North American Soccer League · United States · level 1

1979

Honors
champion Vancouver Whitecaps
mvp Johan Cruyff
golden boot Giorgio Chinaglia

390 games 3.53 goals / game 14,841 avg. attendance closest-club map

Standings

team GP W L pts gf ga ppg gf/ga
New York Cosmos 30 24 6 216 84 52 7.20 1.62
Houston Hurricane 30 22 8 187 61 46 6.23 1.33
Minnesota Kicks 30 21 9 184 67 48 6.13 1.40
Vancouver Whitecaps 30 20 10 172 54 34 5.73 1.59
Washington Diplomats 30 19 11 172 68 50 5.73 1.36
Tampa Bay Rowdies 30 19 11 169 67 46 5.63 1.46
Fort Lauderdale Strikers 30 17 13 165 75 65 5.50 1.15
Los Angeles Aztecs 30 18 12 162 62 47 5.40 1.32
Chicago Sting 30 16 14 159 70 62 5.30 1.13
Dallas Tornado 30 17 13 152 53 51 5.07 1.04
California Surf 30 15 15 140 53 56 4.67 0.95
San Diego Sockers 30 15 15 140 59 55 4.67 1.07
Tulsa Roughnecks 30 14 16 139 61 56 4.63 1.09
Detroit Express 30 14 16 133 60 56 4.43 1.07
Toronto Blizzard 30 14 16 133 52 65 4.43 0.80
Rochester Lancers 30 15 15 132 43 57 4.40 0.75
Seattle Sounders 30 13 17 125 58 52 4.17 1.12
Portland Timbers 30 11 19 122 50 75 4.07 0.67
Atlanta Chiefs 30 12 18 121 60 60 4.03 1.00
Philadelphia Fury 30 10 20 111 55 60 3.70 0.92
New England Tea Men 30 12 18 110 41 56 3.67 0.73
Edmonton Drillers 30 8 22 88 43 78 2.93 0.55
San Jose Earthquakes 30 8 22 86 41 74 2.87 0.55
Memphis Rogues 30 6 24 73 38 74 2.43 0.51

Season leaders

complete stats

Goals

  1. Giorgio Chinaglia 26
  2. Oscar Fabbiani 25
  3. Alan Willey 21
  4. Karl-Heinz Granitza 20
  5. Gerd Mueller 19
  6. Jeff Bourne 18
  7. Laurie Abrahams 18
  8. Alan Green 16
  9. Davie Robb 16
  10. Dennis Tueart 16

Assists

  1. Vladislav Bogicevic 23
  2. Jorgen Kristensen 22
  3. Steve Wegerle 21
  4. Davie Robb 20
  5. József Horváth 18
  6. Peter Ressel 18
  7. Teófilo Cubillas 18
  8. Gerd Mueller 17
  9. Dennis Tueart 16
  10. Jim Bone 16

Appearances

  1. Chris Turner 45
  2. Bernie Gersdorff 30
  3. Björn Nordqvist 30
  4. Bobby Sibbald 30
  5. Bob Chapman 30
  6. Bruce Wilson 30
  7. Charlie Mitchell 30
  8. Colin Boulton 30
  9. Davie Robb 30
  10. Dwight Lodeweges 30

