1979 North American Soccer League season

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North American Soccer League
Season1979
Champions Vancouver Whitecaps
(1st title)
Premiers New York Cosmos
(3rd title)
Matches played360
Goals scored1,374 (3.82 per match)
Top goalscorer Giorgio Chinaglia
(26 goals)
Biggest home win SEA 9–0 EDM
(August 1) [1]
Biggest away win MEM 0–6 ATL
(July 21) [2]
SJ 0–6 SD
(August 11) [3]
Highest scoring DET 6–5 (SO) CHI
(July 7) [4]
DET 8–2 FTL
(June 27) [5]
Longest winning run8, New York
(July 8 – August 12) [6]
Longest losing run14, Edmonton
(May 26 – July 18) [7]
Highest attendance76,031 (Tulsa at New York) (August 26) [8]
Lowest attendance653 (N.E. at Houston) (April 19) [9]
Average attendance14,201 [10]
1978
1980

The 1979 North American Soccer League season was the 67th season of FIFA-sanctioned soccer and the 12th with a national first-division league in the United States and Canada.

Contents

Changes from the previous season

Rules changes

A rule modification required that each squad play two U.S. or Canadian players and that each 17-man roster carry six such players. [11]

New teams

Teams folding

Teams moving

Name changes

Map of clubs

Blue pog.svg American East Division Red pog.svg American Central Division Black pog.svg American West Division
Green pog.svg National East Division Purple pog.svg National Central Division Orange pog.svg National West Division

Season recap

Compared to the previous season's upheaval, 1979 was a relatively tranquil year. The league format remained unchanged with 24 teams divided into six divisions within two conferences, and a 16-team playoff. A slight modification to the first round of the playoffs, from a single game to the two-game format used in later rounds, was made. Also the minigame, used to decide tied playoff series, no longer ended on a golden goal (sudden death). Instead, the entire 30 minutes was played. [12]

Still, there were issues to be sorted out. There was a brief players' strike on April 14, as the league refused to recognize the newly formed Players Association. [13] However, since the majority of NASL players were foreign and unsure of American and Canadian labor laws, support was minimal. [14] An estimated three quarters of NASL players crossed the picket line once the Justice Department implied that foreign players would be subject to deportation. [15]

The Cosmos decided to put "New York" back into their name after a two-year absence. With a change in ownership, the Toronto franchise was now called the Toronto Blizzard, while Toronto Croatia (who had merged with the Metros back in 1975) returned to their old league, the National Soccer League. The Colorado Caribous moved to Atlanta to become the reborn Atlanta Chiefs in October 1978, [16] while the Oakland Stompers would move to Edmonton just a month before the start of the season. [17] Both teams struggled, finishing last in their respective divisions. The new Edmonton Drillers were particularly bad, setting a record for most consecutive losses in league history with 14. [18]

At the other end of the table, the Houston Hurricane went from worst to first in the American Conference, going undefeated in their 15 home matches at the Astrodome and earning Timo Liekoski Coach of the Year honors. [19] However, the Hurricane were upset in the first round of the ASC playoffs, as the Philadelphia Fury, who were winless on the road during the regular season, won the deciding game in Houston. [20]

That meant the door was opened for the Tampa Bay Rowdies to win their second straight ASC title, sweeping the Fury [21] and outlasting the San Diego Sockers in a minigame at Tampa Stadium. [22] The Rowdies were led by Oscar Fabbiani's 25 goals and a defense that gave up 46 goals, the second-fewest in the league.

The two-time defending champion Cosmos kept rolling, posting another 24–6 record and surpassing their league record for points with 216. Johan Cruyff joined the team in the fall of 1978 for a few exhibitions, but the Los Angeles Aztecs bought out his NASL option for $600,000 to take him to the West Coast. [23] Cruyff scored two goals against the Rochester Lancers on his debut, [24] while leading the Aztecs to a nine-win turnaround. Despite their second-round playoff loss to the Vancouver Whitecaps, [25] he earned league MVP honors for his efforts.

New York proved that they did not need him to score goals, as Giorgio Chinaglia led the league for the third straight year. However, he lost out on the scoring title by a point to Fabbiani. [26] As befitting their status within the league, the Cosmos had the honor of playing in the first game of ABC Sports' three-year TV contract with the league in May; [27] a Soccer Bowl '78 rematch in which they lost 3–2 at Tampa Bay. The network would cover nine regular-season and playoff games per year. This included coverage of the next three Soccer Bowls. [28]

