1979 Soccer Bowl

By Daniel Jones

It was Canadian professional soccer’s greatest triumph. The Vancouver Whitecaps win over the star-studded New York Cosmos was comprehensive and it was done with home grown stars such Sam Lenarduzzi, Buzz Parsons, and Glen Johnson.

The original Vancouver Whitecaps were founded in 1974 and during the 1970s and 1980s played in the North American Soccer League (NASL). In 1979 the team from the "Village of Vancouver" (a reference to ABC TV sportscaster Jim McKay's observation that "Vancouver must be like the deserted village right now", with so many people watching the game on TV) beat the powerhouse New York Cosmos in one of the most thrilling playoff series in NASL history to advance to the Soccer Bowl. In the Soccer Bowl, they triumphed against the Tampa Bay Rowdies in a disappointed New York City.

	Although the novelty of the stadium drew capacity crowds for the first few games, attendance waned quickly.

It was during this short period that soccer interest peaked in Vancouver. The Whitecaps attendance at Empire Stadium grew to regular sellouts, at 32,000. The team also recorded two tracks, with "White is the Colour" becoming a hit on local radio during the run-up to their championship win.

After playing at Vancouver's 32,000 seat Empire Stadium for most of their existence, the team moved into the cavernous 60,000 seat BC Place Stadium in 1983. Although the novelty of the stadium drew capacity crowds for the first few games, attendance waned quickly, due to the declining league and, in the opinion of many fans, the harsh environment of the domed stadium.

With the subsequent demise of the NASL, in 1984 the Whitecaps, along with many other teams in the NASL, were forced to fold.

11/19/07