# 1977 New York Cosmos season

The 1977 New York Cosmos season was the seventh season for the New York Cosmos in the now-defunct North American Soccer League. The Cosmos' seventh year of existence saw them drop "New York" from the club name (it would be restored in 1979), move into Giants Stadium (where they would play until their dissolution in 1985), and win their second NASL championship in Pelé's final year as a professional footballer. Pelé's last match was on October 1, 1977, in front of a capacity crowd at Giants Stadium: in an exhibition match between New York and his former club Santos, Pelé appeared for both sides, playing one half for each. The Cosmos won the game 2–1. The Cosmos finished second in the 4-team Eastern Division and third out of 18 teams league-wide on their way to the 1977 championship.

## Squad

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 1 | GK | USA | Shep Messing |
| 2 | DF | CAN | Robert Iarusci |
| 2 | DF | CAN | Bruce Twamley |
| 3 | MF | YUG | Vito Dimitrijevic |
| 4 | DF | USA | Werner Roth |
| 5 | DF | ENG | Keith Eddy |
| 6 | DF | GER | Franz Beckenbauer |
| 7 | FW | ENG | Tony Field |
| 8 | MF | ENG | Terry Garbett |
| 9 | FW | ITA | Giorgio Chinaglia |
| 10 | FW | BRA | Pelé |
| 11 | FW | ENG | Steve Hunt |
| 12 | DF | USA | Bobby Smith |
| 14 | MF | BRA | Nelsi Morais |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 15 | MF | PER | Ramon Mifflin |
| 16 | FW | USA | Tony Donlic |
| 17 | DF | SCO | Charlie Aitken |
| 18 | FW | YUG | Jadranko Topić |
| 19 | GK | TUR | Erol Yasin |
| 20 | DF | ENG | Mike Dillon |
| 21 | FW | USA | Gary Etherington |
| 22 | FW | RSA | Jomo Sono |
| 23 | DF | BRA | Rildo |
| 25 | DF | BRA | Carlos Alberto |
| 26 | DF | CAN | Paul Hunter |
| 28 | MF | USA | Tommy Lang |
| 33 | MF | USA | Chris Agoliati |
| 34 | FW | USA | Roberto de Oliveira |
Source:

## Results

Source:

### Preseason

| Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
| March 11, 1977 | Bermuda U23 | A | 0–4 | 626 | Chinaglia (4) |
| March 13, 1977 | Bermuda | A | 0–1 | 3,769 | Chinaglia |
| March 19, 1977 | Xamax | A | 1–0 | 3,000 | |
| March 20, 1977 | Zürich | A | 3–1 | 7,000 | Chinaglia |
| March 24, 1977 | Lazio | A | 1–2 | 20,000 | Chinaglia, N/A |
| April 2, 1977 | Victory | H | 9–0 | 7,212 | Chinaglia (5), Field, Garbett, Pelé (2) |
| April 3, 1977 | Tampa Bay Rowdies | H | 2–1 | 11,098 | Chinaglia, Dimitrijevic |

### 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).

#### Overall League Placing

Source:

#### Matches

| Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
| April 9, 1977 | Las Vegas Quicksilvers | A | 1–0 | 11,896 | |
| April 13, 1977 | Team Hawaii | A | 1–2 | 12,877 | Topic, Hunt |
| April 17, 1977 | Rochester Lancers | H | 2–0 | 26,752 | Chinaglia, Pelé |
| April 24, 1977 | Dallas Tornado | H | 1–1 (SOL) | 13,527 | Smith |
| May 1, 1977 | St. Louis Stars | H | 2–2 (SOL) | 20,112 | Dillon, Morais |
| May 8, 1977 | Connecticut Bicentennials | A | 2–3 | 17,302 | Chinaglia, Eddy, Dimitrijevic |
| May 11, 1977 | Chicago Sting | A | 1–2 | 21,108 | OG, Dimitrijevic |
| May 15, 1977 | Fort Lauderdale Strikers | H | 3–0 | 21,782 | Pelé (3) |
| May 22, 1977 | Chicago Sting | H | 1–2 | 20,407 | Chinaglia |
| May 29, 1977 | Tampa Bay Rowdies | A | 4–2 | 45,288 | Beckenbauer, Field |
| June 5, 1977 | Toronto Metros-Croatia | H | 6–0 | 31,208 | Sono, Chinaglia (2), Hunt (3) |
| June 8, 1977 | Fort Lauderdale Strikers | A | 0–3 | 14,358 | Beckenbauer, Pelé, Chinaglia |
| June 12, 1977 | Minnesota Kicks | H | 1–1 (SOW) | 36,816 | Chinaglia |
| June 16, 1977 | Toronto Metros-Croatia | A | 1–2 | 21,793 | Field, Chinaglia |
| June 19, 1977 | Tampa Bay Rowdies | H | 3–1 | 62,394 | Pelé (3) |
| June 23, 1977 | St. Louis Stars | A | 2–0 | 32,605 | |
| June 26, 1977 | Los Angeles Aztecs | H | 5–2 | 57,191 | Pelé (3), Mifflin, Dimitrijevic |
| June 30, 1977 | Vancouver Whitecaps | A | 5–3 | 30,277 | Roth, Chinaglia, Field |
| July 2, 1977 | Los Angeles Aztecs | A | 4–1 | 32,165 | Chinaglia |
| July 6, 1977 | San Jose Earthquakes | H | 3–0 | 31,875 | Hunt, Dimitrijevic, Field |
| July 10, 1977 | Seattle Sounders | H | 1–0 | 41,270 | |
| July 15, 1977 | Rochester Lancers | A | 0–0 (SOL) | 17,572 | |
| July 17, 1977 | Portland Timbers | H | 2–0 | 41,205 | Hunt, Chinaglia |
| July 27, 1977 | Washington Diplomats | H | 8–2 | 34,189 | Beckenbauer (2), Chinaglia (3), Hunt (2), Field |
| July 31, 1977 | Connecticut Bicentennials | H | 3–1 | 46,389 | Chinaglia, Pelé, Field |
| August 6, 1977 | Washington Diplomats | A | 2–1 | 31,283 | Pelé |

