Fort Lauderdale Sun
Fort Lauderdale Sun was a U.S. soccer team which played two seasons in the United Soccer League. In 1983, the team was known as the Fort Lauderdale Sun, but in 1985, changed its name to the South Florida Sun.
Origins
The United Soccer League (USL) was formed after the second American Soccer League (ASL) folded in 1983. The ASL had served as the de facto U.S. second division for decades, but collapsed due to overexpansion and financial insolvency. The USL intended to avoid this fate by creating a lean, financially responsible league. In 1984, the league began play with nine teams in three regional divisions. The Fort Lauderdale Sun joined the Charlotte Gold and Jacksonville Tea Men in the Southern Division. Both of the Suns' opponents came to the USL from the ASL. Additionally, the Tea Men had played several seasons in the first division North American Soccer League until 1982. [1]
1984: Champions
The Suns gained a significant boost when it signed former Peruvian great Teófilo Cubillas. Cubillas joined several other NASL veterans on the Sun, giving the team one of the most talented rosters in the new league. This paid dividends as they played to a 15-9 record, scoring fifty-three goals and giving up only thirty-four. After making the playoffs, the Sun crushed the Buffalo Storm in the semi-finals, then defeated the Houston Dynamos to take the league title.
1985: League Cup and league collapse
Despite the league's financial austerity, it lost most of its teams during the off season. Only four remained to begin the 1985 season, and the league folded after only six games. The Sun, renamed the South Florida Sun, led the league standings with a 4-2 record when the league collapsed. By virtue of their 1-0 win over the Tulsa Tornados on June 15, the Sun also won the league's Invitational Cup in front of 2,324 fans at Lockhart Stadium. As a harbinger of things to come, no actual cup was presented to them, causing Sun player-coach, Keith Weller, to quip, "There ain't no cup."[2] The league folded days later.
Honors
Champion
- 1984
USL Invitational Cup
- 1985
Rookie of the Year
- Mark Schwartz 1984
Top Goalkeeper
- Jim Tietjens 1984
Year-by-year
| Year | Team Name | Division | League | Reg. Season | Playoffs | League Cup | National Cup |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | Fort Lauderdale Sun | 2 | USL | 1st, Southern | Champions | – | Did not enter |
| 1985 | South Florida Sun | 2 | USL | 1st | "N/A" | Champions | Did not enter |
References
- ↑ http://www.funwhileitlasted.net/2013/06/08/1984-1985-fort-lauderdale-sun-south-florida-sun/
- ↑ "Sun Wins Invitational Cup – Wherever That May Be". Sun Sentinel. Retrieved 15 July 2015.