Chicago Horizons
Short-lived MISL club that played at the Rosemont Horizon.
The Chicago Horizons played in the original Major Indoor Soccer League for only the 1980–81 season, becoming the first of two Chicago franchises in the circuit. They were the first professional sports team to use the Rosemont Horizon as their home venue, which inspired the club's nickname. The team colors were orange, yellow, black and red. The head coach was Luis Dabo. The Horizons finished tied for third place in the Central Division with a 20–20 record and qualified for the playoffs. After a 4–3 victory in Game One of a First Round best-of-three series with the Wichita Wings, the Horizons lost the last two contests 6–4 and 8–6 and were eliminated. Enzo Di Pede won the Goalkeeper of the Year award. All Horizons games home and away were broadcast on radio with Les Grobstein handling Play by Play and Sam Donnelly the Color. The club suspended operations following the campaign.
Quick Facts
- League
- Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL)
- Seasons
- 1980–81
- Home venue
- Rosemont Horizon
- Team colors
- orange
- yellow
- black and red
- Head coach
- Luis Dabo
- Record
- 20–20
Facts from the source article.
Background
The Chicago Horizons' only season was a tight, competitive run. They matched the Buffalo Stallions with a 20–20 record, tying for third place in the Central Division. In the playoffs, they faced the Wichita Wings in a best-of-three first-round series. The Horizons took Game One with a 4–3 win, but the Wings answered with a 6–4 victory in Game Two and an 8–6 win in Game Three, ending Chicago's postseason.
Goalkeeper Enzo Di Pede was named Goalkeeper of the Year. The team's radio broadcasts featured Les Grobstein on play-by-play and Sam Donnelly on color for every home and away game. Even after the Horizons suspended operations, the league wanted to revive the franchise. That ended when Lee Stern, owner of the North American Soccer League's Chicago Sting—which played both indoors and outdoors at the time—paid the MISL to discontinue those plans, effectively eliminating competition in the Chicago market. Stern was bitter about the Horizons, blaming them for costing his Sting much money.
More in Defunct Indoor Soccer Clubs in the United States
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