1978 North American Soccer League playoffs

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.

Main article: 1978 North American Soccer League season
1978 North American Soccer League Playoffs
CountryUnited States
Canada
Teams16
Defending championsCosmos
ChampionsCosmos
Runners-upTampa Bay Rowdies
Matches played21
Goals scored81 (3.86 per match)
Top goal scorer(s) Alan Willey
(7 goals)
← 1977
1979 →

Playoff format

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

American Conference
  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
  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
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

Conference Quarterfinals

American Conference

(1) Detroit Express vs. (8) Philadelphia Fury
Detroit Express1–0Philadelphia Fury
Francis  35:57' (Davies)
Attendance: 22,456

(2) New England Tea Men vs. (7) Fort Lauderdale Strikers
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)
Schaefer Stadium, Boston
Attendance: 18,672

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

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

(1) Cosmos vs. (8) Seattle Sounders
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
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)
Empire Stadium, Vancouver
Attendance: 30,811
Referee: Gino D'Ippolito (USA)

(3) Minnesota Kicks vs. (6) Tulsa Roughnecks
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
Portland Timbers2–1(OT)Washington Diplomats
McNeill  58:57' (Bain)
Bain  96:41'  (Seale)		 Stokes  89:30'
Civic Stadium, Portland
Attendance: 14,030

Conference Semifinals

American Conference

(1) Detroit Express vs. (7) Ft. Lauderdale Strikers
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
San Diego Sockers0–1Tampa Bay Rowdies
Report Auguste  60:31'
San Diego Stadium, San Diego
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

(1) Cosmos vs. (3) Minnesota Kicks
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)
Alan 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
Portland Timbers1–0Vancouver Whitecaps
Best  54:53' (Anderson)
Civic Stadium, Portland
Attendance: 16,437
Vancouver Whitecaps1–2Portland Timbers
Kember  47:11' (Hinton) Best  21:19' (Charles)
Anderson  40:44' (Scullion, Bain)
Empire Stadium, Vancouver
Attendance: 32,666

Portland wins series 2–0

Conference Finals

American Conference

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

(1) Cosmos vs. (4) Portland Timbers
Portland Timbers0–1New York Cosmos
Tueart  46:03' (Hunt)
Civic Stadium, Portland
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
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

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

Scoring

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

Player Team GP G A Pts
Dennis Tueart Cosmos66517
Alan Willey Minnesota Kicks37014
Giorgio Chinaglia Cosmos65212
David Irving Fort Lauderdale Strikers55010
Rodney Marsh Tampa Bay Rowdies5339

Goalkeeping

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 ParkesVancouver Whitecaps327031.00121
Alan MayerSan Diego Sockers322531.00110
Steve HardwickDetroit Express330641.33212
Mick PoolePortland Timbers545781.60321
Winston DuBoseTampa Bay Rowdies6574101.67331
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References
  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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