However, the league's dream of the Cosmos hosting another Soccer Bowl in front of a national TV audience went up in smoke when New York lost to Vancouver in a memorable playoff matchup. After the Whitecaps won the first game of the National Conference final in Vancouver, [29] the teams played for three and a half hours at Giants Stadium three days later on ABC. The Cosmos won the regular game in a shootout, tying the series at one. The deciding minigame would also go to a shootout, where Derek Possee gave Vancouver the lead. After the Cosmos' Ricky Davis and the Whitecaps' Alan Ball missed on their chances, New York's Nelsi Morais was unable to beat the five-second clock and his goal was waved off, giving Vancouver the win. [30]

Vancouver went on to beat the Rowdies a week later in the Soccer Bowl. Trevor Whymark scored both Vancouver goals and earned game MVP honors, [31] while Tampa Bay suffered their second straight loss in the championship game. [32] Attendance at Giants Stadium was well below projections, as 50,699 showed up despite 66,843 tickets having been sold. [33] The Whitecaps' Alan Ball was named playoff MVP for his seven-assist effort in Vancouver's championship run. [34] Attendance estimates vary (they range from 60,000 to 150,000 people), [35] but the resulting championship parade is still considered the largest public demonstration in Vancouver civic history. [36]

Another positive sign for the league was that this would be the first offseason in NASL history where no franchises folded or moved.

Regular season

6 points for a win, 0 points for a loss, 1 point for each regulation goal scored up to three per game.

Division standings

 -Playoffs via division standings.  -Playoffs via wildcard.

Conference standings

American Conference

American Conference standings
PosDivTeamPldWLGFGAGDBPPtsQualification
1C Houston Hurricane 302286146+1555187Playoffs (division winner)
2E Tampa Bay Rowdies (A)3019116746+2155169
3W San Diego Sockers 3015155955+450140 [lower-alpha 1]
4E Fort Lauderdale Strikers 3017137564+1163165Playoffs (division runner-up)
5C Chicago Sting 3016147061+963159
6W California Surf 3015155356350140
7C Detroit Express 3014166056+448132Playoffs (wildcard berth)
8E Philadelphia Fury 3010205560551111
9E New England Tea Men 30121841561538110
10W Edmonton Drillers 308224378354088
11W San Jose Earthquakes 308224174333886
12C Memphis Rogues 306243874363773
Updated to match(es) played on September 2, 1979. Source: Overall standings
Rules for classification: 1) Division position; 2) Points; 3) Wins; 4) Goal differential
(A) Conference champion
Notes:
  1. San Diego had less points than Fort Lauderdale and Chicago, but won the third seed due to being the third best team who won their division.

National Conference

National Conference standings
PosDivTeamPldWLGFGAGDBPPtsQualification
1E New York Cosmos 302468452+3272216Playoffs (division winner)
2C Minnesota Kicks 302196748+1958184
3W Vancouver Whitecaps (N)3020105434+2052172
4E Washington Diplomats 3019116850+1858172Playoffs (division runner-up)
5W Los Angeles Aztecs 3018126247+1554162
6C Dallas Tornado 3017135351+250152
7C Tulsa Roughnecks 3014166156+555139Playoffs (wildcard berth)
8E Toronto Blizzard 30141652651349133
9E Rochester Lancers 30151543571442132
10W Seattle Sounders 3013175852+647125
11W Portland Timbers 30111950752556122
12C Atlanta Chiefs 3012185961249121
Updated to match(es) played on September 2, 1979. Source: Overall standings
Rules for classification: 1) Division position; 2) Points; 3) Wins; 4) Goal differential
(N) Conference champion

Overall standings

Overall standings
PosDivTeamPldWLGFGAGDBPPts
1NE New York Cosmos (P)302468452+3272216
2AC Houston Hurricane 302286146+1555187
3NC Minnesota Kicks 302196748+1958184
4NW Vancouver Whitecaps (C)3020105434+2052172
5NE Washington Diplomats 3019116850+1858172
6AE Tampa Bay Rowdies 3019116746+2155169
7AE Fort Lauderdale Strikers 3017137564+1163165
8NW Los Angeles Aztecs 3018126247+1554162
9AC Chicago Sting 3016147061+963159
10NC Dallas Tornado 3017135351+250152
11AW San Diego Sockers 3015155955+450140
12AW California Surf 3015155356350140
13NC Tulsa Roughnecks 3014166156+555139
14NE Toronto Blizzard 30141652651349133
15NE Rochester Lancers 30151543571442132
16AC Detroit Express 3014166056+448132
17NW Seattle Sounders 3013175852+647125
18NW Portland Timbers 30111950752556122
19NC Atlanta Chiefs 3012185961249121
20AE Philadelphia Fury 3010205560551111
21AE New England Tea Men 30121841561538110
22AW Edmonton Drillers 308224378354088
23AW San Jose Earthquakes 308224174333886
24AC Memphis Rogues 306243874363773
Updated to match(es) played on September 2, 1979. Source: soccerstats.us
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Wins; 3) Goal differential
(C) NASL Champions; (P) NASL Premiers