### Postseason
#### First round

| August 10 | San Jose Earthquakes | 1–2 | Los Angeles Aztecs | Los Angeles, Memorial Coliseum |
| August 10 | Tampa Bay Rowdies | 0–3 | Cosmos | New York City, Yankee Stadium |
| August 10 | Rochester Lancers | 1–0 | St. Louis Stars | St. Louis, Busch Memorial |
| August 10 | Seattle Sounders | 2–0 | Vancouver Whitecaps | Burnaby (BC), Swangard Stadium |

#### Conference semifinals

| | | | Game 1 | Game 2 | |
| Cosmos | – | Ft. Lauderdale Strikers | 8–3 | 3–2 | August 14, 17 |
| Los Angeles Aztecs | – | Dallas Tornado | 3–1 | 5–1 | August 14, 17 1977 |
| Minnesota Kicks | – | Seattle Sounders | 1–2 | 0–1 | August 14, 17 |
| Rochester Lancers | – | Toronto Metros-Croatia | 1–0 | 1–0 | August 14, 17 |

#### Conference Championships

| | | | Game 1 | Game 2 | |
| Los Angeles Aztecs | — | Seattle Sounders | 1—3 | 0—1 | August 21, 25 |
| Rochester Lancers | — | Cosmos | 1—2 | 1—4 | August 21, 24 |

#### Soccer Bowl '77

| August 28 | Cosmos | 2–1 | Seattle Sounders | Portland (OR), Civic Stadium |

#### Matches

| Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
| August 10, 1977 | Tampa Bay Rowdies | H | 3–0 | 57,828 | Pelé (2), Chinaglia |
| August 14, 1977 | Fort Lauderdale Strikers | H | 8–3 | 77,691 | Chinaglia (3), Hunt (2), Etherington, Beckenbauer, Field |
| August 17, 1977 | Fort Lauderdale Strikers | A | 2–2 (SOW) | 14,152 | Pelé, Chinaglia |
| August 21, 1977 | Rochester Lancers | A | 1–2 | 20,005 | Hunt, Chinaglia |
| August 24, 1977 | Rochester Lancers | H | 4–1 | 73,669 | Chinaglia (2), Pelé, Dimitrijevic |
| August 28, 1977 | Seattle Sounders | N | 2–1 | 35,548 | Hunt, Chinaglia |

### Friendlies

| Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Att. | Scorers |
| March 11 | Bermuda U23 | A | 4–0 | 626 | Chiaglia (4) |
| March 13 | Bermuda | A | 1–0 | 3,769 | Chiaglia |
| March 19 | Neuchâtel | A | 0–1 | 3,000 | – |
| March 20 | FC Zürich | A | 1–3 | 7,000 | Chinaglia |
| March 24 | Lazio | A | 2–1 | 15,000 | Chinaglia, Hunt |
| April 2 | Victory | A | 9–0 | 15,000 | Chinaglia (4), Pelé, Field, Garbett, Sono |
| April 3 | Tampa Bay Rowdies | A | 2–1 | 11,098 | Chinaglia, Dimitrijevic |
| June 1 | Lazio | H | 3–2 | 25,803 | Chinaglia, Rildo, Wilson |
| September 1 | Caribbean All-Stars | A | 5–2 | 30,000 | Dimitrijevic, Chinaglia, Topic, Pelé |
| September 4 | Portuguesa | A | 1–1 | 15,000 | Smith |
| September 10 | Furukawa | A | 4–2 | 30,000 | Chinaglia, Field, Pelé |
| September 14 | Japan | A | 3–1 | 65,000 | Topic, Morais, Chinaglia |
| September 17 | China | A | 1–1 | 80,000 | Field |
| September 20 | China | A | 1–2 | 50,000 | Pelé |
| September 25 | Mohun Bagan | A | 2–2 | 65,000 | Carlos Alberto, Chinaglia |
| October 1 | Santos | H | 2–1 | 75,646 | Mifflin, Pelé |
| October 5 | Santos | N | 1–1 | 24,689 | Chinaglia |
| October 8 | China | H | 1–1 | 33,712 | Chinaglia |
| October 14 | Flamengo | A | 1–4 | 14,000 | Field |

#### Notes

* ↑ Pelé's farewell game. After his #10 was retired by the franchise at halftime, Pelé played the second half for Santos.
* ↑ Held in Detroit.