History

The creation of Ingo Krieg, owner of the Jacksonville Tea Men

Jacksonville Tea Men

The Jacksonville Tea Men were an American soccer team based in Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. Overall, the Tea Men played a total of four seasons in Jacksonville, first in the major league-level North American Soccer League from 1980–1982, then in the lower level American Soccer League and United...

, the United Soccer League formally announced its existence on February 1, 1984. The roots go back to Krieg's frustration over the direction taken by the second division American Soccer League

American Soccer League

The American Soccer League has been a name used by three different professional soccer leagues in the United States. The first American Soccer League was established in 1921 by the merger of teams from the National Association Football League and the Southern New England Soccer League. For...

 which was declining after a period of overexpansion and financial excesses. Krieg proposed the creation of a financially sound league. In late January 1984, three ASL teams, the Dallas Americans

Dallas Americans

Dallas Americans was an American soccer club based in Dallas, Texas that was a member of the American Soccer League. It is also the name of a Indoor American Football team.After the ASL folded, the club joined the newly formed United Soccer League....

, Detroit Express

Detroit Express

The Detroit Express was a soccer team based in suburban Detroit that played in the now defunct North American Soccer League from 1978 to 1980. Its home field was the Pontiac Silverdome. The Express were co-owned and directed by famous English soccer pundit Jimmy Hill who was also the managing...

 and Jacksonville Tea Men informed the ASL that they intended to move to the USL for the upcoming season. When the league announced its formal creation on the first of February, it added to the list of teams by including one in Oklahoma City and another in North Carolina. By the end of February, the list of teams had solidified with Detroit dropping out and Buffalo and Fort Lauderdale joining. Bill Burfeind was named league commissioner On March 18, 1984, the league announced a final line-up of nine teams in three divisions. The season would run from May 12 through August 15.

The season went fairly smoothly for a recently founded league, but the playoffs began with considerable confusion. The last week of July, league officials announced that the top team in each division would make the playoffs, for a total of three teams. The two teams with the next highest total points would play a single wild card

Wild card (sports)

The term wild card refers broadly to a tournament or playoff berth awarded to an individual or team that has not qualified through normal play.-International sports:...

 game to determine the fourth team in the playoffs. Then the team with the highest number of points would play the team with the lowest in one semifinal and the middle two teams would play in the other semifinal. However, on Friday, August 17, two days before the first playoff games, league officials changed the format. They announced that Oklahoma City, which had topped the league with 127 points would play the winner of the wild card game, and not the Buffalo Storm which had the lowest number of points. Then the Storm owner, Sal DeRosa

Sal DeRosa

Sal DeRosa is an American soccer coach best known for winning the 1970 NASL Championship with Rochester Lancers.He has also coached the Miami Gatos soccer team.-References:...

, announced that all games between his team and the Fort Lauderdale Storm would take place in Florida because of the low attendance at Buffalo home games.

Northern Division

Place	Team	GP	W	T	L	GF	GA	Points	%
1	Buffalo Storm Buffalo Storm Buffalo Storm were an American professional soccer team. They played for one season in the USL-1984 Roster: Dennis Mepham Randy Pikuzinski Rudy Pikuzinski Carlos Salguero Däniel Johansson...	24	11	0	13	48	41	96	.458
2	New York Nationals New York Nationals (USL) New York Nationals were a New York soccer team which played a single season in 1984 with the United Soccer League. An earlier team also called the New York Nationals played in the American Soccer League during the 1920s.-History:...	24	10	0	14	32	53	84	.417
3	Rochester Flash Rochester Flash The Rochester Flash was an American soccer club based in Rochester, New York that was a member of the American Soccer League.After the ASL folded, the club joined the newly formed United Soccer League....	24	7	0	17	27	49	65	.292

Southern Division

Place	Team	GP	W	T	L	GF	GA	Points	%
1	Fort Lauderdale Sun 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:...	24	15	0	9	53	34	122	.625
2	Charlotte Gold	24	11	0	13	48	59	105	.458
3	Jacksonville Tea Men Jacksonville Tea Men The Jacksonville Tea Men were an American soccer team based in Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. Overall, the Tea Men played a total of four seasons in Jacksonville, first in the major league-level North American Soccer League from 1980–1982, then in the lower level American Soccer League and United...	24	11	0	13	46	50	98	.458

