| Clubname: | Cleveland Crunch |
| Founded: | 1989 |
| American: | yes |
| Owner: | Richard Dietrich (2001–2005) George S. Hoffman (1989–2001) Luciano Ruscitto (2020-present) |
| Current: | Cleveland Crunch |
The Cleveland Crunch is an American professional indoor soccer club located in Cleveland, Ohio.
Formed in 1989 as an expansion team in the Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL), the Crunch played a total of 16 seasons in three separate leagues under two different names. The team played three seasons in the original MISL, later known as the Major Soccer League (MSL), before joining the rival National Professional Soccer League (NPSL) in 1992. After nine seasons in the NPSL, the team joined a second incarnation of the Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL) in 2001. In 2002, the team was rebranded the Cleveland Force in honor of the former team of the same name. After four seasons in the second MISL, the team folded in 2005.
The Cleveland Crunch franchise was revived in 2020.[1] The team joined Major Arena Soccer League 2 for the 2021 season and then joined Major League Indoor Soccer for its 2023 season. This iteration of the Cleveland Crunch has won two league championships since returning to play.[2]
The original Cleveland Force team had folded on July 22, 1988. Akron businessmen George S. Hoffman and Stuart Lichter formed an ownership group; named Al Miller general manager; and named former Force star Kai Haaskivi player-coach. Miller and Haaskivi brought back many players who had been fan favorites during the Force's height of popularity in the mid-1980s. The Crunch's home arena was originally the Richfield Coliseum.
Near the end of the Crunch's first season, Miller engineered a trade that would help Cleveland make the championship finals in seven of the next 10 years. He sent veteran forward Paul Wright to the San Diego Sockers for Zoran Karic, a feisty forward who immediately hit it off with Cleveland star Hector Marinaro. Within weeks, they were dubbed the "Dynamic Duo" and together rewrote the scoring record books for the next decade.
In 1992 the Crunch joined the National Professional Soccer League (NPSL) where it made a name for itself as a dominating soccer club, winning three championships in five seasons.[3]
When the original MISL ceased operation in the summer of 1992, the Crunch, Baltimore and Wichita joined the rival NPSL as "expansion teams". All were permitted to keep only six players, then fill the rest of their rosters in an expansion draft of players made available by other NPSL teams.
The NPSL, in an effort to promote the sport in the United States, had a cap of two non-Americans allowed on a roster. Canadian-born Marinaro and Serbia native Karic filled that quota immediately. Besides Marinaro and Karic, holdovers from the MISL Crunch were midfielders Tommy Tanner and Andy Schmetzer, defender George Fernandez and young goalkeeper Otto Orf.
Orf had only a 14–32 record the previous three years with the club as backup to P.J. Johns. Before switching leagues, Miller had signed four-time NPSL goalkeeper of the year Jamie Swanner from the Canton Invaders. That contract was voided when the Crunch entered the NPSL. Swanner and several ex-Invaders signed as free agents with another expansion team, the Buffalo Blizzard. New Crunch coach Gary Hindley wanted Orf as his starter, citing the big keeper's strong throwing arm as an offensive weapon. He wanted Orf getting the ball to Marinaro and Karic with outlet passes at the team's new home, the CSU Convocation Center, where the playing surface was considerably smaller than at the Richfield Coliseum.
Orf became a 25-game winner, Marinaro and Karic shattered all scoring records, and Cleveland advanced to the league finals, where it lost to the Kansas City Attack, three games to two.
A year later, the Crunch finally broke through to win Cleveland's first championship in any pro sport in 30 years.[4] Marinaro scored the dramatic game-winner in double overtime as Cleveland overcame a 15–10 deficit to defeat the visiting St. Louis Ambush, 17–15, to take the series, three games to one.[5] The team went on to win two more championships, in the 1995-96 and 1998-99 seasons.
Lichter faded from view when the MISL folded and Hoffman became even more active as owner during the Crunch's almost yearly run to the finals. Hoffman eventually sold his interest to a Cleveland group headed by Richard Dietrich. Soon after, the NPSL reorganized itself as the new Major Indoor Soccer League in 2001. The team took on the old Cleveland Force name in 2002.[6]
In 2020, a new ownership group announced it was reviving the Cleveland Crunch brand, after the team's 18-year hiatus, and returning professional indoor soccer to Cleveland.[7]
The team joined the Major Arena Soccer League 2 (MASL 2) for the 2021 season. In its first season back, the team earned the Cleveland Crunch's fourth league title, defeating the Wichita Wings 11-6 to win the MASL 2 Championship.
