National Conference (NASL)
 | This article relies largely or entirely on a single source. (September 2024) |
| League | North American Soccer League |
|---|---|
| Sport | Soccer |
| First season | 1978 |
| Ceased | 1980 |
| Divisions | East Central West |
| No. of teams | 12 |
| Most titles | New York Cosmos (2 titles) |
The National Soccer Conference was one of two conferences of the original North American Soccer League between 1978 and 1980. It along with the American Conference were formed for the 1978 season as part of a realignment to accommodate an expanding league, and bolster more competitive play which had been lacking under the previous Atlantic and Pacific conferences. It is speculated, that the league decided to realign the league to be more similar to the National Football League (American football) format, with one league official stating that the league hoped that new expansions and initiatives would cause "enough demand for soccer that they [could] sell the TV rights to two networks like the NFL did."[1] During their three-season tenure, National Conference teams dominated the league, and won all three available premierships, and all three league championships. Of these honors, five of them were won by the New York Cosmos, whose only playoff defeat in the National Conference came in 1979 where they were beaten by eventual champions, the Vancouver Whitecaps, in the Conference Finals.
Teams
[edit]Following the realignment, the conference was initially made up of four teams from the Atlantic Conference, seven teams from the Pacific Conference, and one team making their NASL debut. After playing just one season, the Colorado Caribous were sold and relocated to Atlanta to revive the Atlanta Chiefs franchise.
| Team | Division | First season[a] | Last season[a] | Previous conference (division) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York Cosmos[b] | East | 1978 | 1980 | Atlantic (East) |
| Rochester Lancers | East | 1978 | 1980 | Atlantic (North) |
| Toronto Blizzard | East | 1978 | 1980 | Atlantic (North) |
| Washington Diplomats | East | 1978 | 1980 | Atlantic (East) |
| Colorado Caribous | Central | 1978 | 1978 | 1978 debut |
| Dallas Tornado | Central | 1978 | 1980 | Pacific (South) |
| Minnesota Kicks | Central | 1978 | 1980 | Pacific (West) |
| Tulsa Roughnecks | Central | 1978 | 1980 | Pacific (South)[c] |
| Atlanta Chiefs | Central | 1979 | 1980 | South Division[d] (1973) |
| Los Angeles Aztecs | West | 1978 | 1980 | Pacific (South) |
| Portland Timbers | West | 1978 | 1980 | Pacific (West) |
| Seattle Sounders | West | 1978 | 1980 | Pacific (West) |
| Vancouver Whitecaps | West | 1978 | 1980 | Pacific (West) |
- ^ a b Season played in the National Conference. Teams may have played before and/or after the conference existed.
- ^ The New York Cosmos were known simply as the "Cosmos" in the 1978 season.
- ^ Relocated from Hawaii.
- ^ The 1973 season (the most recent season played by the Atlanta Chiefs) did not have conferences.
Conference honors
[edit]National Conference championships
[edit]| Bold | Won NASL Championship |
| Season | Champions | Series | Runners-up |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | Cosmos | 2–0 | Portland Timbers |
| 1979 | Vancouver Whitecaps | 2–1[n 1] | New York Cosmos |
| 1980 | New York Cosmos | 2–0 | Los Angeles Aztecs |
- ^ Series tied 1–1, Vancouver won tiebreaking mini-game
Regular season titles
[edit]| Bold | NASL Premiers |
| Year | Team | Division | Points (W–L) | Playoffs result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | Cosmos | East | 212 (24–6) | Won Soccer Bowl |
| Vancouver Whitecaps | West | 199 (24–6) | Conference Semifinals | |
| Minnesota Kicks | Central | 156 (17–13) | Conference Semifinals | |
| 1979 | New York Cosmos | East | 216 (24–6) | Lost Conference Final |
| Minnesota Kicks | Central | 184 (21–9) | First Round | |
| Vancouver Whitecaps | West | 172 (20–10) | Won Soccer Bowl | |
| 1980 | New York Cosmos | East | 213 (24–8) | Won Soccer Bowl |
| Seattle Sounders | West | 207 (25–7) | Conference Semifinals | |
| Dallas Tornado | Central | 157 (18–14) | Conference Semifinals |
See also
[edit]- National Football Conference
- National League (baseball)
- Eastern Conference (MLS)
- Western Conference (MLS)
References
[edit]- ^ John Feinstein (March 19, 1978). "An Expanded but Pele-Less NASL Kicks Off Season April 1". The Washington Post. Retrieved September 28, 2023.