1977 North American Soccer League playoffs

1977 North American Soccer League Playoffs
Country United States
Canada
Teams 12
Defending champions Toronto Metros-Croatia
Champions Cosmos
Runners-up Seattle Sounders
Matches played 17
Goals scored 54 (3.18 per match)
Top goal scorer(s) Italy Giorgio Chinaglia
(9 goals)
← 1976
1978 →

The 1977 North American Soccer League playoffs began on August 10 and ended on August 28 with Soccer Bowl '77 at Civic Stadium in Portland, Oregon. 12 out of 18 teams qualified after a 26-match regular season, six from each conference.

Playoff format

The top three teams in each division would quality for the playoffs, similar to the 1976 playoffs.[1] The first round and the Soccer Bowl were single games, but the division championships and conference championships were two-game series. If teams were tied at one win apiece at the conclusion of Game 2, there would be a 30-minute sudden death mini-game and a shootout if necessary.[2]

Playoff seeds

Atlantic Conference

Eastern Division

  1. Fort Lauderdale Strikers – Eastern Division champions, 161 points
  2. Cosmos – 140 points
  3. Tampa Bay Rowdies – 131 points

Northern Division

  1. Toronto Metros-Croatia – Northern Division champions, 111 points
  2. St. Louis Stars – 104 points
  3. Rochester Lancers – 99 points

Pacific Conference

Southern Division

  1. Dallas Tornado – Southern Division champions, 161 points
  2. Los Angeles Aztecs – 147 points
  3. San Jose Earthquakes – 119 points

Western Division

  1. Minnesota Kicks – Western Division champions, 137 points
  2. Vancouver Whitecaps – 124 points
  3. Seattle Sounders – 119 points

Bracket

  First Round Division Championships Conference Championships Soccer Bowl '77
                                     
Cosmos 3  
Tampa Bay Rowdies 0  
  Fort Lauderdale Strikers 3 2(0) –  
  Cosmos 8 3(3) –  
  Cosmos 2 4 –  
  Rochester Lancers 1 1 –  
St. Louis Stars 0(2)  
Rochester Lancers 1(4)  
  Toronto Metros-Croatia 0(2) 0 –
  Rochester Lancers 1(3) 1 –  
 
  Cosmos 2
  Seattle Sounders 1
Los Angeles Aztecs 2  
San Jose Earthquakes 1  
  Dallas Tornado 1 1 –
  Los Angeles Aztecs 3 5 –  
 
  Los Angeles Aztecs 1 0 –
  Seattle Sounders 3 1 –  
Vancouver Whitecaps 0  
Seattle Sounders 2  
  Minnesota Kicks 1 0 –
  Seattle Sounders 2 1 –  
 

First round

Atlantic Conference

(E2) Cosmos vs. (E3) Tampa Bay Rowdies

Cosmos 3–0 Tampa Bay Rowdies
Pelé  58:16' (Hunt)
Chinaglia  70:24' (Hunt, Field)
Pelé  89:51' (Hunt, Chinaglia)
Attendance: 57,828

(N2) St. Louis Stars vs. (N3) Rochester Lancers

Pacific Conference

(S2) Los Angeles Aztecs vs. (S3) San Jose Earthquakes

Los Angeles Aztecs 2–1(OT) San Jose Earthquakes
Best  85:06'
Mihailovich  92:28' 		Mitic  60:57'
Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles
Attendance: 4,038

(W2) Vancouver Whitecaps vs. (W3) Seattle Sounders

Vancouver Whitecaps 0–2 Seattle Sounders
Machin  18:17' (Ord)
Ord  83:34' (Robertson)
Attendance: 21,925

Division Finals

Atlantic Conference

(E1) Fort Lauderdale Strikers vs. (E2) Cosmos

Cosmos 8–3 Fort Lauderdale Strikers
Hunt  1:37' (Chinaglia)
Beckenbauer  11:37' (Hunt, Field)
Chinaglia  16:19' (Beckenbauer)
Hunt  25:14'
Field  55:29' (Alberto, Roth)
Chinaglia  56:23' (Alberto)
Chinaglia  62:29' (Field)
Etherington  67:49' (Morais)		 Whittle  17:25'
Piper  63:06' (Aguirre)
Whittle  68:17'
Attendance: 77,691
Fort Lauderdale Strikers 2–3(SO) Cosmos
Irving  12:45' (Hudson)
Whittle  62:15'		 Pelé  61:09'
Chinaglia  84:17' (Alberto)
Penalties
Piper
Nanchoff
Proctor 		0-3 Hunt
Sono
Mifflin
Garbett
Attendance: 14,152

