The Michigan Daily-Tuesday, August 8, 1978-Page 15
Alive and kicking
Only 8 teams ousted as NASL playoffs open
By The Associated Press
After a 30-game regular season, the
North American Soccer League moves
into its playoffs Tuesday night with 16
of the 24 teams still alive and kicking.
Unlike last season, division winners
do not get byes into the second round of
the playoffs, so one slip and it could be
all over.
"THE SEASON is history," said
Giorgio Chinaglia, the NASL's leading
scorer and top striker for the defending
champion Cosmos. "The team had a
great record but now the season is long
over. It doesn't seem like justice, lose
our next game and we're out, but what
are you gonna do?"
The Cosmos, a collection of high-
priced talent, were expected to repeat
as league champions. Anything less
would be a disappointment. Expec-
tations are much lower for the Detroit
Express, in their first season in the
league.
The Express, champions of the
American Conference Central Division,
host the Philadelphia Fury tonight at
the Pontiac Silverdome. Other playoff
action today has Chicago atTampa Bay
and California at San Diego.
Four games are slated for tomorrow
night. Fort Lauderdale travels to New
England; the Cosmos host Seattle in .a
rematch of last year's championship
game; Washington plays at Portland,
and Toronto meets Vancouver.
MINNESOTA hosts Tulsa Thursday
night to complete the first round of the
playoffs.
The Express were second in goals
this season, led by a top trio of scorers,
Trevor Francis, Keith Furphy and
David Bradford. Francis, an English
National Team forward who totaled 22
goals and 10 assists in 20 games with
Detroit, scored six game-winning goals
and had a NASL record five goals in the
Express' 10-0 victory over San Jose.
Detroit was one of four teams to
record 20 or more victories this season.
The others were New York, Vancouver
and Portland.
CHICAGO rebounded from a 0-10
start to make the playoffs against
Tampa Bay. The Rowdies are led by
Captain Rodney Marsh, whose 18 goals
and 16 assists for 52 points was good for
fourth place in the NASL scoring list
this season.
California travels to San Diego to
meet the Western Division leading
Sockers. The Sockers are anchored by
goalkeeper Alan Mayer, who
established the NASL record for most
minutes played, while also registering
more saves this season than any other
goalie.
NASL Standings
FINAL STANDINGS
NATIONAL CONFERENCE
Eastern Division
W L GF GA BP Pts
x-Cosmos .............. 24 6 88
Washington 16 14 55
Toronto ................. 16 14 58
Rochester .............. 13 17 47
Central division
x-Minnesota............ 17 13 58
Tulsa.................... 16 14 49
Dallas.................. 14 16 51
Colorado .. ... .. 8 22 34
Western Division
x-vancouver ........... 24 6 68
Portland ................ 20 10 50
Seattle ................. 15 15 50
Los Angeles ............. 9 21 36
39 68 212
47 49
47 48
52 47
43 54
46 45
53 47
66 33
29 55
36 47
45 48
145
144
125
156
141
131
81
199
167
138
AMERICAN CONFERENCE
Eastern division
x-NewEngland ......... 19 11 62 39 51 165
Tampa Bay ..............18 12 63 48 57 165
Fort Lauderdale ......... 16 14 50 59 47 143
Philadelphia ............ 12 18 40 58 39 111
Central divisio
x-Detroit ............... 20 10 68 36 56 176
Chicago ................. 12 18 57 64 51 123
Memphis ................ 10 20 43 58 41 101
Houston ................. 10 20 37 g61 36 96
Western Division
x-San Diego. 18 12 63 54 36 164
California ..........13 17 43 49 37 115
Oakland .................12 18 34 59 31 103
SanJose................ 8 22 36 81 35 83
x-won division title
sports of the DAILY
Calvin over the Hill
By The Associated Press
CARLISLE, Pa. - Washington Redskins running back Calvin Hill, in-
dicating he had lost some of his enthusiasm for the game, said he had
decided to retire from pro football, ateam spokesman announced yesterday.
Redskins spokesman Charlie Taylor said that Hill announced his
decision at training camp yesterday afternoon. Hill said he had simply
decided after nine years of pro football that it was time to step down.
The 31-year-old running back, who is 16th on the all-time NFL rushing
list, has complained about his lack of playing time under former coach
George Allen . Jack Pardee is the new coach.
During his career. Hill rushed for 3,567 yards, caught 164 passes for 1,613
yards, and scored 47 touchdowns.
"I am sorry Calvin decided to retire," Pardee said yesterday when in-
formed of Hill's announcement. "He is a great football player and a fine
leader. As a person, he was a tribute to the Redskins and to the National
Football League. I sincerely hope that he will reconsider."
69 34 88
Six points awardedfor a victory one bonus pointawarded for each goal scoredup to a maximum of three
per team per game.
Catfish back to win,
'make people happy'
NEW YORK (AP) - To paraphrase
Mark Twain, reports of Catfish Hun-
ter's demise have been greatly
exaggerated.
But despite two scintillating perfor-
mances ina row, Hunter insists that his
baseball obituary will be written when
the curtain falls on the 1979 season.
"THE LAST game I pitch in 1979,
even if I win 25 games and we go to the
World Se:ries, that's it," the 32-year-old
Hunter said in the wake of Sunday's
five-hit 3-0 victory over Baltimore, his
first complete game of the season and
first shutout in more than a year.
There has rarely been a sadder sight
in baseball than watching Hunter
trudge of f the mound July 27 after
facing six Cleveland batters and
surrendering three walks, three hits
and six runs. Never before in his career
had he failed to retire at least two bat-
ters.
So even though Hunter was the same
laconic, soft-spoken Catfish as ever,
you could sense how the Yankees felt as
they raced from the dugout to
congratulate him after Sunday's
shutout. It came on the heels of eight
scoreless innings against Texas five
days earlier.
THIS WAS MORE than just a sore-
shouldered pitcher proving he was
sound. The never-complaining Hunter
is one of baseball's class people, as well
as a 215-game winner and a sure Hall of
Famer.
What apparently cured Hunter was a
unique shoulder manipulation treat- Closet baseball{fans
ment performed a few weeks ago by Dr.
Maurice Cowen, the Yankees' team
physician.
"In the old days," said Manager Bob NEW YORK - San Francisco and Milwaukee, two cities which have had
Lemon, "he'd go along and suddenly attendance problems in the past, recorded attendance highs over the
blow it by you. He still does that once in weekend, the baseball commissioner's office announced yesterday.
a while, but he's got savvy and he's like The San Francisco Giants hosted the Los Angeles Dodgers in a battle of
a surgeon out there carving away at National League West rivals before 193,954 fans, the total for a four-date
o n oseries this season.
yIt's got to make you happy when you At Milwaukee, the Brewers entertained the Boston Red Sox, drawing a
this happen to a guy of his caliber total attendance of 153,974, highest of any three date series this season. This
who's had the problems he's had but match-up of American League East rivals also attracted the highest per-
never says a word, never alibis, and game average of any series of three dates or more this year.
just says, "Gimme the ball.'
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