Fort Lauderdale Sun was a U.S. soccer team which played two seasons in the United Soccer League

United Soccer League

The United Soccer League was a professional soccer league in the United States in the mid-1980s.After the demise of the second incarnation of the American Soccer League in 1983, four ASL teams founded the USL...

. 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

United Soccer League

The United Soccer League was a professional soccer league in the United States in the mid-1980s.After the demise of the second incarnation of the American Soccer League in 1983, four ASL teams founded the USL...

 (USL) was formed after the second 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...

 (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

Carolina Lightnin'

The Carolina Lightnin was an American soccer club based in Charlotte, North Carolina that was a member of the American Soccer League. The Lightnin' played home matches at American Legion Memorial Stadium. Attendance at home games averaged 6,000 spectators...

 and 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...

 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

North American Soccer League

North American Soccer League was a professional soccer league with teams in the United States and Canada that operated from 1968 to 1984.-History:...

 until 1982.

1984: Champions

The Suns gained a significant boost when it signed former Peruvian great Teófilo Cubillas

Teófilo Cubillas

Teófilo Juan Cubillas Arizaga is a Peruvian former footballer. He was selected as Peru's greatest ever player in an IFFHS poll, in which he was also included in the world's Top 50...

. 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

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...

 in the semi-finals, then defeated the Houston Dynamo

Houston Dynamo

The Houston Dynamo is an American professional soccer club, based in Houston, Texas, that plays in Major League Soccer, the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. Founded in 2005 as Houston 1836, the team name was renamed to Houston Dynamo following protests from Hispanic...

 to take the league title.

1985: League collapses

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.

Honors

Champion

• 1985

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....
  
   1984

Top 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....
  
   1984

Year-by-year

Year	Team Name	Division	League	Reg. Season	Playoffs	U.S. Open Cup
1984	Fort Lauderdale Sun	2	USL	1st, Southern	Champions	Did not enter
1985	South Florida Sun	'2	USL	1st	"N/A"	Did not enter

Notable players

Ron Atanasio

Ron Atanasio

Ron Atanasio is an American former professional soccer player who played as a forward.-Early and personal life:Atanasio was born and grew up in Oceanside, New York, where he attended Oceanside High School.-Career:...

 (1984)   Boris Bandov (1985) 6 Apps 0 Goals   Tony Crescitelli

Tony Crescitelli

Tony Crescitelli is a retired Italian-American soccer forward who spent six seasons in the North American Soccer League and earned one cap with the U.S. national team in 1983.-Youth:...

 (1984–85) 12 Goals Teófilo Cubillas

Teófilo Cubillas

Teófilo Juan Cubillas Arizaga is a Peruvian former footballer. He was selected as Peru's greatest ever player in an IFFHS poll, in which he was also included in the world's Top 50...

 (1985) 6 Apps 3 Goals Goals   Ronil Dufrene

Ronil Dufrene

Ronil Dufrene is a former U.S.-Haitian soccer player. He spent at least one season in the United Soccer League, one in the Major Indoor Soccer League and two in the French Ligue 2. He also earned two caps with the U.S. national team in 1991.-College:Dufrene attended Ulster Community College,...

 (1984)   Colin Fowles

Colin Fowles

Colin Fowles was a Jamaican-American soccer player who died as a result of random gunfire while playing recreational soccer. He played professionally in the North American Soccer League and United Soccer League.-Youth:...

 (1984–85) Asa Hartford

Asa Hartford

Richard 'Asa' Hartford is a retired Scottish international midfielder and footballer who became famous for failing a medical examination due to the discovery of a heart condition which put paid to a high profile transfer to Leeds United in November 1971.-Early career:He first played for Drumchapel...

 (1984–85) Franklin Lawson

Franklin Lawson

Franklin Lawson is a retired American soccer player.Lawson graduated from Cedar Ridge High School. He then attended Belmont Abbey College where he graduated in 1977. He turned professional in 1981 with the Nashville Diamonds of the American Soccer League. He played for the Pennsylvania Stoners...

   John Lignos

John Lignos

John Lignos was a U.S. soccer player who spent four seasons in the North American Soccer League, one in the American Soccer League and one in the United Soccer League. He also earned one cap with the U.S. national team and was selected for the 1980 U.S...

 (1984) 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....

 (1984–85) 29 Apps 16 Goals 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....

 (1984–85) 29 Apps 0 Goals Dave Watson (1984) Keith Weller

Keith Weller

Keith Weller was an English footballer. He is considered to be one of Leicester City's greatest ever players. Following seven operations for cancer, he died in the United States in 2004 aged 58.-England:...

 (1984) Mark Longwell

Mark Longwell

Mark Longwell was an American soccer defender who played professionally in the North American Soccer League and United Soccer League.-Youth and College:...

(1984)

External links

• Overview of Fort Lauderdale soccer