Soccer Bowl '77
 Civic Stadium was the venue for Soccer Bowl '77 | |||||||
| Event | Soccer Bowl | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||
| Date | August 28, 1977 | ||||||
| Venue | Stephen Hunt | ||||||
| Referee | Toros Kibritjan (United States) | ||||||
| Attendance | 35,548 | ||||||
Civic Stadium, in Portland, Oregon.
The game was also noteworthy as the final competitive match for Pelé, the Brazilian star widely acknowledged as the sport's greatest player.[1][2][3][4] The Cosmos won the match, 2–1, to claim their second North American championship. The match was broadcast on TVS.
Venue
Civic Stadium (now called Providence Park) in Portland, Oregon, was selected as the host of Soccer Bowl '77 by the NASL on October 15, 1976.[5][6] It was initially scheduled for August 27, but was moved a day later.[7]
Road to the final
New York Cosmos
The Cosmos qualified for the playoffs by virtue of a second-place finish in the
Rochester Lancers, who had already dispatched two higher seeded opponents. Game 1 of the series was played on August 21, 1977 in Rochester, and saw the Cosmos win a close-fought contest, 2–1. The second leg was played before another large Meadowlands
crowd of 73,669 on August 24, 1977. In that game, as with the two previous home playoff games, the Cosmos proved to be a decisive winner, 4–1. By winning the series two games to none, the Cosmos won the Atlantic Conference title and advanced to the Soccer Bowl.
Seattle Sounders
The Seattle Sounders qualified for the playoffs by virtue of a third-place finish in the
Vancouver Whitecaps in a first round single-match, 2–0, on August 10, 1977. They then faced the Western Division winner, Minnesota Kicks in a best-of three-series. The first game of the series, which was played on August 14, 1977, saw the Sounders edge ahead, 2–1, on a sudden death goal in overtime. In the second leg, the Sounders hung on for a 1–0 win on August 17, 1977. The two victories advanced them to the conference finals. In the Pacific Conference finals series, the Sounders went up against the Los Angeles Aztecs, who themselves had just upset Dallas, the number one seed in the conference. Game 1 of the series was played on August 21, 1977 in Los Angeles, and the Sounders won, 3–1. The second leg was played before an impressive Kingdome
crowd of 56,256 on August 25, 1977. In that game, the Sounders gutted out a 1–0 result. In doing so, they won the series two games to none, and the Pacific Conference title to advance to the Soccer Bowl.
Match details
Seattle Sounders | ||
|---|---|---|
 78' |
Report | Ord 24' |
Portland
Attendance: 35,548
Referee: Toros Kibritjan (United States
)        New York Cosmos
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     Seattle Sounders
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Soccer Bowl MVP:
Steve Hunt (Cosmos)
Assistant referees:  John Davies[8]
Bob Morgan
|
Television:
Walt Chyzowych
- Notes
- ^ The team had shortened its name from "New York Cosmos" to "Cosmos" at the beginning of the season. It lasted until 1979.
Match statistics
| Statistic | Cosmos | Seattle |
|---|---|---|
| Goals scored | 1 | 1 |
| Total shots | 16 | 13 |
| Shots on target | 9 | 6 |
| Saves | 5 | 8 |
| Corner kicks | 8 | 2 |
| Fouls | x | x |
| Offsides | x | x |
| Yellow cards | 0 | 1 |
| Red cards | 0 | 0 |
| Statistic | Cosmos | Seattle |
|---|---|---|
| Goals scored | 1 | 0 |
| Total shots | 13 | 13 |
| Shots on target | 1 | 6 |
| Saves | 6 | 0 |
| Corner kicks | 5 | 3 |
| Fouls | x | x |
| Offsides | x | x |
| Yellow cards | 3 | 0 |
| Red cards | 0 | 0 |
| Statistic | Cosmos | Seattle |
|---|---|---|
| Goals scored | 2 | 1 |
| Total shots | 29 | 26 |
| Shots on target | 10 | 12 |
| Saves | 11 | 8 |
| Corner kicks | 13 | 6 |
| Fouls | 11 | 14 |
| Offsides | 1 | 2 |
| Yellow cards | 3 | 1 |
| Red cards | 0 | 0 |
See also
References
- ^ Pele: The greatest of them all FIFA.com
- ^ Pele tops World Cup legends poll BBC News. Retrieved 12 June 2010
- ^ "Pelé "The King" to be crowned in Monte Carlo at 10th edition of the "Golden Foot" Awards". GoldenFoot. Retrieved November 19, 2012.
- ^ "IFFHS' Century Elections". Rsssf.com. January 30, 2000. Retrieved November 19, 2012.
- ^ "Portland approved as Soccer Bowl site". The Oregonian. October 16, 1976. p. C3.
- ^ Mulflur, Bill (October 27, 1976). "'77 Soccer Bowl 'Tribute To City'". The Oregon Journal. p. 17.
- ^ "Commissioner bemoans choice of '77 bowl site". The Oregonian. July 23, 1977. p. C1.
- ^ "NASL Soccer Bowl 77 (Cosmos vs. Sounders)". YouTube. Retrieved January 24, 2017.
- ^ TVS Broadcast footage
- ^ "NASL Soccer Bowl 77 (Cosmos vs. Sounders)". YouTube.
- ^ Subtracted final stats from TVS halftime stats
- ^ "Cosmos knock off Sounders 2-1 in '77 Soccer Bowl III". Horse Racing and Seattle Sports. August 28, 2012. Retrieved December 20, 2015.
External links
- Complete match on YouTube
- Highlights of game on YouTube