (2021)

Chicago Sting

Founded 1974 Based in Chicago
Club history	Chicago Sting (1974–1984) (outdoor) Chicago Sting (1976–1982) (indoor) Chicago Sting (1982–1988) (indoor)
Sports facilities	Chicago Stadium Comiskey Park Rosemont Horizon Soldier Field Wrigley Field
Culture	Stanley Sting The Sting
Rivalries	New York Cosmos St. Louis Stars
Important figures	Tony Chursky Rudy Getzinger Gerry Gray Karl-Heinz Granitza Victor Kodelja John McGrane Victor Nogueira Willy Roy Lee Stern Clive Toye Bruce Wilson
Other topics	Related articles

Honors
NASL Championship (2)	1981 (Champions) 1984 (Champions)
NASL Regular season (1)	1984 (Champions)
NASL Division titles (4)	1976 (Northern Division) 1980 (Central Division) 1981 (Central Division) 1984 (Eastern Division)
NASL Indoor League Championship (1)	1980–81 (Finalist)
NASL Indoor League Regular Season (1)	1980–81 (Champions)
NASL Indoor League Division (2)	1980–81 (Central Division) 1981–82 (Central Division)

Seasons
North American Soccer League (1966–85)	1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984
North American Soccer League Indoor (1975–84)	1976 1980–81 1981–82 1983–84
Major Indoor Soccer League (1978–92)	1982–83 1984–85 1985–86 1986–87 1987–88

v t e North American Soccer League (1968–1984)
Broadcasters USSF CSA Portal NASL (2011–2017) First overall draft picks
Seasons	1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984
Soccer Bowls	1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984
Predecessors	USA 1967 Final NPSL 1967 Final
Indoor seasons	1971 1975 1976 1978 1979 1979–80 1980–81 1981–82 1983 1983–84
Conferences	1968 East West 1976–1977 Atlantic Pacific 1978–1980 American National
Related	Soccer Bowl broadcasters NASL Indoor Championship
Clubs	Atlanta Apollos Atlanta Chiefs Baltimore Bays Baltimore Comets Boston Beacons Boston Minutemen Boston Shamrock Rovers† Calgary Boomers California Surf Chicago Mustangs Chicago Spurs Chicago Sting Cleveland Stokers Caribous of Colorado Connecticut Bicentennials Dallas Tornado Denver Dynamos Detroit Cougars Detroit Express Edmonton Drillers Fort Lauderdale Strikers Golden Bay Earthquakes Hartford Bicentennials Houston Hurricane Houston Stars Jacksonville Tea Men Kansas City Spurs Las Vegas Quicksilvers Los Angeles Aztecs Los Angeles Wolves Memphis Rogues Miami Gatos Miami Toros Minnesota Kicks Minnesota Strikers Montreal Manic Montreal Olympique New England Tea Men New York Cosmos New York Generals New York Skyliners Oakland Clippers Oakland Stompers Philadelphia Spartans Philadelphia Atoms Philadelphia Fury Pittsburgh Phantoms Portland Timbers Rochester Lancers San Antonio Thunder San Diego Jaws San Diego Sockers San Diego Toros San Francisco Golden Gate Gales San Jose Earthquakes Seattle Sounders St. Louis Stars Tampa Bay Rowdies Team America Team Hawaii Toronto Blizzard Toronto City Toronto Metros Toronto Metros-Croatia Tulsa Roughnecks Vancouver Royals Vancouver Whitecaps Washington Darts Washington Diplomats Washington Whips
United Soccer Association team that did not join NASL upon merger with NPSL. National Professional Soccer League team that did not join NASL upon merger with USA.

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