Wikipedia

1978 North American Soccer League playoffs

Main article: 1978 North American Soccer League season

The 1978 North American Soccer League playoffs began on August 8 and ended on August 27 with Soccer Bowl '78 at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. 16 out of 24 teams qualified after a 30-match regular season, eight from each conference.

1978 North American Soccer League Playoffs
Tournament details
CountryUnited States
Canada
Teams16
Defending championsCosmos
Final positions
ChampionsCosmos
Runner-upTampa Bay Rowdies
Tournament statistics
Matches played21
Goals scored81 (3.86 per match)
Top goal scorer(s)England Alan Willey
(7 goals)
← 1977
1979 →

Playoff format

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The top two teams in each division would quality for the playoffs. The other spots would go to the next best two teams in the conference, regardless of division. The top three seeds went to the division winners, seeds 4-6 went to the second place teams and the last two seeds were known as 'wild-cards', a nod to the NFL's playoff format. The winners of each successive round would be reseeded within the conference by point total. The first round and the Soccer Bowl were single games, while the conference semifinals and championships were two-game series. As in the 1977 playoffs, if both teams were tied at one win apiece at the conclusion of Game 2, there would be a 30-minute sudden-death mini-game and a shootout if necessary.[1]

Playoff seeds

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American Conference

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  1. Detroit Express – Central Division champions, 176 points
  2. New England Tea Men – Eastern Division champions, 165 points
  3. San Diego Sockers – Western Division champions, 164 points
  4. Tampa Bay Rowdies – 165 points
  5. Chicago Sting – 123 points
  6. California Surf – 115 points
  7. Fort Lauderdale Strikers – 143 points
  8. Philadelphia Fury – 111 points

National Conference

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  1. Cosmos – Eastern Division champions, 212 points
  2. Vancouver Whitecaps – Western Division champions, 199 points
  3. Minnesota Kicks – Central Division champions, 156 points
  4. Portland Timbers – 167 points
  5. Washington Diplomats – 145 points
  6. Tulsa Roughnecks – 132 points
  7. Toronto Metros-Croatia – 144 points
  8. Seattle Sounders – 138 points

Bracket

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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
American Conference
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
National Conference
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

Conference Quarterfinals

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American Conference

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(1) Detroit Express vs. (8) Philadelphia Fury

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Detroit Express1–0Philadelphia Fury
Francis   35:57' (Davies)
Attendance: 22,456

(2) New England Tea Men vs. (7) Fort Lauderdale Strikers

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New England Tea Men1–3Fort Lauderdale Strikers
Ridley   24:46' (o.g.) Irving   61:04' (Best, Hudson)
Simpson   68:02' (o.g.)
Ronson   72:23' (Nanchoff)
Attendance: 18,672

(3) San Diego Sockers vs. (6) California Surf

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San Diego Sockers2–1California Surf
McCall   18:50' (Smethurst, van der Veen)
McCall   49:52' (Willrich, Smethurst)		 Suhnholz   3:30'
Attendance: 6,238

(4) Tampa Bay Rowdies vs. (5) Chicago Sting

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Tampa Bay Rowdies3–1Chicago Sting
Marsh   26:48' (pen.)
Marsh   52:17' (Connell, McGuire)
Wegerle   74:08'		 Report Granitza   78:06' (Strenicer)
Attendance: 26,596
Referee: George Courtney (England)

National Conference

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(1) Cosmos vs. (8) Seattle Sounders

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Cosmos5–2Seattle Sounders
Bogicevic   39:32'
Bogicevic   57:46' (Dimitrijevic, Hunt)
Beckenbauer   58:13'
Dimitrijevic   58:34' (Beckenbauer)
Hunt   80:28' (Tueart, Davis)		 England   56:31' (Crossley)
Wallace   74:58' (Scott)
Attendance: 47,780

(2) Vancouver Whitecaps vs. (7) Toronto Metros-Croatia

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Vancouver Whitecaps4–0Toronto Metros-Croatia
Campbell   16:04' (Hinton)
Hinton   17:52' (Hector, B. Lenarduzzi)
Campbell   39:55' (Hector, B. Lenarduzzi)
B. Lenarduzzi   57:10' (Campbell, Bolitho)
Attendance: 30,811
Referee: Gino D'Ippolito (USA)

(3) Minnesota Kicks vs. (6) Tulsa Roughnecks

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Minnesota Kicks3–1Tulsa Roughnecks
Futcher   28:03' (Hamilton, Moran)
Willey   63:24' (Hamilton, Morgan)
Willey   82:11' (Morgan)		 Caskey   48:21'
Attendance: 36,478
Referee: John Davies (England)

(4) Portland Timbers vs. (5) Washington Diplomats

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Portland Timbers2–1(OT)Washington Diplomats
McNeill   58:57' (Bain)
Bain   96:41'  (Seale)		 Stokes   89:30'
Attendance: 14,030

Conference semifinals

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American Conference

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(1) Detroit Express vs. (7) Ft. Lauderdale Strikers

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Fort Lauderdale Strikers4–3(SO)Detroit Express
Irving   59:10'
Whittle   65:41' (Best)
Irving   69:31' (Hudson, Whittle)		 Francis   3:27' (Brazil)
Francis   41:55'
Tinnion   67:11'
Penalties
Whelan  
Fowles  
Hudson  
Irving 
Whittle  		 3–2   Francis
  Furphy
  Bradford
  Tinnion
  Davies
Attendance: 11,517
Referee: Gino D'Ippolito (USA)
Detroit Express1–0Fort Lauderdale Strikers
Brazil   42:34' (Francis)
Attendance: 32,819
Detroit Express0–1Fort Lauderdale Strikers
Nanchoff   20:36'  (Hudson)

