The 1978 New York Cosmos season was the eighth season for the

Cosmos The cosmos (, ) is another name for the Universe. Using the word ''cosmos'' implies viewing the universe as a complex and orderly system or entity. The cosmos, and understandings of the reasons for its existence and significance, are studied in ...

in the now-defunct

North American Soccer League The North American Soccer League may refer to: *North American Soccer League (1968–1984), a former Division I league *North American Soccer League (2011–2017) The North American Soccer League (NASL) was a professional men's soccer league b ...

. 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 Vancouver Whitecaps Football Club is a Canadian professional soccer team based in Vancouver. They compete in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member club of the league's Western Conference. The MLS iteration of the club was established on Mar ...

) and 212 points, securing their second premiership on the way to their third championship. They beat the

Fort Lauderdale Strikers Fort Lauderdale Strikers may refer to: *Fort Lauderdale Strikers (1977–1983), member of North American Soccer League from 1977 to 1983 *Fort Lauderdale Strikers (1988–1994), member of American Soccer League from 1988 to 1989 and American Profes ...

7–0 on opening day and never looked back, scoring 88 times while losing just three games in regulation.

Giorgio Chinaglia Giorgio Chinaglia (; 24 January 1947 – 1 April 2012) was an Italian footballer who played as a striker. He grew up and played his early football in Cardiff, Wales, and began his career with Swansea Town in 1964. He later returned to Italy to ...

scored 34 goals and 79 points, setting league records in the process. In

Soccer Bowl '78 Soccer Bowl '78 was the North American Soccer League's championship final for the 1978 season. It was the fourth NASL championship under the Soccer Bowl name. The match was played at Giants Stadium in the New York City suburb of East Ruther ...

, the Cosmos defeated the

Tampa Bay Rowdies The Tampa Bay Rowdies are an American professional soccer team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The club was founded in 2008 and first took the pitch in 2010. Since 2017, the Rowdies have been members of the USL Championship in the second tie ...

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

Source:

Results

Source:

Preseason

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

Overall League Placing

Source:

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 The Los Angeles Aztecs was an American professional soccer team based in Los Angeles, California that existed from 1974 to 1981. The Aztecs competed in the North American Soccer League (NASL) from 1974 to 1981 as well as the 1975 NASL Indoor tourn ...

0 Rose Bowl 23,681 * April 16 = New York Cosmos 1,

Tulsa Roughnecks Tulsa Roughnecks may refer to any of four distinct professional soccer teams: *Tulsa Roughnecks (1978–1984), the original top-flight team that played in the North American Soccer League from 1978 to 1984. *Tulsa Roughnecks (1993–2000), the team ...

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 Stadium Tampa Stadium (nicknamed The Big Sombrero and briefly known as Houlihan's Stadium) was a large open-air stadium (maximum capacity about 74,000) located in Tampa, Florida, which opened in 1967 and was significantly expanded in 1974–75. The faci ...

41,888 * May 7 = New York Cosmos 2,

Detroit Express The Detroit Express was a soccer team based in suburban Detroit that played in the now defunct North American Soccer League (NASL) from 1978 to 1980. Its home field was the Pontiac Silverdome. The Express were co-owned by Jimmy Hill, Roger ...

0 Giants Stadium 45,321 * May 14 = New York Cosmos 4,

Colorado Caribous The Caribous of Colorado were an American soccer team that competed in the North American Soccer League (NASL) during the 1978 season. The team was based in Denver, Colorado and played their home games at Mile High Stadium. After the seaso ...

Mile High Stadium Mile High Stadium (originally Bears Stadium until 1968) was an outdoor multi-purpose stadium located in Denver, Colorado from 1948 to 2001. The stadium was built in 1948 to accommodate the Denver Bears baseball team, which was a member of the ...

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 Seattle Sounders Football Club is an American professional men's soccer club based in Seattle. The Sounders compete as a member of the Western Conference of Major League Soccer (MLS). The club was established on November 13, 2007, and began ...

