Houston Dynamos was a U.S. soccer 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 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 ...

(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 The Oklahoma City Slickers was the name given to two different American soccer clubs based in Oklahoma City. The first team competed in the second American Soccer League in 1982 and 1983, and as the Oklahoma City Stampede in the United Soccer Lea ...

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 ...

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

two games to none. Their run ended in the championship, when they lost 3–0 to the

Fort Lauderdale Sun Fort Lauderdale Sun was a U.S. soccer team which played two seasons in the United Soccer League. In 1984, the team was known as the Fort Lauderdale Sun. Before the 1985 season they changed their name to the South Florida Sun. Origins The United ...

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 24 Apps 0 Goals *

Giulio Bernardi Giulio Bernardi (born July 6, 1960 in San Jose, California) was an American soccer defender who spent two seasons in the American Soccer League, one in the United Soccer League and several in Major Indoor Soccer League. Bernardi attended S ...

* Beto Dos Santos *

Bob Bozada Robert "Bob" Bozada is a former American soccer player who played professionally in the North American Soccer League and the Major Indoor Soccer League. Player Bozada attended St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Florissant, MO. There, in 1975, he ...

* Glenn Davis * Jim Elder * Soloman Hilton * Tony Johnson 22 Apps 11 Goals *

Mark Lugris Mark 'Marcos' Lugris (born January 1, 1962) is a former Puerto Rican football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the for ...

* William McDonald * Jose Neto 21 Apps 22 Goals (1984 league MVP) * Manny Neves * Ed Puskarich * Thomas Rafferty * Nathan Sacks * Walter Schlothauer * Joseph Serralta *

Lesh Shkreli Lesh Shkreli (born ) is a retired Montenegrin-American soccer forward who played in Yugoslavia, Greece and the United States. He led the American Indoor Soccer Association in scoring in 1984-1985, earning MVP honors. Shkreli is Albanian ethni ...

* 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. 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 moved ...

Legacy

The

MLS Major League Soccer (MLS) is a men's professional soccer league sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation, which represents the sport's highest level in the United States. The league comprises 29 teams—26 in the U.S. and 3 in Cana ...

team the Houston Dynamo 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