World Indoor Soccer League
The World Indoor Soccer League (WISL) was a United States-based indoor soccer league that existed from 1998 to 2001 and consisted of nine teams.
 | |
| Founded | 1998 |
|---|---|
| Folded | 2001 |
| Country | United States Mexico |
| Number of teams | 9 |
| Last champions | Dallas Sidekicks |
History
After the demise of the Continental Indoor Soccer League, four of its teams decided to create a new indoor league to be called the Premier Soccer Alliance. The teams complemented their schedules with games against international teams. In 1999, two more former CISL teams (the Houston Hotshots and Monterrey La Raza) joined the league, which then changed its name to World Indoor Soccer League.
The name change came about as a result of the "merger" of the US-based Premier Soccer Alliance and an 'English Indoor Football League'. Originally, there was to be a European Division and a North American Division, with 'London United', 'Manchester Magic', 'Newcastle Geordies' and 'Sheffield Strikers' playing in a European division, but that idea was dropped due to rules conflicts between the existing leagues and lack of permission from The Football Association.
At one point in 2000, the World Indoor Soccer League attempted to be the first U.S. pro sports league to sell the sell naming rights of the league. It was looking to be something like "The Pepsi World Indoor Soccer League." Ultimately, this did not happen.[1]
The WISL folded in December 2001 when Dallas, St. Louis, and San Diego agreed to join the MISL while the remaining teams, the Utah Freezz, the Sacramento Knights and the Houston Hotshots folded.
Champions
Season by Season
| Season | Champion | Score / series | Runner-Up |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Dallas Sidekicks | 6 to 2 | Sacramento Knights |
| 1999 | Sacramento Knights | 7 to 6 | Dallas Sidekicks |
| 2000 | Monterrey La Raza | 6 to 5 (SO 3-1) | Dallas Sidekicks |
| 2001 | Dallas Sidekicks | 2-1 | San Diego Sockers |
By Team
| Team | Championships | Runner Up | Champions | Runner Up |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dallas Sidekicks | 2 | 2 | 1998, 2001 | 1999, 2000 |
| Sacramento Knights | 1 | 1 | 1999 | 1998 |
| Monterrey La Raza | 1 | 0 | 2000 | |
| San Diego Sockers | 0 | 1 | 2001 | |
Annual awards
Most Valuable Player
- 1998 – Tatu, Dallas
- 1999 – David Doyle, Dallas
- 2000 – Mariano Bollella, Monterrey
- 2001 – Ato Leone, Sacramento
Goalkeeper of the Year
- 1998 – Dan Madsen, Sacramento
- 1999 – Brett Phillips, Portland
- 2000 – Sagu (Edilson Xavier), Dallas
- 2001 – Sagu (Edilson Xavier), Dallas
Coach of the Year
- 1998 – Tatu, Dallas
- 1999 – Iain Fraser, Sacramento
- 2000 – Jeff Betts, Utah
- 2001 – Iain Fraser, Sacramento
Rookie of the Year
- 1998 – Jorge Fernandez, Sacramento
- 1999 – Justin Labrum, Utah
- 2000 – Clint Regier, Houston
- 2001 – David Beltran, San Diego
Defender of the Year
- 1998 – Rusty Troy, Dallas
- 1999 – Iain Fraser, Sacramento
- 2000 – Rob Baarts, Utah
- 2001 – Iain Fraser, Sacramento
Presidents
Gordon Jago 1998–2001
Teams
| Team | City/Area | Arena |
|---|---|---|
| Arizona Thunder | Phoenix, Arizona | Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum |
| Dallas Sidekicks | Dallas, Texas | Reunion Arena American Airlines Center (One Game) |
| Houston Hotshots | Houston, Texas | The Summit Reliant Arena |
| Monterrey La Raza | Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico | Gimnasio Nuevo León |
| Portland Pythons | Portland, Oregon | Rose Garden |
| Sacramento Knights | Sacramento, California | ARCO Arena |
| San Diego Sockers | San Diego, California | San Diego Sports Arena |
| St. Louis Steamers | St. Charles, Missouri | Family Arena |
| Utah Freezz | West Valley City, Utah | E-Center |
References
- Cawley, Rusty (2000-05-12). "Soccer league to sell naming rights". Dallas Business Journal. Retrieved 2008-07-26.