Dallas Sidekicks Major Indoor Soccer League

Dallas Sidekicks (1984-2004)

Major Indoor Soccer League (1984-1990)
Major Soccer League (1990-1992)
Continental Indoor Soccer League (1993-1997)
Premier Soccer Alliance (1998)
World Indoor Soccer League (1999-2002)
Major Indoor Soccer League (2002-2004)

Tombstone

Born: June 1983 – MISL expansion franchise
Folded
: September 13, 2004

First Game: November 2, 1984 (L 7-3 vs. Las Vegas Americans)
Last Game
: April 16, 2004 (L 6-1 @ Baltimore Blast)

MISL Champions: 1987
CISL Champions: 1993
Premier Soccer Alliance Champions: 1998
WISL Champions: 2001

Arena

Reunion Arena (16,652)11996 Dallas Sidekicks Media Guide
Opened: 1980
Demolished: 2009

Marketing

Team Colors:

  • 1984-1992: Kelly Green, Silver & White21991-92 Dallas Sidekicks Media Guide
  • 1993-2001: Purple, Silver & Black31996 Dallas Sidekicks Media Guide

Television:

  • 1995 (CISL): Prime Sports Southweste

Television Broadcasters:

  • 1995 (CISL): Craig Way & Scott Murray

Radio:

  • 1995 (CISL): KLIF (570 AM)

Radio Broadcasters:

  • 1995 (CISL): Norm Hitzges & Walter Lynn

Ownership

Owners:

 

Our Favorite Stuff

MISL Logo T-Shirt

This classic era Major Indoor Soccer League logo shirt is available from the guys at Cincinnati’s Old School Shirts in a variety of great styles:
  • Crewneck or hooded sweatshirts
  • Long-sleeve tee
  • 3/4 sleeve raglan
  • Women’s scoop neck
 
When you make a purchase through an affiliate link like this one, Fun While It Lasted earns a commission at no additional cost to you. Thanks for your support!

 

Background

The Dallas Sidekicks seemed perpetually on the edge of death during their 20-year run in North Texas, but they were revived on the operating table numerous times. For a brief period from 2001 to 2004, the Sidekicks were the longest continually operating professional soccer franchise in the United States.  The team survived the implosion of four different leagues before finally meeting its maker in 2004 after nineteen seasons.

The Sidekicks won championships in the Major Indoor Soccer League (1987), Continental Indoor Soccer League (1993), Premier Soccer Alliance (1998) and World Indoor Soccer League (2001).  At their peak in the late 1980’s, the Sidekicks attracted nearly 10,000 fans per match to Reunion Arena for a 28-game home calendar.

The club was founded in June 1983 by Dallas Mavericks owner Donald Carter, who bought the dormant MISL membership of the New Jersey Rockets (1981-1982) out of bankruptcy court.  The team drew poorly during Carter’s first turn at the helm and the Mavs’ owner lost $5 million running the Sidekicks for two seasons from 1984 to 1986.  The club’s demise was announced in June 1986, but angel investors stepped in the next day and rescued the team.  11th hour rescues would become something of a tradition. Donald Carter himself would return in the early 1990’s to rescue the team during another financial crisis.

1986 Dallas Sidekicks program from the Major Indoor Soccer League

1987 Championship Season

The Sidekicks greatest season was their third campaign during the winter of 1986-87.  After nearly folding a few months earlier, the team went 28-24 under Head Coach Gordon Jago and made it to the best-of-seven MISL Championship Series against the favored Tacoma Stars.  The series was absolutely thrilling and witnessed by huge crowds in both Dallas and Tacoma.

Tacoma held a 3-2 series lead as the series headed to Dallas for Game 6.  16,824 fans packed a sold-out Reunion Arena and exploded when Dallas’ Mark Karpun scored in the 21 minutes in double-overtime to send the series back to Tacoma for a decisive Game 7. 21,728 fans filled the Tacoma Dome for the finale. To this day, it is still the largest crowd ever to witness an indoor soccer game in the United States.  Once again, the game went to sudden death overtime. And again it was Mark Karpun who scored the clincher, giving the Sidekicks a 4-3 victory and their first league title.