1 Giants Stadium 71,219 * May 24 =

Memphis Rogues The Memphis Rogues were a professional soccer team in the former North American Soccer League. They operated in the 1978, 1979, and 1980 seasons and played their home games in Memphis' Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium. They also played indoor ...

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 Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...

Varsity Stadium Varsity Stadium is an outdoor collegiate football stadium located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is home to the Toronto Varsity Blues, the athletic teams of the University of Toronto. Athletic events have been hosted on the site since 1898; the ...

16,233 * June 4 = New York Cosmos 3,

2 Giants Stadium 44,675 * June 11 = New York Cosmos 1,

Philadelphia Fury The Philadelphia Fury was an American soccer team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, that last competed in the National Independent Soccer Association (NISA). The club formerly competed in the American Soccer League and is currently owned by ...

0 Giants Stadium 42,385 * June 13 = New York cosmos 4,

Minnesota Kicks The Minnesota Kicks were a professional soccer team that played at Metropolitan Stadium in the Minneapolis suburb of Bloomington, Minnesota, from 1976 to 1981. The team was a member of the now defunct North American Soccer League (NASL). Initia ...

Metropolitan Stadium Metropolitan Stadium (often referred to as "the Met", "Met Stadium", or now "the Old Met" to distinguish from the Metrodome) was an outdoor sports stadium in the north central United States, located in Bloomington, Minnesota, a suburb of Minneap ...

46,370 * June 18 = New York Cosmos 6,

Washington Diplomats The Washington Diplomats were an American soccer club representing Washington, D.C. Throughout their playing existence, the club played their home games at Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium and indoor soccer, indoor home matches at the neigh ...

1 Giants Stadium 47,700 * June 21 = New York Cosmos 3,

1 Giants Stadium 32,476 * June 24 = Fort Lauderdale Strikers 5, New York Cosmos 3

Lockhart Stadium Lockhart Stadium was a stadium used mostly for soccer in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States. It was used in a variety of sports, particularly soccer and American football. Originally designed in 1959 for high school sports, the 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 The California Surf were an American soccer team that competed in the North American Soccer League (NASL) from 1978 to 1981. The team was based in Anaheim, California and played their home games at Anaheim Convention Center and the Long Beach ...

1 Giants Stadium Attendance 42,140 * July 5 = New England Tea Men 1, New York Cosmos 0

Foxboro Stadium Foxboro Stadium, originally Schaefer Stadium and later Sullivan Stadium, was an outdoor stadium in the New England region of the United States, located in Foxborough, Massachusetts. It opened in 1971 and served as the home of the New England ...

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 The Oakland Stompers were a soccer team based out of Oakland, California that played the 1978 season in the North American Soccer League (NASL). The Stompers played in the Western Division of the American Conference and finished the year with ...

Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Oakland Coliseum, currently branded as RingCentral Coliseum, is a stadium in Oakland, California. It is part of the Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum Complex, with the adjacent Oakland Arena, near Interstate 880. The Coliseum is the home ba ...

Attendance 20,704 * July 22 = New York Cosmos 2, Seattle Sounders 1 Kingdome Attendance 36,610 * July 26 = New York Cosmos 3,

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 Ownby Stadium was a stadium in the University Park suburb of Dallas, Texas. It was the home of the Southern Methodist University Mustang football team. In late 1998, the stadium was demolished to build Gerald J. Ford Stadium at the site. Back ...

Attendance 11,213 * August 9 = New York Cosmos 5, Seattle Sounders 2 Giants Stadium Attendance 47,780

Postseason

Overview

Friendlies

;Notes

References

{{1978 in American soccer

New York Cosmos seasons

New York Cosmos New York Cosmos may refer to * New York Cosmos (1970–1985), a team in the North American Soccer League (then the top-tier soccer league in the United States and Canada) * New York Cosmos (2010), a team playing since 2020 in the National Independ ...

Soccer Bowl champion seasons

Squad

Results

Preseason

Regular season

National Eastern Division Standings

Overall League Placing

Season matches

Postseason

Overview

Friendlies

See also

References