Tuesday, Aug. 15, 1978: Kicks 9, Cosmos 2
Posted on September 4th, 2005 – 11:21 PMBy Ben Welter
The Minnesota Kicks played in the North American Soccer League from 1976 until 1981, drawing an average of 24,000 fans per game to Met Stadium in Bloomington. Professional soccer was new to Minnesota; many fans came largely for the tailgating and Frisbee-tossing in the big parking lot surrounding the stadium at Cedar Avenue and I-494. The Minneapolis Tribune was new to soccer as well, as evidenced by the misspelling of Charlie George’s first name and errant references to players in the “crease” in the story below.
The star-studded Cosmos of New York were heavily favored to beat the Kicks in the second round of the playoffs in 1978. I passed up the chance for a free ticket that night. It was hot and humid, and, frankly, I didn’t have the heart to watch Minnesota lose again to Chinaglia & Co. I missed the high point of the season. The low point came two nights later, when the Cosmos recovered to crush the Kicks 4-0 in game two in Giants Stadium, and then advanced with a 1-0 shootout win in the minigame that followed.
Kicks overwhelm Cosmos 9-2
Willey drills five;
scoring records fall
By Bruce Brothers
Staff Writer
The Minnesota Kicks destroyed the defending champion Cosmos 9-2 Monday night at Metropolitan Stadium, riding the five-goal gunnery of Alan Willey to triumph in the first of a two-game NASL play-off series.
“They just overpowered us,” said Cosmos Coach Eddie Firmani.
Numerous records fell as the Kicks vented their 1978 scoring frustrations before a delighted gathering of 45,863, whose spirits remained undampened by a thundershower in the final minutes of the one-sided match.
The victory sends the Kicks to Giants Stadium, the Cosmos’ home in East Rutherford, N.J., with the upper hand for Wednesday’s second game. Two victories are needed to advance in the play-offs. Should the Cosmos win tomorrow, an overtime “mini-game” will follow to decide which team will go on to the conference championship against either Vancouver or Portland.
“After tonight’s performance,” Willey said, “there is no way we can get beat Wednesday.”
Willey’s five goals set an NASL play-off record, while the nine Kicks’ goals was a playoff record as well as the team’s three-year high. And Charley George, who scored with 52 seconds gone in the game, got a play-off record for the fastest goal.
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| Alan Willey (9) charged toward his record fifth goal while Guiseppe Wilson (23) and Santiago Formosa of the Cosmos looked on. Chico Hamilton of the Kicks trailed the play. (Staff photo by Darlene Pfister) |
“I knew the chances would come,” Willey said, “because they did in the first game (a 4-2 Cosmos victory) and we didn’t put them away. We put them away tonight. There is nothing we can do wrong now. We’ve been threatening to score a bunch against somebody, but I didn’t think it’d be the Cosmos. It feels good, especially against the Cosmos, because they’re the team to beat.”
From the first minute the Cosmos were struggling. Tony Want’s crossing pass to George found the Minnesota striker and Cosmos goalie going high for the ball in the crease. Yasin crumbled to the turf after their collision and the ball bounced off George’s body and into the net. Not only Yasin’s pride was hurt. He had to leave the game with a slight concussion.
The Kicks’ outlook got even brighter 17 minutes later when Cosmos Captain Werner Roth tried to clear a corner kick off the foot of Chico Hamilton. Roth drilled the ball behind a startled Jack Brand, the Cosmos’ backup goalkeeper.
The own goal was especially cheering to Kicks’ goalkeeper Tino Lettieri, who has been victimized by a couple of them this season. “That second took a bit of tension off our minds,” Lettieri said. “Scoring two goals is good, the confidence builds and you just want to score more.”
Willey’s first goal at 29:28 made it 3-0 at half time, but the Cosmos came back on Giorgio Chinaglia’s drive past Lettieri three minutes into the second half. The Kicks needed just five minutes to retaliate, however, thanks to some sloppy defensive work in front of the Cosmos goal.
George was alone in the crease and Roth found himself confronted on the other side by two other Kicks. George slid the ball of Roth’s foot to Ace Ntsoelengoe, who put it away for a 4-1 score.
Ntsoelengoe, who suffered a cut hand but said it isn’t bad, said the Cosmos do not seem to play as well when they have to come from behind. “They are one team,” he said, “that when you get two or three goals on them, they go down.”