Most recent games

all games

date season team score team venue referee attendance sources
Sept. 2, 1979 1979 San Diego Sockers 2 - 2 (SO) Tampa Bay Rowdies Tampa Stadium 38766 1
Sept. 1, 1979 1979 New York Cosmos (SO) 2 - 2 Vancouver Whitecaps Giants Stadium 44109 1
Aug. 30, 1979 1979 San Diego Sockers 2 - 1 Tampa Bay Rowdies Qualcomm Stadium 20267 1
Aug. 29, 1979 1979 New York Cosmos 0 - 2 Vancouver Whitecaps Empire Stadium 32875 1
Aug. 26, 1979 1979 New York Cosmos 3 - 0 Tulsa Roughnecks Giants Stadium 76031 1
Aug. 25, 1979 1979 Los Angeles Aztecs 0 - 1 Vancouver Whitecaps Empire Stadium 32375 1
Aug. 25, 1979 1979 Philadelphia Fury 0 - 1 Tampa Bay Rowdies Tampa Stadium 21112 1
Aug. 25, 1979 1979 Chicago Sting 0 - 1 San Diego Sockers Soldier Field 15379 1
Aug. 23, 1979 1979 New York Cosmos 0 - 3 Tulsa Roughnecks Skelly Field at H. A. Chapman… 26011 1
Aug. 23, 1979 1979 Philadelphia Fury 2 - 2 (SO) Tampa Bay Rowdies Veterans Stadium 10395 1
Aug. 22, 1979 1979 Chicago Sting 0 - 2 San Diego Sockers Qualcomm Stadium 11561 1
Aug. 22, 1979 1979 Los Angeles Aztecs (SO) 2 - 2 Vancouver Whitecaps Rose Bowl 21213 1
Aug. 20, 1979 1979 Houston Hurricane 1 - 2 Philadelphia Fury Astrodome 7530 1
Aug. 19, 1979 1979 Minnesota Kicks 1 - 2 Tulsa Roughnecks Metropolitan Stadium 28996 1
Aug. 19, 1979 1979 Los Angeles Aztecs 4 - 3 Washington Diplomats RFK Stadium 14802 1
Aug. 19, 1979 1979 New York Cosmos 2 - 0 Toronto Blizzard Giants Stadium 46531 1
Aug. 19, 1979 1979 Detroit Express 1 - 3 Tampa Bay Rowdies Tampa Stadium 27210 1
Aug. 18, 1979 1979 Dallas Tornado 1 - 2 Vancouver Whitecaps Empire Stadium 30328 1
Aug. 18, 1979 1979 California Surf 2 - 7 San Diego Sockers Qualcomm Stadium 10225 1
Aug. 18, 1979 1979 Chicago Sting 1 - 0 Fort Lauderdale Strikers Lockhart Stadium 13691 1
Aug. 16, 1979 1979 New York Cosmos 3 - 1 Toronto Blizzard Varsity Stadium 30356 1
Aug. 16, 1979 1979 California Surf 2 - 4 San Diego Sockers Anaheim Stadium 8460 1
Aug. 15, 1979 1979 Dallas Tornado 2 - 3 Vancouver Whitecaps Ownby Stadium 8829 1
Aug. 15, 1979 1979 Chicago Sting 2 - 0 Fort Lauderdale Strikers Soldier Field 10019 1
Aug. 15, 1979 1979 Detroit Express 0 - 1 Tampa Bay Rowdies Silverdome 21539 1

Awards

award winner
All-Star Team Wim Rijsbergen
All-Star Team Bruce Wilson
All-Star Team Carlos Alberto
All-Star Team Franz Beckenbauer
All-Star Team Giorgio Chinaglia
All-Star Team Johan Cruyff
All-Star Team Mike Connell
All-Star Team Phil Parkes
All-Star Team Trevor Francis
All-Star Team Ace Ntsoelengoe
All-Star Team Johan Neeskens
Champion Vancouver Whitecaps
Coach of the Year Timo Liekoski
MVP Johan Cruyff
Rookie of the Year Larry Hulcer

