1978 New York Cosmos season

Last updated

Cosmos
1978 season
General manager Krikor Yepremian
Manager Flag of Italy.svg Eddie Firmani [1]
Stadium Giants Stadium
NASL Division: 1st
Overall:1st
Playoffs:Champions
National
Challenge Cup 		Did not enter
CONCACAF
Champions' Cup 		Did not enter
Top goalscorerLeague: Flag of Italy.svg Giorgio Chinaglia (34? goals)
All: Flag of Italy.svg Giorgio Chinaglia (goals)
Highest home attendance74,901
vs. TB (August 27)
Lowest home attendance26,325
vs. BJR (September 9)
Average home league attendance47,856 [2]
←  1977
1979  →

The 1978 New York Cosmos season was the eighth season for the Cosmos in the now-defunct North American Soccer League. It was also the second and final year in which "New York" was dropped from their name. The double-winning club set records for most wins and points in an NASL season, thanks to their 24-6 regular-season mark (shared with the Vancouver Whitecaps) and 212 points, securing their second premiership on the way to their third championship. They beat the Fort Lauderdale Strikers 7–0 on opening day [3] and never looked back, scoring 88 times while losing just three games in regulation. Giorgio Chinaglia scored 34 goals and 79 points, setting league records in the process. In Soccer Bowl '78, the Cosmos defeated the Tampa Bay Rowdies in front of 74,901 fans at Giants Stadium, still to this day a record for attendance at a North American championship soccer game.

Contents

Squad

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

No.Pos.NationPlayer
0 GK Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  CAN Jack Brand
1 GK Flag of Turkey.svg  TUR Erol Yasin
2 DF Flag of the United States.svg  USA Bobby Smith
3 MF Flag of Brazil.svg  BRA Nelsi Morais
4 DF Flag of the United States.svg  USA Werner Roth
5 DF Flag of Brazil.svg  BRA Carlos Alberto
6 DF Flag of Germany.svg  GER Franz Beckenbauer
7 FW Flag of England.svg  ENG Dennis Tueart
8 MF Flag of Yugoslavia (1946-1992).svg  YUG Vladislav Bogićević
9 FW Flag of Italy.svg  ITA Giorgio Chinaglia
11 FW Flag of England.svg  ENG Steve Hunt
12 FW Flag of Portugal (official).svg  POR Seninho
14 MF Flag of England.svg  ENG Terry Garbett
No.Pos.NationPlayer
15 MF Flag of Yugoslavia (1946-1992).svg  YUG Vito Dimitrijević
16 FW Flag of the United States.svg  USA Tony Donlic
17 MF Flag of the United States.svg  USA Rick Davis
18 FW Flag of the United States.svg  USA Fred Grgurev
19 DF Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  CAN Robert Iarusci
20 GK Flag of the United States.svg  USA David Brcic
21 FW Flag of the United States.svg  USA Gary Etherington
22 MF Flag of the United States.svg  USA Jim Millinder
23 DF Flag of Italy.svg  ITA Giuseppe Wilson
24 DF Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  CAN Garry Ayre
25 DF Flag of the United States.svg  USA Santiago Formoso
26 FW Flag of the United States.svg  USA Ron Atanasio
27 FW Flag of the United States.svg  USA Joe Filian

Source: [4]

Results

Source: [5]

Preseason

Regular season

Pld = Games Played, W = Wins, L = Losses, GF = Goals For, GA = Goals Against, Pts = Points
6 points for a win, 1 point for a shootout win, 0 points for a loss, 1 point for each goal scored (up to three per game).

National Eastern Division Standings

PosClubPldWLGFGAGDPts
1 Cosmos 302468839+49212
2 Washington Diplomats 3016145547+8145
3 Toronto Metros-Croatia 3016145847+11144
4 Rochester Lancers 3014164752-5131

Overall League Placing

PosClubPldWLGFGAGDPts
1 Cosmos 302468839+49212
2 Vancouver Whitecaps 302466829+39199
3 Detroit Express 3020106836+32176
4 Portland Timbers 3020105036+14167
5 New England Tea Men 3019116239+23165

Source: [6]

Season matches


Postseason

Overview

Conference Quarterfinals Conference Semifinals Conference Championships Soccer Bowl '78
            
A1 Detroit Express 1
A8 Philadelphia Fury 0
A1 Detroit Express 1
A7 Fort Lauderdale Strikers 2
A2 New England Tea Men 1
A7 Fort Lauderdale Strikers 3
A7 Fort Lauderdale Strikers 1
A4 Tampa Bay Rowdies 2
A3 San Diego Sockers 2
A6 California Surf 1
A3 San Diego Sockers 1
A4 Tampa Bay Rowdies 2
A4 Tampa Bay Rowdies 3
A5 Chicago Sting 1
A4 Tampa Bay Rowdies 1
N1 Cosmos 3
N1 Cosmos 5
N8 Seattle Sounders 2
N1 Cosmos 2
N3 Minnesota Kicks 1
N3 Minnesota Kicks 3
N6 Tulsa Roughnecks 1
N1 Cosmos 2
N4 Portland Timbers 0
N2 Vancouver Whitecaps 4
N7 Toronto Metros-Croatia 0
N2 Vancouver Whitecaps 0
N4 Portland Timbers 2
N4 Portland Timbers 2
N5 Washington Diplomats 1