“When we scored that fourth goal,” George said, “that did it.”
Goals came hot and heavy after that, keeping the big crowd in a happy frame of mind despite the 90-degree heat. Willey got three in a row, at 62:28, 69:05 and at 77:27. The Cosmos finally scored again when Gary Etherington booted in a shot with 6 ½ minutes remaining, but Willey drilled another one minute later and Chico Hamilton added the ninth in the final minute.
The nine goals was the most ever yielded by the Cosmos, who also had a seven-game play-off winning streak ended by the onslaught.
“I thought we just played badly,” said Firmani.
Willey pronounced the game his best ever. “I’ve had nothing as good as that,” he said. Said George: “They’ll be ready Wednesday, but this game should do a lot for us. If it doesn’t I don’t know what will.”
“What can you say, it was unbelievable,” Kicks Coach Freddie Goodwin said. “Bearing in mind the occasion, what was needed and the opposition, it was an outstanding performance. Now, on Wednesday, we’ve got to go out and play the same way.”
Quick Kicks: Dennis Tueart of the Cosmos collided with Lettieri early in the game and left later with a bruised thigh … George got a knock on his injured foot, but said after the game that the foot is OK … The Kicks outshot the Cosmos 31-12. Chinaglia, the league scoring champion with 34 goals during the season and two more in the play-offs, had six of the losers’ shots. Willey had 10 shots … Lettieri got an assist on Willey’s final goal, throwing the ball to Hamilton, who brought it down and crossed to Willey in front … Hamilton had three assists in addition to his goal … Rookie Alex Rosul, the Kicks’ first-round draft choice this year, got an assist on Willey’s fourth goal, his first-ever in the NASL.
9 Responses to "Tuesday, Aug. 15, 1978: Kicks 9, Cosmos 2"
I was at this game I still remember it. Mainly I remember staying in the motorhome too lnng and standing in line to get in when the first goal was scored. I turned to my friend and said that it would probably be a 1-0 game and we missed the only goal. Little did I know!
It is great to see some ink about the Minnesota Kicks. Long before the term soccer moms became part of the national jargon the Kicks, Pele & the Cosmos and the NASL brought the world’s sport to America’s doorstep and while the soccer revolution has been slow in coming the sport has been making great strides as evidenced by its number 1 ranking in youth sport particpation numbers since 1990, the world cup being hosted in the States in ‘94 and 5 consecutive world cup qualifications by the U.S. National Team, Americans playing for the elite European teams, and the steady development of the MLS. The NASL was the catalyst of it all and the 9-2 Kicks victory over the celebrated New York Cosmos was the pinnacle moment in the Kicks brief yet brilliant history, a mezmorizing moment which ignited the dreams of young soccer players across the State to dream of being “the Artful Dodger” Alan Willey and netting 5 more.
Wow, 24,000 a night?? Wow.
Awesome story.
And great news about Becks coming, maybe that will continue soccer’s revolution here in the states.
We were at the game after some serious tailgating. The atmosphere was insane. If I remember correctly tickets were $2.00 and parking was free. Wow, those were the days!
I was one of the 45K at that incredible game in the ol’ Met Stadium. My older brother took me. I was fifteen at the time. Despite the thunderstorm drenching the fans, the players, and the field in the second half, the game was simply amazing. The Cosmos were a superstar team with Chinaglia, Roth, and Carlos Alberto. But the Kicks had players with much more heart and soul. I know it is cliche, but they also played as a team. Ace Ntsoelengoe, the South African, is still my favorite soccer player. At the end of the game, many of the fans stormed the field. For me, it was the second best sporting event I have ever attended. Yes, I was also at the 7th game of the ‘87 World Series.
I also was at the game, with many brothers of mine from Sigma Nu Fraternity at the U of M. I jumped off the wall by the foul pole in left at the end of the game and the beginning of the wet and drunken celebration. I landed on my back and was told by a cop to leave the field and I did.
I blocked this all out…though I was a young kid, I was aware of the Kicks…I just didn’t care.
Soccer is a bore. Was then and is now…even for $2.00 a ticket they couldn’t sell out….
Where is Santiago Formosa now? I knew him when he played for Univ. of Penn
We were at the game also. Jason D has no clue. The Twins were horrible at that time(anyone remember Bombo’s Bambinos) Tailgating and a soccer match were a great way to spend 20 evenings a year.
