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. 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