Colorado Foxes


The Colorado Foxes were a professional men's soccer club originally based in Commerce City, Colorado, that played in the American Professional Soccer League and USL A-League. Founded in 1990, the club moved to San Diego, California in 1998 and became the San Diego Flash, and later San Diego F.C., before folding in 2001. The club won the 1992 Professional Cup, and back-to-back APSL titles in 1992 and 1993.

History

Commerce City (1990–1997)

The Foxes won two APSL titles, in 1992 and 1993. In 1992 they won the regular season as well as the Professional Cup, giving them a minor treble. The Foxes defeated English Premier League side Norwich City F.C. 3–2 in a Four Nations Cup exhibition match on July 18, 1993, placing third in the tournament. They had previously lost to 1. FC Kaiserslautern of Germany. The team also hosted a 1996 benefit match in Montoursville, Pennsylvania, for the victims of TWA Flight 800; the Foxes defeated the Atlanta Ruckus 3–0 at a local football stadium.
When Major League Soccer started and the Colorado Rapids became the region's premier team, the Foxes tried unsuccessfully to compete in the same market for two years. The club was acquired by Yan Skwara and Sam Kaloustian in December 1997 and immediately relocated to San Diego, California, becoming the San Diego Flash.

San Diego (1998–2001)

The club averaged approximately 2,500 fans per game when playing its home games at Southwest College and San Diego Mesa College. The largest crowd for a Flash match was 6,500 at Mesa College for a US Open Cup match against Major League Soccer's Los Angeles Galaxy in 2000. In 2001, the La Jolla Nomads took over operation of the team and renamed it San Diego FC. The Flash were fairly successful during their short stint in the league, winning the Pacific Division in 1998 and 1999, finishing second in 2000 and 2001, progressing to the quarter-finals of the A-League playoffs in 2001, and reaching the third round of the US Open Cup on two separate occasions. Its head coaches during this period included Ralf Wilhelms, Costa Skouras, Papo Santos, and Colin Clarke. After the 2001 season the team folded due to management and financial problems. A phoenix club, also by the name of the San Diego Flash, was founded in 2011 and began play in the National Premier Soccer League.

Notable players

Players that played for the Foxes and then went on to play in MLS include Marcelo Balboa, Robin Fraser, Brian Haynes, Chad Ashton, Tom Soehn, Ted Eck, Scott Benedetti, and Mark Dodd.
YearDivisionLeagueReg. seasonPlayoffsOpen CupAvg. attendance
19901APSL2nd, WSL NorthSemifinalsDid not enter
19911APSL3rd, WesternDid not qualifyDid not enter
19921APSL1stChampionDid not enter
19931APSL2ndChampionDid not enter
19941APSL4thFinalDid not enter3,540
19951A-League5thDid not qualifyQuarterfinals5,896
19962A-League2ndSemifinals2nd Round4,200
19972USISL A-League4th, PacificDivision SemifinalsDid not enter983
19982USISL A-League1st, PacificConference FinalsDid not qualify3,083
19992USL A-League1st, PacificConference Finals3rd round2,463
20002USL A-League2nd, PacificConference Quarterfinals3rd round2,787
20012USL A-League2nd, WesternQuarter-finals2nd round580

Stadiums