Draft:1979 North American Soccer League playoffs
| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Country | United States Canada |
| Teams | 16 |
| Defending champions | New York Cosmos |
| Final positions | |
| Champions | Vancouver Whitecaps (1st title) |
| Runner-up | Tampa Bay Rowdies |
| Tournament statistics | |
| Matches played | 29[a] |
| Playoff MVP |  Alan Ball |
Qualified teams[edit]
American Conference[edit]
Updated to match(es) played on September 2, 1979. Source: Overall standings
Updated to match(es) played on September 2, 1979. Source: Overall standings
Updated to match(es) played on September 2, 1979. Source: Overall standings
Updated to match(es) played on September 2, 1979. Source: Overall standings
|
National Conference[edit]
Updated to match(es) played on September 2, 1979. Source: Overall standings
Updated to match(es) played on September 2, 1979. Source: Overall standings
Updated to match(es) played on September 2, 1979. Source: Overall standings
Updated to match(es) played on September 2, 1979. Source: Overall standings
|
Playoff seeds[edit]
In the first round, home advantage was allocated to the higher seeded team. In all subsequent rounds, teams were reseeded based on their regular season record, regardless of their initial seed based primarily off a team's division finish. The final was played at a pre-selected neutral venue, and any home advantage that could have occurred would have been coincidental.
|
American Conference
|
National Conference
|
Bracket[edit]
Team in italics hosted the second match in the series, and the tiebreaking mini-game if it was necessary.
| First Round | Conference Semifinals | Conference Championships | Soccer Bowl '79 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| A1 | Houston Hurricane | 1 | 1 | – | |||||||||||||||||||||
| A8 | Philadelphia Fury | 2 | 2 | – | |||||||||||||||||||||
| A2 | Tampa Bay Rowdies | 3(2) | 1 | – | |||||||||||||||||||||
| A8 | Philadelphia Fury | 2(0) | 0 | – | |||||||||||||||||||||
| A4 | Fort Lauderdale Strikers | 0 | 0 | – | |||||||||||||||||||||
| A5 | Chicago Sting | 2 | 1 | – | |||||||||||||||||||||
| A2 | Tampa Bay Rowdies | 1 | 3(3) | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| American Conference | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| A3 | San Diego Sockers | 2 | 2(0) | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| A2 | Tampa Bay Rowdies | 3 | 3 | – | |||||||||||||||||||||
| A7 | Detroit Express | 0 | 1 | – | |||||||||||||||||||||
| A5 | Chicago Sting | 0 | 0 | – | |||||||||||||||||||||
| A3 | San Diego Sockers | 2 | 1 | – | |||||||||||||||||||||
| A3 | San Diego Sockers | 4 | 7 | – | |||||||||||||||||||||
| A6 | California Surf | 2 | 2 | – | |||||||||||||||||||||
| A2 | Tampa Bay Rowdies | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| N3 | Vancouver Whitecaps | 2 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| N1 | New York Cosmos | 3 | 2 | – | |||||||||||||||||||||
| N8 | Toronto Blizzard | 1 | 0 | – | |||||||||||||||||||||
| N1 | New York Cosmos | 0 | 3 | 3 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| N7 | Tulsa Roughnecks | 3 | 0 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| N4 | Washington Diplomats | 1 | 3 | – | |||||||||||||||||||||
| N5 | Los Angeles Aztecs | 3 | 4 | – | |||||||||||||||||||||
| N1 | New York Cosmos | 0 | 3(3) | 0(2) | |||||||||||||||||||||
| National Conference | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| N3 | Vancouver Whitecaps | 2 | 2(1) | 1(3) | |||||||||||||||||||||
| N2 | Minnesota Kicks | 1 | 1 | – | |||||||||||||||||||||
| N7 | Tulsa Roughnecks | 2 | 2 | – | |||||||||||||||||||||
| N3 | Vancouver Whitecaps | 2(1) | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| N5 | Los Angeles Aztecs | 3(2) | 0 | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| N3 | Vancouver Whitecaps | 3 | 2 | – | |||||||||||||||||||||
| N6 | Dallas Tornado | 2 | 1 | – | |||||||||||||||||||||
First Round[edit]
American Conference[edit]
(1) Houston vs. (8) Philadelphia[edit]
(2) Tampa Bay vs. (7) Detroit[edit]
(3) San Diego vs. (6) California[edit]
(4) Fort Lauderdale vs. (5) Chicago[edit]
National Conference[edit]
(1) New York vs. (8) Toronto[edit]
(2) Minnesota vs. (7) Tulsa[edit]
(3) Vancouver vs. (6) Dallas[edit]
(4) Washington vs. (5) Los Angeles[edit]
Conference Semifinals[edit]
American Conference[edit]
(2) Tampa Bay vs. (8) Philadelphia[edit]
(5) Chicago vs. (4) San Diego[edit]
Note: Despite having the lower seed, Chicago was given home advantage as they had a better regular season record (159 points) than San Diego (140 points).
San Diego won the series 2 games to 0.
National Conference[edit]
(1) New York vs. (7) Tulsa[edit]
(3) Vancouver vs. (5) Los Angeles[edit]
Mini-game
| Vancouver Whitecaps | 1–0 | Los Angeles Aztecs |
|---|---|---|
|
[Report[2]] |
Empire Stadium, Vancouver, British Columbia
Attendance: 32,375
Series tied 1–1, Vancouver won tiebreaking mini-game.
Conference Championships[edit]
American Conference[edit]
(2) Tampa Bay vs. (3) San Diego[edit]
Mini-game
| Tampa Bay Rowdies | 1–0 | San Diego Sockers |
|---|---|---|
Tampa Stadium, Tampa, Florida
Attendance: 38,766
Series tied 1–1, Tampa Bay won tiebreaking mini-game.
National Conference[edit]
(1) New York vs. (3) Vancouver[edit]
Game 2
| New York Cosmos | 3–2 (SO) | Vancouver Whitecaps |
|---|---|---|
|
Report | |
| Penalties | ||
| 3–1 | ||
Attendance: 44,109
Mini-game
| New York Cosmos | 0–1 (SO) | Vancouver Whitecaps |
|---|---|---|
| Report | ||
| Penalties | ||
| 2–3 | ||
Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey
Attendance: 44,109
Series tied 1–1, Vancouver won tiebreaking mini-game.
Soccer Bowl '79[edit]
Notes[edit]
- ^ Does not include tiebreaking mini-games.
References[edit]
- ^ "NASL sets playoff matchups". Edmonton Journal. August 13, 1979. p. D3. Retrieved 2013-07-31.
- ^ Stinson, Dan (27 August 1979). "Whitecaps' journey finds them sitting pretty". Vancouver Sun. p. C1 (23).
- ^ Soccer Bowl '79 Media Guide. 1979. p. 8.
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