Division 1 professional soccer returned to Vancouver in 1974 with the Vancouver Whitecaps as interest began to grow in U.S. soccer, and the NASL grew after stabilizing in terms of attendance and number of teams with six to eight teams. In 1974 the Whitecaps were one of five expansion teams that were the first teams since 1968 (when Vancouver previously had a team) west of Dallas, Texas and St. Louis, Missouri.
| 1974 season | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Chairman | Herb Capozzi | ||
| Head coach | Jim Easton | ||
| NASL | Division: 5th Overall: 11th | ||
| NASL Playoffs | Did not qualify | ||
| Highest home attendance | 17,343 vs San Jose Earthquakes May 5, 1974[1] | ||
| Lowest home attendance | 6,310 vs Baltimore Comets June 16, 1974[1] | ||
| Average home league attendance | 10,098[2] | ||
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The 1974 Vancouver Whitecaps season was the inaugural season of the Whitecaps and their debut season in the North American Soccer League. The Whitecaps were born on December 11, 1973, with the franchise announcement on the top floor of a downtown Vancouver Davie Street hotel. The city had officially amateur teams with regional leagues going back to the 1930s in the Pacific Coast Soccer League. The city was also home to NASL professional soccer in 1967 and 1968 when the Vancouver Royal Canadians competed at Empire Stadium.
The team played in colours of red and white. Their logo was a standard shield-shaped crest decorated only by a red soccer ball, with a maple leaf in the middle and the words 'Vancouver Whitecaps' above. The Whitecaps hit the pitch on May 5, 1974, with an attendance of 17,343 at Empire Stadium for their first NASL regular season match against the San Jose Earthquakes, losing 2–1 in a shootout.
Jim Easton who had moved from his native Scotland in 1973 to take the 'Caps coaching role after playing the previous season for the Miami Toros, missed the playoffs the first season with a team from the local Vancouver area reinforced with four Scottish players. Locals included players from the University of British Columbia, Pacific Coast Soccer League, and returned local players who had gone abroad to train with European clubs.
Squad edit
The 1974 squad[3]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Midfielder Billy Stevenson and defender Sam Lenarduzzi were captains of the 1974 Vancouver Whitecaps.
NASL edit
League Standings edit
Western Division edit
| Pos | Club | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Los Angeles Aztecs | 20 | 11 | 2 | 7 | 41 | 36 | +5 | 110 |
| 2 | San Jose Earthquakes | 20 | 9 | 8 | 3 | 43 | 38 | +5 | 103 |
| 3 | Seattle Sounders | 20 | 10 | 3 | 7 | 37 | 17 | +20 | 101 |
| 4 | Vancouver Whitecaps | 20 | 5 | 4 | 11 | 29 | 30 | –1 | 70 |
Pld = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; GD = Goal difference; Pts = Points
Source: [1]
Overall edit
| Pos | Club | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Los Angeles Aztecs | 20 | 11 | 2 | 7 | 41 | 36 | +5 | 110 |
| 2 | Miami Toros | 20 | 9 | 6 | 5 | 38 | 24 | +14 | 107 |
| 3 | Baltimore Comets | 20 | 10 | 2 | 8 | 42 | 46 | –4 | 105 |
| 4 | San Jose Earthquakes | 20 | 9 | 8 | 3 | 43 | 38 | +5 | 103 |
| 5 | Seattle Sounders | 20 | 10 | 3 | 7 | 37 | 17 | +20 | 101 |
| 6 | Dallas Tornado | 20 | 9 | 3 | 8 | 39 | 27 | +12 | 100 |
| 7 | Boston Minutemen | 20 | 10 | 1 | 9 | 41 | 36 | +5 | 94 |
| 8 | Toronto Metros-Croatia | 20 | 4 | 12 | 14 | 28 | 40 | –12 | 87 |
| 9 | Rochester Lancers | 20 | 4 | 12 | 14 | 28 | 40 | –12 | 77 |
| 10 | Philadelphia Atoms | 20 | 8 | 1 | 11 | 25 | 25 | 0 | 74 |
| 11 | Vancouver Whitecaps | 20 | 5 | 4 | 11 | 29 | 30 | –1 | 70 |
| 12 | Washington Diplomats | 20 | 7 | 1 | 12 | 29 | 36 | –7 | 70 |
| 13 | New York Cosmos | 20 | 4 | 12 | 14 | 28 | 40 | –12 | 58 |
| 14 | St. Louis Stars | 20 | 4 | 1 | 15 | 42 | 54 | –12 | 54 |
| 15 | Denver Dynamos | 20 | 5 | 0 | 15 | 21 | 42 | –21 | 49 |
Pld = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; GD = Goal difference; Pts = Points
Source: [1]
Results edit
Results by round edit
Match results edit
