1979 North American Soccer League season
| Season | 1979 |
|---|---|
| Champions |
Vancouver Whitecaps (1st title) |
| Premiers |
New York Cosmos (3rd title) |
| Matches played | 360 |
| Goals scored | 1374 (3.82 per match) |
| Top goalscorer |
Giorgio Chinaglia (26 goals) |
| Biggest home win |
SEA 9–0 EDM (August 1) |
| Biggest away win |
MEM 0–6 ATL (July 21) SJ 0–6 SD (August 11) |
| Highest scoring |
DET 6–5 (SO) CHI (July 7) DET 8–2 FTL (June 27) |
| Longest winning run | 8, New York (July 8 – August 12) |
| Longest losing run | 14, Edmonton (May 26 – July 18) |
| Highest attendance | 76,031 (Tulsa at New York) (August 26) |
| Lowest attendance | 653 (N.E. at Houston) (April 19) |
| Average attendance | 14,201 |
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← 1978
1980 →
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The 1979 North American Soccer League season was the 67th season of FIFA-sanctioned soccer and the 12th with a national first-division league in the United States and Canada.
Compared to the previous season's upheaval, 1979 was a relatively tranquil year. The league format remained unchanged with 24 teams in six divisions and a 16-team playoff. A rule modifications required that each squad play two U.S. or Canadian players and that each 17-man roster carry six such players. A slight modification to the first round of the playoffs, from a single game to the two-game format used in later rounds, was made. Also the minigame, used to decide tied playoff series, no longer ended on a golden goal (sudden death). Instead, the entire 30 minutes was played.
Still, there were issues to be sorted out. There was a brief players' strike on April 14, as the league refused to recognize the newly formed Players Association. However, since the majority of NASL players were foreign and unsure of American and Canadian labor laws, support was minimal. An estimated three quarters of NASL players crossed the picket line once the Justice Department implied that foreign players would be subject to deportation.
The Cosmos decided to put "New York" back into their name after a two-year absence. With a change in ownership, the Toronto franchise was now called the Toronto Blizzard, while Toronto Croatia (who had merged with the Metros back in 1975) returned to their old league, the National Soccer League. The Colorado Caribous moved to Atlanta to become the reborn Atlanta Chiefs in October 1978, while the Oakland Stompers would move to Edmonton just a month before the start of the season. Both teams struggled, finishing last in their respective divisions. The new Edmonton Drillers were particularly bad, setting a record for most consecutive losses in league history with 14.
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