1976 New York Cosmos season
The 1976 New York Cosmos season was the sixth season for the New York Cosmos in the now-defunct North American Soccer League. In the Cosmos' sixth year of existence the club finished second only to the Tampa Bay Rowdies in both the five-team Eastern Division and the 20-team league. The Cosmos returned to the playoffs for the first time in two years, but were eliminated in the conference semifinals by the rival Rowdies. 1976 marked the first year for Giorgio Chinaglia with the club; Chinaglia would go on to become the all-time leading scorer in both Cosmos and NASL history.
1976 season | |||
---|---|---|---|
Manager | (Until June 28) (After June 28) | ||
Stadium | Yankee Stadium | ||
NASL | Division: 2nd Overall: 2nd Playoffs: Conf. Semifinals | ||
National Challenge Cup | Did not enter | ||
Top goalscorer | League: All: | ||
Highest home attendance | 28,536 vs. CHI (May 2) | ||
Lowest home attendance | 6,917 vs. ROC (June 30) | ||
Average home league attendance | 18,227[2] | ||
| |||
Squad
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
|
|
Source:[3]
Results
Source:[4]
Friendlies
Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
May 29, 1976 | San Diego Jaws | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
June 3, 1976 | Violette A.C. | A | 1-2 | N/A | N/A |
June 16, 1976 | Honduras | H | 4-1 | N/A | Tinion, Pelé, N/A |
July 4, 1976 | Italian Army | H | 1-3 | N/A | N/A |
July 7, 1976 | Puerto Rico | H | 4-1 | N/A | Tinnion, Eddy, Mifflin, N/A |
September 1, 1976 | Dallas Tornado | N | 2-2 | 14,000 | Chinaglia (2) |
September 5, 1976 | Dallas Tornado | N | 2-1 | N/A | Roth, Mifflin |
September 6, 1976 | Dallas Tornado | N | 3-2 | 24,000 | N/A |
September 8, 1976 | Canada | A | 1-1 | 14,826 | Chinaglia |
September 10, 1976 | Canada | A | 3-1 | 14,366 | Chinaglia |
September 14, 1976 | PSG | A | 3-1 | 20,000 | N/A |
September 16, 1976 | Royal Antwerp | A | 3-1 | 25,000 | Pelé |
September 24, 1976 | West Japan All-Stars | A | 0-0 | N/A | N/A |
September 25, 1976 | East Japan All-Stars | A | 2-2 | N/A | N/A |
Preseason
Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
March 21, 1976 | San Diego Jaws | A | 1-1 | N/A | N/A |
March 28, 1976 | Dallas Tornado | A | 0-1 | 20,214 | N/A |
March 31, 1976 | San Antonio Thunder | A | 1-0 | 20,000 | |
April 4, 1976 | Los Angeles Aztecs | N | 0-0 | 15,000 | |
April 7, 1976 | Honda F.C. | N | 5-0 | N/A | N/A |
April 8, 1976 | Honda F.C. | N | 5-0 | 21,705 | N/A |
April 9, 1976 | Seattle Sounders | A | 1-2 | 58,125 | Pelé, Clements |
April 11, 1976 | Los Angeles Aztecs | A | 0-1 | 29,232 | Pelé |
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).
