 | |||
| Full name | Miami Gatos / Miami Toros | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Founded | (PreviouslyWashington Darts) 1972 Miami Gatos 1973 Miami Toros | ||
| Dissolved | 1976 (rebrandedFort Lauderdale Strikers) | ||
| Stadium | Miami-Dade North Stadium (1972), Miami Orange Bowl (1973–1975),Tamiami Field (1974, 1976) Miami, Florida | ||
| Chairman | John Bilotta (1972–1973) Joe Robbie (1973–1976) | ||
| League | NASL | ||
TheMiami Toros were a professionalsoccer team in theNorth American Soccer League from 1972 to 1976. The club was founded in 1967 as theWashington Darts, and moved to Miami, where they played the 1972 season in the NASL's Southern Division as the Miami Gatos. In 1973, the club rebranded as the Miami Toros. Their home field was at times theMiami Orange Bowl,Tamiami Field andMiami Dade College's North Campus Stadium.[1][2]
After the 1976 season, the team moved toFort Lauderdale and became known as theFort Lauderdale Strikers and later moved toMinnesota and became known as theMinnesota Strikers.[3]
Prominent players included 1973 league MVPWarren Archibald who was fromPoint Fortin, the smallest borough inTrinidad and Tobago, and 1975 league MVP Juan Carlos Moramarco who was fromRosario, Argentina.
Beginning in 1975, the Toros had arivalry with theTampa Bay Rowdies that grew even fiercer after the Toros moved to Ft. Lauderdale and became the Strikers.[4][5][6][unreliable source?]
| Year | League | W | L | T | Pts | Reg. season | Playoffs | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1972 | NASL | 3 | 8 | 3 | 44 | 4th, Southern Division | did not qualify | 2,112 |
| 1973 | NASL | 8 | 5 | 6 | 88 | 3rd, Eastern Division | did not qualify | 5,479 |
| 1974 | NASL | 9 | 5 | 6 | 107 | 1st, Eastern Division | Won Semifinal (Dallas) Lost Championship (Los Angeles Aztecs) | 7,340 |
| 1975 | NASL indoor | 2 | 0 | — | 4 | 2nd, Region 3 | did not qualify | N/A |
| 1975 | NASL | 14 | 8 | — | 123 | 2nd, Eastern Division | Won Quarterfinal (Boston) Lost Semifinal (Tampa Bay) | 4,921 |
| 1976 | NASL indoor | 1 | 1 | — | 2 | 3rd, Eastern Regional | did not qualify | N/A |
| 1976 | NASL | 6 | 18 | — | 63 | 4th, Atlantic Conference, Eastern Division | did not qualify | 3,070 |
NASL championships[7][unreliable source?]
Division titles
League MVP
League scoring champion
League goal scoring champion
Coach of the Year
| All-Star first team selections
All-Star second team selections
All-Star honorable mentions
U.S. Soccer Hall of Fame
|
Sal DeRosa (1972)
John Young (1973–1974)[citation needed] Dr. Greg Myers (1975–1976)[5]
Ken Furphy (1976)
Garo Yepremian (1972)[1]John Bilotta (1971–72)Joe Robbie (1973–76)Angel Lorie, Jr. (Managing Partner) (1972–75)Elizabeth Robbie (Managing Partner) (1976)