NASL League Leaders

Scoring

GP = Games Played, G = Goals (worth 2 points), A = Assists (worth 1 point), Pts = Points

PlayerTeamGPGAPts
Oscar Fabbiani Tampa Bay Rowdies2625858
Giorgio Chinaglia New York Cosmos2726557
Gerd Müller Fort Lauderdale Strikers25191755
David Robb Philadelphia Fury30162052
Jeff Bourne Atlanta Chiefs29181551
Karl-Heinz Granitza Chicago Sting30201050
Teófilo Cubillas Fort Lauderdale Strikers30161850
Alan Willey Minnesota Kicks2921749
Dennis Tueart New York Cosmos27161648
Laurie Abrahams California/Tulsa2518945
Johan Cruyff Los Angeles Aztecs23131642

Goalkeeping

Note: GP = Games played; Min - Minutes played; GA = Goals against; GAA = Goals against average; W = Wins; L = Losses; SO = Shutouts

PlayerTeamGPMinSVGAGAAWLSO
Phil Parkes Vancouver Whitecaps292704100290.962097
Victor Nogueira Atlanta Chiefs17143279201.26885
Željko Bilecki Tampa Bay Rowdies17154993221.281255
Mike Ivanow Seattle Sounders282517149391.3913152
Bill Irwin Washington Diplomats282603134421.4517114
Paul Hammond Houston Hurricane292705215441.462186
Volkmar Gross San Diego/Minnesota242132137381.6041776
Kevin Keelan New England Tea Men252242133401.60512132
Colin Boulton Los Angeles/Tulsa302746109491.60616147
Tino Lettieri Minnesota Kicks16136895251.631052

NASL All-Stars

First Team  Position  Second TeamHonorable Mention
Flag of England.svg Phil Parkes, Vancouver G Flag of England.svg Paul Hammond, Houston Flag of the United States.svg Alan Mayer, San Diego
Flag of Brazil.svg Carlos Alberto, New York D Flag of Brazil.svg Marinho, New York Flag of England.svg Steve Litt, Minnesota
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Bruce Wilson, ChicagoD Flag of Scotland.svg John Gorman, Tampa Bay Flag of the United States.svg Bob Smith, San Diego
Flag of the Netherlands.svg Wim Rijsbergen, New YorkD Flag of Yugoslavia (1946-1992).svg Mihalj Keri, Los Angeles Flag of the Netherlands.svg Wim Suurbier, Los Angeles
Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg Mike Connell, Tampa BayD Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Bob Lenarduzzi, Vancouver Flag of Portugal.svg Artur Correia, New England
Flag of Germany.svg Franz Beckenbauer, New York M Flag of Peru.svg Teófilo Cubillas, Fort Lauderdale Flag of England.svg Rodney Marsh, Tampa Bay
Flag of the Netherlands.svg Johan Neeskens, New YorkM Flag of Yugoslavia (1946-1992).svg Vladislav Bogićević, New York Flag of England.svg Alan Hudson, Seattle
Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg Ace Ntsoelengoe, MinnesotaM Flag of England.svg Alan Ball, Vancouver Flag of Ireland.svg Gerry Daly, New England
Flag of the Netherlands.svg Johan Cruyff, Los Angeles F Flag of Chile.svg Óscar Fabbiani, Tampa Bay Flag of Denmark.svg Jørgen Kristensen, Chicago
Flag of England.svg Trevor Francis, DetroitF Flag of Germany.svg Karl-Heinz Granitza, Chicago Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg Steve Wegerle, Tampa Bay
Flag of Italy.svg Giorgio Chinaglia, New YorkF Flag of Germany.svg Gerd Müller, Fort Lauderdale Flag of England.svg Dennis Tueart, New York

Playoffs

The top two teams from each division qualified for the playoffs automatically. The two teams with the highest point totals remaining in each conference filled out the field as wild cards and were given the lowest first round seeds. Playoff match-ups and home/away status were reset after each round, based on regular season point totals.

In 1979 and 1980, if a playoff series was tied at one victory each, a full 30 minute mini-game was played. If neither team held an advantage after the 30 minutes, the teams would then move on to an NASL shoot-out to determine a series winner.

