Staten Island Vipers facts for kids
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| Full name | Staten Island Vipers | ||
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| Nickname(s) | Vipers | ||
| Founded | 1998 | ||
| Dissolved | 1999 | ||
| Stadium | Tottenville High School Huguenot, Staten Island New York City, New York |
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| Stadium capacity |
3,000 | ||
| Owner(s) |  Joe Manfredi |
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| Coach | Adrian Gaitan |
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| League | USL A-League | ||
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The Staten Island Vipers were a professional soccer team. They played in the USL A-League for two years, in 1998 and 1999. The team was based in Staten Island, New York City. They played their home games at Tottenville High School and Wagner College. The Vipers team stopped playing after the 1999 season.
Contents
The Vipers' Story: A Short History
The Staten Island Vipers joined the USISL A-League in 1998. Two people owned the team: Joe Manfredi, a businessman from Staten Island, and Roger Gorevic. Roger Gorevic had another team called New York Fever. He moved that team to Staten Island to create the Vipers.
Starting the Team
Tom Neale and Mike Winograd helped start and manage the Vipers. Tom Neale had been a manager for other soccer teams. Mike Winograd was a former professional soccer player. They worked together to get the team ready.
Finding a Home Field
At first, the Vipers had trouble finding a place to play. They started at Monsignor Farrell High School. But they had to leave because some people in the community did not want them there.
The team then found a home at Tottenville High School. They made a deal to improve the school's soccer field. This included fixing the bleachers and adding lights for night games. The team also promised to help the school start a city soccer program. Adrian Gaitan was the coach for the Vipers.
Team Colors and Mascot
The Vipers' team colors were blue and white. Their shirts were sponsored by Toyota. The sports brand Umbro supplied their uniforms.
The team had a fun mascot named the "Hyper Viper." It was a person in a green costume. Craig Perrino and Jay Akselrud were two people who dressed up as the Hyper Viper. They also entertained fans at Staten Island Yankees baseball games.
How the Vipers Played
The Vipers were quite popular with fans. They had over 1,500 people come to their games on average.
In their first year, 1998, they won 15 games and lost 11. They finished third in their division. They made it to the playoffs but lost in the Conference Quarterfinals.
The team played even better in 1999. They won 19 games and lost 9. They finished second in their division. They went further in the playoffs that year, reaching the Conference Semifinals. However, they lost to the Hershey Wildcats. After the 1999 season, the Staten Island Vipers team stopped playing.
Vipers Players
Some of the players who played for the Staten Island Vipers include:
- John Diffley
- Dahir Mohammed
- Omid Namazi
- Daniel De Oliveira
Year-by-Year Results
This table shows how the Staten Island Vipers did each year they played:
| Year | League | Regular Season Finish | Playoffs | Open Cup |
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| 1998 | USISL A-League | 3rd, Northeast Division | Conference Quarterfinals | Did not qualify |
| 1999 | USL A-League | 2nd, Northeast Division | Conference Semifinals | Quarterfinals |
See Also
In Spanish: Staten Island Vipers para niños
- New York Centaurs/New York Fever
- New York Red Bulls
- New York Cosmos
- Long Island Academy