Fort Lauderdale wins series 2–1

(3) San Diego Sockers vs. (4) Tampa Bay Rowdies

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San Diego Sockers0–1Tampa Bay Rowdies
Report Auguste   60:31'
Attendance: 8,014
Tampa Bay Rowdies1–2San Diego Sockers
Anderson   64:42' (Paddon, Marsh) Report Harsanyi   48:25'
McCall   67:49'
Attendance: 32,495
Referee: Tony Nobile
Tampa Bay Rowdies1–0San Diego Sockers
Marsh   3:41'  (Auguste) Report

Tampa Bay wins series 2–1

National Conference

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(1) Cosmos vs. (3) Minnesota Kicks

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Minnesota Kicks9–2Cosmos
George   0:52' (Morgan, Want)
Roth   18:32' (o.g.)
Willey   29:28' (Hamilton, Morgan)
Ntsoelengoe   53:14' (George)
Willey   63:28' (Morgan)
Willey   69:05' (Hamilton, Price)
Willey   77:27' (George, Rosul)
Willey   84:44' (Hamilton, Lettieri)
Hamilton   89:06'		 Chinaglia   48:19'
Etherington   83:30' (Bogicevic, Hunt)
Attendance: 45,863
Cosmos4–0Minnesota Kicks
Chinaglia   10:12' (Tueart, Bogicevic)
Tueart   12:23' (Bogicevic)
Chinaglia   23:22' (Bogicevic, Tueart)
Tueart   50:56'
Attendance: 60,199
Cosmos1–0(SO)Minnesota Kicks
Penalties
Bogicevic  
Tueart  
Hunt  
Morais  
Alberto  
Beckenbauer  		 2–1   Hamilton
  Futcher
  George
  Ntsoelengoe
  Villa
  Merrick

New York wins series 2–1

(2) Vancouver Whitecaps vs. (4) Portland Timbers

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Portland Timbers1–0Vancouver Whitecaps
Best   54:53' (Anderson)
Attendance: 16,437
Vancouver Whitecaps1–2Portland Timbers
Kember   47:11' (Hinton) Best   21:19' (Charles)
Anderson   40:44' (Scullion, Bain)
Attendance: 32,666

Portland wins series 2–0

Conference finals

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American Conference

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(4) Tampa Bay Rowdies vs. (7) Ft. Lauderdale Strikers

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Fort Lauderdale Strikers3–2Tampa Bay Rowdies
Whittle   45:44' (pen.)
Irving   46:25' (Jones)
Best   50:41'		 Report Robb   30:31' (Paddon)
McLeod   89:45' (Paddon)
Attendance: 16,286
Tampa Bay Rowdies3–1Fort Lauderdale Strikers
Anderson   34:07' (McLeod, Marsh)
Robb   65:00' (Marsh, Wegerle)
Wegerle   83:36'		 Report Irving   88:34'
Attendance: 37,360
Referee: John Davies
Tampa Bay Rowdies1–0 (SO)Fort Lauderdale Strikers
Report
Penalties
Anderson  
Wegerle  
Paddon  
Robb  
Marsh  		 2–1   Whelan
  Irving
  Hudson
  Fowles
  Whittle
Referee: John Davies

Tampa Bay wins series 2–1

National Conference

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(1) Cosmos vs. (4) Portland Timbers

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Portland Timbers0–1New York Cosmos
Tueart   46:03' (Hunt)
Attendance: 24,515
Cosmos5–0Portland Timbers
Chinaglia   32:07' (Tueart)
Tueart   76:06' (Dimitrijevic)
Hunt   77:28' (Tueart)
Beckenbauer   80:44'
Seninho   88:29' (Beckenbauer, Chinaglia)
Attendance: 57,128

New York wins series 2–0

Soccer Bowl '78

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Main article: Soccer Bowl '78
Cosmos3–1Tampa Bay Rowdies
Tueart   30:42' (Iarusci, Hunt)
Chinaglia   44:38'
Tueart   76:49' (Iarusci, Roth)		 Report Mirandinha   73:34' (Robb)
Attendance: 74,901
Referee: Jim Highet (Canada)

1978 NASL Champions: Cosmos

Playoff Statistics

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Mini-games are not counted as games played when compiling individual statistics. They are included in the minutes played category.

Scoring

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

Player Team GP G A Pts
Dennis Tueart Cosmos 6 6 5 17
Alan Willey Minnesota Kicks 3 7 0 14
Giorgio Chinaglia Cosmos 6 5 2 12
David Irving Fort Lauderdale Strikers 5 5 0 10
Rodney Marsh Tampa Bay Rowdies 5 3 3 9

Goalkeeping

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

Player Team GP Min GA GAA W L SO
Phil Parkes Vancouver Whitecaps 3 270 3 1.00 1 2 1
Alan Mayer San Diego Sockers 3 225 3 1.00 1 1 0
Steve Hardwick Detroit Express 3 306 4 1.33 2 1 2
Mick Poole Portland Timbers 5 457 8 1.60 3 2 1
Winston DuBose Tampa Bay Rowdies 6 574 10 1.67 3 3 1

References

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  1. ^ 1979 Official North American Soccer League Guide. 1979. p. 367.

Henderson, Jim (1979). Dr. Pepper 1979 Pro Soccer Guide. Tampa, Florida: Snibbe Publications.

1979 Official North American Soccer League Guide. New York: North American Soccer League. 1979.

Jose, Colin (1989). NASL: A Complete Record of the North American Soccer League. Derby, England: Breedon Books.

Jose, Colin (2003). North American Soccer League Encyclopedia. Haworth, New Jersey: St. Johann Press.

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