Thompson Usiyan
Encyclopedia
Thompson Usiyan is a retired Nigerian football (soccer)
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 Nigeria
n Olympic soccer which boycotted the 1976 Olympics
. He made several appearances for the Nigerian national football team.
team. Although the team travelled to the Olympics, which was held in Montreal, Canada, it did not compete as a result of a boycott of the games by African and Arab nations. Usiyan chose to remain in North America and received scholarship offers to attend Clemson University
, Howard University
and Appalachian State University
. He chose Appalachian where he set an NCAA record of 109 career goals. Usiyan also set records for most career points (255), goals in a season (46 in 1980), and points in a season (108 in 1980). He was the Southern Conference
Player of the Year in 1977, '78, and '80.
of the North American Soccer League
. The Manic traded Usiyan to the Tulsa Roughnecks
following the 1982 season. Leg injuries limited him to eleven games for the Roughnecks in 1983. The team released him on March 11, 1984. On April 12, 1984, he signed with the Oklahoma City Stampede of the United Soccer League
. He led the league in scoring and finished third in the points standings. In the fall of 1984, he signed with the Minnesota Strikers
of the Major Indoor Soccer League
. In 1985, he briefly returned to the outdoor game when he signed with the Tulsa Tornados
of the USL, but the league collapsed after only six games. Usiyan had arthroscopic surgery later in the summer, but returned to the Strikers in the fall of 1985 and spent the next two seasons in Minnesota. On March 26, 1987, the Strikers traded Usiyan to the Los Angeles Lazers
in exchange for Greg Ion
after Usiyan had a locker room fight with Strikers goalkeeper Tino Lettieri
. Usiyan remained with the Lazers through the 1987-1988 season. He did not play again until signed by the Maryland Bays
of the American Soccer League
in June 1989. During his time away from soccer, he finished his business degree at Appalachian State. On August 9, 1989, he returned to MISL when he signed with the St. Louis Storm
. During his two seasons in St. Louis, Usiyan began working tax consultant. After finishing his degree, he had spent some time as an accountant and after his retirement, he became a full time tax consultant. During the summer of 1991, Usiyan played for the Hamilton Steelers in the Canadian Soccer League. On September 9, 1991, the Storm traded Usiyan to the San Diego Sockers in exchange for Branko Segota
and the Sockers 1992 first round draft choice. Usiyan won the 1992 MISL championship with the Sockers. On November 20, 1992, Usiyan signed with the St. Louis Ambush
of the National Professional Soccer League. On June 1, 1993, the Arizona Sandsharks
drafted Usiyan in the first round of the 1993 Continental Indoor Soccer League
supplemental draft. Two days later, the San Diego Sockers traded Wes Wade
to the Sandsharks in exchange for Usiyan, Alex Golovnia and Nassim Olabi. On September 10, 1993, the league suspended Usiyan indefinitely for accumulated red cards. On June 21, 1995, the San Jose Grizzlies
of the CISL drafted Usiyan after he was cleared by the league to play. He retired permanently at the end of the season.
Usiyan was the MISL's sixteenth leading scorer in 1984-85 as a member of the Minnesota Strikers
, with 62 points in 47 games. He was fifteenth best a season later with 60 points in 40 contests. Usiyan finished eighth in scoring in the 1987-88 season as a member of the Los Angeles Lazers
with 88 points in 51 games. He was sixth best in 1990-91 with 102 points in 51 games played for the St. Louis Storm
. Usiyan was amongst the leaders one final time (in the league's last season) finishing fifteenth with 57 points in 40 games playing with the San Diego Sockers. He was named Championship Series Most Valuable Player as the Sockers won the championship.
qualifying loss to Algeria
on October 10, 1981 in Lagos
. He scored on his debut, a friendly match against Kenya in 1976. Usiyan also played for Nigeria at the 1976 African Cup of Nations
finals in Ethiopia
.
Usiyan makes his home in San Diego, California
where he is a tax consultant.
