Cleveland Force (1978-88)

“Mr. Force” is _____. (As in Ernie Banks is “Mr. Cub”) #ClevelandForce ⚽️

Canada is about to play their first World Cup game since the Force's Mike Sweeney, Carl Valentine, and Pasquale DeLuca represented them in the 1986 World Cup.

September 30, 1978: A Long Time Ago In A Galaxy Far, Far Away...⚽️ Long ago (a lifetime ago), The Cleveland Force (MISL charter member) announce name. Thank William A. Anthony (statue?😂)for outstanding name. Star Wars of course dominated pop culture at time #CLESports #Big4

Cleveland’s New Love Affair. Chris Vaccaro “The man with the golden arm” of the Force. Source: March, 1986 @ClevelandScene available from @Cleveland_PL Digital Gallery.

June 30, 1942: Octogenarian Coach ⚽️ 🎂Happy 8️⃣0️⃣th Bday🎂 to former Cleveland Force Head Coach Timo Liekoski. Right up there w/ Marty & Lenny as best CLE coaches of 1980s. Force were a force (to be reckoned with) during his tenure 1982-1988 8️⃣0️⃣🇫🇮⚽️🥅🇫🇮 #Timo #Force #HappyBday

June 7, 1988: Force Finale⚽️ Beloved Cleveland Force bid adieu in final game as Force in franchise history (later return as Crunch). Lose G4 and are swept in MISL Championship by SD Sockers. 7,110 CLE faithful on hand in Richfield. #CLESportsBig4

We are sorry to learn of the passing of Scott Wolstein on May 26, 2022. Without Scott, the Cleveland Force as we knew and cherished them under the Wolstein family's ownership would not have existed. Our condolences to the entire Wolstein family. cleveland19.com/2022/05/27/cle…

Includes schedule from the ill-fated 1983 outdoor exhibition series! The nascent plan was to play year-round (indoor in Richfield and outdoor in Akron) if enough ticket commitments. Didn't come close to working out. Force indoor became THE hot ticket starting that spring though!

May 1, 1984: Bedlam at Coliseum⚽️ Never pass up oppty to note CLE win vs. Pittspuke. Force beat Spirit, Gm 3 playoffs Alex Tarnoczi OT goal. Here's legend @snyder1100 fantastic🎙️call; can feel passion of city in his voice. Channeling Nev's "pandemonium" is Mike's "bedlam"#Bedlam

April 20, 1986: Finally !⚽️ #LetEmKnow had Bulls, #Browns had Broncos, #ForTheLand had many...each CLE team had nemesis they just couldn't beat. For Force it was damn Baltimore Blast. Lost 3 yrs in a row in Playoffs, finally in '86 beat them @ home to advance ECF #StanStamenkovic

DMan: That issue of SI also included a story on the emergence of the real @ClevelandForce written by the ultra-talented @jaimediaz. Not a biggie.

@monday40 Yeah it's a mindblowing number. Of course, different time, different TV environment etc, but four million sounds crazy today.

@ClevelandForce 4 million was pretty impressive even from a network standpoint.

If I'm wrong correct me but CBS agreed to show the @ClevelandForce / Chicago Sting playoff game if Wolstien can assure the Coliseum can sell out.

Decades before the @ClevelandForce and Baltimore Blast rivalry in the MISL, there was indoor soccer bad blood in the ASL between St. Mary's Celtics and Brooklyn Hispano at MSG.

Productive week has led to a milestone. Triple digits! Up to 102 draft pages on the @ClevelandForce book.

July 22, 1988: ⚽️Cleveland Force cease operation⚽️Charter member of MISL began 1978, captured heart & soul of NorthCoast fans for yrs. If you weren't alive for it, know this-Force were legit-we lived & died w/ them just like any other CLE team #Force #RIP #MISL🏈🏀⚾️⚽️#CLEBig4

When in Cleveland ...

Today’s #fbf comes from the early 1980s, back when we were all crazy about the @ClevelandForce. Here are Class of 1993 Alums Ryan Jeppe and John Berry with Force legends Ali Kazemaini and Mike Sweeney from the Force Summer Soccer Camp they attended in 1985.

Sometimes it's crazy to think that the 1980s MISL was such that the Cleveland Force could buy a player from a club in England's top flight and the player would come because it was a pay raise. Imagine a U.S. pro indoor team signing an EPL player today! The 80s were weird/great.

Congrats to @CRUNCHTime_CLE on a successful on-field return! 17-6 definitely feels like a throwback tribute to the Crunch's 1990s NPSL multi-point scoring days. 🤣