1976 New York Cosmos season

The 1976 New York Cosmos season was the sixth season for the New York Cosmos in the now-defunct North American Soccer League. In the Cosmos' sixth year of existence the club finished second only to the Tampa Bay Rowdies in both the five-team Eastern Division and the 20-team league. The Cosmos returned to the playoffs for the first time in two years, but were eliminated in the conference semifinals by the rival Rowdies. 1976 marked the first year for Giorgio Chinaglia with the club; Chinaglia would go on to become the all-time leading scorer in both Cosmos and NASL history.

New York Cosmos

1976 season
Manager	Ken Furphy (Until June 28) Gordon Bradley[1] (After June 28)
Stadium	Yankee Stadium
NASL	Division: 2nd Overall: 2nd Playoffs: Conf. Semifinals
National Challenge Cup	Did not enter
Top goalscorer	League: Giorgio Chinaglia (19 goals) All: Giorgio Chinaglia (23+ goals)
Highest home attendance	28,536 vs. CHI (May 2)
Lowest home attendance	6,917 vs. ROC (June 30)
Average home league attendance	18,227[2]
Home colors Away colors
← 1975 1977 →

Squad

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player 1 GK  USA Kurt Kuykendall 1 GK  USA Shep Messing 1 GK  USA Bob Rigby 2 DF  USA Barry Mahy 3 DF  SCO Brian Rowan 4 DF  USA Werner Roth 5 DF  ENG Keith Eddy 6 MF  NIR Dave Clements 7 FW  ENG Tony Field 8 MF  ENG Terry Garbett 9 FW  ITA Giorgio Chinaglia

No. Pos. Nation Player 9 FW  ENG Tommy Ord 10 FW  BRA Pelé 11 FW  USA Jorge Siega 12 DF  USA Bobby Smith 14 MF  BRA Nelsi Morais 15 MF  PER Ramon Mifflin 16 FW  USA Tony Donlic 17 DF  SCO Charlie Aitken 18 FW  ENG Brian Tinnion 19 DF  SCO Charlie Mitchell 20 DF  ENG Mike Dillon

Source:^[3]

Results

Source:^[4]

Preseason

Date	Opponent	Venue	Result	Attendance	Scorers
March 21, 1976	San Diego Jaws	A	1–1	N/A	N/A
March 28, 1976	Dallas Tornado	A	0–1	20,214	N/A
March 31, 1976	San Antonio Thunder	A	1–0	20,000
April 4, 1976	Los Angeles Aztecs	N	0–0	15,000
April 7, 1976	Honda F.C.	N	5–0	N/A	N/A
April 8, 1976	Honda F.C.	N	5–0	21,705	N/A
April 9, 1976	Seattle Sounders	A	1–2	58,125	Pelé, Clements
April 11, 1976	Los Angeles Aztecs	A	0–1	29,232	Pelé

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).

Eastern Division Standings

Pos	Club	Pld	W	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
1	Tampa Bay Rowdies	24	18	6	58	30	+28	154
2	New York Cosmos	24	16	8	65	34	+31	148
3	Washington Diplomats	24	14	10	46	38	+8	126
4	Philadelphia Atoms	24	8	16	32	49	−17	80
5	Miami Toros	24	6	18	29	58	−29	63

Overall League Placing

Pos	Club	Pld	W	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
1	Tampa Bay Rowdies	24	18	6	58	30	+28	154
2	New York Cosmos	24	16	8	65	34	+31	148
3	Minnesota Kicks	24	15	9	54	33	+21	138
4	Chicago Sting	24	15	9	52	32	+20	132
5	Washington Diplomats	24	14	10	46	38	+8	126

Source:^[5]

