How good were the Wings???

Today, professional indoor soccer has become a fringe sport. Check ESPN's website if you'd like confirmation; there's nary a mention of the indoor game. Outdoor soccer, or "proper soccer" as some might call it, dethroned the indoor game in the early 1990s. But that dethroning is itself lost in the mists of history for anyone under the age of 30. Not only do many young people not know that the indoor game lost the championship belt, they didn't know they had it to begin with.

In the 1980s, the Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL) was the highest level of soccer in North America. The old North American Soccer League (NASL), featuring George Best and Pele, was eclipsed by the new and exciting indoor game brought to the American public by Earl Foreman and Ed Tepper. Into that league came the Wichita Wings. But was the level of talent REALLY that good?

Well, 45 Wichita Wings played on various national teams around the world. Per Roentved, Kim's older brother, was the longtime captain of the Danish national team, with an impressive 75 caps (international game appearances) and 11 goals. Incredibly, five (FIVE!) future Wings played on the 1984 US Olympic team (Chico Borja, Mike Brcic, Mike Fox, Jeff Hooker, and Jean Willrich). In fact, Wings appeared on teams from various countries in every Olympic games from 1976 to 1992.*

(This actually the 1983 Team America photo, but Borja is in it, so you get the idea)

The most astounding fact of all is that Wichita Wings players appeared in 535 international games. Yes, that's 535 caps. One cap for every member of our US House of Representatives and Senate (none of whom were good enough to play for the Wings!)

Not only that, but 13 Wings played first division soccer in England. Today, we call that the Premier League. Three Wings played for the storied Manchester United. Jimmy Ryan, "Tricky" Mickey Thomas, and Willie Anderson all played for "ManU" before they became Wings. Ryan scored four times while Thomas accumulated 11 goals in that famous uniform (or "kit" as they call them across the pond.) Jeff Bourne (Derby County), Dave Hoggan (Bolton), Kevin Kewley (Liverpool FC), Seamus McDonough (Bolton & Everton), Victor Moreland (Derby County), Terry Nicholl (Sheffield United), Barry Wallace (Queens Park Rangers), and several others played in what was (and arguably still is) the greatest soccer league in the world.

 

(Picture above: Jeff Bourne and Mickey Thomas)

Perhaps the two best players to play for the Wings were Erik Rasmussen and Kim Roentved.** Both came to the Wings from Denmark as relatively inexperienced players; Rasmussen a 24 year old and Roentved still a teenager. If they had stayed in Europe, it's impossible to say what would have happened to their careers. However, there is no doubt in my mind that both were legitimate top level European talent. If you have any doubt about Rasmussen's genius, watch this video:

How good were the Wings??? They were top-notch. Believe it.

*David Brcic made the 1980 US Olympic team. But he didn't play due to the American boycott of the games. Cris Vaccaro played for the Puerto Rican Olympic team in the qualifying rounds of the 1992 games.

**For a more detailed discussion of who is the "best Wings player," read my book: Make This Town Big: The Story of Roy Turner and the Wichita Wings