Eastern Division Standings
Pos | Club | Pld | W | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Tampa Bay Rowdies | 24 | 18 | 6 | 58 | 30 | +28 | 154 |
2 | New York Cosmos | 24 | 16 | 8 | 65 | 34 | +31 | 148 |
3 | Washington Diplomats | 24 | 14 | 10 | 46 | 38 | +8 | 126 |
4 | Philadelphia Atoms | 24 | 8 | 16 | 32 | 49 | -17 | 80 |
5 | Miami Toros | 24 | 6 | 18 | 29 | 58 | -29 | 63 |
Overall League Placing
Pos | Club | Pld | W | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Tampa Bay Rowdies | 24 | 18 | 6 | 58 | 30 | +28 | 154 |
2 | New York Cosmos | 24 | 16 | 8 | 65 | 34 | +31 | 148 |
3 | Minnesota Kicks | 24 | 15 | 9 | 54 | 33 | +21 | 138 |
4 | Chicago Sting | 24 | 15 | 9 | 52 | 32 | +20 | 132 |
5 | Washington Diplomats | 24 | 14 | 10 | 46 | 38 | +8 | 126 |
Source:[5]
Matches
Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
April 18, 1976 | Miami Toros | A | 0-1 | 9,457 | Clements |
May 2, 1976 | Chicago Sting | H | 1-2 | 28,536 | Pelé |
May 5, 1976 | Connecticut Bicentennials | H | 3-1 | 8,439 | Pelé, Tinnion, Eddy |
May 8, 1976 | Philadelphia Atoms | H | 1-2 | 14,287 | Pelé |
May 15, 1976 | Connecticut Bicentennials | A | 0-3 | 8,933 | Field (2), Tinnion |
May 17, 1976 | Los Angeles Aztecs | H | 6-0 | 24,292 | Eddy (2), Chinaglia (2), Pelé (2) |
May 19, 1976 | Boston Minutemen | A | 1-2 | 7,367 | Chinaglia (2) |
June 6, 1976 | Tampa Bay Rowdies | A | 5-1 | 42,611 | Field |
June 9, 1976 | Minnesota Kicks | A | 1-2 | 46,164 | Chinaglia, Field |
June 12, 1976 | Portland Timbers | A | 0-3 | 32,247 | Chinaglia (2), Eddy |
June 16, 1976 | Boston Minutemen | H | 2-2 (SOL) | 15,101 | N/A |
June 18, 1976 | Toronto Metros-Croatia | H | 3-0 | 18,612 | Tinion, Chinaglia, Clements |
June 23, 1976 | Chicago Sting | A | 4-1 | 28,000 | Tinnion |
June 27, 1976 | Washington Diplomats | A | 3-2 | 11,004 | Tinnion, Pelé |
June 30, 1976 | Rochester Lancers | H | 2-0 | 6,917 | Field (2) |
July 2, 1976 | St. Louis Stars | H | 3-1 | 10,123 | Mifflin (2), Eddy |
July 7, 1976 | Toronto Metros-Croatia | A | 0-3 | 12,123 | N/A |
July 10, 1976 | Philadelphia Atoms | A | 1-2 | 25,311 | Pelé, Garbett |
July 14, 1976 | Tampa Bay Rowdies | H | 5-4 | 27,892 | Eddy, Mifflin, Field, Pelé (2) |
July 18, 1976 | Washington Diplomats | H | 5-0 | 27,398 | Mifflin, Chinaglia (2), Pelé, Tinnion |
July 23, 1976 | Rochester Lancers | A | 2-1 | 5,728 | Chinaglia |
July 28, 1976 | Dallas Tornado | H | 4-0 | 19,119 | Chinaglia (3), Mifflin |
August 7, 1976 | San Jose Earthquakes | A | 2-1 | 23,048 | Eddy |
August 10, 1976 | Miami Toros | H | 8-2 | 18,103 | Dillon, Chinaglia (5), Pelé (2) |
First round
August 17 | Washington Diplomats | 0–2 | New York Cosmos | New York City, Shea Stadium |
August 18 | Los Angeles Aztecs | 0–2 | Dallas Tornado | Irving, Texas Stadium |
August 18 | Vancouver Whitecaps | 0–1 | Seattle Sounders | Seattle, Kingdome |
August 18 | Rochester Lancers | 1–2 | Toronto Metros-Croatia | Toronto, Varsity Stadium |
Conference semifinals
August 20 | Toronto Metros-Croatia | 3–2 | Chicago Sting | Chicago, Soldier Field |
August 20 | New York Cosmos | 1–3 | Tampa Bay Rowdies | Tampa, Tampa Stadium |
August 20 | Dallas Tornado | 0–2 | San Jose Earthquakes | San Jose, Spartan Stadium |
August 21 | Seattle Sounders | 0–3 | Minnesota Kicks | Bloomington (MN), Metropolitan Stadium |
Conference Championships
August 24 | Toronto Metros-Croatia | 2–0 | Tampa Bay Rowdies | Tampa, Tampa Stadium |
August 25 | San Jose Earthquakes | 1–3 | Minnesota Kicks | Bloomington (MN), Metropolitan Stadium |
Soccer Bowl '76
August 28 | Toronto Metros-Croatia | 2–0 | Minnesota Kicks | Seattle, Kingdome |
Matches
Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
August 17, 1976 | Washington Diplomats | H | 2-0 | 22,698 | Garbett, Pelé |
August 20, 1976 | Tampa Bay Rowdies | A | 3-1 | 36,863 | Pelé |
References
- https://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/01/sports/soccer/01bradley.html?_r=1
- http://www.rsssf.com/usadave/nasl.html
- http://nasljerseys.com/Rosters/Cosmos_Rosters.htm
- http://soccerstats.us/teams/new-york-cosmos/1976/
- "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2015-01-07. Retrieved 2013-02-23.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)