Indoor soccer’s days of great fame were long gone by the 2010s, but many were still eager to stay involved in the game.

In 2010, the historic Comets returned to indoor soccer and the newest iteration of the MISL, which included multi-point scoring. This time the organization started as the Missouri Comets and played at Independence Events Center, now known as Cable Dahmer Arena.

Indoor soccer in the 2010s was much different than it was during its height in the 1980s. The best players in the country were no longer playing the indoor game, crowds had dissipated and revenue and player wages had become much lower.

“Players have to have other jobs to make ends meet,” said Alan Mayer, Comets legend and goalkeeper coach. “They have to make time to train with the team and then they have to go out and do another full-time job, which is very taxing on the body both physically and mentally.”

Step by step the Comets built a dynamic team that was destined for greatness in the game’s new landscape.

In the beginning, the Comets were built with a mix of indoor veterans, like Danny Waltman and Byron Alvarez, and local talent from nearby colleges, like John Sosa (UMKC) and Lucas Rodriguez (MidAmerica Nazarene).

In the team’s first two seasons, they lost in the semifinals. In 2012-13, the Baltimore Blast swept them in the MISL championship.

The Comets’ breakthrough moment came in 2014 as they beat Baltimore to win the MISL championship. Winning game one at home, the Comets suffered a 19-4 loss in Baltimore, forcing a championship-deciding 15-minute mini game.

Down 4-2 with 1:36 left in the mini game, the Comets tied it with a two-point goal. With under a minute to play, Brian Harris put the Comets in front 6-4. Missouri was able to fend off all remaining Baltimore attacks to claim the 2014 MISL championship.

“From 2010 to 2014 there were a lot of things that went into it,” Comets veteran Leo Gibson said, reflecting on the 2014 championship. “It wasn’t
just the 2014 season. We started shaping the team into a championship team from 2010.”

That championship-winning squad was the highest-scoring team in the MISL. Gibson led the league in goals and assists while Vahid Assadpour was also among the league leaders.

Indoor soccer captures KC

The Comets’ success was far from over. The Comets moved into the Major Arena Soccer League (MASL) in 2014-15. In the inaugural season of the MASL, the Comets went undefeated in the regular season, going 20-0. The Comets beat Milwaukee in the division final but had their dream season end prematurely when they lost the conference final series to Baltimore.

The on-field success continued with Central Division titles in the MASL’s first three seasons, but attendance dropped under 4,000 for the first time in franchise history in 2015-16.

After the Missouri Comets became the Kansas City Comets in 2016, the franchise’s success came to a conclusion in 2017 after ownership changes caused doubt in the team’s stability as key players retired or signed with other teams. The Comets ended with a franchise-worst 7-15 record, missing the playoffs for the first time.

KC slowly built back up, resulting in back-to-back semifinal appearances in 2021 and 2022. From the start of the franchise, the Comets have relied on the wealth of talent from nearby colleges.

“We have the talent here,” said Gibson, who now serves as head coach. “We have a really good group at all of the colleges and universities around here (Kansas City). A lot of our good players now are local players.”

Seven nearby colleges have each produced multiple Comets players. With the Comets continuing to succeed through this philosophy, there is no reason to divert from it anytime soon.

KC INDOOR SOCCER HONORS

KC COMETS (1981-1991)
- Pat McBride — 1982-83 Coach of the Year
- Dave Boncek — 1985-86 Rookie of the Year
- Dave Clements — 1986-87 Coach of the Year
- David Doyle — 1987-88 Rookie of the Year

KC ATTACK (1991-2001)
- Zoran Savic — 1992-93 Coach of the Year
- Zoran Savic — 1994-95 Coach of the Year
- Clovis Simas — 1999-2000 Rookie of the Year
- Nino DaSilva — 2000-01 Rookie of the Year

KC COMETS (2001-2005)
- Dino Delveki — 2001-02 MVP
- Dino Delevski — 2002-03 MVP
- Jamar Beasley — 2003-04 Rookie of the Year

MISSOURI COMETS (2010-2016)
- Byron Alvarez — 2010-11 MVP
- Lucas Rodriguez — 2010-11 Rookie of the Year
- Geison Moura — 2011-12 MVP
- Leo Gibson — 2014-15 MVP
- Vlatko Andonovski — 2014-15 Coach of the Year

KC COMETS (2016-PRESENT)
- Stephen Patterson — 2016-17 Rookie of the Year
- Lucas Sousa — 2020-21 Rookie of the Year

INDOOR SOCCER HALL OF FAME
- Pato Margetic (Comets 1985-1987)
- Alan Mayer (Comets 1985-1989)
- Dale Mitchell (Comets 1986-1990)
- Jan Goossens (Comets 1986-91)
- David Doyle (Comets 1987-1991)
- Kim Roentved (Comets 1987-1991; Attack 1998-1999)