1978 New York Cosmos season

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 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
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Results
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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).

Overall League Placing
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Season matches

 * April 2 = New York Cosmos 7, Fort Lauredale Strikers 0 Giants Stadium 44,442
 * April 9 = New York Cosmos 1, Los Angeles Aztecs 0 Rose Bowl 23,681
 * April 16 = New York Cosmos 1, Tulsa Roughnecks 0 Giants Stadium 41,216
 * April 23 = New York Cosmos 3, Dallas Tornado 1 Giants Stadium 50,127
 * April 30 = New York Cosmos 5, Tampa Bay Rowdies 2 Tampa Stadium 41,888
 * May 7 = New York Cosmos 2, Detroit Express 0 Giants Stadium 45,321
 * May 14 = New York Cosmos 4, Colorado Caribous 3 Mile High Stadium 15,041
 * May 17 = New York Cosmos 1, Portland Timbers 1 (Portland wins in a shootout) Civic Stadium 12,484
 * May 21 = New York Cosmos 5, Seattle Sounders 1 Giants Stadium 71,219
 * May 24 = Memphis Rogues 1, New York Cosmos 0 Liberty Bell Memorial Stadium 11,222
 * May 28 = New York Cosmos 5, Rochester Lancers 1 Giants Stadium 41,305
 * June 1 = New York Cosmos 5, Toronto Metros-Croatia 1 Varsity Stadium 16,233
 * June 4 = New York Cosmos 3, Vancouver Whitecaps 2 Giants Stadium 44,675
 * June 11 = New York Cosmos 1, Philadelphia Fury 0 Giants Stadium 42,385
 * June 13 = New York cosmos 4, Minnesota Kicks 2 Metropolitan Stadium 46,370
 * June 18 = New York Cosmos 6, Washington Diplomats 1 Giants Stadium 47,700
 * June 21 = New York Cosmos 3, Colorado Caribous 1 Giants Stadium 32,476
 * June 24 = Fort Lauderdale Strikers 5, New York Cosmos 3 Lockhart Stadium Attendance 13,569
 * June 28 = New York Cosmos 2, Los Angeles Aztecs 1 Giants Stadium Attendance 42,231
 * July 2 = New York Cosmos 4, California Surf 1 Giants Stadium Attendance 42,140
 * July 5 = New England Tea Men 1, New York Cosmos 0 Foxboro Stadium Attendance 30,126
 * July 7 = New York Cosmos 2, Rochester Lancers 0 Holleder Memorial Stadium Attendance 12,504
 * July 12 = New England Tea Men 3, New York Cosmos 1 Giants Stadium Attendance 62,497
 * July 15 = New York Cosmos 3, Philadelphia Fury 0 Veterans Stadium Attendance 19,279
 * July 21 = New York Cosmos 5, Oakland Stompers 1 Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Attendance 20,704
 * July 22 = New York Cosmos 2, Seattle Sounders 1 Kingdome Attendance 36,610
 * July 26 = New York Cosmos 3, Toronto Metros-Croatia 1 Giants Stadium Attendance 50,178
 * July 30 = New York Cosmos 2, Tampa Bay Rowdies 1 Giants Stadium Attendance 60,032
 * August 2 = New York Cosmos 2, Washington Diplomats 1 Robert F. Kennedy Stadium Attendance 17,095
 * August 5 = Dallas Tornado 5, New York Cosmos 3 Ownby Stadium Attendance 11,213
 * August 9 = New York Cosmos 5, Seattle Sounders 2 Giants Stadium Attendance 47,780

Friendlies

 * Notes