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
player. He holds the NCAA Division I career scoring record and played in the 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:...
, Major Indoor Soccer League
Major Soccer League
The Major Indoor Soccer League, known in its final two seasons as the Major Soccer League, was an indoor soccer league in the USA from 1978 to 1992. After the folding of the North American Soccer League in 1984, the MISL was the Division I soccer league for the United States...
, 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...
and Continental Indoor Soccer League
Continental Indoor Soccer League
The Continental Indoor Soccer League was an indoor soccer league that played from 1993 to 1997.-History:When the Major Soccer League folded in the summer of 1992, two of its former teams joined a group of hockey and basketball arena owners led by Ron Weinstein who wanted to create a league to...
. He was a member of the Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
n Olympic soccer which boycotted the 1976 Olympics
1976 Summer Olympics
The 1976 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXI Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event celebrated in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, in 1976. Montreal was awarded the rights to the 1976 Games on May 12, 1970, at the 69th IOC Session in Amsterdam, over the bids of Moscow and...
. He made several appearances for the Nigerian national football team.
Youth
In 1976, Usiyan was selected as a member of the Nigerian 1976 Olympic1976 Summer Olympics
The 1976 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXI Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event celebrated in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, in 1976. Montreal was awarded the rights to the 1976 Games on May 12, 1970, at the 69th IOC Session in Amsterdam, over the bids of Moscow and...
team. Although the team travelled to the Olympics, which was held in Montreal, Canada, it did not compete as a result of a boycott of the games by African and Arab nations. Usiyan chose to remain in North America and received scholarship offers to attend Clemson University
Clemson University
Clemson University is an American public, coeducational, land-grant, sea-grant, research university located in Clemson, South Carolina, United States....
, Howard University
Howard University
Howard University is a federally chartered, non-profit, private, coeducational, nonsectarian, historically black university located in Washington, D.C., United States...
and Appalachian State University
Appalachian State University
Appalachian State University is a comprehensive , public, coeducational university located in Boone, North Carolina, United States. Appalachian State, also referred to as Appalachian, App State, or simply App, is the sixth largest institution in the University of North Carolina system...
. He chose Appalachian where he set an NCAA record of 109 career goals. Usiyan also set records for most career points (255), goals in a season (46 in 1980), and points in a season (108 in 1980). He was the Southern Conference
Southern Conference
The Southern Conference is a Division I college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association . Southern Conference football teams compete in the Football Championship Subdivision . Member institutions are located in the states of Alabama, Georgia, North...
Player of the Year in 1977, '78, and '80.
Professional
In 1981, he signed with the Montreal ManicMontreal Manic
Montreal Manic were a soccer team based out of Montreal that played in the NASL. They played from 1981 to 1983. Their home field was Olympic Stadium...
of the 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:...
. The Manic traded Usiyan to the Tulsa Roughnecks
Tulsa Roughnecks
-NASL:The Tulsa Roughnecks were a North American Soccer League team from Tulsa, Oklahoma. They played at Skelly Stadium on the campus of the University of Tulsa. The Roughnecks were a regular in the NASL playoffs, and won the NASL Soccer Bowl in 1983, defeating the Toronto Blizzard at B.C. Place...
following the 1982 season. Leg injuries limited him to eleven games for the Roughnecks in 1983. The team released him on March 11, 1984. On April 12, 1984, he signed with the Oklahoma City Stampede of 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...
. He led the league in scoring and finished third in the points standings. In the fall of 1984, he signed with the Minnesota Strikers
Minnesota Strikers
The Minnesota Strikers was an American professional soccer team located in the Minneapolis/St. Paul metropolitan area. The team played one season in the North American Soccer League and 4 seasons in the Major Indoor Soccer League....
of the Major Indoor Soccer League
Major Soccer League
The Major Indoor Soccer League, known in its final two seasons as the Major Soccer League, was an indoor soccer league in the USA from 1978 to 1992. After the folding of the North American Soccer League in 1984, the MISL was the Division I soccer league for the United States...
