1974 Vancouver Whitecaps season

Vancouver Whitecaps FC
1974 season
Chairman Herb Capozzi
Manager 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]
Home colours
Away colours
1975 →

Division 1 professional soccer returned to Vancouver in 1974 with the Vancouver Whitecaps as interest began to grow in US 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.

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

The 1974 squad[3]

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

No. Position Player
0 Bermuda GK Sam Nusum
1 Canada GK Greg Weber
2 Canada DF Neil Ellett
3 Canada DF Bruce Wilson
4 Canada MF Doug Scorse
5 Canada DF Bob Lenarduzzi
6 Canada DF Sam Lenarduzzi
7 Italy FW Victor Kodelja
8 Canada FW Glen Johnson
No. Position Player
9 Scotland FW George McLean
10 Scotland MF Billy Stevenson
11 Canada MF Brian Gant
12 Canada FW Brian Budd
13 England FW Chris Bennett
14 Canada FW Gary Thompson
15 Canada MF Darryl Samson
16 Scotland DF Gerry Heaney
17 Scotland DF Charlie Palmer
19 England DF Les Wilson

Midfielder Billy Stevenson and defender Sam Lenarduzzi were captains of the 1974 Vancouver Whitecaps.

NASL

League Standings

Western Division

Pos Club Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
1Los Angeles Aztecs 2011274136+5110
2San Jose Earthquakes 209834338+5103
3Seattle Sounders 2010373717+20101
4Vancouver Whitecaps 2054112930–170

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

Pos Club Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
1Los Angeles Aztecs 2011274136+5110
2Miami Toros 209653824+14107
3Baltimore Comets 2010284246–4105
4San Jose Earthquakes 209834338+5103
5Seattle Sounders 2010373717+20101
6Dallas Tornado 209383927+12100
7Boston Minutemen 2010194136+594
8Toronto Metros-Croatia 20412142840–1287
9Rochester Lancers 20412142840–1277
10Philadelphia Atoms 2081112525074
11Vancouver Whitecaps 2054112930–170
12Washington Diplomats 2071122936–770
13New York Cosmos 20412142840–1258
14St. Louis Stars 2041154254–1254
15Denver Dynamos 2050152142–2149

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

Results by round

Round1234567891011121314151617181920
GroundHHAAHAAAHHHAAHAHAHHA
Result D W D L W L D D L W D L W D D D L W D L

Last updated: October 28, 2012.
Source:
Ground: A = Away; H = Home. Result: T = Tie; L = Loss; W = Win; P = Postponed.

Match results

See also

History of Vancouver Whitecaps FC

References

  1. 1 2 http://soccerstats.us/teams/vancouver-whitecaps/games/
  2. ↑ "The Year in American Soccer - 1974". Homepages.sover.net. October 4, 2003. Retrieved January 21, 2014.
  3. ↑ "NASL Vancouver Whitecaps Rosters". Nasljerseys.com. Retrieved January 21, 2014.
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