1981 American Soccer League
| Season | 1981 |
|---|---|
| Champions | Carolina Lightnin' |
| Premiers | New York United (5th title) |
| Top goalscorer | Billy Boljevic (25) |
← 1980 1982 → | |
Statistics of American Soccer League II in season 1981.
League standings
| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | BP | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York United | 28 | 19 | 4 | 5 | 53 | 28 | 51 | 154 |
| Pennsylvania Stoners | 28 | 17 | 7 | 4 | 51 | 28 | 47 | 146 |
| New York Eagles | 28 | 13 | 2 | 13 | 57 | 49 | 47 | 116 |
| New England Sharks | 28 | 4 | 0 | 24 | 16 | 41 | 15 | 35 |
Source: [citation needed]
| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | BP | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carolina Lightnin' | 28 | 16 | 3 | 9 | 46 | 31 | 41 | 127 |
| Detroit Express | 28 | 15 | 2 | 11 | 58 | 46 | 46 | 125 |
| Rochester Flash | 28 | 11 | 5 | 12 | 38 | 51 | 35 | 100 |
| Cleveland Cobras | 28 | 5 | 1 | 22 | 33 | 78 | 29 | 56 |
Source: [citation needed]
Playoffs
1st Round
| September 3 | Carolina Lightnin' | 2–0 | Rochester Flash | Memorial Stadium • Att. 5,312 |
| September 4 | Detroit Express | 4–1 | New York Eagles | Pontiac Silverdome • Att. 7,318 |
Semifinals
- Carolina defeated Pennsylvania, 3–1, 1–2
- New York United defeated Detroit, 1–1, 2–1
Championship final
| Carolina Lightnin' (NC) | 2–1(OT) | New York United (NY) |
|---|---|---|
Don Tobin  69' Hugh O'Neill  115' |
Report | Soloman Hilton 64' |