Friendlies

Cosmos in Argentina
Beckenbauer and maradona 1978.jpg
vs Argentina U-20: Franz Beckenbauer and Diego Maradona
Beckenbauer cosmos vs belgrano 1978.jpg
vs Belgrano in Córdoba
Boca v cosmos mardelplata.jpg
vs Boca Juniors at Mar del Plata
DateOpponentVenueResultAtt.ScorersRef.
Feb 2 Flag of the United States.svg FIU [n 1] A2–0300Chinaglia (2) [7]
March 5Flag of Bermuda.svg  Bermuda A4–17,000 Grgurev, Chinaglia (2), Tueart [7]
March 8 Flag of Bermuda.svg Bermuda U-23A3–04,000Chinaglia (2), Millinder [7]
March 11Flag of Bermuda.svg  Bermuda A4–15,000Tueart (2), Chinaglia, Bogicevic [7]
March 22 Flag of the United States.svg Adelphi University H11–0n/aChinaglia (2), Bogicevic (2), n/a [7]
Apr 4 Flag of the United States.svg Los Angeles Aztecs A0–015,000–
August 30 Flag of the United Nations.svg World All-Stars [n 2] H2–250,757 Seninho, Chinaglia [7]
September 4 Flag of Spain.svg Atlético Madrid H1–335,140 Rivellino [n 3] [8] [7]
September 9 Flag of Argentina.svg Boca Juniors H2–223,000 Chinaglia (2) [9] [7]
September 12 Flag of Germany.svg Bayern Munich A1–775,000 Chinaglia [7]
September 14 Flag of Italy.svg Brescia A2–130,000Tueart, Chinaglia [7]
September 19 Flag of Germany.svg VfB Stuttgart A1–655,000Chinaglia [7]
September 21 Flag of Germany.svg Freiburger FC A0–218,000– [7]
September 26 Flag of England.svg Chelsea A1–139,659 Tueart [7]
October 1 Flag of Spain.svg Atlético Madrid A3–245,000 Seninho, Chinaglia, Bogicevic [7]
October 4 Flag of Greece.svg AEK Athens A5–3n/aChinaglia (3), Tueart, Seninho [7]
October 9 Flag of Yugoslavia (1946-1992).svg Red Star Belgrade A4–623,500Tueart, Chinaglia, Seninho [7]
November 1 Flag of Ecuador.svg Barcelona A1–150,000Chinaglia [7]
November 3Flag of Argentina.svg  Argentina U-20 A [n 4] 1–2n/aChinaglia [9] [7]
November 7 Flag of Argentina.svg Belgrano (C) A [n 5] 1–1n/aChinaglia [9] [7]
November 13 Flag of Argentina.svg Independiente Rivadavia A [n 6] 2–1n/a Davis, Beckenbauer [9] [7]
November 16 Flag of Argentina.svg Boca Juniors A [n 7] 2–435,000 Chinaglia, Seninho [9] [7]
November 18 Flag of Bolivia.svg Bolívar/Always Ready [n 8] A [n 9] 0–2n/a– [7]
November 22 Flag of Brazil.svg Vila Nova A3–225,000Chinaglia (2), Tueart [7]
Notes
  1. ↑ Athletics of Florida International University.
  2. ↑ Johan Cruyff played (as guest star) for the Cosmos wearing #30, being his last match in the United States.
  3. ↑ Special guest star for NY Cosmos.
  4. ↑ Held in Estadio La Ciudadela, home of San Martín de Tucumán.
  5. ↑ Held in El Gigante de Alberdi (home of C.A. Belgrano).
  6. ↑ Held in Estadio Malvinas Argentinas.
  7. ↑ Held in Estadio José María Minella, Mar del Plata.
  8. ↑ Combined team with players from both clubs.
  9. ↑ Held in Estadio Hernando Siles, La Paz.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "From Cape Town to NY, via Charlton: The footballing life of Eddie Firmani". TheGuardian.com . May 19, 2010.
  2. ↑ "North American Soccer League".
  3. ↑ "The Evening Independent - Google News Archive Search".
  4. ↑ "NASL New York Cosmos Rosters".
  5. ↑ "All-time American soccer statistics | SoccerStats.us".
  6. ↑ "The Year in American Soccer - 1978". Archived from the original on February 17, 2015. Retrieved February 28, 2013.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 North American Soccer League: Friendlies
  8. ↑ New York Cosmos 1-3 Atlético de Madrid (1978) on Renaldinhos.com
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 Cómo le fue a Beckenbauer jugando contra Boca, River, Racing y todo el fútbol argentino by Cristian Dellocchio on Página 12, 10 Jan 2024