Bracket

Conference QuarterfinalsConference SemifinalsConference Championships Soccer Bowl '79
                  
A2 Tampa Bay Rowdies 33
A7 Detroit Express 0 1
A2 Tampa Bay Rowdies 3(2)1
A8 Philadelphia Fury 2(0)0
A1 Houston Hurricane 1 1
A8 Philadelphia Fury 22
A2 Tampa Bay Rowdies 1 3(3)1
American Conference
A3 San Diego Sockers 22(0)0
A4 Fort Lauderdale Strikers 0 0
A5 Chicago Sting 21
A5 Chicago Sting 0 0
A3 San Diego Sockers 21
A3 San Diego Sockers 47
A6 California Surf 2 2
A2 Tampa Bay Rowdies 1
N3 Vancouver Whitecaps 2
N1 New York Cosmos 32
N8 Toronto Blizzard 1 0
N1 New York Cosmos 0 33
N7 Tulsa Roughnecks 30 1
N2 Minnesota Kicks 1 1
N7 Tulsa Roughnecks 22
N1 New York Cosmos 0 3(3)0(2)
National Conference
N3 Vancouver Whitecaps 22(1)1(3)
N3 Vancouver Whitecaps 32
N6 Dallas Tornado 2 1
N3 Vancouver Whitecaps 2(1)11
N5 Los Angeles Aztecs 3(2)0 0
N4 Washington Diplomats 1 3
N5 Los Angeles Aztecs 34

First round

Lower seedHigher seedGame 1Game 2Mini-game(lower seed hosts Game 1)
Philadelphia Fury - Houston Hurricane 2–12–1xAugust 14 • Veterans Stadium • 3,337
August 20 • Houston Astrodome • 7,530
Detroit Express - Tampa Bay Rowdies 0–31–3xAugust 15 • Pontiac Silverdome • 21,539
August 19 • Tampa Stadium • 27,210
Chicago Sting - Fort Lauderdale Strikers 2–01–0xAugust 15 • Soldier Field • 10,019
August 18 • Lockhart Stadium • 13,691
California Surf - San Diego Sockers 2–42–7xAugust 16 • Anaheim Stadium • 8,460
August 18 • San Diego Stadium • 10,225
Tulsa Roughnecks - Minnesota Kicks 2–1 (OT)2–1 (OT)xAugust 15 • Skelly Stadium • 14,105
August 19 • Metropolitan Stadium • 28,996
Dallas Tornado - Vancouver Whitecaps 2–31 –2xAugust 15 • Ownby Stadium • 8,829
August 18 • Empire Stadium • 30,328
Los Angeles Aztecs - Washington Diplomats 3–14–3 (OT) [38] xAugust 15 • Rose Bowl • 12,042
August 19 • RFK Stadium • 14,802
Toronto Blizzard - New York Cosmos 1–30–2xAugust 16 • Exhibition Stadium • 30,356
August 19 • Giants Stadium • 46,531

Conference semifinals

Lower seedHigher seedGame 1Game 2Mini-game(lower seed hosts Game 1)
San Diego Sockers - Chicago Sting 2–01–0xAugust 22 • San Diego Stadium • 11,561
August 25 • Wrigley Field • 15,379
Los Angeles Aztecs - Vancouver Whitecaps 3–2 (SO, 2–1)0–10–1August 22 • Rose Bowl • 21,213 [39]
August 25 • Empire Stadium • 32,375
Philadelphia Fury - Tampa Bay Rowdies 2–3 (SO, 0–2)0–1xAugust 23 • Franklin Field • 10,395
August 25 • Tampa Stadium • 21,112
Tulsa Roughnecks - New York Cosmos 3–00–31–3August 23 • Skelly Stadium • 26,011
August 26 • Giants Stadium • 76,031

Conference Championships

Lower seedHigher seedGame 1Game 2Mini-game(lower seed hosts Game 1)
Vancouver Whitecaps - New York Cosmos 2–02–3 (SO, 1–3)1–0 (SO, 3–2)August 29 • Empire Stadium • 32,875
September 1 • Giants Stadium • 44,109
San Diego Sockers - Tampa Bay Rowdies 2–12–3 (SO, 0–3)0–1August 30 • San Diego Stadium • 20,267
September 2 • Tampa Stadium • 38,766

Soccer Bowl '79

Vancouver Whitecaps 2–1 Tampa Bay Rowdies
Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ
Attendance: 50,699
Referee: Gino D'Ippolito (USA) [40]

1979 NASL Champions: Vancouver Whitecaps

Post season awards

Average home attendance

TeamAverage [41]
New York Cosmos46,690
Tampa Bay Rowdies28,546
Minnesota Kicks24,580
Vancouver Whitecaps22,962
Seattle Sounders18,998
Tulsa Roughnecks16,426
San Jose Earthquakes15,092
Los Angeles Aztecs14,334
Detroit Express14,058
Fort Lauderdale Strikers13,708
Washington Diplomats11,973
Toronto Blizzard11,821
San Diego Sockers11,271
Portland Timbers11,172
California Surf10,330
Edmonton Drillers9,924
Dallas Tornado9,306
Rochester Lancers8,680
Chicago Sting8,062
Atlanta Chiefs7,350
Memphis Rogues7,137
New England Tea Men6,562
Houston Hurricane6,212
Philadelphia Fury5,624

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