1974 Vancouver Whitecaps season

Last updated

Vancouver Whitecaps FC
1974 season
Chairman Herb Capozzi
Head coach Jim Easton
NASL Division: 5th
Overall: 11th
NASL Playoffs Did not qualify
Highest home attendance17,343 vs San Jose Earthquakes May 5, 1974 [1]
Lowest home attendance6,310 vs Baltimore Comets June 16, 1974 [1]
Average home league attendance10,098 [2]
1975  →

Division 1 professional soccer returned to Vancouver in 1974 with the Vancouver Whitecaps as interest began to grow in U.S. soccer, and the NASL grew after stabilizing in terms of attendance and number of teams with six to eight teams. In 1974 the Whitecaps were one of five expansion teams that were the first teams since 1968 (when Vancouver previously had a team) west of Dallas, Texas and St. Louis, Missouri.

Contents

The 1974 Vancouver Whitecaps season was the inaugural season of the Whitecaps and their debut season in the North American Soccer League. The Whitecaps were born on December 11, 1973, with the franchise announcement on the top floor of a downtown Vancouver Davie Street hotel. The city had officially amateur teams with regional leagues going back to the 1930s in the Pacific Coast Soccer League. The city was also home to NASL professional soccer in 1967 and 1968 when the Vancouver Royal Canadians competed at Empire Stadium.

The team played in colours of red and white. Their logo was a standard shield-shaped crest decorated only by a red soccer ball, with a maple leaf in the middle and the words 'Vancouver Whitecaps' above. The Whitecaps hit the pitch on May 5, 1974, with an attendance of 17,343 at Empire Stadium for their first NASL regular season match against the San Jose Earthquakes, losing 2–1 in a shootout.

Jim Easton who had moved from his native Scotland in 1973 to take the 'Caps coaching role after playing the previous season for the Miami Toros, missed the playoffs the first season with a team from the local Vancouver area reinforced with four Scottish players. Locals included players from the University of British Columbia, Pacific Coast Soccer League, and returned local players who had gone abroad to train with European clubs.

Squad

The 1974 squad [3]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No.Pos.NationPlayer
0 GK Flag of Bermuda.svg  BER Sam Nusum
1 GK Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  CAN Greg Weber
2 DF Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  CAN Neil Ellett
3 DF Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  CAN Bruce Wilson
4 MF Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  CAN Doug Scorse
5 DF Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  CAN Bob Lenarduzzi
6 DF Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  CAN Sam Lenarduzzi
7 FW Flag of Italy.svg  ITA Victor Kodelja
8 FW Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  CAN Glen Johnson
No.Pos.NationPlayer
9 FW Flag of Scotland.svg  SCO George McLean
10 MF Flag of Scotland.svg  SCO Billy Stevenson
11 MF Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  CAN Brian Gant
12 FW Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  CAN Brian Budd
13 FW Flag of England.svg  ENG Chris Bennett
14 FW Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  CAN Gary Thompson
15 MF Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  CAN Darryl Samson
16 DF Flag of Scotland.svg  SCO Gerry Heaney
17 DF Flag of Scotland.svg  SCO Charlie Palmer
19 DF Flag of England.svg  ENG Les Wilson

Midfielder Billy Stevenson and defender Sam Lenarduzzi were captains of the 1974 Vancouver Whitecaps.

NASL

League Standings

Western Division

PosClubPldWDLGFGAGDPts
1 Los Angeles Aztecs 2011274136+5110
2 San Jose Earthquakes 209834338+5103
3 Seattle Sounders 2010373717+20101
4 Vancouver Whitecaps 2054112930–170

Pld = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; GD = Goal difference; Pts = Points
Source: [1]

Overall

PosClubPldWDLGFGAGDPts
1 Los Angeles Aztecs 2011274136+5110
2 Miami Toros 209653824+14107
3 Baltimore Comets 2010284246–4105
4 San Jose Earthquakes 209834338+5103
5 Seattle Sounders 2010373717+20101
6 Dallas Tornado 209383927+12100
7 Boston Minutemen 2010194136+594
8 Toronto Metros-Croatia 20412142840–1287
9 Rochester Lancers 20412142840–1277
10 Philadelphia Atoms 2081112525074
11 Vancouver Whitecaps 2054112930–170
12 Washington Diplomats 2071122936–770
13 New York Cosmos 20412142840–1258
14 St. Louis Stars 2041154254–1254
15 Denver Dynamos 2050152142–2149

