1987-88 Cleveland Force Roster
Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL)
Team Record: 30-26
in the MISL's Eastern Division
Postseason: 7-6
Lost Championship
Coach: Timo Liekoski (30-26)
Location: Cleveland, Ohio
Attendance: 315,807, Avg. 11,279 in 28 home dates
1987-88 Cleveland Force StatisticsTeam Record: 30-26
in the MISL's Eastern Division
Postseason: 7-6
Lost Championship
Coach: Timo Liekoski (30-26)
Location: Cleveland, Ohio
Attendance: 315,807, Avg. 11,279 in 28 home dates
The Cleveland Force of the Major Indoor Soccer League ended the 1987-88 season with a record of 30 wins and 26 losses in the MISL's Eastern Division. The team compiled a postseason mark of 7-6.
Cleveland scored 242 goals and gave up 219. Craig Allen netted 41 goals for the Force, while Carl Valentine, Gino DiFlorio, Kai Haaskivi, Michael King, John Stollmeyer and Andy Schmetzer each tallied fifteen or more, too. Kai Haaskivi contributed 38 assists. P.J. Johns topped the squad with 19 wins. Victor Nogueira registered a 3.69 goals against average, leading regularly-used goalkeepers.
Timo Liekoski coached the team. The 1987-88 Cleveland Force lost in the Championship.
Click on column headings to sort.
| Player | Pos. | Birth Date | Height | Weight | Hometown |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Craig Allen | F | October 2, 1959 | 6'0" | 160 | Guernsey, Channel Islands |
| Desmond Armstrong | D | November 2, 1964 | 6'0" | 175 | Washington, D.C. |
| John Baretta | G | May 6, 1955 | 6'0" | 175 | Edmonton, Alberta Canada |
| Brian Bliss | D | September 28, 1965 | 5'8" | 150 | Rochester, NY |
| Benny Dargle | D | January 2, 1957 | 5'11" | 170 | Liverpool, England |
| Pasquale DeLuca | M,D | May 26, 1962 | 5'10" | 150 | Edmonton, Alberta Canada |
| Gino DiFlorio | F | September 18, 1964 | 5'9" | 155 | Naples, Italy |
| Gino Epifani | G | November 29, 1964 | 5'9" | 160 | Syracuse, NY |
| Bobby Joe Esposito | F | December 12, 1964 | 5'11" | 160 | Bethlehem, PA |
| Rui Felgueira | F | March 25, 1965 | 5'7" | 155 | Lisbon, Portugal |
| Kai Haaskivi | M | December 28, 1955 | 5'10" | 170 | Lahti, Finland |
| P.J. Johns | G | July 7, 1958 | 6'1" | 167 | Oconomowoc, WI |
| Ali Kazemaini | F,M,D | June 21, 1963 | 6'0" | 180 | Teheran, Iran |
| Michael King | M,D | April 20, 1963 | 6'1" | 180 | London, England |
| Paul Kitson | F,M | May 31, 1956 | 5'8" | 155 | London, England |
| Glenn Lurie | F | September 23, 1965 | 5'9" | 160 | Brooklyn, NY |
| Dennis Mepham | D,M | January 28, 1958 | 6'1" | 170 | Cortland, NY |
| Victor Nogueira | G | July 17, 1959 | 6'1" | 185 | Maputo, Mozambique |
| Francis Okaroh | D | August 25, 1963 | 6'0" | 170 | Enugu, Nigeria |
| Andy Schmetzer | F | April 26, 1967 | 5'10" | 155 | Seattle, WA |
| Walter Schmetzer | M,D | April 26, 1967 | 5'9" | 150 | Seattle, WA |
| John Stollmeyer | D | October 25, 1962 | 5'9" | 170 | Pittsburgh, PA |
| Carl Valentine | F | July 4, 1958 | 5'9" | 160 | Manchester, England |
| Elias Zurita | F | July 21, 1964 | 5'7" | 145 | Queens, NY |
