Professional Cup Explained

Tourney Name:Professional Cup
Other Titles:1992 Professional Cup
Country:United States
Canada
Dates:July 22, 1992 –
September 19, 1992
Num Teams:8
Champion Other:Colorado Foxes
Count:1
Second Other:Tampa Bay Rowdies
Matches:11
Goals:37
Top Scorer: Jean Harbor (5 goals)
Prevseason:1990

The Professional Cup was an international soccer tournament that took place in 1992 and involved eight, professional clubs from three different leagues in North America; the American Professional Soccer League, the Canadian Soccer League, and the National Professional Soccer League.[1] Although it was billed as "inaugural" this would be the only year that the tournament was played.

Overview

The tournament was originally scheduled to be played as a standard two-legged, aggregate format in every round, but after all three of the non-APSL teams were eliminated in the first round it was decided that the remaining rounds would be single match ties.[2] [3] The winning team was to receive approximately $26,800 and the runners-up, about $13,200.[4]

Nine matches, including the Final, were played in the United States, and two matches were played in Canada. The participating teams were APSL sides: Colorado Foxes, Fort Lauderdale Strikers, Miami Freedom, San Francisco Bay Blackhawks, and Tampa Bay Rowdies; CSL sides: Montreal Supra and Vancouver 86ers, as well as the NPSL's Chicago Power.[5] Although up to that point Chicago had been known only as an indoor team, in the summer of 1992 they formed an outdoor squad as well.[6] [7] [8]

Colorado won the Professional Cup Final, 4–1, over Tampa Bay. The Foxes, who had already won the 1992 APSL regular season, would also go on to win the APSL title seven days later, thus completing a minor treble.[9]

Match results

First round

Team 1Agg.Team 2Game 1Game 2Dates • Location • Attendance
Tampa Bay Rowdies 7–1 Montreal Supra5–1 2–0 August 1 • Tampa Stadium • 600[10]
August 12 • Stade Claude-Robillard • 924
[11]
Fort Lauderdale Strikers 5–2 Miami Freedom2–1 3–1 August 8 • Colts Stadium • 1,152[12]
August 12 • Orange Bowl • 85
[13]
San Francisco Bay Blackhawks 5–2 Chicago Power2–0 3–2 July 22 • Buck Shaw Stadium • 2,050[14]
August 19[15] [16] [17]Norris Stadium • (???)
Colorado Foxes 5–3 Vancouver 86ers3–2 2–1 August 3 • Englewood Stadium • 368[18]
August 11 • Swangard Stadium • 3,083
[19]

Professional Cup Final

1992 Professional Cup Champions: Colorado Foxes

scope=col width=100 Match Stats[20] scope=col width=70 Coloradoscope=col width=70 Tampa Bay
scope=rowGoals scored 4 1
scope=rowTotal shots 17 6
scope=rowShots on target 8 2
scope=rowSaves 1 4

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: Brackman . David . Rowdies add punch to schedule . June 12, 1992. St. Petersburg Times. 6D. June 11, 2016.
  2. News: Brackman . David . Rowdies in Professional Cup debut tonight . August 1, 1992. St. Petersburg Times. 4D. June 11, 2016.
  3. News: Brackman . David . Rowdies to find out tonight if titles are still within grasp . September 4, 1992. St. Petersburg Times. 8D. June 11, 2016.
  4. News: Brousseau . Dave . Inaugural Cup Gives Strikers A Fresh Start . August 8, 1992. Sun Sentinel. June 11, 2016.
  5. News: Epifano . Anthony . Rowdies beat Montreal 2-0 . August 13, 1992. St. Petersburg Times. 2C. June 11, 2016.
  6. News: Knowles . Joseph . Power Forms New Club To Play Outdoor Slate . June 16, 1992 . Chicago Tribune. June 11, 2016.
  7. News: Knowles . Joseph . Power's 2nd Outdoor Venture Another Test For Rensink . June 27, 1992 . Chicago Tribune. June 11, 2016.
  8. News: Power Ties In Outdoor Exhibition . June 28, 1992 . Chicago Tribune. June 11, 2016.
  9. News: Pearce . Alan . Colorado blanks Rowdies for league championship . September 27, 1992 . St. Petersburg Times. 3C. June 11, 2016.
  10. News: Brackman . David . August 2, 1992. St. Petersburg Times. Rowdies win big, 5-1, before small crowd. 10C. June 11, 2016.
  11. News: Phillips . Randy . Loss to Rowdies could be finish for Supra coach Vosmaer . August 13, 1992. Montreal Gazette. B6. July 17, 2018.
  12. News: Eichmann scores twice as Strikers top Freedom . August 9, 1992. Miami Herald. 7D. June 11, 2016.
  13. News: Strikers knock Freedom out of Pro Cup series . August 13, 1992. Miami Herald. 11D. June 11, 2016.
  14. News: Blackhawks turn out lights on Power in Professional Cup series opener . July 25, 1992. The Star-News. June 22, 2016.
  15. News: Rosewater . Amy . Power Battles San Francisco In Tourney. August 19, 1992. Chicago Sun-Times.
  16. News: Tournament Loss Closes Power's Outdoor Season . August 20, 1992. Chicago Tribune. June 13, 2016.
  17. News: Soccer . August 20, 1992. San Francisco Examiner. Dec 17, 2018.
  18. News: Stinson. Dan. American league not a 'viable alternative' for CSL players . August 5, 1992. Vancouver Sun. D7. December 22, 2018.
  19. News: Stinson. Dan. 86ers lose game, series to Foxes . August 12, 1992. Vancouver Sun. F4. December 22, 2018.
  20. News: Foxes beat Rowdies 4–1, Capture Pro Cup . September 20, 1992. Tampa Tribune. 14 Sports . 2018-01-06.