Soccer Bowl '79
Event | Soccer Bowl | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||
Date | September 8, 1979 | ||||||
Venue | Alan Ball | ||||||
Referee | Gino D'Ippolito (United States) | ||||||
Attendance | 50,699 | ||||||
Background
Vancouver Whitecaps
The Vancouver Whitecaps qualified for the playoffs by virtue of winning the Western Division of the National Conference with 172 points. The Whitecaps defeated the Dallas Tornado in a first round series, two games to none. The first leg was played on August 15, 1979, in Dallas. The 'Caps won the match, 3–2. The return leg was played in Vancouver on August 18, 1979, before 30,328 fans. The home side did not disappoint, delivering a series winning, 2–1, victory.
In the conference semifinal series they went up against a divisional foe that knew them well, the
In what would prove to be one of the most memorable series in NASL history, they faced the defending champion and number one seeded
The Cosmos won a shootout, 3–1, after neither team was able to break through in the 15 minutes of extra time. This tied the series at 1 game apiece, and set the stage for another 30-minute mini-game. In the mini-game each teamed thought they'd taken the lead, only to have referee Toros Kaibritjain wave off the goal. And so, after another scoreless 30 minutes, a shootout was again the order of the day. This time it however, it was Vancouver who would come out on top, 3–2, to win the National Conference title and earn a hard-fought, well-deserved spot in the Soccer Bowl.
Tampa Bay Rowdies
The Tampa Bay Rowdies' road to the finals, though not nearly as bumpy as Vancouver's, had its challenges as well. Tampa Bay qualified for the playoffs by virtue of winning the Eastern Division of the American Conference with 169 points. The Rowdies easily dispatched the Detroit Express in a first round series, two games to none. The first leg was played in the climate-controlled Pontiac Silverdome on August 15, 1979. The Rowdies won convincingly that evening, 3–0. The return leg was played at Tampa Stadium in the afternoon heat of August 19, 1979, before 27,210 fans. The Rowdies again proved to be too much for the Express, delivering a series winning, 3–1, victory.
In the conference semifinal series they went up against the upstart
Their opponent for this series was the Western Division winner,
The ensuing 30-minute mini-game had early drama as the diminutive
Results summary
Vancouver Whitecaps | Phase | Tampa Bay Rowdies | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
West division: 1st place National Conference: 3rd seed
Updated to match(es) played on September 2, 1979. Source: Overall standings
-Playoffs via division standings.
|
Regular season | East division: 1st place American Conference: 2nd seed
Updated to match(es) played on September 2, 1979. Source: Overall standings
-Playoffs via division standings.
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Opponent | Game 1 | Game 2 | Mini-game | Playoffs | Opponent | Game 1 | Game 2 | Mini-game | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Dallas Tornado | 3–2 (A) | 2–1 (H) | — | Conference Quarterfinals | Detroit Express | 3–0 (A) | 3–1 (H) | — | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Los Angeles Aztecs | 2–2 (SO: 1–2) (A) | 1–0 (H) | 1–0 (H) | Conference Semifinals | Philadelphia Fury | 2–2 (SO: 3–2) (A) | 1–0 (H) | — | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
New York Cosmos | 2–0 (H) | 2–2 (SO: 1–3) (A) | 0–0 (SO: 3–2) (A) | Conference Championships | San Diego Sockers | 1–2 (A) | 2–2 (SO: 3–0) (H) | 1–0 (H) |
Match details
Tampa Bay Rowdies | ||
---|---|---|
Whymark 13', 60' | Report | Van der Veen 23' |
Vancouver Whitecaps [9]
|
Tampa Bay Rowdies
|
|
|
1979 NASL Champions:
Soccer Bowl MVP:
Alan Ball (Vancouver)
Assistant referees: John Davies Derek Smith |
Television: ABC (Simulcast on CTV in Canada)
Announcers: Jim McKay, Paul Gardner
Statistics
Statistic | Vancouver | Tampa Bay |
---|---|---|
Goals scored | 2 | 1 |
Total shots | 13 | 10 |
Shots on target | 6 | 6 |
Saves | 5 | 4 |
Corner kicks | 7 | 8 |
Fouls | 29 | 16 |
Offsides | 1 | 4 |
Yellow cards | 0 | 5 |
Red cards | 0 | 0 |
See also
References
- ^ NASL. "NASLSoccerBowl - History - Past Winner". North American Soccer League.
- ^ NASL. "NASL 1968-1984 - Yearly Result". North American Soccer League.
- ^ "Reading Eagle - Google News Archive Search". Retrieved December 15, 2014.
- ^ "1979 NASL Conference Semifinal Highlights Philadelphia Fury v. Tampa Bay Rowdies". YouTube. Retrieved December 15, 2014.
- ^ "NASL 1979 Playoffs: Tampa Bay 1, Philadelphia 0". YouTube. Retrieved December 15, 2014.
- ^ "Lakeland Ledger - Google News Archive Search". Retrieved December 15, 2014.
- ^ "St. Petersburg Times - Google News Archive Search". Retrieved December 15, 2014.
- ^ Soccer Bowl '79 Media Guide. 1979. p. 8.
- ^ "Photograph" (JPG). Nasljerseys.com. Retrieved December 15, 2014.
- ^ Soccer Digest. May 1980. p. 24.
External links
- Highlights of the game on YouTube
- Complete match on YouTube