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New York Arrows

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New York Arrows
Full nameNew York Arrows
Founded1978
Dissolved1984
GroundNassau Coliseum,
Uniondale, New York
Capacity16,234
LeagueMajor Indoor Soccer League

The New York Arrows were an indoor soccer team that played in the original Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL) from 1978 to 1984. They won the first four MISL championships.

History

Preparing for the first season

In 1978, the New York Arrows began their first season as an indoor soccer team in the newly established Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL). They were owned by Bernie Rodin, and John Luciani who also owned the Rochester Lancers. While preparing for the MISL's inaugural season, the Arrows' management employed a tactic which had been used in the United Soccer Association in the 1960s. The USA had imported professional teams from Europe as a means of quickly creating teams. The Arrows decided to revisit this concept, and imported nearly the entire roster of the Rochester Lancers of the North American Soccer League, which played a spring-to-fall schedule.

However, the Arrows did make one significant, and crucial, addition: they signed a virtually unknown Yugoslavian player by the name of Slaviša Žungul. Zungul was a seasoned outdoor player from HNK Hajduk Split who had gained the approval of the Yugoslavia Football Federation to play outside of his native country for a few months. When he refused to return to Split Hejduk, the Yugoslavian Football Federation obtained a ruling from FIFA forbidding any outdoor team from signing him. This ruled out nearly every club in the world, and forced Zungul to sign with a team in the newly established MISL.[1]

On December 22, 1978, the New York Arrows kicked off the first season of MISL, playing in the league's first game, at home versus the Cincinnati Kids.

Champions

The decision to import the Lancers paid off, as the Arrows finished second out of six teams. Only the Houston Summit (essentially the NASL Houston Hurricanes) had a better record. But it was the Arrows who took the title, defeating the Philadelphia Fever.

The Arrows' winning ways continued for the next three seasons, as they finished first in their division before taking the titles over the Houston Summit (1979–80) and the St. Louis Steamers (1980–81 and 1981–82).

Dominating players

While the Arrows dominated the league as a team, several Arrows players gained repeated individual recognition. In his four seasons with the Arrows, Steve Zungul, "The Lord of All Indoors", regularly scored nearly 5 goals per game and on one instance, scored seven in a game vs. the Phoenix Inferno in 1981. His scoring exploits led to his selection as League MVP four times running. He was also the four time league scoring leader and a two time assists leader. While Zungul was head and shoulders above nearly every other player in the league, he was not the only Arrows great. Shep Messing was the first championship series MVP and a perennial all star. His replacement, Zoltan Toth, was the 1982–1983 Goalkeeper of the Year. Juli Veee was an outstanding midfielder while Branko Šegota was a perennial All Star. However, these are merely a handful of great Arrows players.

Decline and bankruptcy

Though a powerhouse on the field, they were not a powerhouse at the box office. Shortly after the team won its fourth and final MISL title, the team was sold. In January 1983, the team traded Steve Zungul to the San Jose Earthquakes for Gary Etherington and Gordon Hill.[1] While billed as a move to "Americanize" the Arrows, it was largely a cost saving device. While Zungul went on to become the NASL League MVP in 1984, the Arrows collapsed and folded at the end of the season. The six seasons in the MISL the Arrows avg. 6,440 per game.

Arena

Their home arena was Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, New York.

Management

Coaches

Year-by-year

Year Record Regular Season Playoffs Avg. Attendance
1978–1979 16–8 2nd Champions 5,446
1979–1980 27–5 1st Atlantic Division Champions 7,813
1980–1981 35–5 1st Atlantic Division Champions 8,083
1981–1982 36–8 1st Eastern Division Champions 6,429
1982–1983 24–24 4th Eastern Division 1st Round 5,623
1983–1984 20–28 4th Eastern Division 1st Round 5,478

Honors

MISL Championship

  • 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982

League MVP

Championship MVP

Scoring Champion

Pass Master (Assists Leader)

Defender of the Year

Goalkeeper of the Year

Coach of the Year

First Team All MISL

Significant players

References

  1. ^ Zungul Deal Seems Closer, The New York Times, 18 January 1983
  2. ^ Rhoden, William C. (1983-01-13). "ARROWS ARE SEEKING TO AMERICANIZE SOCCER". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2017-08-07.
  3. ^ Lewis, Michael (2017-04-11). "Dr Joe Machnik: American soccer's renaissance man". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2017-08-05.
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