Minnesota Kicks
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Minnesota Kicks were a professional soccer team that played at Metropolitan Stadium in Bloomington, Minnesota from 1976 to 1981. The team was a member of the now defunct North American Soccer League. The team had relocated to Minnesota in 1976 after having been based in Denver, Colorado as the Denver Dynamos.
Stars for the Kicks included US Soccer Hall of Famers Patrick (Ace) Ntsoelengoe and Alan Willey fifth and third league all-time leading scorers respectively. Ron Futcher, who along with Willey played all six Kicks seasons went on to become the league's fourth all-time leading scorer.
The Minnesota Kicks are remembered for the tailgating in the Metropolitan Stadium parking lot. It became a cultural phenomenon in the late 1970's, with thousands of fans arriving early to socialize and consume beverages.
[edit] Year-by-year
| Year | League | W | L | T | Pts | Reg. Season | Playoffs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | NASL | 15 | 9 | — | 138 | 1st, Pacific Conference, Western Division | Won Division Championship (Seattle) Won Conference Championship (San Jose) Lost Soccer Bowl '76 (Toronto) |
| 1977 | NASL | 16 | 10 | — | 137 | 1st, Pacific Conference, Western Division | Lost Conference Championship (Seattle) |
| 1978 | NASL | 17 | 13 | — | 156 | 1st, National Conference, Central Division | Won 1st Round (Tulsa) Lost Conference Semifinal (Cosmos) |
| 1979 | NASL | 21 | 9 | — | 184 | 1st, National Conference, Central Division | Lost Conference Quarterfinal (Tulsa) |
| 1979/80 | NASL Indoor | 8 | 4 | — | — | 2nd, Western Division | Won 1st Round (Tulsa Roughnecks) Lost Semifinal (Memphis) |
| 1980 | NASL | 16 | 16 | — | 147 | 2nd, National Conference, Central Division | Lost 1st Round (Dallas) |
| 1980/81 | NASL Indoor | 12 | 6 | — | — | 2nd, Central Division | Lost 1st Round (Atlanta) |
| 1981 | NASL | 19 | 13 | — | 163 | 2nd, Central Division | Won 1st Round (Tulsa) Lost Quarterfinal (Ft. Lauderdale) |
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