Memphis Americans

The Memphis Americans were a soccer team based out of Memphis, Tennessee that played in the old Major Indoor Soccer League. They played from 1981 to 1984. Their home arena was the Mid-South Coliseum.

In May 1981, the Christian group Athletes in Action purchased the financially troubled MISL team then known as the Hartford Hellions and moved the team to Memphis. The team, renamed the Americans, played in Memphis through the end of the 1983-1984 season. They then moved to Las Vegas. The team had a German coach, Horst Bertl, who was an experienced player and coach from the Bundesliga, but new to indoor soccer. The team was primarily stocked with talented foreign players such as Tony Carbonagni, Helmut Dudek, Stan Stamenkovich and Richard But. Some Hartford players came with the franchise to Memphis, including Tom Nevers, Hank Liotart and Bruce Rudrof. The Memphis franchise added young Americans like number one draft choice Mike Garrett and Steve Allison along with more experienced pros to round out the first year roster. The team was very competitive and finished at just under .500 for year one.

The team had decent attendance at the Mid-South Coliseum - averaging around 7,000 per game - but expectations were higher and even as they entered year two there was some expectation that the ownership needed to do better. A new group of owners got involved shortly after that and included local owners that would provide more attention to franchise operations. In year two the team continued to compete at around .500 and play attractive soccer. After the end of the their third season, the team was moved to Las Vegas - where they only lasted one additional year

Memphis players that continued to play professionally after the Memphis team were Carbonagni (to Vegas and back to Memphis with NPSL), Stamenkovic and Kunovac (Baltimore Blast), Mike Garrett (NPSL player coach with Toledo and Kalamazoo)and Dudek (Las Vegas). The team was very entertaining and talented - Stamenkovich was amazingly skilled and the best-known of the players on the team. Dudek was a strong defender but was most noticed because he had such a powerful shot. Garrett was a young American with great skills and Carbonagni was very good at passing and controlling the ball. Richard But was the primary goalkeeper and had some great games. The Memphis Americans were another team that had a brief, but entertaining history in US Professional Soccer that had a collection of great European and South American players with a few talented Americans mixed in.

Coaches

• Horst Bertl

Players

• Steve Allison
• Richard Bute
• Toni Carbonagni (1981-82) 43 Apps 39 Goals
• Helmut Dudek (1981-82) 43 Apps 34 Goals
• Jorge Espinoza (1981-84)
• Mike Garrett
• Fred Grgurev (1983-84) 50 Apps 42 Goals
• Bernd Holzenbein (1983-84)
• Hank Liotart (1981-82)
• Bill Mishalow (1981-84)
• Thomas Nevers
• Yilmaz Orhan (1983-84) 47 Apps 49 Goals
• Bruce Rudrof
• Derek Smethurst (1981-82) 33 Apps 35 Goals
• Stan Stamenkovic (1981-83) 77 Apps 101 Goals

References

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