The Staten Island Vipers were a soccer club that competed in the USL A-League in 1998 and 1999. The club was based on Staten Island , New York City . The team played its games at Tottenville High School and Wagner College . The team dissolved following the 1999 season.
12-512: The Vipers debuted in the USISL A-League in 1998, co-owned by Staten Island businessman and local soccer enthusiast Joe Manfredi and Roger Gorevic, who moved his New York Fever A-League franchise to Staten Island. The team was started up and managed initially by Tom Neale (General Manager) and Mike Winograd (Director of Youth and Team Development), who were college roommates and teammates at Lafayette College. Neale, former General Manager of
24-558: The Major Indoor Soccer League ; beginning indoor operations in 2011. The champions were determined by a single games in 1987, 1988, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996 and 1998. The champions were determined by a best of three series in 1998 and a best of five series in 1989, 1990 and 1991 and a home-and-home series in 2012 and 2013. In 1989, the Southwest Indoor Soccer League added a summer, outdoor season known as
36-721: The USL W League , began play in 2022. It is directly affiliated with the United States Soccer Federation and the United States Adult Soccer Association . The USL is headquartered in Tampa, Florida . Founded in 1985 by Francisco Marcos, the Southwest Indoor Soccer League was first intended as a minor indoor league associated with Major Indoor Soccer League . The league began with five teams, all owned by individuals who owned or operated indoor soccer arenas in
48-567: The 1994 World Cup, and the league plans to push its teams to be considered for the "three-tiered first, second and third divisions" plan the USSF envisions for soccer." The USL began operations in 1986 as the Southwest Indoor Soccer League, a semi-professional indoor league. The league quickly expanded and added an outdoor season in 1989. In 1991, the league renamed itself the United States Interregional Soccer League. By then,
60-969: The New York Fever, went on to be General Manager of the San Jose Earthquakes and COO of the New York Metrostars of MLS, and Winograd, a former professional soccer player in Kfar Saba, Israel and assistant coach at the University of Richmond, went on to law school at the University of Pennsylvania. The Vipers initially struggled to find a ground at which to play, debuting first at Monsignor Farrell High School in Oakwood before being forced out by community opposition. The club would land at Tottenville High School in Huguenot after reaching an agreement to refurbish
72-529: The Southwest Outdoor Soccer League. In 1990, the league dropped both "indoor" and "outdoor" from its name as it ran both a semi-professional indoor and outdoor season. By 1995, the outdoor season had grown to such a size that the USISL, as it was known at the time, split the league into two levels, the aptly named, fully professional Professional League and the semi-professional Premier League. In 1996,
84-633: The Southwest United States. League headquarters was in Austin, Texas. In 1986, Marcos' team, the Austin Sockadillos , entered the league giving it six teams. By 1989, the league had set its sights on greater prospects than remaining a small, semi-professional indoor league. A 1989 press release stated, "It is envisioned the league will be part of the USSF's plan to professionalize soccer in the USA prior to
96-610: The Staten Islanders who donned the costume was Craig Perrino and Jay Akselrud, who also entertained at Staten Island Yankees games. The club averaged an attendance of over 1,500 fans per game and finished their first season in 1998 with a 15–11–1–1 (W-L-SOW-SOL) record, placing third in the Northeast Division but losing the Conference Quarterfinal. The team improved their record to 19–9–2–1 in 1999, finishing 2nd in
108-578: The USISL added a third, higher, Select League. This was formed from the strongest teams from both the Professional and Premier League. The Select League, along with the competing A-League , both received official Division II status from FIFA. However, the A-League was in decline while the USISL was expanding. In 1997, the A-League ceased operations and merged into the USISL Select League which was renamed
120-666: The division and advancing to the Conference Semifinal but eventually losing to the Hershey Wildcats . USISL United Soccer League ( USL ) is an organizer of soccer leagues in the United States. It operates several men's and women's leagues, both professional. Men's leagues currently organized are the USL Championship , USL League One , USL League Two , and the youth league, USL Youth . A women's league,
132-467: The outdoor league overshadowed the indoor league which continued to slowly dwindle in importance. By the 1997–98 season, only five teams remained indoors while the outdoor season had over a hundred teams divided into a three-division structure. This led the league to stop running an indoor league. In 2010, the USL began to consider relaunching an indoor season. However, it decided instead to take over operations of
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#1732858174098144-403: The school's field and bleachers and adding lights for night games, along with a commitment for the team to work with the school to develop a city soccer program. The club was coached by Adrian Gaitan . The team colors were blue and white, with shirts sponsored by Toyota and the kit supplied by Umbro . The team mascot was a costumed character in a green outfit called the "Hyper Viper." Among
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