San Francisco Bay Blackhawks were a professional soccer team which came into existence in 1989 as a team in the

Western Soccer League Western Soccer Alliance was a professional soccer league featuring teams from the West Coast of the United States and Western Canada. The league began in 1985 as the Western Alliance Challenge Series. In 1986, it became the Western Soccer All ...

(WSL). The Blackhawks spent time in the American Professional Soccer League (APSL) and the

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

(USISL). In 1993, the team competed in USISL as the San Jose Hawks, but left organized competition at the end of the season.

History

Based on the west coast of the United States, the

Western Soccer Alliance Western Soccer Alliance was a professional soccer league featuring teams from the West Coast of the United States and Western Canada. The league began in 1985 as the Western Alliance Challenge Series. In 1986, it became the Western Soccer Alli ...

(WSA) came into existence in 1985 as a means of providing semi-pro and amateur clubs an opportunity to compete outside of their local areas. The WSA was given additional impetus by the collapse of the North American Soccer League (NASL) at the end of the 1984 NASL season. One former NASL team, the San Jose Earthquakes, entered the WSA as a charter member. In 1988, the Earthquakes' new owner, Bill Lunghi, withdrew the Earthquakes from the WSA. In response, the WSA awarded a franchise to Dan Van Voorhis, a San Francisco Bay Area-based real estate lawyer. Van Voorhis had gotten his start in real estate when he and his partner provided the legal expertise for the creation of the Blackhawk Ranch housing development. Van Voorhis named his new team, which competed in the newly renamed Western Soccer League's North Division, the San Francisco Bay Blackhawks.

Western Soccer League

In 1989, the Blackhawks immediately put their stamp on the league as one of the top teams. It ran to an 11–5 record and 98 points, second only to the

San Diego Nomads Nomads Soccer Club (formerly San Diego Nomads) is an American soccer club based in San Diego, California. From 1986 to 1990, the club fielded a professional senior team, but has since operated as an amateur and youth club. History The Nomads we ...

12–4 record and 99 points. In the playoffs, the Blackhawks downed the

Los Angeles Heat Los Angeles Heat joined the Western Soccer Alliance in 1986. They joined the American Professional Soccer League in 1990 when the WSL merged with the American Soccer League, then folded in 1990. The club played in Torrance, California at West H ...

in penalty kicks before losing 1–0 to the Nomads in the final game.

American Professional Soccer League

At the end of the 1989 season, the WSL merged with the east coast-based American Soccer League to form the American Professional Soccer League (APSL). While this was notionally the first true national soccer league since the collapse of the NASL in 1984, in actuality, the WSL and ASL continued as separate leagues with teams from the two leagues meeting only in the championship game. The Blackhawks had the best record in the WSL this year. In the playoffs, they first defeated 2–1 the

Colorado Foxes The Colorado Foxes were a professional soccer team, based in Commerce City, Colorado, that played in the American Professional Soccer League, and later in the A-League, between 1990 and 1997. The Foxes won two APSL titles, in 1992 and 1993. In 19 ...

, then won the title series two games to one over the

. In the APSL championship game, the

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 Ameri ...

stopped the Blackhawks’ run with a victory in penalty kicks.

Champions

In 1991, the APSL experienced a rapid contraction as most team owners realized they had jumped too quickly into a national league. Only three of the eleven 1990 WSL teams began the 1991 season, and the Salt Lake Sting folded before the season ended. However, the Blackhawks continued their strong play, finishing with a 17–4 record, the second best in the league. In the playoffs, the Blackhawks defeated the

Fort Lauderdale Strikers Fort Lauderdale Strikers may refer to: *Fort Lauderdale Strikers (1977–1983), member of North American Soccer League from 1977 to 1983 *Fort Lauderdale Strikers (1988–1994), member of American Soccer League from 1988 to 1989 and American Profes ...

in the semifinals, then won their first and only championship with a victory over the

Albany Capitals The Albany Capitals joined the third incarnation of the American Soccer League in 1988. The team joined the American Professional Soccer League in 1990 when the ASL merged with the Western Soccer League. The club played in Albany, New York. Afte ...

