Houston Dynamos was a U.S.

soccer Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...

team that 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. The Dynamos were founded by Pete Kane and John M Gaughan. The Dynamos were founded with the intention of a continued building of the sport of soccer in Houston Texas. The Dynamos were the first team to give contracts to its players based on an entire year not on a season. The Houston Dynamos players year round went to parks, schools and events promoting the sport of soccer. In 1985 the Dynamos brought Pele to Houston creating great interest in the sport and spreading goodwill.

1984: United Soccer League

In 1983, the

United Soccer League United Soccer League (USL), formerly known as United Soccer Leagues, is a Association football, soccer league in the United States and Canada. It organizes several men's and women's leagues, both professional and amateur. Men's leagues curren ...

(USL) was formed after the second American Soccer League (ASL) folded that year. The ASL had served as the de facto U.S. second division for decades, but collapsed due to over expansion 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 Houston Dynamos joined the Oklahoma City Stampede and

Dallas Americans Dallas Americans was an American soccer club based in Dallas, Texas that was a member of the American Soccer League. After the ASL folded, the club joined the newly formed United Soccer League, which itself lasted two seasons. It is also the name o ...

in the Western Division. The Dynamos gained a significant boost when it signed José Neto. Houston finished third in the league, but second in its division. In the wild card game, the Dynamos defeated the

. In the semifinals, they defeated the Oklahoma City Stampede two games to none. Their run ended in the championship, when they lost 3–0 to the Fort Lauderdale Sun in the third, and deciding, game of the series.

1984 Roster

Manny Andruszewski Emanuel Franciszek Andruszewski (born 4 October 1955) is an English former footballer who played for Southampton. He played at full back and centre back during the late 1970s. Southampton He joined Southampton as an associate schoolboy in Nov ...

Mike Barbarick Mike Barbarick (born 1 August 1959) is a retired American soccer goalkeeper (football), goalkeeper who played professionally in the North American Soccer League (1968–1984), North American Soccer League, American Soccer League (1933-1983), Ameri ...

24 Apps 0 Goals * Giulio Bernardi *

Beto Dos Santos Beto is a surname, and a nickname for the given names Alberto, Albertino, Adalberto, Berthony, Heriberto, Norberto, Roberto, Humberto, or Benito. It occurs mostly in Portuguese- and Spanish-speaking countries and communities. Notable people with the ...

* Bob Bozada * Glenn Davis * Jim Elder *

Soloman Hilton Solomon "Solly" Hilton is a retired soccer Striker (association football), forward who played professionally in the American Soccer League (1933-1983), American Soccer League and American Indoor Soccer Association. Career Although a native of Wes ...

* Tony Johnson 22 Apps 11 Goals *

Mark Lugris Mark 'Marcos' Lugris (born January 1, 1962) is a former Puerto Rican association football, football player. He played his professional club football mostly in the United States. He represented Puerto Rico in the 1990-94-98 FIFA World Cup Qualifyin ...

* William McDonald * Jose Neto 21 Apps 22 Goals (1984 league MVP) *

Manny Neves Manny Neves is a retired Portuguese-American soccer midfielder who played professionally in the North American Soccer League, United Soccer League, and Major Indoor Soccer League. Born in the Azores Island of Pico, Neves’ family moved to Sa ...

Ed Puskarich Ed Puskarich (born April 4, 1962, in Hanover Park, Illinois) is a retired U.S. soccer Defender (association football), defender who had an extensive career which began in 1984 in the United Soccer League (1984–85), United Soccer League and ended ...

* Thomas Rafferty * Nathan Sacks *

Walter Schlothauer Wally is a retired U.S. soccer player and coach. He played in several outdoor and indoor leagues. In 1980, he was the American Soccer League Rookie of the Year with the Cleveland Cobras. Schlothauer attended Mentor High School where he holds ...

* Joseph Serralta * Lesh Shkreli * Roland Sikinger * Gary Vogel

1985-1986: Independent

In 1985, the Dynamos chose not to return to the USL for the league's second season when it became apparent the league would not survive. Despite the league's attempt at financial austerity, it indeed folded eight games into the 1985 season. Having forsaken the USL, the Dynamos played an exhibition schedule as an independent team.

1987-1991: Lone Star Soccer Alliance

In 1987, the Dynamos entered a newly established league, the

Lone Star Soccer Alliance Lone Star Soccer Alliance was a soccer league that existed from 1987 to 1992. While most of the teams came from Texas, some also came from Oklahoma and Kansas. History First proposed by the Houston Dynamos, on April 18, 1987, the Lone Star So ...

. At the end of the 1990 season, the team ownership changed the team's name to Houston International for the franchise's final season.

Coaches

* Gary Hindley (1984-1985) (1984 Coach of the Year)

Year-by-year

Honors

MVP *1984 José Neto Coach of the Year *1984 Gary Hindley Executive of the Year *1984

Peter Kane Peter Kane (28 February 1918 – 23 July 1991) was an English flyweight boxer and a world champion in the 1930s. Kane was born in Heywood, Lancashire, on 28 February 1918, but grew up in the town of Golborne, Lancashire, after his family move ...

Legacy

The MLS team the

Houston Dynamo Houston Dynamo FC (formerly officially, but still commonly, called the Houston Dynamo) is an American professional soccer club based in Houston. The Dynamo compete in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Western Conference. Establi ...

is named after the Dynamos.

References

{{United Soccer League (1984–85) United Soccer League (1984–85) teams Lone Star Soccer Alliance teams Defunct soccer clubs in Texas Dynamos Association football clubs established in 1983 Association football clubs disestablished in 1992 1983 establishments in Texas 1992 disestablishments in Texas