For year three, the team moved to Major League Indoor Soccer (MLIS)[8] and won its second championship since returning.[9]
MLIS League championships
MASL 2 League championships
NPSL League championships
Division titles (regular season)
Division/Conference titles (Playoffs)
Most Valuable Player Award
Scoring Champions
All-Star Game MVP
Rookie of the Year Award
All-Rookie Team
| Year | League | Reg. season | Playoffs | Avg. attendance | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989–90 | MISL | 4th East, 20–32 | did not qualify | 5,543 | |
| 1990–91 | MSL | 1st East, 29–23 | Runners-up | 4,640 | |
| 1991–92 | MSL | 3rd MISL, 20–20 | Lost Semifinal | 7,056 | |
| 1992–93 | NPSL | 2nd American, 25–15 | Runners-up | 6,483 | |
| 1993–94 | NPSL | 2nd American, 23–17 | Won Championship | 6,677 | |
| 1994–95 | NPSL | 1st American, 30–10 | Lost Semifinal | 7,579 | |
| 1995–96 | NPSL | 1st American, 31–9 | Won Championship | 7,647 | |
| 1996–97 | NPSL | 1st Central, 29–11 | Runners-up | 8,044 | |
| 1997–98 | NPSL | 2nd Central, 21–19 | Lost Conference Semifinal | 8,265 | |
| 1998–99 | NPSL | 1st Central, 26–14 | Won Championship | 8,034 | |
| 1999–00 | NPSL | 1st Central, 27–17 | Runners-up | 6,290 | |
| 2000–01 | NPSL | 5th American, 18–22 | did not qualify | 6,317 | |
| 2001–02 | MISL | 5th MISL, 16–28 | did not qualify | 4,688 | |
| 2002–03 | MISL | 2nd East, 19–17 | Lost Conference Semifinal | 5,381 | |
| 2003–04 | MISL | 3rd East, 15–21 | Lost Quarterfinal | 4,955 | |
| 2004–05 | MISL | 2nd MISL, 23–16 | Runners-up | 3,639 | |
| 2020-21 | MASL 2 | 2nd M2, 7-1[10] | Won Championship | 1,000 | |
| 2021-22 | MASL 2 | 1st Great Lakes, 12-0[11] | Runners-up | 1,000 | |
| 2022-23 | MLIS | 2nd Eastern, 9-3 | Lost Semifinal | 1,000 | |
| 2023-24 | MLIS | 1st MLIS, 9-3 | Won Championship | 1,000 | |
1990–91
MSL Eastern Division Finals: Defeated Kansas City Comets, 4–3
MSL Championship Series: Lost to San Diego Sockers, 4–2
1991–92
MSL Semifinals: Lost to Dallas Sidekicks, 4–2
1992–93
NPSL American Division Semifinals: Defeated Buffalo Blizzard, 2–1
NPSL American Division Finals: Defeated Harrisburg Heat, 2–1
NPSL Championship Series: Lost to Kansas City Attack, 3–2
1993–94
NPSL American Division Semifinals: Defeated Buffalo Blizzard, 2–1
NPSL American Division Finals: Defeated Harrisburg Heat, 2–1
NPSL Championship Series: Defeated St. Louis Ambush, 3–1
1994–95
NPSL American Division Semifinals: Defeated Buffalo Blizzard, 2–1
NPSL American Division Finals: Lost to Harrisburg Heat, 3–0
1995–96
NPSL American Division Semifinals: Defeated Buffalo Blizzard, 2–1
NPSL American Division Finals: Defeated Baltimore Spirit, 3–1
NPSL Championship Series: Defeated Kansas City Attack, 4–2
1996–97
NPSL American Conference Semifinals: Defeated Baltimore Spirit, 2–1
NPSL American Conference Finals: Defeated Harrisburg Heat, 3–1
NPSL Championship Series: Lost to Kansas City Attack, 4–0
1997–98
NPSL American Conference Semifinals: Lost to Philadelphia Kixx, 2–0
1998–99
NPSL American Conference Semifinals: Defeated Montreal Impact, 2–1
NPSL American Conference Finals: Defeated Philadelphia Kixx, 2–0
NPSL Championship Series: Defeated St. Louis Ambush, 3–2
1999–2000
NPSL American Conference Semifinals: Defeated Montreal Impact, 2–0
NPSL American Conference Finals: Defeated Baltimore Blast, 2–0
NPSL Championship Series: Lost to Milwaukee Wave, 3–2
2002–03
MISL Eastern Conference Semifinals: Lost to Baltimore Blast 1–0
2003–04
MISL Eastern Conference Quarterfinals: Lost to Dallas Sidekicks 1–0
2004–05
MISL Semifinals: Defeated Philadelphia Kixx 2–0
MISL Finals: Lost to Milwaukee Wave 2–0
2020-21
MASL2 Semifinals: Defeated FC Amarillo Bombers 12–6
MASL2 Finals: Defeated Wichita Wings 11–6
2021-22
MASL2 Semifinals: Defeated Muskingun Risers 6-5
MASL2 Finals: Lost to San Diego Sockers2 4-7
2022-23
MLIS Wild Card: Defeated Chicago Mustangs 12-6
MLIS Semifinals: Lost to Omaha Kings 7-8
2023-24
MLIS Semifinals: Defeated Grand Rapids City FC 11-5
MLIS Fianls: Defeated Omaha Kings 9-4