1976 North American Soccer League season explained

Competition:North American Soccer League 1976 season
Season:1976
Num Teams:20
Matches:240
League Topscorer:Derek Smethurst
(20 goals)
Total Goals:760
Highest Attendance:58,218 (NY @ Seattle)
Lowest Attendance:531 (Chicago @ Boston)
Average Attendance:10,295
Nextseason:1977

Statistics of North American Soccer League in season 1976. This was the 9th season of the NASL.

Overview

The league's twenty teams were divided into two conferences (Atlantic or Pacific), playing a total of 240 matches. Each team's 24 matches were divided between a round-robin with other teams in the same conference and six matches against different teams in the other conference. Points were awarded for wins (six) and each goal (up to three) regardless of results; ties in regulation were decided by 15 minutes of sudden death overtime followed by a penalty shootout from 35yd. The playoffs were expanded from eight to twelve teams with automatic berths for the top two teams in each of the four divisions and two wild card slots per conference for the remaining best finishing teams.[1]

The Toronto Metros-Croatia defeated the Minnesota Kicks in the Soccer Bowl on August 28 to win the championship. The match was hosted at the Kingdome in Seattle, the new home of the Seattle Sounders. The Tampa Bay Rowdies finished the regular season with the best record, giving them consecutive titles in three different domestic NASL competitions. Though not in a calendar year, within 12 months they won the Soccer Bowl in August 1975, the NASL indoor cup in March 1976, and the regular season shield or premiership in August 1976. Since NASL teams at that time did not participate in the U.S. Open Cup, this would be the closest one would ever come to achieving any sort of a North American treble.

Changes from the previous season

New teams

Teams folding

Teams moving

Name changes

Map of clubs

Regular season

Pld = Played, W = Wins, L = Losses, GF = Goals For, GA = Goals Against, GD = Goal Differential, BP = Bonus Points, Pts= total points

6 points for a win,1 point for a shootout win,0 points for a loss,1 point for each regulation goal scored up to three per game.

-Premiers (most points). -Other playoff teams.

Pacific Conference

NASL All-Stars

First Team[2]   Position   Second Team Honorable Mention[3]
Arnie Mausser, Tampa Bayalign=center GEric Martin, WashingtonPaolo Cimpiel, Toronto
Keith Eddy, New Yorkalign=center DStewart Jump, Tampa BayDave Gillett, Seattle
Bobby Moore, San Antonioalign=center DGeorge Ley, DallasFrank Spraggon, Minnesota
Tommy Smith, Tampa Bayalign=center DRon Webster, MinnesotaJim Holton, Miami
Mike England, Seattlealign=center DBob Smith, PhiladelphiaBruce Wilson, Vancouver
Rodney Marsh, Tampa Bayalign=center MAlan West, MinnesotaDave Clements, New York
Ramón Mifflin, New Yorkalign=center MBobby Hope, DallasWolfgang Sühnholz, Toronto
António Simões, San Josealign=center MAl Trost, St. LouisCharlie Cooke, Los Angeles
Pelé, New Yorkalign=center FDerek Smethurst, Tampa BayJimmy Robertson, Seattle
George Best, Los Angelesalign=center FJeff Bourne, DallasMark Liveric, San Jose
Giorgio Chinaglia, New Yorkalign=center FStewart Scullion, Tampa BayTommy Ord, Vancouver

Playoffs

All playoff games in all rounds including Soccer Bowl '76 were single game elimination match ups.

First round

August 17Washington Diplomats0–2width=24%New York CosmosShea Stadium • Att. 22,698[4]
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August 18Los Angeles Aztecs0–2width=24%Dallas TornadoOwnby Stadium • Att. 9,413
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August 18Vancouver Whitecaps0–1width=24%Seattle SoundersKingdome • Att. 30,406
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August 18Rochester Lancers1–2width=24%Toronto Metros-CroatiaVarsity Stadium • Att. 6,852
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Conference semifinals

August 20Toronto Metros-Croatia3–2 (PK, 3–1)width=24%Chicago StingSoldier Field • Att. 8,150
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August 20New York Cosmos1–3width=24%Tampa Bay RowdiesTampa Stadium • Att. 36,863
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August 20Dallas Tornado0–2width=24%San Jose EarthquakesSpartan Stadium • Att. 15,135
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August 21Seattle Sounders0–3width=24%Minnesota KicksMetropolitan Stadium • Att. 41,405
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Conference Championships

August 24Toronto Metros-Croatia2–0width=24%Tampa Bay RowdiesTampa Stadium • Att. 28,046
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August 25San Jose Earthquakes1–3width=24%Minnesota KicksMetropolitan Stadium • Att. 49,572
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Soccer Bowl '76

See main article: Soccer Bowl '76.

1976 NASL Champions: Toronto Metros-Croatia

Post season awards

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: Holt . Gordy . April 25, 1976 . There's a New Look in the NASL . F4 . Seattle Post-Intelligencer.
  2. Web site: St. Petersburg Times - Google News Archive Search. 2014-01-23.
  3. Web site: Mid Cities Daily News - Google News Archive Search. 2014-01-23.
  4. Web site: History of Shea Stadium | mets.com: Ballpark . Newyork.mets.mlb.com . 2014-01-13.
  5. Web site: The Palm Beach Post - Google News Archive Search. 2014-01-23.
  6. Web site: The Montreal Gazette - Google News Archive Search. 2014-01-23.