Cleveland Crunch

The Cleveland Crunch was formed in 1989 as an expansion team in the Major Soccer League to replace the Cleveland Force, which had folded on July 22, 1988. Akron businessmen George S. Hoffman and Stuart Lichter formed an ownership group, named Al Miller general manager and former Force star Kai Haaskivi player-coach. Miller and Haaskivi brought back many players who had been fan favorites during the Force's height of popularity in the mid-1980s. The Crunch's home arena was the Richfield Coliseum.

Near the end of the Crunch's first season, Miller engineered a trade that would help Cleveland make the championship finals in seven of the next 10 years. He sent veteran forward Paul Wright to the San Diego Sockers for Zoran Karic, a feisty forward who immediately hit it off with Cleveland star Hector Marinaro. Within weeks, they were dubbed the "Dynamic Duo" and together rewrote the scoring record books for the next decade.

When the original MISL ceased operation in the summer of 1992, the Crunch, Baltimore and Wichita joined the rival NPSL as "expansion teams". All were permitted to keep only six players, then fill the rest of their rosters in an expansion draft of players made available by other NPSL teams. The NPSL, in an effort to promote the sport in the United States, had a cap of two non-Americans allowed on a roster. Canadian-born Marinaro and Serbia native Karic filled that quota immediately. Besides Marinaro and Karic, holdovers from the MISL Crunch were midfielders Tommy Tanner and Andy Schmetzer, defender George Fernandez and young goalkeeper Otto Orf.

Orf had only a 14-32 record the previous three years with the club as backup to P.J. Johns. Before switching leagues, Miller had signed four-time NPSL goalkeeper of the year Jamie Swanner from the Canton Invaders. That contract was voided when the Crunch entered the NPSL. Swanner and several ex-Invaders signed as free agents with another expansion team, the Buffalo Blizzard. New Crunch coach Gary Hindley wanted Orf as his starter, citing the big keeper's strong throwing arm as an offensive weapon. He wanted Orf getting the ball to Marinaro and Karic with outlet passes at the team's new home, the CSU Convocation Center, where the playing surface was considerably smaller than at the Richfield Coliseum.

Orf became a 25-game winner, Marinaro and Karic shattered all scoring records, and Cleveland advanced to the league finals, where it lost to the Kansas City Attack, three games to two. A year later, the Crunch finally broke through to win Cleveland's first championship in any pro sport in 30 years. Marinaro scored the dramatic game-winner in double overtime as Cleveland overcame a 15-10 deficit to defeat the visiting St. Louis Ambush, 17-15, to take the series, three games to one.

Lichter faded from view when the MISL folded and Hoffman became even more active as owner during the Crunch's almost yearly run to the finals. Hoffman eventually sold his interest to a Cleveland group headed by Richard Dietrich. Soon after, the NPSL reorganized itself as the new Major Indoor Soccer League in 2001. The team took on the old Cleveland Force name in 2002.

Team Honors

Championships

Division Titles

Individual Honors

Most Valuable Player Award

Scoring Champions

All-Star Game MVP

Rookie of the Year Award

All-Rookie Team

Head coaches

Arenas

Year-By-Year

Year League Logo Reg. Season Playoffs Avg. Attendance
1989-90 MISL 4th East, 20-32 Failed to qualify 5,543
1990-91 MSL 1st East, 29-23 Runners-up 4,640
1991-92 MSL 3rd MISL, 20-20 Lost Semifinal 7,056
1992-93 NPSL 2nd American, 25-15 Runners-up 6,483
1993-94 NPSL 2nd American, 23-17 Won Championship 6,677
1994-95 NPSL 1st American, 30-10 Lost Semifinal 7,579
1995-96 NPSL 1st American, 31-9 Won Championship 7,647
1996-97 NPSL 1st Central, 29-11 Runners-up 8,044
1997-98 NPSL 2nd Central, 21-19 Lost Conference Semifinal 8,265
1998-99 NPSL 1st Central, 26-14 Won Championship 8,034
1999-00 NPSL 1st Central, 27-17 Runners-up 6,290
2000-01 NPSL 5th American, 18-22 Failed to qualify 6,317
2001-02 MISL II 5th MISL, 16-28 Failed to qualify 4,688
2002-03 MISL II 2nd East, 19-17 Lost Conference Semifinal 5,381
2003-04 MISL II 3rd East, 15-21 Lost Quarterfinal 4,955
2004-05 MISL II 2nd MISL, 23-16 Runners-up 3,639

Playoffs

1990-91
 MSL Eastern Division Finals: Defeated Kansas City Comets, 4-3
MSL Championship Series: Lost to San Diego Sockers, 4-2
1991-92
 MSL Semifinals:Lost to Dallas Sidekicks, 4-2
1992-93
 NPSL American Division Semifinals: Defeated Buffalo Blizzard, 2-1
NPSL American Division Finals: Defeated Harrisburg Heat, 2-1
NPSL Championship Series: Lost to Kansas City Attack, 3-2
1993-94
 NPSL American Division Semifinals: Defeated Buffalo Blizzard, 2-1
NPSL American Division Finals: Defeated Harrisburg Heat, 2-1
NPSL Championship Series: Defeated St. Louis Ambush, 3-1
1994-95
 NPSL American Division Semifinals: Defeated Buffalo Blizzard, 2-1
NPSL American Division Finals: Lost to Harrisburg Heat, 3-0
1995-96
 NPSL American Division Semifinals: Defeated Buffalo Blizzard, 2-1
NPSL American Division Finals: Defeated Baltimore Spirit, 3-1
NPSL Championship Series: Defeated Kansas City Attack, 4-2
1996-97
 NPSL American Conference Semifinals: Defeated Baltimore Spirit, 2-1
NPSL American Conference Finals: Defeated Harrisburg Heat, 3-1
NPSL Championship Series: Lost to Kansas City Attack, 4-0
1997-98
 NPSL American Conference Semifinals: Lost to Philadelphia Kixx, 2-0
1998-99
 NPSL American Conference Semifinals: Defeated Montreal Impact, 2-1
NPSL American Conference Finals: Defeated Philadelphia Kixx, 2-0
NPSL Championship Series: Defeated St. Louis Ambush, 3-2
1999-2000
 NPSL American Conference Semifinals: Defeated Montreal Impact, 2-0
NPSL American Conference Finals: Defeated Baltimore Blast, 2-0
NPSL Championship Series: Lost to Milwaukee Wave, 3-2
2002-03
MISL Eastern Conference Semifinals: Lost to Baltimore Blast 1-0
2003-04
MISL Eastern Conference Quarterfinals: Lost to Dallas Sidekicks 1-0
2004-05
MISL Semifinals: Defeated Philadelphia Kixx 2-0
MISL Finals: Lost to Milwaukee Wave 2-0

External links

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