1994 American Professional Soccer League

American Professional Soccer League
Season1994
ChampionsMontreal Impact
(1st title)
PremiersSeattle Sounders
(1st title)
Top goalscorerPaul Wright
(12 goals)
← 1993
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The 1994 season of the American Professional Soccer League (APSL) was the fifth in the history of the league, which was the top level of club soccer in the United States from 1990 to 1995. It was planned to be contested by eight teams in the U.S. and Canada and took place between July 1 and October 15, partially overlapping with the 1994 FIFA World Cup.[1] The Tampa Bay Rowdies folded and the Toronto Blizzard were replaced by the Toronto Rockets, who were formed from the North York Rockets of the Canadian Soccer League. Two expansion teams, the Houston Force and Seattle Sounders, were also added.[2][3]

The Force postponed their first two matches and played against the Los Angeles Salsa before the APSL revoked their franchise on July 22, 1994. The league cited financial issues that the ownership group were unwilling to address.[4] The season continued with 20 regular season matches for each team, including new fixtures to replace Houston's schedule, and a two-round playoffs for the top four teams.[5] The playoffs semifinals were played in a best-of-three format, with a 30-minute third match following the second leg and a penalty shootout if necessary. The third match was held on the same day as the second leg due to budget constraints.[6]

  1. ^ Phillips, Randy (March 11, 1994). "Impact kicks off season on July 1". Montreal Gazette. p. D6. Retrieved December 22, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. ^ Keating, Jack (June 30, 1994). "Move over Cup, APSL is back". The Province. p. A73. Retrieved December 22, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ Keating, Jack (February 2, 1994). "Shaky APSL changes '94 schedule". The Province. p. A41. Retrieved December 22, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ "The Force no longer with APSL". The Province. July 24, 1994. p. A63. Retrieved December 22, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ Giase, Frank (September 25, 1994). "Two leagues must hook up". The Record. p. S4. Retrieved December 22, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ Padilla, Doug (October 3, 1994). "Montreal edges Salsa in semifinals shootout". The San Bernardino Sun. p. C3. Retrieved December 23, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.