The New York Centaurs were an A-League professional soccer club, based in New York City

New York City

New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...

. The team played only one season in 1995. The New York Fever of the USISL Pro League

USL Second Division

The United Soccer Leagues Second Division was a professional men's soccer league in the United States, part of the United Soccer Leagues league pyramid...

, debuted in 1994, playing two seasons in the league before merging with the Centaurs organization in 1996. The unified New York Fever team competed in one season in the A-League in 1996 before folding.

The Fever originally played out of Barrett Stadium on the campus of Westchester Community College

Westchester Community College

Westchester Community College is a public, two-year community college in Valhalla, New York, sponsored by Westchester County, New York, and the State University of New York . The college is one of 30 community colleges affiliated with SUNY....

 in Valhalla

Valhalla, New York

Valhalla is an unincorporated hamlet and census-designated place that is located within the town of Mount Pleasant, New York, in Westchester County. Its population was 3,162 at the 2010 U.S. Census...

, New York

New York

New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...

.

The Centaurs played their games at Downing Stadium

Downing Stadium

Downing Stadium, previously known as Triborough Stadium and Randall's Island Stadium, was a 22,000-seat stadium in New York City. It was renamed Downing Stadium in 1955 after John J...

 on Randall's Island

Randall's Island

Randall's Island is situated in the East River in New York City, part of the borough of Manhattan. It is separated from Manhattan island on the west by the river's main channel, from Queens on the east by the Hell Gate, and from the Bronx on the north by the Bronx Kill. It is joined to Wards...

, the former home of the New York Cosmos

New York Cosmos

The New York Cosmos were an American soccer club based in New York City, New York and its suburbs. The team played home games in three stadiums around New York before moving in 1977 to Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey, where it remained for the rest of its history...

.

History

The saga of the New York Centaurs/Fever began in 1994 when English

English people

The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...

 businessman Bob Butler

Bob Butler

Bob "Butts" Butler was an American football player who played at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. In 1915, Butler was recruited by Jack Cusack, manager of the Canton Bulldogs, to bolster his roster against the rival Massillon Tigers. He was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in...

 launched the first pro soccer club in the New York City area since the NASL

North American Soccer League

North American Soccer League was a professional soccer league with teams in the United States and Canada that operated from 1968 to 1984.-History:...

 New York Cosmos

New York Cosmos

The New York Cosmos were an American soccer club based in New York City, New York and its suburbs. The team played home games in three stadiums around New York before moving in 1977 to Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey, where it remained for the rest of its history...

 of the 1970s and 1980s. Butler founded the New York Fever as a USISL Pro League team in 1994 with the objective of building a robust franchise and soccer training center for the large and untapped population and youth of New York City. The team's coach was George Vizvary.

The New York Centaurs, owned by Roger Gorevic, debuted in 1995 at Downing Stadium

Downing Stadium

Downing Stadium, previously known as Triborough Stadium and Randall's Island Stadium, was a 22,000-seat stadium in New York City. It was renamed Downing Stadium in 1955 after John J...

 to considerably small fanfare. The Centaurs started their season under coach Len Roitman, who would step down amid poor results to focus on his role as general manager, making way for former Cosmos star midfielder, Yugoslavian

Yugoslavs

Yugoslavs is a national designation used by a minority of South Slavs across the countries of the former Yugoslavia and in the diaspora...

 Vladislav Bogicevic

Vladislav Bogicevic

Vladislav Bogićević is a Serbian former football player. He is a member of the American National Soccer Hall of Fame.-Club career:...

.
The team would absorb the lower tiered

American Soccer Pyramid

The United States soccer pyramid is a term used in soccer to describe the structure of the league system in the United States. The country's governing body for the sport, the United States Soccer Federation , oversees the system but does not operate any of its component leagues—with one temporary...

 New York Fever for the 1996 season and compete under the Fever name.

Notable former players

Khalil Azmi

Khalil Azmi

Khalil Azmi is a retired Moroccan football goalkeeper. He played ten seasons in the Moroccan League, two in the USISL, two in the National Professional Soccer League, one in the A-League and one in Major League Soccer.-Career:...

 Dan Calichman

Dan Calichman

Daniel Jacob "Dan" Calichman is a retired American soccer player.-College:Calichman played college soccer at Williams College, where he was a three-time Division III All-American.-Professional:...

 Carlton Fairweather

Carlton Fairweather

Carlton U. Fairweather, born 22 September 1961 in Camberwell) is a retired English footballer.-Playing career:Fairweather began his career in Non-League football with Dulwich Hamlet, Bromley and Tooting & Mitcham United where his performances attracted the attentions of Wimbledon.He signed for the...

 Carlos Llamosa

Carlos Llamosa

Carlos Llamosa is a Colombian American soccer defender who last played for Chivas USA of Major League Soccer....

 Bo Oshoniyi

Bo Oshoniyi

Adegboyega "Bo" Oshoniyi is an American soccer goalkeeper who last played for the Kansas City Wizards of Major League Soccer.- Career :...

 Juan Carlos Osorio

Juan Carlos Osorio

Juan Carlos Osorio The Recreationist , is a Colombian football manager and former football player who began his career in 1980 with Deportivo Pereira. He is currently managing Puebla FC in Mexico....

Ownership & Staff

Len Roitman - General Manager (1995–96) Howard Rubenstein - Director of Field Operations

A-League New York Centaurs/Fever Year-by-year

Year	Division	League	Reg. Season	Playoffs	Open Cup
1995	2	A-League	6th	Did not qualify	Quarterfinals
1996	2	A-League	6th	Did not qualify	Did not qualify

USISL New York Fever Year-by-year

Year	Division	League	Reg. Season	Playoffs	Open Cup
1994	N/A	USISL	6th, Northeast	Did not qualify	Did not enter
1995	N/A	USISL Pro League	1st, Capital	Sizzling Nine	Did not qualify