New York Cosmos at Montreal Manic 23 December 1981

Indoor soccer action from The Forum in Montreal. This was the NASL’s third indoor season, but the first to feature its most storied club--the New York Cosmos. With most of the Cosmos’ outdoor stars taking a pass, the team took advantage of the demise of a number of teams after the 1981 outdoor season and added top American striker Steve Moyers to bolster a thin lineup. Not every Cosmos star eschewed the indoor season, however. Giorgio Chinaglia suited up for the winter, along with Carlos Alberto, Ricky Davis, and Hubert Birkenmeier. Alas, the team finished with the second worst record in the league at 6-12. Opponents Montreal Manic fared better, winning its division with a 9-9 record, but bowing in the first round of the playoffs to Tampa Bay. Only two years removed from the franchise’s departure from Philadelphia, Le Manic featured ex-Fury player Bob Rigby, Bobby Voesmaer, Fran O’Brien, Lynch, and Andrew Parkinson, and were coached by final Fury coach Eddie Firmani.