1979 New York Cosmos season
The 1979 New York Cosmos season was the ninth season for the New York Cosmos in the now-defunct North American Soccer League. 1979 saw the club continue their premiership streak to three seasons with the league's highest point total, and match their wins record while achieving a record point total, but the Cosmos' quest for a third straight NASL championship ended with a loss in the conference finals to the Vancouver Whitecaps.
1979 season | |||
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Manager | Eddie Firmani[1] (Start of season) Ray Klivecka[2] (Caretaker) Júlio Mazzei[3] (After Klivecka) | ||
Stadium | Giants Stadium | ||
NASL | Division: 1st Overall: 1st Playoffs: Conference Final | ||
National Challenge Cup | Did not enter | ||
CONCACAF Champions' Cup | Did not enter | ||
Top goalscorer | League: ( goals) All: ( goals) | ||
Highest home attendance | 76,031 vs. TUL (August 26) | ||
Lowest home attendance | 30,195 vs. COV (May 16) | ||
Average home league attendance | 46,690[4] | ||
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Squad
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Source:[5]
Results
Source:[6]
Friendlies
Source:[7]
Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
5 March 1979 | Trinidad All-Stars | A | 1-1 | n/a | n/a |
15 March 1979 | América de Cali | A | 2-0 | n/a | n/a |
16 March 1979 | Atlético Nacional | A | 2-0 | 40,000 | n/a |
16 May 1979 | Coventry City | H | 3-1 | 30,195 | n/a |
6 June 1979 | Argentina national team | H | 0-1 | 70,134 | – |
4 July 1979 | Bayern Munich | H | 0-2 | 42,366 | – |
September 20, 1979 | Team Seiko (HK) | A | 3-3 | 28,000 | n/a |
September 24, 1979 | Hong Kong All-Stars | A | 6-0 | 24,000 | n/a |
September 24, 1979 | South Korea national team | A | 0-1 | 23,000 | – |
September 30, 1979 | South Korea national team | A | 3-2 | 18,000 | n/a |
October 3, 1979 | Indonesia national team | A | 4-1 | 85,000 | n/a |
October 5, 1979 | All-Indonesian Select | A | 1-1 | 55,000 | n/a |
October 7, 1979 | Singapore national team | A | 4-1 | 35,000 | n/a |
October 10, 1979 | Japan All-Stars | A | 1-1 | 15,000 | n/a |
October 14, 1979 | Japan national team | A | 2-2 | 50,000 | n/a |
October 17, 1979 | Malaysia national team | A | 5-0 | 35,000 | n/a |
October 21, 1979 | Victoria All-Stars | A | 3-2 | 28,000 | n/a |
October 24, 1979 | Australia national team | A | 1-2 | 55,000 | n/a |
October 31, 1979 | Adelaide City | A | 2-0 | 28,000 | n/a |
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
Pos | Club | Pld | W | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | New York Cosmos | 30 | 24 | 6 | 84 | 52 | +32 | 216 |
2 | Washington Diplomats | 30 | 19 | 11 | 68 | 50 | +18 | 172 |
3 | Toronto Blizzard | 30 | 14 | 16 | 52 | 65 | -13 | 133 |
4 | Rochester Lancers | 30 | 15 | 15 | 43 | 57 | -14 | 132 |
Overall League Placing
Pos | Club | Pld | W | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | New York Cosmos | 30 | 24 | 6 | 84 | 52 | +32 | 216 |
2 | Houston Hurricane | 30 | 22 | 8 | 61 | 46 | +15 | 187 |
3 | Minnesota Kicks | 30 | 21 | 9 | 67 | 48 | +19 | 184 |
4 | Vancouver Whitecaps | 30 | 20 | 10 | 54 | 34 | +20 | 172 |
5 | Washington Diplomats | 30 | 19 | 11 | 68 | 50 | +18 | 172 |
Source:[8]
Matches
April 22, 1979: New York Cosmos 3, Fort Lauderdale Strikers 2 Giants Stadium 72,342
April 29, 1979: New York Cosmos 4, Philadelphia Fury 2 Giants Stadium 46,375
May 4, 1979: New York Cosmos 1, Toronto Blizzard 0 Varsity Stadium 29,483
May 6, 1979: New York Cosmos 3, Houston Hurricane 0 Giants Stadium 50,142
May 12, 1979: Tampa Bay Rowdies 3, New York Cosmos 2 Tampa Stadium 40,701
May 20, 1979: New York Cosmos 3, Tulsa Roughnecks 1 Giants Stadium 46,344
May 26, 1979: New York Cosmos 1, Portland Timber 1 (Cosmos won in shootout) Civic Center 18,254
May 28, 1979: Chicago Sting 3, New York Cosmos 1 Wrigley Field 21,127
June 3, 1979: New York Cosmos 3, Toronto Blizzard 1 Giants Stadium 38,762