Matches

Date	Opponent	Venue	Result	Attendance	Scorers
April 18, 1976	Miami Toros	A	0–1	9,457	Clements
May 2, 1976	Chicago Sting	H	1–2	28,536	Pelé
May 5, 1976	Connecticut Bicentennials	H	3–1	8,439	Pelé, Tinnion, Eddy
May 8, 1976	Philadelphia Atoms	H	1–2	14,287	Pelé
May 15, 1976	Connecticut Bicentennials	A	0–3	8,933	Field (2), Tinnion
May 17, 1976	Los Angeles Aztecs	H	6–0	24,292	Eddy (2), Chinaglia (2), Pelé (2)
May 19, 1976	Boston Minutemen	A	1–2	7,367	Chinaglia (2)
June 6, 1976	Tampa Bay Rowdies	A	5–1	42,611	Field
June 9, 1976	Minnesota Kicks	A	1–2	46,164	Chinaglia, Field
June 12, 1976	Portland Timbers	A	0–3	32,247	Chinaglia (2), Eddy
June 16, 1976	Boston Minutemen	H	2–2 (SOL)	15,101	N/A
June 18, 1976	Toronto Metros-Croatia	H	3–0	18,612	Tinion, Chinaglia, Clements
June 23, 1976	Chicago Sting	A	4–1	28,000	Tinnion
June 27, 1976	Washington Diplomats	A	3–2	11,004	Tinnion, Pelé
June 30, 1976	Rochester Lancers	H	2–0	6,917	Field (2)
July 2, 1976	St. Louis Stars	H	3–1	10,123	Mifflin (2), Eddy
July 7, 1976	Toronto Metros-Croatia	A	0–3	12,123	N/A
July 10, 1976	Philadelphia Atoms	A	1–2	25,311	Pelé, Garbett
July 14, 1976	Tampa Bay Rowdies	H	5–4	27,892	Eddy, Mifflin, Field, Pelé (2)
July 18, 1976	Washington Diplomats	H	5–0	27,398	Mifflin, Chinaglia (2), Pelé, Tinnion
July 23, 1976	Rochester Lancers	A	2–1	5,728	Chinaglia
July 28, 1976	Dallas Tornado	H	4–0	19,119	Chinaglia (3), Mifflin
August 7, 1976	San Jose Earthquakes	A	2–1	23,048	Eddy
August 10, 1976	Miami Toros	H	8–2	18,103	Dillon, Chinaglia (5), Pelé (2)

Postseason

Overview

First round

August 17	Washington Diplomats	0–2	New York Cosmos	New York City, Shea Stadium

---

August 18	Los Angeles Aztecs	0–2	Dallas Tornado	Irving, Texas Stadium

---

August 18	Vancouver Whitecaps	0–1	Seattle Sounders	Seattle, Kingdome

---

August 18	Rochester Lancers	1–2	Toronto Metros-Croatia	Toronto, Varsity Stadium

Conference semifinals

August 20	Toronto Metros-Croatia	3–2	Chicago Sting	Chicago, Soldier Field

---

August 20	New York Cosmos	1–3	Tampa Bay Rowdies	Tampa, Tampa Stadium

---

August 20	Dallas Tornado	0–2	San Jose Earthquakes	San Jose, Spartan Stadium

---

August 21	Seattle Sounders	0–3	Minnesota Kicks	Bloomington (MN), Metropolitan Stadium

Conference Championships

August 24	Toronto Metros-Croatia	2–0	Tampa Bay Rowdies	Tampa, Tampa Stadium

---

August 25	San Jose Earthquakes	1–3	Minnesota Kicks	Bloomington (MN), Metropolitan Stadium

Soccer Bowl '76

August 28	Toronto Metros-Croatia	2–0	Minnesota Kicks	Seattle, Kingdome

Matches

Date	Opponent	Venue	Result	Attendance	Scorers
August 17, 1976	Washington Diplomats	H	2–0	22,698	Garbett, Pelé
August 20, 1976	Tampa Bay Rowdies	A	3–1	36,863	Pelé

Friendlies

Date	Opponent	Venue	Result	Att.Attendance	Scorers	Ref.
March 24	San Diego Jaws	A	1–1	18,128	Ord	[6]
March 28	Dallas Tornado	A	1–0	20,214	Pelé	[6]
March 31	San Antonio Thunder	A	0–1	14,800	–	[6]
April 4	Los Angeles Aztecs	N [n 1]	0–0	15,800	–	[6]
April 8	Honda FC	N [n 2]	5–0	21,705	Pelé (4), ?	[6]
April 9	Seattle Sounders	A	3–1	58,125	Pelé (2), Clements	[6]
April 11	Los Angeles Aztecs	A	1–0	29,232	Pelé	[6]
June 3	Violette	A	2–1	n/a	n/a	[6]
September 1	Dallas Tornado	N [n 3]	2–2	14,000	Chinaglia (2)	[6]
September 5	Dallas Tornado	N [n 4]	2–1	12,500	Roth, Mifflin	[6]
September 6	Dallas Tornado	N [n 5]	3–2	23,682	Pele, Morais, Donlic	[6]
September 8	Soccer Canada	A	1–1	14,826	Chinaglia	[6]
September 10	Soccer Canada	A	3–1	14,366	Chinaglia (3)	[6]
September 14	PSG	A	1–3	18,000	Field	[6]
September 16	Royal Antwerp	A	1–3	25,000	Pelé	[6]
September 24	West Japan All-Stars	A	0–0	11,000	n/a	[6]
September 25	East Japan All-Stars	A	2–2	50,000	Dillon, Chinaglia	[6]

Notes

1. Held in Tempe, Arizona.
2. Held in Honolulu, Hawaii.
3. Held in Cleveland, Ohio.
4. Held in New Orleans.
5. Held in Pontiac, Michigan.

See also

• 1976 North American Soccer League season