| May 5, 1974 1 | Vancouver Whitecaps | 1–1 (a.e.t.) | San Jose Earthquakes | Vancouver, British Columbia |
Niel Ellett  |
Report | Hernandez |
Stadium: Empire Stadium Attendance: 17,343 |
| May 11, 1974 2 | Vancouver Whitecaps | 1–0 | Denver Dynamos | Vancouver, British Columbia |
| Brian Gant | Report | Stadium: Empire Stadium Attendance: 10,232 |
| May 17, 1974 3 | Miami Toros | 2–2 (a.e.t.) | Vancouver Whitecaps | Miami, Florida |
| George McLean |
Report | Derek Watts |
Stadium: Miami Orange Bowl Attendance: 4195 |
| May 19, 1974 4 | Toronto Metros | 2–1 | Vancouver Whitecaps | Toronto, Ontario |
| Vojin Lazarevic Tadeusz Polak |
Report | George McLean |
Stadium: Varsity Stadium Attendance: 5,130 |
| May 25, 1974 5 | Vancouver Whitecaps | 1–0 | Boston Minutemen | Vancouver, British Columbia |
| Brian Gant |
Report | Stadium: Empire Stadium Attendance: 11,148 |
| May 27, 1974 6 | Los Angeles Aztecs | 3–0 (a.e.t.) | Vancouver Whitecaps | Los Angeles, California |
| Jerry Kazarian Doug McMillan Tony Douglas |
Report | Stadium: Weingart Stadium Attendance: 6,248 |
| June 1, 1974 7 | Denver Dynamos | 0–0 (a.e.t.) | Vancouver Whitecaps | Denver, Colorado |
| Report | Stadium: Mile High Stadium Attendance: 3,325 |
| June 2, 1974 8 | Dallas Tornado | 1–1 (a.e.t.) | Vancouver Whitecaps | Dallas, Texas |
| Rote |
Report | Victor Kodelja |
Stadium: Texas Stadium Attendance: 9,286 |
| June 9, 1974 9 | Vancouver Whitecaps | 0–2 | Seattle Sounders (1974–83) | Vancouver, British Columbia |
| Report | David Butler Jimmy Gabriel |
Stadium: Empire Stadium Attendance: 11,258 |
| June 16, 1974 10 | Vancouver Whitecaps | 4–1 | Baltimore Comets | Vancouver, British Columbia |
| Brian Gant Bruce Wilson Victor Kodelja |
Report | Hank Kazmierski |
Stadium: Empire Stadium Attendance: 6,130 |
| June 23, 1974 11 | Vancouver Whitecaps | 0–0 (a.e.t.) | Philadelphia Atoms | Vancouver, British Columbia |
| Report | Stadium: Empire Stadium Attendance: 8,816 |
| June 29, 1974 12 | Washington Diplomats | 2–1 | Vancouver Whitecaps | Washington DC |
| Gary Darrell George Ross |
Report | Chris Bennett |
Stadium: Robert F. Kennedy Stadium Attendance: 3,156 |
| June 30, 1974 13 | New York Cosmos | 0–2 | Vancouver Whitecaps | New York, New York |
| Report | Chris Bennett George McLean |
Stadium: Downing Stadium Attendance: 2,835 |
| July 7, 1974 14 | Vancouver Whitecaps | 1–1 (a.e.t.) | St. Louis Stars | Vancouver, British Columbia |
| Glen Johnson |
Report | Dennis Vaninger |
Stadium: Empire Stadium Attendance: 8,142 |
| July 10, 1974 15 | St. Louis Stars | 1–1 (a.e.t.) | Vancouver Whitecaps | St. Louis, Missouri |
| Jim Bokern |
Report | Glen Johnson |
Stadium: Busch Memorial Stadium Attendance: 9,990 |
| July 14, 1974 16 | Vancouver Whitecaps | 2–2 (a.e.t.) | Dallas Tornado | Vancouver, British Columbia |
| Brian Gant Bob Lenarduzzi |
Report | Ilija Mitic Garcia |
Stadium: Empire Stadium Attendance: 11,814 |
| July 26, 1974 17 | San Jose Earthquakes | 3–1 | Vancouver Whitecaps | San Jose, California |
| Own Goal Paul Child Archie Roboostoff |
Report | George McLean |
Stadium: Spartan Stadium Attendance: 17,670 |
| July 28, 1974 18 | Vancouver Whitecaps | 3–1 | Los Angeles Aztecs | Vancouver, British Columbia |
| Brian Budd Darryl Sampson |
Report | Doug McMillan |
Stadium: Empire Stadium Attendance: 8,024 |
| August 4, 1974 19 | Vancouver Whitecaps | 2–2 (a.e.t.) | Rochester Lancers | Vancouver, British Columbia |
| Bob Lenarduzzi George McLean |
Report | Rudi Sacher David Proctor |
Stadium: Empire Stadium Attendance: 7,892 |
| August 11, 1974 20 | Seattle Sounders | 2–1 | Vancouver Whitecaps | Seattle, Washington |
| John Rowlands Jimmy Gabriel |
Report | Charlie Palmer |
Stadium: Kingdome Attendance: 14,876 |
Overall edit
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See also edit
References edit
- ^ a b "Vancouver Whitecaps All-time Game Results | SoccerStats.us".
- ^ "The Year in American Soccer - 1974". Homepages.sover.net. October 4, 2003. Archived from the original on November 5, 2015. Retrieved January 21, 2014.
- ^ "NASL Vancouver Whitecaps Rosters". Nasljerseys.com. Retrieved January 21, 2014.