1992 CONCACAF Champions Cup

The Blackhawks gained even greater honors when they entered the

1992 CONCACAF Champions' Cup The 1992 CONCACAF Champions' Cup, also known as the American Airlines Cup for sponsorship reasons, was the 28th edition of the annual international club football competition held in the CONCACAF region (North America, Central America and the Carib ...

due to their 1991 APSL title. They were placed in Group 2 of the Cup's North/Central Zone. On May 27 and 29, 1992, the Blackhawks hosted the Eurokickers of

Panama Panama ( , ; es, link=no, Panamá ), officially the Republic of Panama ( es, República de Panamá), is a transcontinental country spanning the southern part of North America and the northern part of South America. It is bordered by Co ...

, taking the two-game series, 11–0. In the second round on April 18 and May 3, they dismantled La Victoria of

Belize Belize (; bzj, Bileez) is a Caribbean and Central American country on the northeastern coast of Central America. It is bordered by Mexico to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and Guatemala to the west and south. It also shares a wate ...

, on a 5–2 aggregate score. In the third round on June 14 and 16, the Blackhawks crushed Real España of Honduras 6–0 on aggregate. With a bye in the fourth round because of the

Vancouver 86ers Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the city, up from 631,486 in 2016. The ...

' withdrawal from the competition, they found themselves in their zone championship series. Here the Blackhawks' run came to an end as Club América of Mexico won 4–3 on aggregate. Mexican great

Hugo Sánchez Hugo Sánchez Márquez (born 11 July 1958) is a Mexican former professional footballer and manager, who played as a forward. A prolific goalscorer known for his spectacular strikes and volleys, he is widely regarded as the greatest Mexican ...

scored three of América's goals. While the Blackhawks outran their CONCACAF competition, they did not see similar domestic success. In 1992, the APSL was down to five teams from the eight that had finished the 1991 season. The Blackhawks were also beginning to fade, finishing the season in third place with an even record of 8–8. While they made the playoffs, they lost to the

Tampa Bay Rowdies The Tampa Bay Rowdies are an American professional soccer team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The club was founded in 2008 and first took the pitch in 2010. Since 2017, the Rowdies have been members of the USL Championship in the second tie ...

in the first round. Van Voorhis elected to withdraw from the APSL as his team was bleeding money, and enter them in the lower level

(USISL).

USISL: San Jose Hawks

In 1993, the Blackhawks found themselves both in a new league and with a new name. USISL had placed the team in the Pacific Division which was loaded with local San Francisco teams, including the San Francisco United All Blacks,

San Francisco Bay Diablos San Francisco Bay Diablos were an American soccer team that played in San Francisco, California as a member of the USISL from 1993 to 1995. History Owner Mario Chavez coached the team during its inaugural season in 1993. In 1994, he brought in fo ...

, North Bay Breakers and East Bay Red Riders. The name change, to the San Jose Hawks, allowed them to differentiate themselves from the competition. Regardless of the name, the Hawks quickly rose to divisional domination, running to a 14–2 record and 119 points, second in the league. In the divisional semi-finals, the Hawks crushed the

Chico Rooks The Chico Rooks were an American soccer team, founded in 1993 by Dave Stahl and Eric Snedeker. The team was a member of the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL), the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, until 2006. Initially, the team's m ...

6–0, then easily handled the All Blacks 3–0. In the USISL, the divisional champions then entered what was called the Sizzling Six Championship. The six teams played two games in order to determine who would go to the championship game. While this reduced travel cost, it left a lot to be desired as the Hawks continued to crush their competition, defeating the

East Los Angeles Cobras The East Los Angeles Cobras were an American soccer team that played in East Los Angeles, California. They joined the USISL in 1993 and later became affiliated with the Los Angeles Salsa of the American Professional Soccer League The American P ...

4–1, and the

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 ...