June 9, 1979: New York Cosmos 4, Dallas Tornado 1 Giants Stadium 45,031
June 13, 1979: New York Cosmos 3, Tulsa Roughnecks 2 Skelly Stadium 30,162
June 16, 1979: Vancouver Whitecaps 4, New York Cosmos 1 Empire Stadium 32,372
June 20, 1979: Minnesota Kicks 3, New York Cosmos 2 Metropolitan Stadium 43,952
June 24, 1979: New York Cosmos 1, New England Tea Men 0 Giants Stadium 41,428
June 27, 1979: New York Cosmos 3, Portland Timber 1 Giants Stadium 33,721
July 1, 1979: New York Cosmos 5, Rochester Lancers 2 Giants Stadium 40,379
July 7, 1979: New York Cosmos 2, New England Tea Men 1 Foxboro Stadium 15,763
July 11, 1979: New York Cosmos 1, Seattle Sounders 1 (Sounders won in shootout) Giants Stadium 40,207
JUly 15, 1979: Vancouver Whitecaps 4, New York Cosmos 2 Giants Stadium 48,753
July 18, 1979: New York Cosmos 4, Fort Lauredale Strikers 3 Lockhart Stadium 19,850
July 21, 1979: New York Cosmos 1, Philadelphia Fury 0 Veterans Stadium 17,352
July 25, 1979: New York Cosmos 4, Minnesota Kicks 1 Giants Stadium 57,223
July 29, 1979: New York Cosmos 5, San Jose Earthquakes 0 Giants Stadium 35,450
August 1, 1979: New York Cosmos 3, Los Angeles Aztecs 1 Rose Bowl 38,606
August 5, 1979: New York Cosmos 4, Rochester Lancers 2 Holleder Memorial Stadium 18,881
August 8, 1979: New York Cosmos 4, Tampa Bay Rowdies 3 Giants Stadium 70,042
August 12, 1979: New York Cosmos 4, Washington Diplomats 4 (Cosmos won in a shootout) Giants Stadium 34,599
First round
Game 1 | Game 2 | Mini-game | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Philadelphia Fury | - | Houston Hurricane | 2 - 1 | 2 - 1 | August 14, 20 | |
Detroit Express | - | Tampa Bay Rowdies | 0 - 3 | 1 - 3 | August 15, 19 | |
Chicago Sting | - | Fort Lauderdale Strikers | 2 - 0 | 0 - 0 | August 15, 18 | |
San Diego Sockers | - | California Surf | 4 - 2 | 7 - 2 | August 15, 18 | |
Tulsa Roughnecks | - | Minnesota Kicks | 2 - 1 (ot) | 2 - 1 (ot) | August 15, 19 | |
Dallas Tornado | - | Vancouver Whitecaps | 2 - 3 | 1 - 2 | August 15, 18 | |
Los Angeles Aztecs | - | Washington Diplomats | 3 - 1 | 4 - 3 | August 15, 19 | |
Toronto Blizzard | - | New York Cosmos | 1 - 3 | 0 - 2 | August 16, 20 |
Conference semifinals
Game 1 | Game 2 | Mini-game | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
San Diego Sockers | - | Chicago Sting | 2 - 0 | 1 - 0 | August 22, 25 | |
Los Angeles Aztecs | - | Vancouver Whitecaps | 3 - 2 | 0 - 1 (so) | 0 - 1 | August 22, 25 |
Philadelphia Fury | - | Tampa Bay Rowdies | 2 - 3 (so) | 0 - 1 | August 23, 25 | |
Tulsa Roughnecks | - | New York Cosmos | 3 - 0 | 0 - 3 | 1 - 3 | August 23, 26 |
Conference Championships
Game 1 | Game 2 | Mini-game | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Vancouver Whitecaps | - | New York Cosmos | 2 - 0 | 2 - 3 (so) | 1 - 0 (so) | August 29, September 1 |
San Diego Sockers | - | Tampa Bay Rowdies | 2 - 1 | 2 - 3 (so) | 0 - 1 | August 30, September 2 |
Soccer Bowl '79
Vancouver Whitecaps | 2–1 | Tampa Bay Rowdies |
---|---|---|
Whymark 13' Whymark (Ball) 60' |
Van der Veen (Anderson) 23' |
References
- https://www.theguardian.com/football/2010/may/19/the-footballing-life-eddie-firmani
- https://www.nytimes.com/1984/12/11/sports/cosmos-hire-klivecka-as-indoor-coach.html
- https://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/15/sports/soccer/15mazzei.html
- http://www.rsssf.com/usadave/nasl.html
- http://nasljerseys.com/Rosters/Cosmos_Rosters.htm
- Soccer Stats.us
- North American Soccer League: Friendlies
- "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2013-05-10. Retrieved 2013-02-28.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
- http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-U1RPgm5hV68/T5ZfHoVQakI/AAAAAAAAN-I/6gHNnCjSwS0/s1600/1979-9-08+Rowdies+vs+Whitecaps+SB+Report.jpg
- http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_axffduAi2BA/SycUcwpHssI/AAAAAAAAGlk/6Hb2oX3Dlw8/s1600/Soccer+Bowl+%2779+Ticket.jpg