1980's Tatu promotional photo from the Dallas Sidekicks of the Major Indoor Soccer League

Tatu

Many great indoor players suited up for the Sidekicks over the years, including Karpun, David Doyle, Godfrey Ingram and Krys Sobieski.  But the figure who became indistinguishable from the franchise itself was the 5′ 6″ Brazilian striker known simply as Tatu.  Tatu arrived in Dallas at age 22 for the Sidekicks first season in 1984-85 and stayed for the next 19 seasons.  He previously played for Sidekicks coach Gordon Jago with the Tampa Bay Rowdies of the North American Soccer League.  He became one of the most prolific scorers of all-time in the indoor game, scoring 857 goals in 21 seasons.

Tatu was a great showman as much as a thrilling attacker. He established himself as the MISL’s most recognizable star, thanks to his tradition of stripping off his jersey and firing it into the Reunion Arena stands after each goal he scored at home. Growing up in Boston in the 1980’s, there wasn’t an indoor soccer team for hundreds of miles. But I knew about Tatu thanks to tape delayed broadcasts of MISL games on ESPN and SportsChannel America.  He was the face (and torso, I suppose) of the league.  In 1989, despite never having seen a pro soccer game in person, I mailed Tatu a copy of Soccer Digest magazine and asked for an autograph. He mailed a whole package of Sidekicks goodies, including the autographed picture at right.

2002-03 Dallas Sidekicks Media Guide from the Major Indoor Soccer League

After the MISL

The original Major Indoor Soccer League folded in July 1992. The Sidekicks, along with their long-time MISL rivals the San Diego Sockers, joined the new Continental Indoor Soccer League (CISL) in 1993. The CISL was backed by a number of NBA owners, including Donald Carter who once again controlled the Sidekicks franchise. The big change in the CISL was that that the league played a summertime rather than winter schedule. The Sidekicks won the first CISL title in 1993.

The CISL folded in December 1997. The Sidekicks latched on with a series of lower-profile leagues as the sport of indoor soccer declined sharply in popularity during the late 1990’s and early 2000’s. Tatu retired as a player from the Sidekicks after the 2002-03 season, but returned the next season as the team’s Head Coach.  However, with the face of the franchise now confined to the bench, Sidekicks attendance plummeted by nearly 30% to the club’s lowest figure since the first season nearly 20 years earlier.  At the end of the 2003-04 season, the Sidekicks were again on their deathbed.  This time, at last, there was no savior and the club folded in September 2004.

Revival

In 2012, Tatu led a revival of the Sidekicks name, helping to launch a club in the Professional Arena Soccer League.  The re-booted Sidekicks played at the Allen Event Center in suburban Dallas from 2012 to 2017 before going dark once again.

 

Dallas Sidekicks Shop

 

 

Dallas Sidekicks Video

Game 7 of the 1987 MISL Championship Series against the Tacoma Stars at the Tacoma Dome. June 20th, 1987

 

The purple-clad Sidekicks of the 1990’s take on the Pittsburgh Stingers at Reunion Arena in Continental Indoor Soccer League action. August 27th, 1994

 

In Memoriam

Goalkeeper Antonio Cortes (1997) was shot to death in his office in Puebla, Mexico on New Year’s Eve, 2001.  According to Alan Balthrop of the Dallas Sidekicks Historical Archive, his murderer has never been apprehended.

Forward Kyle Owen died in car accident on April 11, 2003 at age 29.

Assistant Coach Keith Weller succumbed to cancer on November 13, 2004.

Goalkeeper Jan Van Beveren (1984-1986) died on June 26, 2011 at age 63.