Western Division

Place	Team	GP	W	T	L	GF	GA	Points	%
1	Oklahoma City Stampede	24	15	0	9	55	42	127	.625
2	Houston Dynamos Houston Dynamos Houston Dynamos was a U.S. soccer team which existed in various forms from 1983 to 1991. In 1991, the team’s owners changed the name to Houston International, but the team lasted only through the 1992 season before folding.-1984: United Soccer League:...	24	13	0	11	54	38	112	.542
3	Dallas Americans Dallas Americans Dallas Americans was an American soccer club based in Dallas, Texas that was a member of the American Soccer League. It is also the name of a Indoor American Football team.After the ASL folded, the club joined the newly formed United Soccer League....	24	14	0	10	37	34	110	.583

Wild card

Semifinal 1

Semifinal 2

Final

Honors

• MVP: Jose Neto
  José Neto
  José Manuel Conceiçāo Neto was a Portuguese footballer who played for SL Benfica and was part of their European Cup victory in 1961....
  
  
• Leading goal scorer: Jose Neto
  José Neto
  José Manuel Conceiçāo Neto was a Portuguese footballer who played for SL Benfica and was part of their European Cup victory in 1961....
  
  
• Leading goalkeeper: Jim Tietjens
  Jim Tietjens
  Jim Tietjens is a retired American soccer goalkeeper who played professionally in the North American Soccer League, Major Indoor Soccer League and United Soccer League....
  
  
• Rookie of the Year: Mark Schwartz
  Mark Schwartz
  Mark Schwartz is a retired American soccer forward who played in the United Soccer League and the third American Soccer League. He was the 1984 USL Rookie of the Year....
  
  
• Coach of the Year: Gary Hindley
  Gary Hindley
  Gary Hindley is an American soccer coach. He has coached youth soccer, high school, college and professional teams. He won Coach of the Year honors in 1984 in the United Soccer League, 1991 American Professional Soccer League and 1998...
  
  
• Executive of the Year: Peter Kane

Points leaders

Rank	Scorer	Club	Goals	Assists	Points
1	Jose Neto José Neto José Manuel Conceiçāo Neto was a Portuguese footballer who played for SL Benfica and was part of their European Cup victory in 1961....	Houston Dynamos Houston Dynamos Houston Dynamos was a U.S. soccer team which existed in various forms from 1983 to 1991. In 1991, the team’s owners changed the name to Houston International, but the team lasted only through the 1992 season before folding.-1984: United Soccer League:...	22	8	30
2	David Kemp David Kemp (footballer) David Michael Kemp is a former English professional footballer and manager. He is currently Assistant Manager at Stoke City.-Playing career:...	Oklahoma City Stampede			28
3	Thompson Usiyan Thompson Usiyan Thompson Usiyan is a retired Nigerian football player. He holds the NCAA Division I career scoring record and played in the North American Soccer League, Major Indoor Soccer League, American Soccer League and Continental Indoor Soccer League. He was a member of the Nigerian Olympic soccer which...	Oklahoma City Stampede			26
4	Mark Schwartz Mark Schwartz Mark Schwartz is a retired American soccer forward who played in the United Soccer League and the third American Soccer League. He was the 1984 USL Rookie of the Year....	Fort Lauderdale Sun 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:...	13	6	19
5	Carlos Salguero Carlos Salguero Carlos Salguero was an Argentine professional soccer forward. He died aged 51 from cancer in 2007. He spent one season in the North American Soccer League, one in the United Soccer League and nearly ten in various indoor leagues...	Buffalo Storm Buffalo Storm Buffalo Storm were an American professional soccer team. They played for one season in the USL-1984 Roster: Dennis Mepham Randy Pikuzinski Rudy Pikuzinski Carlos Salguero Däniel Johansson...			19
6	Tony Johnson Tony Johnson (soccer) Tony Johnson is a retired American soccer forward who played professionally in the American Soccer League, United Soccer League, American Indoor Soccer Association, Lone Star Soccer Alliance and the Southwest Indoor Soccer League....	Houston Dynamos Houston Dynamos Houston Dynamos was a U.S. soccer team which existed in various forms from 1983 to 1991. In 1991, the team’s owners changed the name to Houston International, but the team lasted only through the 1992 season before folding.-1984: United Soccer League:...	11	7	18

External links

• United Soccer League (RSSSF)
• The Year in American Soccer - 1984