1978 Vancouver Whitecaps season
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| 1978 season | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Chairman | Herb Capozzi[1] | ||
| Head coach | Tony Waiters | ||
| NASL | Division: 1st Overall: 2nd | ||
| NASL Playoffs | Quarterfinals | ||
| Highest home attendance | 30,752 vs DT July 12, 1978[2] | ||
| Lowest home attendance | 9,266 vs RL April 16, 1978[3] | ||
| Average home league attendance | 15,736 [4] | ||
| | |||
The 1978 Vancouver Whitecaps season was the fifth season of the Whitecaps, and their fifth year in the North American Soccer League and the top flight of Canadian soccer.
This was coach Tony Waiter's first full season with the club. The team was dominant in the 1978 with 68 goals scored, a thirteen-game winning streak, and a 24-6 record – tied with the dramatically higher spending powerhouse New York Cosmos for the best record in the NASL. The Whitecaps achieved this with mainly unrecognized players, nicknamed the "English Mafia" for primarily English foreign players coupled with locals including Italian-Canadians. Due to the large number of teams, 24, the season was not set up with a balanced home and away schedule with some teams played twice, others once, and still others not at all. After the league during the playoff tournament in which 16 of 24 teams competed, the Whitecaps defeated Toronto Metros-Croatia in front of 30,811 at Empire Stadium (at the time the largest crowd to see two Canadian teams play against each other)[5] before being upset by the Portland Timbers in the quarterfinals two games to nil.[6]
'King' Kevin Hector led the Whitecaps with 21 goals and ten assists while tying for fourth in the golden boot race. Bob Lenarduzzi also had a strong season on the score sheet with ten goals and seventeen assists along with Bob Campbell and John Craven. Phil Parkes was the top goalkeeper in the NASL with 29 games played, a 0.95 GAA and 10 clean sheets. Alan Hinton, Steve Kember, and Bob Bolitho also were main contributors over the season.[7] Despite the team's record and strong attendance at fifth highest in the league, the club received little recognition at the All Star Game with only Kevin Hector and John Craven named to the second team. They recouped that recognition though with Tony Waiters awarded Coach of the Year and the North American Player of the Year awarded to Bob Lenarduzzi.
Club[edit]
Roster[edit]
The 1978 squad[8]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Team management[edit]
Tony Waiters' first full season as coach of Vancouver Whitecaps coach in 1978 saw the Whitecaps tied for the best record in the NASL at 24-6 and win the Coach of the Year Award.[9]
Results[edit]
Results by round[edit]
Match results[edit]
| April 2, 1978 1 | Vancouver Whitecaps | 1 – 4 | San Diego Sockers | Vancouver |
Kevin Hector  | Report | Gerry Ingram Peter Anderson | Stadium: Empire Stadium Attendance: 11,425 |
| April 9, 1978 2 | Vancouver Whitecaps | 3 – 0 | Seattle Sounders | Vancouver |
| Bob Lenarduzzi Kevin Hector Alan Hinton | Report | Stadium: Empire Stadium Attendance: 11,232 |
| May 16, 1978 3 | Vancouver Whitecaps | 4 – 1 | Toronto Metros-Croatia | Vancouver |
| Buzz Parsons John Craven Kevin Hector Derek Possee | Report | Mike Stojanovic | Stadium: Empire Stadium Attendance: 9,266 |