Goalkeeper Shawn Ray (1993, 1996, 1998-1999) passed away on February 18, 2013 at age 43.

Midfielder Pedro DeBrito (1985-1988 & 1990-91) died of injuries from a car accident on July 5, 2013. DeBrito was 55.

 

Downloads

11-7-1987 Sidekicks vs. Chicago Sting Roster Card

11-7-1987 Dallas Sidekicks vs. Chicago Sting Roster Card

 

5-8-1992 Sidekicks vs. San Diego Sockers. 1992 MSL Championship Series Game 4 Roster Card

 

Links

Major Indoor Soccer League Media Guides

Major Indoor Soccer League Programs 1978-1992

 

Continental Indoor Soccer League Media Guides

Continental Indoor Soccer League Programs

 

World Indoor Soccer League Programs

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Comments

9 Responses

  1. Thanks for the write-up of the original ‘Kicks. The color scheme from 1993-2004 was purple, silver, and white.

    The Sidekicks also had the honor of playing the first ever sporting event at the American Airlines Center on August 19,2001 (box score: http://www.kicksfan.com/2001/box/season/game1.htm)

    A polite mention of the Dallas Sidekicks Historical Archive (http://www.kicksfan.com) would be appreciated should you chose to do that.

    Also, please add the following to the In Memoriam:

    Goalkeeper Jan Van Beveren, the Sidekicks first ever player signing, passed away at his home on June 26, 2011.

    Keith Weller to the In Memoriam. He was our Assistant Coach from 1986-88. He died of cancer on 11/13/2004.

    Goalkeeper Antonio Cortes was murdered at his office in Puebla, Mexico on 12/31/1997. His killer has still not been apprehended.

  2. Thanks for the write-up of the original ‘Kicks. The color scheme from 1993-2004 was purple, silver, and white.

    The Sidekicks also had the honor of playing the first ever sporting event at the American Airlines Center on August 19,2001

    Also, please add the following to the In Memoriam:

    Goalkeeper Jan Van Beveren, the Sidekicks first ever player signing, passed away at his home on June 26, 2011.

    Keith Weller was our Assistant Coach from 1986-88. He died of cancer on 11/13/2004.

    Goalkeeper Antonio Cortes was murdered at his office in Puebla, Mexico on 12/31/1997. His killer has still not been apprehended.

  3. *Three leagues. PSA and WISL were the same league. Sidekicks 1998 championship banner says WISL, not PSA.

    1. Hey Hammster69,

      Thanks for visiting and for the comment. Here’s the overly nerdy response to your comment:

      On this site, we made a decision to use the league names and brand names as they were in use at the time, even if identities were altered or re-branded retrospectively later. So while the Premier Soccer Alliance later changed its name to the World Indoor Soccer League and the WISL claimed the 1998 PSA stats and results as its own history, the fact is that the league was known as the PSA at the time the Sidekicks won that championship in 1998.

      The reason we do this is to assist researchers and fans that are working with primary source materials. A researcher looking through archived Dallas Morning News articles about the Dallas Sidekicks 1998 season will not be able to find any reference to a “World Indoor Soccer League”, since that corporate brand didn’t exist yet. So we want that researcher to be able to cross-reference primary research sources like newspaper archives with the information available on Fun While It Lasted.

      Cheers

      Andrew

  4. After missing the 2017-2018 MASL season, the Sidekicks were revived once again, continuing to play at the Allen Event Center (recently renamed the Credit Union of Texas Event Center). Team colors were switched back to the original green & white, and the 2021-2022 season was the best in the last decade, with the Sidekicks slotting into the #6 seed league-wide for the playoffs with Ricardinho Cavalcante at the helm. The Sidekicks are ready for the 2022-2023 season to begin with Jessie Vilkofsky as the 1st female General Manager in the MASL (and indeed, in any of the top-level indoor or outdoor soccer leagues to date in the USA) after essentially growing into the position during the 2021-2022 season.

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