The 1988–89 Major Indoor Soccer League season was the eleventh in league history and would end with the San Diego Sockers repeating as MISL champions. It was the Sockers' seventh indoor title in eight NASL and MISL seasons. The Sockers would win seventh games in both the semifinals and championship series.

Recap

The league very nearly did not make it to the fall of 1988 as both labor negotiations and rising costs threatened to fold the league. The St. Louis Steamers,

Minnesota Strikers The Minnesota Strikers were an American soccer team that competed in the North American Soccer League (NASL) for the 1984 season and in the Major Indoor Soccer League from 1984 through 1988. The team was based in Minneapolis/ St. Paul metrop ...

, Cleveland Force and

Chicago Sting The Chicago Sting (1974–1988) was an American professional soccer team representing Chicago. The Sting played in the North American Soccer League from 1975 to 1984 and in the Major Indoor Soccer League in the 1982–83 season and again from ...

dropped out over the course of the summer. Plans for a 60-game schedule were scrapped, and a new labor agreement was signed on July 16. The remaining seven teams would play a 48-game schedule that would see the top five teams qualify for the playoffs. The fourth and fifth-place teams would play each other, while the first-place team would play the winner in the league semifinals. The second and third-place teams played in the other semifinal, and the semifinal winners would play in the league championship series. After the season, the Los Angeles Lazers folded and new franchises were placed in St. Louis and Cleveland for the 1989–90 season.

Teams

Map of clubs

Regular Season Schedule

The 1988–89 regular season schedule ran from November 4, 1988, to April 18, 1989. At 48 games, it was a decrease of eight games per team compared to the previous season.

Final standings

Playoffs

Wildcard Series

Semifinals

Championship Series

Regular Season Player Statistics

Scoring leaders

''GP = Games Played, G = Goals, A = Assists, Pts = Points''

Leading goalkeepers

''Note: GP = Games played; Min – Minutes played; GA = Goals against; GAA = Goals against average; W = Wins; L = Losses''

Playoff Player Statistics

Scoring leaders

''GP = Games Played, G = Goals, A = Assists, Pts = Points''

Leading goalkeepers

''Note: GP = Games played; Min – Minutes played; GA = Goals against; GAA = Goals against average; W = Wins; L = Losses''

All-MISL Teams

League awards

Most Valuable Player: Preki, Tacoma Scoring Champion: Preki, Tacoma Pass Master: Preki, Tacoma/Chico Borja, Wichita Defender of the Year: Kevin Crow, San Diego Rookie of the Year: Rusty Troy, Baltimore Newcomer of the Year: Domenic Mobilio, Baltimore Goalkeeper of the Year: Victor Nogueira, San Diego Coach of the Year: Kenny Cooper, Baltimore Championship Series Most Valuable Player: Victor Nogueira, San Diego Championship Series Unsung Hero: Paul Daugherty, San Diego

Team Attendance Totals

References

External links

1988-89 summary at ''The MISL: A Look Back''

{{DEFAULTSORT:1988-89 Major Indoor Soccer League season Major Indoor Soccer League (1978–1992) seasons

Major Major most commonly refers to: * Major (rank), a military rank * Academic major, an academic discipline to which an undergraduate student formally commits * People named Major, including given names, surnames, nicknames * Major and minor in musi ...