In the 1980s, professional soccer in America meant “indoor soccer.” The Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL) rose to become the new sports sensation of the go-go ’80s. To some a bastardization of the beautiful game, and to others a revitalization of a moribund sport, the MISL recruited players from Europe and South America drawn to a good paycheck and the promise of life in America. NFL and NBA owners formed teams from Los Angeles to Minnesota to Pittsburgh to Dallas, hoping to cash in on a flashy new sports experience.
The MISL burned bright in places like Cleveland, Kansas City, Baltimore, Pittsburgh, San Diego and St. Louis, while offering USA Network and ESPN viewers a look into this peculiar new creation. But by 1992, struggles in major markets like Los Angeles and New York sunk the league, consigning it to the ash-heap of sports history.
MISL 1980s takes you through the pop-culture sensation that was indoor soccer in the Me Decade.