Personally, I'd love to see what the 2003 Carlos Bocanegra would do while marking the 1981 Karl-Heinz Granitza. You made sure of that.
Make that the 2000 Fire. I still maintain this lineup could take down ANYONE. GK Thornton DF Bocanegra DF Kubik DF CJ Brown MF Gutierrez MF Armas MF Nowak MF Marsch MF Stoitchkov FW Razov FW Wolff And off the bench you'd still have GK Super Snitko DF Bonseu MF Beasley MF Kovalenko just to start. And pretty much the same team in 2001, mainly subtracting Kubik and adding Wynalda. Awesome.
I guess my point was, the 98 Fire won everything, but I'd rate it as the third best team in club history, behind 2000 and 2001, just on the basis of talent and style. But such a tournament would be amazing.
Awesome update post dada.... Many of those guys are still in the Chicago area. I worked for Willy Roy at his camps prior to his being "let go" at Northern Illinois University as the head coach there. He had a million stories. I to was a huge fan and saw some of those amazing games at the old Comisky Park (playoff game vs. San Diego was the one I remember most!). Tyma is out in Denver... my brother used to do business with his firm. Spalding is in Palatine now, but was the manager of Pete Richardson's (and his bloody dalmation's) Rockford Indoor facility for years... we used to get pissed together and shoot the shite (he likes his scotch!). Greg Ryan needs no introduction unless your head has been in the sand for the last 10 years... Wisconsin women's head coach, moved to SMU (right?), then onto become current US women's national team coach. Brett Hall has been a St. Charles area for years, assisting in helping St. Charles high school (prior to their split) to multiple state titles under several coaches. His name is more of a liner note than it is ever listed... he liked to work in the background. Super guy. Manny Rojas (not sure if that name was mentioned) still coaches in the Chicago area as well. He would frequent Willy's camps at NIU as well... loved the nights he would cook!! Davie Huson was the Rockford-Loves Park Raptors coach (whatever that defunct league that was the precursor to the MLS was called). That is all I remember about the man. Oh... and his kid played, much to the dismay of the loyal fans watching. Charlie Fajkus kept his sense of humor and gained another 100.
I don't know if it was mentioned but Bret Hall is Greg Ryan's assistant coach on the US Women's National Team.
Man I rememeber when I walked up to Granitza before that game he was talking to fans outside the stadium. I was 8 years old. Holy crap did he look huge to me. Man that game was awesome. i was young but man I remember it better than my dad does. He was the typical Sting fanatic, I remeber he was holding a 50 dollar billduring that game when we scred he ended up tearing it in half accidentally. LOL it was funny God! I love Memories
Wow! Has this thread brought back a flood of memories. I was in Comiskey Park for that wonderful playoff game. On my first date in Chicago with the woman who is now my wife, we went to the Chicago Stadium to see the Sting vs. the Cosmos. That was her first soccer game. It was 20 below zero and we stood out for two hours to get in to a sold out Stadium. I knew then that this must be the woman for me. Thank you Sting.
There was a regular season game at Comiskey that ended 3-3 and went to a shootout, which the Fire won. Was that also against the Sockers? Also, in that semifinal, didn't Derek Spaulding miss a PK in OT? I was 11 that season, but I recall my whole family going to that 3-3 game that ended in the S.O. win for my birthday, which is in August. Maybe it was 2-2. Years later I dated a girl whose former roommate had had an affair with Granitza. She told me this story of how he once came over to see her roommate, and, when he found out she wasn't there, tried to force himself onto the girl I later started dating. I know this is just plain sick, but since old Karl Heinz was such an icon in my youth, I couldn't help feeling a touch of pride that I was dating a girl that had refused an advance from Thunder!
I was just a kid, but I think Mathieu's goal was the greatest play in chicago sports history. He dribbled the entire team and then dribbled the goalie for a tap in-goal line to goal-line! After the game we carried him off the field! We thought pro soccer was un-stoppable. What a team!
Thanks for the update on these unsung heroes. I have great memories of this team and league and still have some of the memorabilia. These were wonderful times for chicago soccer and the team "demise" was nearly criminal. I met Lee Stern accidently at a water-front restaurant in Boca Raton and was very thankful and gracious. I told him part of me dies with the Sting and he strongly recommended I check out the Fire- thanks again Lee! Although the Fire lack much of what the Sting had, its fun to watch young american talent.
When I was a kid I was in (puppy) LOVE with Derek Spaulding!! I'm totally jealous, Peter! Does he still have the lovely Scottish accent? That was what I remember most...and his number (4). Aaaahhhh, memories. <sigh> diana
Great memories from Chicago from the old Sting days! As an old SJ Earthquakes staff person, I remember your team always being solid and well run by the Stern Family... The Earthquakes have had two somewhat recent reunions in 2001 and 2004. I have a website which is very low budget and simply designed to share the pictures from both of them. If you are interested, take a look: http://eteamz.active.com/naslearthquakes All the best to the fans of the NASL Sting!
I found an old ticket stub Sting v. Sj (1977?). When was George Best at SJ and did he actually play against us? All I can remember is eating 3 kosher dogs that day but I would like to say"I saw Best play".
Found an old Sting training bag signed by(it appears by 1976 players and assistant coach Techert); who exactly was on the roster? Inside the bag was the Sting commemorative for the 81 championship. Priceless.
Bestie played for the Quakes in 1980-1981. I am not sure if the two teams met those seasons but would guess that they did.
Best only played twice against the Sting in NASL games, so unless you were at one of these, you didn't see him play against Chicago: With LA Aztecs 1976-78: Did not play in either of the games the Aztecs played against the Sting in those years. With Ft.Lauderdale Strikers 1978-79: July 4, 1979 at Lockhart Stadium - Sting 3, Strikers 2 (Cubillas and Muller for Ft.Lauderdale, Granitza, Ressel and Fajkus for Chicago). Best was a substitute. With San Jose Earthquakes 1980-81: August 9, 1980 at Comiskey Park - Sting 4, 'Quakes 1 (Best scored for SJ, Steffenhagen scored 2, Ressel and Miljkovic for Chicago)
I had a book about that team, haven't seen it in years. Wonder if that team will have a reunion? BTW who owns the Sting name and trophies and such? Does Stern still own them? Has Stern shown any interest in getting into MLS ownership?
I had the same book and leant it out and haven't gotten in back. It covered the years 75-82.Yes Lee stern still owns the name chicago sting.No he hasn't shown interest in MLS ownership. I guess he figures he lost enough money backing pro soccer in this town.
Check these out: http://home.att.net/~naslpics/teampics/81_sting.jpg http://home.att.net/~naslpics/teampics/81_sting_alt_bw.jpg http://home.att.net/~nasl/gallery.htm