| April 18, 1978 4 | California Surf | 1 – 0 | Vancouver Whitecaps | Los Angeles |
| Malcolm Lord | Report | Stadium: Anaheim Stadium Attendance: 10,602 |
| April 23, 1978 5 | Colorado Caribous | 0 – 1 | Vancouver Whitecaps | Denver, Colorado |
| Report | Own goal | Stadium: Mile High Stadium Attendance: 7,389 |
| April 30, 1978 6 | Vancouver Whitecaps | 0 – 2 | California Surf | Vancouver |
| Kevin Hector | Report | Stadium: Empire Stadium Attendance: 10,649 |
| May 7, 1978 7 | Vancouver Whitecaps | 1 – 0 | Portland Timbers (1975–1982) | Vancouver |
| Steve Kember | Report | Stadium: Empire Stadium Attendance: 13,155 |
| May 10, 1978 8 | Seattle Sounders | 1 – 2 | Vancouver Whitecaps | Seattle |
| Tommy Ord | Report | Kevin Hector Bob Lenarduzzi | Stadium: Memorial Stadium Attendance: 17,085 |
| May 14, 1978 9 | Rochester Lancers | 1 – 2 | Vancouver Whitecaps | Rochester, New York |
| Francisco Bolota | Report | John Craven | Stadium: Holleder Memorial Stadium Attendance: 4,119 |
| June 5, 1975 10 | Minnesota Kicks | 3 – 2 | Vancouver Whitecaps | Bloomington, Minnesota |
| Ian Hamilton Ace Ntsoelengoe Alan Willey | Report | Own goal Bob Lenarduzzi | Stadium: Metropolitan Stadium Attendance: 25,495 |
| May 20, 1978 11 | Vancouver Whitecaps | 1 – 0 | Colorado Caribous | Vancouver |
| Kevin Hector | Report | Stadium: Empire Stadium Attendance: 12,643 |
| May 27, 1978 12 | Vancouver Whitecaps | 2 – 1 | Washington Diplomats | Vancouver |
| Kevin Hector Bob Lenarduzzi | Report | Vitseskic | Stadium: Empire Stadium Attendance: 12,150 |
| June 1, 1978 13 | Vancouver Whitecaps | 1 – 0 | Tampa Bay Rowdies | Vancouver |
| Kevin Hector | Report | Stadium: Empire Stadium Attendance: 14,051 |
| June 4, 1978 14 | New York Cosmos | 3 – 2 | Vancouver Whitecaps | East Rutherford, New Jersey |
| Giorgio Chinaglia Santiago Formoso | Report | John Craven Derek Possee | Stadium: Giants Stadium Attendance: 44,675 |
| June 7, 1978 15 | New England Tea Men | 2 – 0 | Vancouver Whitecaps | Foxborough, Massachusetts |
| Mike Flanagan Roger Gibbins | Report | Stadium: Foxboro Stadium Attendance: 4,862 |
| June 10, 1978 16 | Washington Diplomats | 1 – 1 (SO) | Vancouver Whitecaps | Washington, D.C. |
| Mike Bakic | Report | John Craven | Stadium: RFK Stadium Attendance: 10,615 |
| June 17, 1978 17 | Vancouver Whitecaps | 0 – 1 | Toronto Metros-Croatia | Vancouver |
| Report | Marko Vujkovic | Stadium: Empire Stadium Attendance: 15,661 |
| June 22, 1975 18 | Vancouver Whitecaps | 5 – 1 | Tulsa Roughnecks | Vancouver |
| Bob Lenarduzzi Bob Campbell Steve Kember Kevin Hector | Report | Billy Gazonas | Stadium: Empire Stadium Attendance: 10,524 |
| June 28, 1978 19 | San Jose Earthquakes | 0 – 0 (SO) | Vancouver Whitecaps | San Jose, California |
| Report | Stadium: Spartan Stadium Attendance: 14,263 |
| July 1, 1978 20 | Los Angeles Aztecs | 0 – 2 | Vancouver Whitecaps | Pasadena, California |
| Report | Bob Campbell | Stadium: Rose Bowl Attendance: 3,795 |
| July 5, 1978 21 | Vancouver Whitecaps | 2 – 1 | Detroit Express | Vancouver |
| John Craven | Report | Graham Oates | Stadium: Empire Stadium Attendance: 18,625 |
| July 8, 1978 22 | Dallas Tornado | 1 – 2 | Vancouver Whitecaps | University Park, Texas |
| Max Thompson | Report | Bob Campbell Kevin Hector | Stadium: Ownby Stadium Attendance: 5,461 |
