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 . 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.
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 None
Teams folding None
Teams moving Baltimore Comets to San Diego Jaws Denver Dynamos to Minnesota Kicks
Name changes None
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.
Atlantic Conference
Pacific Conference
NASL All-Stars
First Team Position Second Team Honorable Mention Arnie Mausser, Tampa Bay G Eric Martin, Washington Paolo Cimpiel, Toronto Keith Eddy, New York D Stewart Jump, Tampa Bay Dave Gillett, Seattle Bobby Moore, San Antonio D George Ley, Dallas Frank Spraggon, Minnesota Tommy Smith, Tampa Bay D Ron Webster, Minnesota Jim Holton, Miami Mike England, Seattle D Bob Smith, Philadelphia Bruce Wilson, Vancouver Rodney Marsh, Tampa Bay M Alan West, Minnesota Dave Clements, New York Ramón Mifflin, New York M Bobby Hope, Dallas Wolfgang Sühnholz, Toronto António Simões, San Jose M Al Trost, St. Louis Charlie Cooke, Los Angeles Pelé, New York F Derek Smethurst, Tampa Bay Jimmy Robertson, Seattle George Best, Los Angeles F Jeff Bourne, Dallas Mark Liveric, San Jose Giorgio Chinaglia, New York F Stewart Scullion, Tampa Bay Tommy Ord, Vancouver
Playoffs All playoff games in all rounds including Soccer Bowl '76 were single game elimination match ups.
Bracket
First round August 17Washington Diplomats0–2New York CosmosShea Stadium • Att. 22,698
August 18Los Angeles Aztecs0–2Dallas TornadoOwnby Stadium • Att. 9,413
August 18Vancouver Whitecaps0–1Seattle SoundersKingdome • Att. 30,406
August 18Rochester Lancers1–2Toronto Metros-CroatiaVarsity Stadium • Att. 6,852
Conference semifinals August 20Toronto Metros-Croatia3–2 (PK, 3–1)Chicago StingSoldier Field • Att. 8,150
August 20New York Cosmos1–3Tampa Bay RowdiesTampa Stadium • Att. 36,863
August 20Dallas Tornado0–2San Jose EarthquakesSpartan Stadium • Att. 15,135
August 21Seattle Sounders0–3Minnesota KicksMetropolitan Stadium • Att. 41,405
Conference Championships August 24Toronto Metros-Croatia2–0Tampa Bay RowdiesTampa Stadium • Att. 28,046
August 25San Jose Earthquakes1–3Minnesota KicksMetropolitan Stadium • Att. 49,572
Soccer Bowl '76
1976 NASL Champions: Toronto Metros-Croatia
Post season awards Most Valuable Player: Pelé, New York Coach of the year: Eddie Firmani, Tampa Bay Rookie of the year: Steve Pecher, Dallas North American Player of the Year: Arnie Mausser, Tampa Bay
Attendances
Club Games Total Average Seattle Sounders 12 285,941 23,828 Minnesota Kicks 12 277,404 23,117 Portland Timbers 12 241,996 20,166 San Jose Earthquakes 12 231,338 19,278 New York Cosmos 12 218,719 18,227 Tampa Bay Rowdies 12 197,429 16,452 Dallas Tornado 12 169,113 14,093 Vancouver Whitecaps 12 103,877 8,656 Los Angeles Aztecs 12 96,606 8,051 San Diego Jaws 12 73,822 6,152 St. Louis Stars 12 73,795 6,150 Washington Diplomats 12 71,554 5,963 Philadelphia Atoms 12 67,413 5,618 Chicago Sting 12 66,933 5,578 Toronto Metros 12 66,663 5,555 Rochester Lancers 12 61,906 5,159 San Antonio Thunder 12 57,524 4,794 Hartford Bicentennials 12 41,037 3,420 Miami Toros 12 36,843 3,070 Boston Minutemen 12 30,971 2,581
Source:
References
External links Complete Results and Standings