Cosmos win series 2-0

(N1) Toronto Metros-Croatia vs. (N3) Rochester Lancers

Rochester Lancers 1–0(SO)
(3-2)		 Toronto Metros-Croatia
Attendance: 10,556
Toronto Metros-Croatia 0–1 Rochester Lancers
Bilecki Red card 78:35' report Costa Red card 19:32'
Fazlić Red card 43:56'
Silva  78:35'
Attendance: 8,362
Referee: John Davies (England)

Rochester wins series 2-0

Pacific Conference

(S1) Dallas Tornado vs. (S2) Los Angeles Aztecs

Los Angeles Aztecs 2–1 Dallas Tornado
Mihailovich  23:12' (Best)
Cohen  77:05' (Mihailovich)		 Pecher  43:24' (Ryan)
Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles
Attendance: 5,295
Dallas Tornado 1–5 Los Angeles Aztecs
O'Hare  72:13' Cohen  40:30' (Best)
Best  66:55' (Mihailovich)
Rys  78:04'
Backos  80:46'
Cooke  81:33' (Best)
Attendance: 18,489

Los Angeles wins series 2-0

(W1) Minnesota Kicks vs. (W3) Seattle Sounders

Minnesota Kicks 1–2(OT) Seattle Sounders
Futcher  81:31' (Price, West) Ord  86:24' (Butler)
Butler  90:21'
Attendance: 35,889
Seattle Sounders 1-0 Minnesota Kicks
Ord  58:28' (pen.)
Attendance: 42,091

Seattle wins series 2-0

Conference Finals

Atlantic Conference

(E2) Cosmos vs. (N3) Rochester Lancers

Rochester Lancers 1–2 Cosmos
Stojanovic  16:50' (Costa, Escos) Chinaglia  39:50' (Pelé, Field)
Hunt  42:45' (Pelé)
Attendance: 20,005
Cosmos 4–1 Rochester Lancers
Chinaglia  16:05' (Hunt)
Chinaglia  22:59' (Hunt)
Dimitrijevic  47:33' (Pelé)
Pelé  59:11'		 Silva  53:41' (Pedro)
Attendance: 73,669

Cosmos win series 2-0

Pacific Conference

(S2) Los Angeles Aztecs vs. (W3) Seattle Sounders

Los Angeles Aztecs 1–3 Seattle Sounders
McAlinden  15:33' (Cooke) Robertson  38:45'
Buttle  62:47' (McAlister)
Cave  66:23' (Robertson)
Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles
Attendance: 9,115
Seattle Sounders 1–0 Los Angeles Aztecs
Scott  13:29' (Robertson)
Attendance: 56,256

Seattle wins series 2-0

Soccer Bowl '77

Cosmos 2–1 Seattle Sounders
Hunt  19:05'
Chinaglia  77:19' (Hunt)		 Ord  23:13' (Cave)
Attendance: 35,548
Referee: Toros Kibritjan (USA)

References

  1. ↑ "NASL Makes Changes In Schedule, Playoff". Evening Independent. October 15, 1976. p. 5-C. Retrieved 2015-04-08.
  2. ↑ Saunders, Jack (August 17, 1977). "Some NASL Playoff Victories Worth More". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. p. 5C. Retrieved 2015-04-08.

Henderson, Jim (1978). Volkswagen 1978 Pro Soccer Guide. Tampa, Florida: Snibbe Publications.

1979 Official North American Soccer League Guide. New York: North American Soccer League. 1979.

Jose, Colin (1989). NASL: A Complete Record of the North American Soccer League. Derby, England: Breedon Books.

Jose, Colin (2003). North American Soccer League Encyclopedia. Haworth, New Jersey: St. Johann Press.

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