Pld = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; GD = Goal difference; Pts = Points
Source: [1]

Results

Results by round

Round1234567891011121314151617181920
Ground H H A A H A A A H H H A A H A H A H H A
ResultDWDLWLDDLWDLWDDDLWDL
Source: soccerstats.us
A = Away; H = Home; W = Win; D = Draw; L = Loss

Match results

May 5, 19741 Vancouver Whitecaps 1–1 (a.e.t.) San Jose Earthquakes Vancouver, British Columbia
Niel Ellett Soccerball shade.svg Report Hernandez Soccerball shade.svgStadium: Empire Stadium
Attendance: 17,343
May 17, 19743 Miami Toros 2–2 (a.e.t.) Vancouver Whitecaps Miami, Florida
George McLean Soccerball shade.svg Report Derek Watts Soccerball shade.svgSoccerball shade.svgStadium: Miami Orange Bowl
Attendance: 4195
May 19, 19744 Toronto Metros 2–1 Vancouver Whitecaps Toronto, Ontario
Vojin Lazarevic Soccerball shade.svg
Tadeusz Polak Soccerball shade.svg		 Report George McLean Soccerball shade.svgStadium: Varsity Stadium
Attendance: 5,130
May 27, 19746 Los Angeles Aztecs 3–0 (a.e.t.) Vancouver Whitecaps Los Angeles, California
Jerry Kazarian Soccerball shade.svg
Doug McMillan Soccerball shade.svg
Tony Douglas Soccerball shade.svg		 Report Stadium: Weingart Stadium
Attendance: 6,248
June 2, 19748 Dallas Tornado 1–1 (a.e.t.) Vancouver Whitecaps Dallas, Texas
Rote Soccerball shade.svg Report Victor Kodelja Soccerball shade.svgStadium: Texas Stadium
Attendance: 9,286
June 29, 197412 Washington Diplomats 2–1 Vancouver Whitecaps Washington DC
Gary DarrellSoccerball shade.svg
George Ross Soccerball shade.svg		 Report Chris Bennett Soccerball shade.svgStadium: Robert F. Kennedy Stadium
Attendance: 3,156
June 30, 197413 New York Cosmos 0–2 Vancouver Whitecaps New York, New York
Report Chris Bennett Soccerball shade.svg
George McLean Soccerball shade.svg		Stadium: Downing Stadium
Attendance: 2,835
July 14, 197416 Vancouver Whitecaps 2–2 (a.e.t.) Dallas Tornado Vancouver, British Columbia
Brian Gant Soccerball shade.svg
Bob Lenarduzzi Soccerball shade.svg		 Report Ilija Mitic Soccerball shade.svg
Garcia Soccerball shade.svg		Stadium: Empire Stadium
Attendance: 11,814
July 28, 197418 Vancouver Whitecaps 3–1 Los Angeles Aztecs Vancouver, British Columbia
Brian Budd Soccerball shade.svgSoccerball shade.svg
Darryl Sampson Soccerball shade.svg		 Report Doug McMillan Soccerball shade.svgStadium: Empire Stadium
Attendance: 8,024
August 4, 197419 Vancouver Whitecaps 2–2 (a.e.t.) Rochester Lancers Vancouver, British Columbia
Bob Lenarduzzi Soccerball shade.svg
George McLean Soccerball shade.svg		 Report Rudi Sacher Soccerball shade.svg
David Proctor Soccerball shade.svg		Stadium: Empire Stadium
Attendance: 7,892
August 11, 197420 Seattle Sounders 2–1 Vancouver Whitecaps Seattle, Washington
John Rowlands Soccerball shade.svg
Jimmy Gabriel Soccerball shade.svg		 Report Charlie Palmer Soccerball shade.svgStadium: Kingdome
Attendance: 14,876

Overall

See also

History of Vancouver Whitecaps FC

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References

  1. 1 2 "Vancouver Whitecaps All-time Game Results | SoccerStats.us".
  2. ↑ "The Year in American Soccer - 1974". Homepages.sover.net. October 4, 2003. Archived from the original on November 5, 2015. Retrieved January 21, 2014.
  3. ↑ "NASL Vancouver Whitecaps Rosters". Nasljerseys.com. Retrieved January 21, 2014.