. In 1985, he briefly returned to the outdoor game when he signed with the Tulsa Tornados
Tulsa Tornados
The Tulsa Tornados were a professional soccer team from Tulsa, Oklahoma. They played for one season in the USL. The 1985 season only lasted six games as the league folded halfway through....
of the USL, but the league collapsed after only six games. Usiyan had arthroscopic surgery later in the summer, but returned to the Strikers in the fall of 1985 and spent the next two seasons in Minnesota. On March 26, 1987, the Strikers traded Usiyan to the Los Angeles Lazers
Los Angeles Lazers
Los Angeles Lazers were a soccer team based out of Los Angeles that played in the Major Indoor Soccer League from 1982 to 1989.-History:Major Indoor Soccer League awarded a Los Angeles franchise to Jerry Buss on June 24, 1982. Buss had purchased the Philadelphia Fever and wanted to move it to...
in exchange for Greg Ion
Greg Ion
Gregory "Greg" Stewart Ion is a retired Canadian soccer midfielder.-Professional:The son of Gordie Ion, Ion graduated from Burnaby North Secondary School. In 1981, the Portland Timbers selected him in the first round of the North American Soccer League draft. However, he lost the entire 1981...
after Usiyan had a locker room fight with Strikers goalkeeper Tino Lettieri
Tino Lettieri
Martino "Tino" Lettieri is a former NASL and MISL professional soccer goalkeeper, who represented Canada twice at the Summer Olympics: 1976 and 1984 and the 1986 FIFA World Cup.-Playing career:...
. Usiyan remained with the Lazers through the 1987-1988 season. He did not play again until signed by the Maryland Bays
Maryland Bays
The Maryland Bays were an inaugural franchise of the third incarnation of the American Soccer League in 1988.They were based in Catonsville, Maryland, and played their games at the University of Maryland-Baltimore County. The team joined the American Professional Soccer League in 1990 when the ASL...
of the 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...
in June 1989. During his time away from soccer, he finished his business degree at Appalachian State. On August 9, 1989, he returned to MISL when he signed with the St. Louis Storm
St. Louis Storm
The St. Louis Storm were a soccer team based out of St. Louis that played in the Major Indoor Soccer League. They played from 1989 to 1992. Their home arena was St...
. During his two seasons in St. Louis, Usiyan began working tax consultant. After finishing his degree, he had spent some time as an accountant and after his retirement, he became a full time tax consultant. During the summer of 1991, Usiyan played for the Hamilton Steelers in the Canadian Soccer League. On September 9, 1991, the Storm traded Usiyan to the San Diego Sockers in exchange for Branko Segota
Branko Segota
Branimir "Branko" Šegota is a former Canadian professional soccer forward, starring in the original Major Indoor Soccer League, the North American Soccer League, the Continental Indoor Soccer League, the National Professional Soccer League, and the Canadian Soccer League.Born in Rijeka, then part...
and the Sockers 1992 first round draft choice. Usiyan won the 1992 MISL championship with the Sockers. On November 20, 1992, Usiyan signed with the St. Louis Ambush
St. Louis Ambush
The St. Louis Ambush was a professional indoor soccer team based in St. Louis, Missouri. Originally located in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the team played one season at the Tulsas Pavilion Expo Square. Vernon Riggs was the General Manager. Keith Dial was the Managing General Partner. Former Tulsa Roughneck...
of the National Professional Soccer League. On June 1, 1993, the Arizona Sandsharks
Arizona Sandsharks
Arizona Sandsharks was a U.S. indoor soccer team that played in the Continental Indoor Soccer League . It was founded in 1992 and folded in 1997, along with the CISL.-Arizona Sandsharks:...
