Whitecaps

I cannot let a reference to Vancouver go without mentioning the great Vancouver Whitecaps of 1979.

Here’s the team photo.  Just look at those perms! 

The great Brucie Grobbelaar in goal.  And Alan Ball, Ray Lewington, Willie Johnston, Roger Kenyon, Trevor Whymark, Kevin Hector and Carl Valentine making a few Loonies too.

The Whitecaps would beat the famed two time defending champion, the New York Cosmos in the NASL Semi Final and the Tampa Bay Rowdies in the final at Giants Stadium.  This was post Pele and the most thrilling and entertaining of all playoff seasons in the North American Soccer League.  It was in retrospect the high watermark of professional Association Football in North America since the war.  (I know there have been lots of wars.)

Over 100,000 people crowded the streets of Vancouver to greet the ‘79 team on their return with the Championship.  I wonder how many folks from Vancouver will stump up to see Los Angeles Galaxy take on Vancouver in May?