4–1. Despite these two victories, the Hawks did not make the championship game, losing out to the

Greensboro Dynamo North Carolina Fusion U-23, formerly known as Carolina Dynamo, is an American soccer team based in Greensboro, North Carolina, United States. Founded in 1993, the team plays in USL League Two, the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid. Th ...

and

Orlando Lions The Orlando Lions were an American soccer team from Orlando, Florida which existed from 1985 to 1996. Over the years, the Lions competed at both the amateur and professional levels including some seasons as an independent team. The Lions is a ni ...

on goal differential. Van Voorhis folded the team at the end of the 1993 season after losing money in a soccer-related lawsuit. In 1994, shortly after having successfully landed a San Jose Major League Soccer franchise and handing over all existing Hawks player contracts, front-office resources and the rights to play in Spartan Stadium to MLS in exchange for Type C stock in the league, Van Voorhis was forced to accept a buyout from the league because of financial difficulties stemming from a divorce. This left the franchise (subsequently named the San Jose Clash) league-owned for several years.

Year-by-year

Honors

APSL Champions * 1991 CONCACAF Champions' Cup * 1992 North/Central America Championship Series Rookie of the Year * 1991 Paul Bravo First Team All Star * 1989 John Doyle, John Hill,

Dominic Kinnear Dominic Kinnear (born July 26, 1967) is an American soccer coach and former player. On January 18, 2022, he was named an assistant coach by FC Cincinnati, his first coaching role since serving as the interim head coach of the LA Galaxy. As a p ...

* 1990

Marcelo Balboa Marcelo Balboa (born August 8, 1967) is an American former professional soccer who played as a defender in the 1990s for the United States national team, becoming its captain. He is a member of the National Soccer Hall of Fame. After retiring ...

, John Doyle, John Hill,

, Townsend Qin, * 1991

Mark Dougherty Mark Dougherty is a retired American soccer goalkeeper who played in the Western Soccer League, American Professional Soccer League, USISL and Major League Soccer. He served as a goalkeeper coach with the U.S. women national team. High School an ...

Troy Dayak Troy Michael Dayak (born January 29, 1971) is an American former soccer player who played as central defender. He spent his entire Major League Soccer career with the San Jose Clash/Earthquakes and nearly all of his professional career playing ...

Danny Pena Danny Pena (born June 17, 1968, in Inglewood, California) is a retired U.S. soccer defensive midfielder. He spent most of his career, both indoors and outdoors, with teams in the western U.S. Player Youth Pena grew up in Southern California, pl ...

Derek Van Rheenen Derek Van Rheenen (born 3 January 1964) is a Nigerian retired footballer who played as a defender. He played his entire career with three San Francisco-based clubs. Youth and college Born in Nigeria, Van Rheenen grew up in California, where he ...

, Townsend Qin * 1992

, Jorge Salazar,

* 1993

Justin Wall Justin Wall is a former U.S. soccer forward who attended Westmont College, a small school which played in the NAIA. In his four seasons with the Warriors, Wall helped the team to the 1989 NAIA Final Four. On an individual level, Wall was a thr ...

Second Team All Star * 1989

, Steve Corpening * 1991

Chance Fry Chance Fry (born June 29, 1964, in Bellevue, Washington) is a retired U.S. soccer forward who began his career straight out of high school with the Seattle Sounders of the North American Soccer League. With the collapse of the NASL, he moved to ...

WSL Top Goalscorer * 1989 Steve Corpening

Head coaches

Dean Wurzberger Dean Wurzberger is a U.S. soccer coach who was a reserve team player with the Seattle Sounders of the North American Soccer League. He later spent three seasons in the American Soccer League and most recently served as Head Coach for the Univer ...

(1989–1990) * Laurie Calloway (1991–1992)

Owner

* Dan Van Voorhis

Stadiums

While the Blackhawks are best known for playing in Spartan Stadium, they spent most of 1991 in Newark Memorial Stadium. The team also played games in

Buck Shaw Stadium Stevens Stadium is a 7,000-seat soccer stadium on the west coast of the United States, located on the campus of Santa Clara University in Santa Clara, California. The stadium is the current home of the Santa Clara Broncos soccer teams and wa ...

and Fremont Stadium.

References

{{American Professional Soccer League seasons Defunct soccer clubs in California B Western Soccer Alliance teams American Professional Soccer League teams Soccer clubs in California 1989 establishments in California 1993 disestablishments in California Association football clubs disestablished in 1993 Association football clubs established in 1989 Soccer clubs in San Jose, California U.S. clubs in CONCACAF Champions' Cup