1977 North American Soccer League playoffs

1977 North American Soccer League Playoffs
Country United States
Canada
Teams 12
Defending champions Tampa Bay Rowdies
Champions Cosmos
Runners-up Seattle Sounders
Matches played 17
Goals scored 54 (3.18 per match)
Top goal scorer(s) Italy Giorgio Chinaglia
(9 goals)
← 1976 1978 →

The 1977 North American Soccer League playoffs began on August 10 and ended on August 28 with Soccer Bowl '77 at Civic Stadium in Portland, Oregon. 12 out of 18 teams qualified after a 26-match regular season, six from each conference.

Playoff format

The top three teams in each division would quality for the playoffs, similar to the 1976 playoffs.[1] The first round and the Soccer Bowl were single games, but the division championships and conference championships were two-game series. If 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.[2]

Playoff seeds

Atlantic Conference

Eastern Division

  1. Fort Lauderdale Strikers – Eastern Division champions, 161 points
  2. Cosmos – 140 points
  3. Tampa Bay Rowdies – 131 points

Northern Division

  1. Toronto Metros-Croatia – Northern Division champions, 111 points
  2. St. Louis Stars – 104 points
  3. Rochester Lancers – 99 points

Pacific Conference

Southern Division

  1. Dallas Tornado – Southern Division champions, 161 points
  2. Los Angeles Aztecs – 147 points
  3. San Jose Earthquakes – 119 points

Western Division

  1. Minnesota Kicks – Western Division champions, 137 points
  2. Vancouver Whitecaps – 124 points
  3. Seattle Sounders – 119 points

Bracket

  First Round Division Championships Conference Championships Soccer Bowl '77
                                     
E2  Cosmos 3  
E3  Tampa Bay Rowdies 0  
  E1  Fort Lauderdale Strikers 0  
    E2  Cosmos 2  
      
        
  E2  Cosmos 2  
  N3  Rochester Lancers 0  
N2  St. Louis Stars 0  
N3  Rochester Lancers 1  
  N1  Toronto Metros-Croatia 0
    N3  Rochester Lancers 2  
      
        
  E2  Cosmos 2
  W3  Seattle Sounders 1
S2  Los Angeles Aztecs 2  
S3  San Jose Earthquakes 1  
  S1  Dallas Tornado 0
    S2  Los Angeles Aztecs 2  
      
        
  S2  Los Angeles Aztecs 0
  W3  Seattle Sounders 2  
W2  Vancouver Whitecaps 0  
W3  Seattle Sounders 2  
  W1  Minnesota Kicks 0
    W3  Seattle Sounders 2  
      

First Round

Atlantic Conference

(E2) Cosmos vs. (E3) Tampa Bay Rowdies

August 10
Cosmos 3–0 Tampa Bay Rowdies
Pele (Hunt)  58:16'
Chinaglia (Hunt, Field)  70:24'
Pele (Hunt, Chinaglia)  89:51'
Giants Stadium, East Rutherford
Attendance: 57,828

(N2) St. Louis Stars vs. (N3) Rochester Lancers

Pacific Conference

(S2) Los Angeles Aztecs vs. (S3) San Jose Earthquakes

August 10
Los Angeles Aztecs 2–1 (OT) San Jose Earthquakes
Best  85:06'
Mihailovich  92:28' 		Mitic  60:57'
Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles
Attendance: 4,038

(W2) Vancouver Whitecaps vs. (W3) Seattle Sounders

August 10
Vancouver Whitecaps 0–2 Seattle Sounders
Machin (Ord)  18:17'
Ord (Robertson)  83:34'
Empire Stadium, Vancouver
Attendance: 21,925

Division Finals

Atlantic Conference

(E1) Fort Lauderdale Strikers vs. (E2) Cosmos

August 14
Game 1
Cosmos 8–3 Fort Lauderdale Strikers
Hunt (Chinaglia)  1:37'
Beckenbauer (Hunt, Field)  11:37'
Chinaglia (Beckenbauer)  16:19'
Hunt  25:14'
Field (Alberto, Roth)  55:29'
Chinaglia (Alberto)  56:23'
Chinaglia (Field)  62:29'
Etherington (Morais)  67:49'		 Whittle  17:25'
Piper (Aguirre)  63:06'
Whittle  68:17'
Giants Stadium, East Rutherford
Attendance: 77,691