Where the appearances came from

England: 2,511 games, 27.6%United States: 1,194 games, 13.1%United States: 1,194 games, 13.1%United States: 1,194 games, 13.1%Scotland: 628 games, 6.9%Germany: 541 games, 6.0%Canada: 490 games, 5.4%South Africa: 250 games, 2.8%South Africa: 250 games, 2.8%Serbia: 219 games, 2.4%Serbia: 219 games, 2.4%Brazil: 191 games, 2.1%Argentina: 197 games, 2.2%Uruguay: 25 games, 0.3%Bermuda: 58 games, 0.6%Wales: 115 games, 1.3%Northern Ireland: 97 games, 1.1%Turkey: 11 games, 0.1%Trinidad and Tobago: 5 games, 0.1%Trinidad and Tobago: 5 games, 0.1%Sweden: 47 games, 0.5%Spain: 17 games, 0.2%Spain: 17 games, 0.2%Spain: 17 games, 0.2%Slovenia: 25 games, 0.3%Portugal: 17 games, 0.2%Portugal: 17 games, 0.2%Portugal: 17 games, 0.2%Peru: 38 games, 0.4%Nigeria: 8 games, 0.1%Netherlands: 80 games, 0.9%Montenegro: 38 games, 0.4%Mexico: 58 games, 0.6%Mali: 21 games, 0.2%Macedonia: 48 games, 0.5%Kenya: 22 games, 0.2%Japan: 1 game, 0.0%Japan: 1 game, 0.0%Japan: 1 game, 0.0%Japan: 1 game, 0.0%Japan: 1 game, 0.0%Japan: 1 game, 0.0%Japan: 1 game, 0.0%Japan: 1 game, 0.0%Jamaica: 7 games, 0.1%Italy: 89 games, 1.0%Italy: 89 games, 1.0%Italy: 89 games, 1.0%Italy: 89 games, 1.0%Ireland: 122 games, 1.3%Iran: 51 games, 0.6%India: 26 games, 0.3%India: 26 games, 0.3%India: 26 games, 0.3%India: 26 games, 0.3%Iceland: 24 games, 0.3%Hungary: 118 games, 1.3%Haiti: 42 games, 0.5%Guyana: 10 games, 0.1%Greece: 7 games, 0.1%Finland: 28 games, 0.3%Denmark: 99 games, 1.1%Denmark: 99 games, 1.1%Cyprus: 21 games, 0.2%Croatia: 151 games, 1.7%Costa Rica: 29 games, 0.3%Zaire: 12 games, 0.1%Colombia: 10 games, 0.1%Chile: 8 games, 0.1%Chile: 8 games, 0.1%Chile: 8 games, 0.1%Barbados: 17 games, 0.2%Angola: 19 games, 0.2%
  • 25% and over
  • 10-25%
  • 5-10%
  • 2-5%
  • under 2%
Games played by country of birth. Each country is shaded by its share of the minutes; the bands are fixed, so one season can be compared with another. Hover or focus a country for its figures, and read the table below for all of them. A country too small to draw at this crop is marked with a dot.
games by country of birth
countrygamesshare
England 2,511 27.6%
United States 1,194 13.1%
not recorded 1,150 12.7%
Scotland 628 6.9%
Germany 541 6.0%
Canada 490 5.4%
South Africa 250 2.8%
Serbia 219 2.4%
Argentina 197 2.2%
Brazil 191 2.1%
Croatia 151 1.7%
Ireland 122 1.3%
Hungary 118 1.3%
Wales 115 1.3%
Denmark 99 1.1%
Northern Ireland 97 1.1%
Yugoslavia 90 1.0%
Italy 89 1.0%
Netherlands 80 0.9%
Bermuda 58 0.6%
Mexico 58 0.6%
Iran 51 0.6%
Macedonia 48 0.5%
Sweden 47 0.5%
Haiti 42 0.5%
Montenegro 38 0.4%
Peru 38 0.4%
Costa Rica 29 0.3%
Finland 28 0.3%
India 26 0.3%
Slovenia 25 0.3%
Uruguay 25 0.3%
Iceland 24 0.3%
Kenya 22 0.2%
Cyprus 21 0.2%
Mali 21 0.2%
Angola 19 0.2%
Barbados 17 0.2%
Portugal 17 0.2%
Spain 17 0.2%
Zaire 12 0.1%
Turkey 11 0.1%
Colombia 10 0.1%
Guyana 10 0.1%
Chile 8 0.1%
Nigeria 8 0.1%
Greece 7 0.1%
Jamaica 7 0.1%
Trinidad and Tobago 5 0.1%
Japan 1 0.0%

No minutes are recorded here, so the shares are games played. Totals are summed from what the record holds — see the coverage note.