and one not to be forgotten. Fans packed their bags and headed north to see the Sting win the first championship for the city of Chicago since the Bears of 1963.
"Thousands of fans came to Toronto for the championship game," Leonard said. "After the game, downtown Toronto was full of Chicago fans. It was exciting and infectious."
But perhaps the game to remember was one game prior. Chicago welcomed the San Diego Sockers to Comiskey Park for the deciding game of the semifinal round of the playoffs. San Diego had won one game, so had Chicago. So it all came down to the one match, which 39,623 fans attended. And the Sting pulled out a win - 1-0 via shootout to advance to the Soccer Bowl.
"That was the best of the Sting games," Sun-Times reporter Len Ziehm said. "They won at Comiskey Park in front of 39,000 fans. And they came out in the rain. It was a terrific game. The atmosphere was upbeat, positive and passionate."
Stern agrees. "The semifinal game was a great deal more exciting for me than the final," he said. "We beat the San Diego Sockers at Comiskey Park. It was the greatest 1-0 soccer game I've ever seen."
If you ask anyone what made the team so special, they'll say it was the players. Every player on the team took on his own persona. They were characters and slowly but surely won the hearts of Chicago fans.
"I remember the dribbling skills of Pato (Margetic)," Ziehm said. "And the way Karl-Heinz (Granitza) could shoot a ball. His shots were crushers. Dave Huson would score and then blow kisses to the crowd. It was a team you could know and love. They really connected with the fans."
Balson said the team was truly one to remember.
"Willy Roy had outstanding foreign players," Balson said. "Our Americans were second to none. It was a neat blend. They were great in the locker room. They were great to travel with. They were fun. The '81 team was really special."
Sunday will be a time for the Sting to come together, from owner Lee Stern to the players on the field and everyone else that oiled the machine. The Sting family will catch up and share stories.
Perhaps Balson summed it up best. "I'm looking forward to see which guys are still in shape and which guys have a tummy like me," he said.
This Sunday, the 1981 Soccer Bowl Champions will be honored at Toyota Park.