drafted Usiyan in the first round of the 1993 Continental Indoor Soccer League
Continental Indoor Soccer League
The Continental Indoor Soccer League was an indoor soccer league that played from 1993 to 1997.-History:When the Major Soccer League folded in the summer of 1992, two of its former teams joined a group of hockey and basketball arena owners led by Ron Weinstein who wanted to create a league to...
supplemental draft. Two days later, the San Diego Sockers traded Wes Wade
Wes Wade
Wes Wade is a retired U.S. soccer player who spent two seasons playing outdoor soccer and fifteen playing indoor soccer. He was a six-time All Star and won five championships with two teams.-Player:...
to the Sandsharks in exchange for Usiyan, Alex Golovnia and Nassim Olabi. On September 10, 1993, the league suspended Usiyan indefinitely for accumulated red cards. On June 21, 1995, the San Jose Grizzlies
San Jose Grizzlies
San Jose Grizzlies were a professional indoor soccer team based in San Jose, California. The team was founded on November 24, 1993 as a member of the Continental Indoor Soccer League. After playing in the 1994 and 1995 CISL seasons, the Grizzlies folded following the 1995 season. The team played...
of the CISL drafted Usiyan after he was cleared by the league to play. He retired permanently at the end of the season.
Usiyan was the MISL's sixteenth leading scorer in 1984-85 as a member of the Minnesota Strikers
Minnesota Strikers
The Minnesota Strikers was an American professional soccer team located in the Minneapolis/St. Paul metropolitan area. The team played one season in the North American Soccer League and 4 seasons in the Major Indoor Soccer League....
, with 62 points in 47 games. He was fifteenth best a season later with 60 points in 40 contests. Usiyan finished eighth in scoring in the 1987-88 season as a member of the Los Angeles Lazers
Los Angeles Lazers
Los Angeles Lazers were a soccer team based out of Los Angeles that played in the Major Indoor Soccer League from 1982 to 1989.-History:Major Indoor Soccer League awarded a Los Angeles franchise to Jerry Buss on June 24, 1982. Buss had purchased the Philadelphia Fever and wanted to move it to...
with 88 points in 51 games. He was sixth best in 1990-91 with 102 points in 51 games played for the St. Louis Storm
St. Louis Storm
The St. Louis Storm were a soccer team based out of St. Louis that played in the Major Indoor Soccer League. They played from 1989 to 1992. Their home arena was St...
. Usiyan was amongst the leaders one final time (in the league's last season) finishing fifteenth with 57 points in 40 games playing with the San Diego Sockers. He was named Championship Series Most Valuable Player as the Sockers won the championship.
International
Usiyan made several appearances for Nigeria, including a 0-2 1982 FIFA World Cup1982 FIFA World Cup
The 1982 FIFA World Cup, the 12th FIFA World Cup, was held in Spain from 13 June to 11 July. The tournament was won by Italy, after defeating West Germany 3–1 in the final.-Host selection:...
qualifying loss to Algeria
Algeria national football team
The Algeria national football team , nicknamed الأفنــاك, Les Fennecs , represents Algeria in association football and is controlled by the Fédération Algérienne de Football. Algeria's home ground is the Stade 5 Juillet 1962 in Algiers and their head coach is Vahid Halilhodžić.Algeria has qualified...
on October 10, 1981 in Lagos
Lagos
Lagos is a port and the most populous conurbation in Nigeria. With a population of 7,937,932, it is currently the third most populous city in Africa after Cairo and Kinshasa, and currently estimated to be the second fastest growing city in Africa...
. He scored on his debut, a friendly match against Kenya in 1976. Usiyan also played for Nigeria at the 1976 African Cup of Nations
1976 African Cup of Nations
The 1976 African Cup of Nations was the tenth edition of the African Cup of Nations, the soccer championship of Africa . It was hosted by Ethiopia. The format of competition changed from 1974: the field of eight teams was still split into two groups of four, but a final stage was introduced with...
finals in Ethiopia
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
.
Usiyan makes his home in San Diego, California
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
where he is a tax consultant.