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| Founded | 1989 |
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| Owner | Richard Dietrich (2001–2005) George S. Hoffman (1989–2001) Luciano Ruscitto (2020-present) |
| League |
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The Cleveland Crunch is an American professional indoor soccer club located in Cleveland, Ohio.
Formed in 1989 as an expansion team in the Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL), the Crunch played a total of 16 seasons in three separate leagues under two different names. The team played three seasons in the original MISL, later known as the Major Soccer League (MSL), before joining the rival National Professional Soccer League (NPSL) in 1992. After nine seasons in the NPSL (including winning three league titles - 1994, 1996, 1999), the team joined a second incarnation of the Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL) in 2001. In 2002, the team was rebranded the Cleveland Force in honor of the former team of the same name. After four seasons in the second MISL, the team folded in 2005.
The Cleveland Crunch franchise was revived in 2020.[1] The team joined Major Arena Soccer League 2 MASL 2) for the 2021 season (winning the MASL 2 championship) and then joined Major League Indoor Soccer (MLIS) for its 2023 season, winning the MLIS Championship in 2024. All totaled, the Crunch recognizes all five championships won under the various incarnations of the franchise (three NPSL, one MASL 2, one MLIS).[2]
- ^ "Return of the Crunch: After nearly 20 years, professional indoor soccer is returning to Cleveland". News 5 Cleveland WEWS. 2020-09-19. Retrieved 2024-06-11.
- ^ "News: Cleveland Crunch Wins 2023-24 Major League Indoor Soccer Championship - Cleveland Crunch". www.theclevelandcrunch.com. 2024-04-16. Retrieved 2024-06-11.