Minnesota Kicks
The Minnesota Kicks joined the North American Soccer League in 1976 and quickly became a popular team in the Twin Cities. They played at Metropolitan Stadium in Bloomington and drew enormous crowds of over 23,000 fans per game and over 32,000 in 1977! They drew loyal fans for a good reason - the team won their division four years in a row from 1976 - 1980.
In their first season, 1976, they went 15-9 and defeated Seattle and San Jose in the playoffs en route to Soccerbowl ‘76. They would lose Soccerbowl to the Toronto Metros-Croatia, 3-0. In the seasons that followed, they would record more wins in each successive season -- 16, 17, then 21 in 1979 -- although they would never have the same playoff success.
Even with their success, the original owners sold the Kicks in 1980 and the American outdoor soccer scene started to fall apart in the 80s. Under new management the Kicks played one last season in 1981 before folding.