| July 12, 1978 23 | Vancouver Whitecaps | 6 – 1 | Dallas Tornado | Vancouver |
| Jon Sammels Derek Possee Kevin Hector Bob Lenarduzzi Bob Campbell | Report | Brian Kettle | Stadium: Empire Stadium Attendance: 30,752 |
| July 15, 1978 24 | Memphis Rogues | 1 – 2 | Vancouver Whitecaps | Midtown, Memphis, Tennessee |
| Jimmy Husband | Report | Kevin Hector Bob Campbell | Stadium: Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium Attendance: 8,201 |
| July 17, 1978 25 | Vancouver Whitecaps | 2 – 1 | Oakland Stompers | Vancouver |
| Kevin Hector Bob Campbell | Report | Archie Roboostoff | Stadium: Empire Stadium Attendance: 18,783 |
| July 21, 1978 26 | Portland Timbers | 0 – 2 | Vancouver Whitecaps | Portland, Oregon |
| Report | Kevin Hector | Stadium: Civic Stadium Attendance: 23,536 |
| July 27, 1978 27 | Vancouver Whitecaps | 4 – 1 | Los Angeles Aztecs | Vancouver |
| Kevin Hector Bob Campbell Steve Kember | Report | George Dewsnip | Stadium: Empire Stadium Attendance: 22,910 |
| July 30, 1978 28 | Oakland Stompers | 2 – 6 | Vancouver Whitecaps | Oakland, California |
| McCulloch | Report | Bob Campbell Jon Sammels Steve Kember John Craven Peter Daniel | Stadium: Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum Attendance: 6,421 |
| August 3, 1978 29 | Vancouver Whitecaps | 6 – 0 | San Jose Earthquakes | Vancouver |
| Bob Lenarduzzi Kevin Hector Own goal | Report | Stadium: Empire Stadium Attendance: 24,216 |
| August 6, 1978 30 | San Diego Sockers | 1 – 2 | Vancouver Whitecaps | San Diego, California |
| Doganovic | Report | Steve Kember Jon Sammels | Stadium: Jack Murphy Stadium Attendance: 5,743 |
Playoffs[edit]
Conference Quarterfinals – vs Toronto (N7)[edit]
| August 9, 1978 | Vancouver Whitecaps | 4 – 0 | Toronto Metros-Croatia | Vancouver |
| Bobby Campbell 17' Alan Hinton 18'Bob Lenarduzzi | Report | Stadium: Empire Stadium Attendance: 30,811 |
Conference Semifinals – vs Portland (N4)[edit]
| August 12, 1978 Game 1 | Vancouver Whitecaps | 0 – 1 | Portland Timbers | Vancouver |
| Report | Clyde Best | Stadium: Empire Stadium Attendance: 16,437 |
| August 16, 1978 Game 2 | Portland Timbers | 2 – 1 | Vancouver Whitecaps | Portland, Oregon |
| Clyde Best 17' Willie Anderson | Report | Steve Kember | Stadium: Civic Stadium Attendance: 32,266 |
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ "PCSL - Socer Beginnings in BC". Archived from the original on February 3, 2013. Retrieved April 10, 2013.
- ^ "Soccer History | SoccerStats.us".
- ^ "Soccer History | SoccerStats.us".
- ^ Litterer, david (October 27, 2003). "The Year in American Soccer – 1978". American Soccer History Archives. Archived from the original on February 17, 2015. Retrieved March 5, 2014.
- ^ Farley, Richard (July 26, 2008). ""White is the Colour" -- Vancouver's NASL Success". A More Splendid Life. Archived from the original on March 9, 2014. Retrieved March 7, 2014.
- ^ Litterer, david (October 27, 2003). "The Year in American Soccer – 1978". American Soccer History Archives. Archived from the original on February 17, 2015. Retrieved March 5, 2014.
- ^ "NASL Vancouver Whitecaps Rosters".
- ^ "NASL Vancouver Whitecaps Rosters".
- ^ Litterer, david (October 27, 2003). "The Year in American Soccer – 1978". American Soccer History Archives. Archived from the original on February 17, 2015. Retrieved March 5, 2014.