1978 New York Cosmos season

Cosmos
1978 season
Manager	Eddie Firmani[1]
Stadium	Giants Stadium
NASL	Division: 1st; Overall: 1st; Playoffs: Champions
National; Challenge Cup	Did not enter
CONCACAF; Champions' Cup	Did not enter
Top goalscorer	League: Giorgio Chinaglia (34? goals); All: Giorgio Chinaglia (goals)
Highest home attendance	74,901; vs. TB (August 27)
Lowest home attendance	26,325; vs. BJR (September 9)
Average home league attendance	47,856[2]
Home colors	Away colors

The 1978 New York Cosmos season was the eighth season for the Cosmos in the now-defunct North American Soccer League. It was also the second and final year in which "New York" was dropped from their name. The double-winning club set records for most wins and points in an NASL season, thanks to their 24-6 regular-season mark (shared with the Vancouver Whitecaps) and 212 points, securing their second premiership on the way to their third championship. They beat the Fort Lauderdale Strikers 7-0 on opening day^[3] and never looked back, scoring 88 times while losing just three games in regulation. Giorgio Chinaglia scored 34 goals and 79 points, setting league records in the process. In Soccer Bowl '78, the Cosmos defeated the Tampa Bay Rowdies in front of 74,901 fans at Giants Stadium, still to this day a record for attendance at a North American championship soccer game.

Squad

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No.	Position	Player
0	GK	Jack Brand
1	GK	Erol Yasin
2	DF	Bobby Smith (soccer)
3	MF	Nelsi Morais
4	DF	Werner Roth
5	DF	Carlos Alberto
6	DF	Franz Beckenbauer
7	FW	Dennis Tueart
8	MF	Vladislav Bogićević
9	FW	Giorgio Chinaglia
11	FW	Steve Hunt
12	FW	Seninho
14	MF	Terry Garbett

No.	Position	Player
15	MF	Vito Dimitrijević
16	FW	Tony Donlic
17	MF	Rick Davis
18	FW	Fred Grgurev
19	DF	Robert Iarusci
20	GK	David Brcic
21	FW	Gary Etherington
22	MF	Jim Millinder
23	DF	Giuseppe Wilson
24	DF	Garry Ayre
25	DF	Santiago Formoso
26	FW	Ron Atanasio
27	FW	Joe Filian

Source:^[4]

Results

Source:^[5]

Friendlies

Source:^[6]

Date	Opponent	Venue	Result	Attendance	Scorers
Mar 5, 1978	Bermuda national team	A	4-1	7,000	Grgurev, Chinaglia (2), Tueart
May 31, 1978	Atlético Madrid	A	1-3	40,000	n/a
August 30, 1978	World All-Stars	H	2-2	50,757	Seninho, Chinaglia
September 4, 1978	Atlético Madrid	H	1-3	35,140	n/a
September 9, 1978	Boca Juniors	H	2-2	23,000	Chinaglia (2)
September 12, 1978	Bayern Munich	A	1–7	60,000	Chinaglia
September 14, 1978	Brescia	A	2–1	30,000	n/a
September 19, 1978	VfB Stuttgart	A	1–6	55,000	Chinaglia
September 21, 1978	Freiburger	A	0–2	18,000	n/a
September 26, 1978	Chelsea	A	1–1	39,659	Tueart
October 1, 1978	Atlético Madrid	A	3–2	45,000	Seninho, Chinaglia, Bogicevic
November 1, 1978	Barcelona (Ecu)	A	1–1	50,000	Chinaglia
November 7, 1978	Belgrano (C)	A	1–1	n/a	Chinaglia
November 13, 1978	Independiente Rivadavia	A	2–1	n/a	Beckenbauer
November 16, 1978	Boca Juniors	A	2–4	35,000	Chinaglia, Seninho
November 22, 1978	Vila Nova	A	3–2	25,000	n/a

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).

National Eastern Division Standings

Pos	Club	Pld	W	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
1	Cosmos	30	24	6	88	39	+49	212
2	Washington Diplomats	30	16	14	55	47	+8	145
3	Toronto Metros-Croatia	30	16	14	58	47	+11	144
4	Rochester Lancers	30	14	16	47	52	-5	131

Overall League Placing

Pos	Club	Pld	W	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
1	Cosmos	30	24	6	88	39	+49	212
2	Vancouver Whitecaps	30	24	6	68	29	+39	199
3	Detroit Express	30	20	10	68	36	+32	176
4	Portland Timbers	30	20	10	50	36	+14	167
5	New England Tea Men	30	19	11	62	39	+23	165