Cosmos
1978 season
ManagerItaly Eddie Firmani[1]
StadiumGiants Stadium
NASLDivision: 1st
Overall: 1st
Playoffs: Champions
National
Challenge Cup
Did not enter
CONCACAF
Champions' Cup
Did not enter
Top goalscorerLeague: Italy Giorgio Chinaglia (34? goals)
All: Italy 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]

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.

Squad

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

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

Pos Club Pld W L GF GA GD Pts
1Cosmos 302468839+49212
2Washington Diplomats 3016145547+8145
3Toronto Metros-Croatia 3016145847+11144
4Rochester Lancers 3014164752-5131

Overall League Placing

Pos Club Pld W L GF GA GD Pts
1Cosmos 302468839+49212
2Vancouver Whitecaps 302466829+39199
3Detroit Express 3020106836+32176
4Portland Timbers 3020105036+14167
5New 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
vs Argentina U-20: Franz Beckenbauer and Diego Maradona
vs Belgrano in Córdoba
vs Boca Juniors at Mar del Plata
Date Opponent Venue Result Att. Scorers Ref.
Feb 2United States FIU [n 1]A2–0300Chinaglia (2)[7]
March 5 BermudaA4–17,000Grgurev, Chinaglia (2), Tueart[7]
March 8Bermuda Bermuda U-23A3–04,000Chinaglia (2), Millinder[7]
March 11 BermudaA4–15,000Tueart (2), Chinaglia, Bogicevic[7]
March 22United States Adelphi UniversityH11–0n/aChinaglia (2), Bogicevic (2), n/a[7]
Apr 4United States Los Angeles AztecsA0–015,000
August 30United Nations World All-Stars [n 2]H2–250,757Seninho, Chinaglia[7]
September 4Spain Atlético MadridH1–335,140Rivellino [n 3][8][7]
September 9Argentina Boca JuniorsH2–223,000Chinaglia (2)[9][7]
September 12Germany Bayern MunichA1–775,000Chinaglia[7]
September 14Italy BresciaA2–130,000Tueart, Chinaglia[7]
September 19Germany VfB StuttgartA1–655,000Chinaglia[7]
September 21Germany Freiburger FCA0–218,000[7]
September 26England ChelseaA1–139,659Tueart[7]
October 1Spain Atlético MadridA3–245,000Seninho, Chinaglia, Bogicevic[7]
October 4Greece AEK AthensA5–3n/aChinaglia (3), Tueart, Seninho[7]
October 9Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Red Star BelgradeA4–623,500Tueart, Chinaglia, Seninho[7]
November 1Ecuador BarcelonaA1–150,000Chinaglia[7]
November 3 Argentina U-20A [n 4]1–2n/aChinaglia[9][7]
November 7Argentina Belgrano (C)A [n 5]1–1n/aChinaglia[9][7]
November 13Argentina Independiente RivadaviaA [n 6]2–1n/aDavis, Beckenbauer[9][7]
November 16Argentina Boca JuniorsA [n 7]2–435,000Chinaglia, Seninho[9][7]
November 18Bolivia Bolívar/Always Ready [n 8]A [n 9]0–2n/a[7]
November 22Brazil Vila NovaA3–225,000Chinaglia (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
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