August 17
Game 2
Fort Lauderdale Strikers 2–3 (SO) Cosmos
Irving (Hudson)  12:45'
Whittle  62:15'		 Pele  61:09'
Chinaglia (Alberto)  84:17'
  Penalties  
Piper
Nanchoff
Proctor 		0-3 Hunt
Sono
Mifflin
Garbett

Cosmos win series 2-0

(N1) Toronto Metros-Croatia vs. (N3) Rochester Lancers

Rochester wins series 2-0

Pacific Conference

(S1) Dallas Tornado vs. (S2) Los Angeles Aztecs

August 14
Game 1
Los Angeles Aztecs 2–1 Dallas Tornado
Mihailovich (Best)  23:12'
Cohen (Mihailovich)  77:05'		 Pecher (Ryan)  43:24'
Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles
Attendance: 5,295

August 17
Game 2
Dallas Tornado 1–5 Los Angeles Aztecs
O'Hare  72:13' Cohen (Best)  40:30'
Best (Mihailovich)  66:55'
Rys  78:04'
Backos  80:46'
Cooke (Best)  81:33'
Ownby Stadium, Dallas
Attendance: 18,489

Los Angeles wins series 2-0

(W1) Minnesota Kicks vs. (W3) Seattle Sounders

August 14
Game 1
Minnesota Kicks 1–2 (OT) Seattle Sounders
Futcher (Price, West)  81:31' Ord (Butler)  86:24'
Butler  90:21'

August 17
Game 2
Seattle Sounders 1-0 Minnesota Kicks
Ord (pk)  58:28'
Kingdome, Seattle
Attendance: 42,091

Seattle wins series 2-0

Conference Finals

Atlantic Conference

(E2) Cosmos vs. (N3) Rochester Lancers

August 21
Game 1
Rochester Lancers 1–2 Cosmos
Stojanovic (Costa, Escos)  16:50' Chinaglia (Pele, Field)  39:50'
Hunt (Pele)  42:45'

August 24
Game 2
Cosmos 4–1 Rochester Lancers
Chinaglia (Hunt)  16:05'
Chinaglia (Hunt)  22:59'
Dimitrijevic (Pele)  47:33'
Pele  59:11'		 Silva (Pedro)  53:41'
Giants Stadium, East Rutherford
Attendance: 73,669

Cosmos win series 2-0

Pacific Conference

(S2) Los Angeles Aztecs vs. (W3) Seattle Sounders

August 21
Game 1
Los Angeles Aztecs 1–3 Seattle Sounders
McAlinden (Cooke)  15:33' Robertson  38:45'
Buttle (McAlister)  62:47'
Cave (Robertson)  66:23'
Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles
Attendance: 9,115

August 25
Game 2
Seattle Sounders 1–0 Los Angeles Aztecs
Scott (Robertson)  13:29'
Kingdome, Seattle
Attendance: 56,256

Seattle wins series 2-0

Soccer Bowl '77

Main article: Soccer Bowl '77

August 28
4 pm EDT
Cosmos 2–1 Seattle Sounders
Hunt  19:05'
Chinaglia (Hunt)  77:19'		 Ord (Cave)  23:10'
Civic Stadium, Portland
Attendance: 35,548
Referee: Toros Kibritjan (USA)

References

  1. ↑ "NASL Makes Changes In Schedule, Playoff". Evening Independent. October 15, 1976. p. 5-C. Retrieved 2015-04-08.
  2. ↑ Saunders, Jack (August 17, 1977). "Some NASL Playoff Victories Worth More". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. p. 5C. Retrieved 2015-04-08.

Henderson, Jim (1978). Volkswagen 1978 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. 

External links

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