The 1980 Washington Diplomats season was the club's ninth season of existence, their ninth season in the North American Soccer League and their ninth season in the then-top tier of American soccer. The Dips played in the NASL's Eastern Division of the National Conference, and finished the season placed second in the division, behind the New York Cosmos.
| 1980 season | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| General manager | Steve Danzansky | ||
| Head coach | Gordon Bradley | ||
| Stadium | RFK Stadium | ||
| NASL | Overall: 8th Division: 4th Conference: 2nd | ||
| NASL Playoffs | First round | ||
| National Challenge Cup | Did not enter | ||
| Top goalscorer | League: Green (25) All: Green (25) | ||
|
| |||
The Dips qualified for the 1980 NASL Playoffs, but lost in the first round to the Los Angeles Aztecs in extra time of the second leg.
Background
editDuring the 1979 season, the Dips finished second the Eastern Conference of the National Division. They compiled a record of 19 wins and 11 defeats with 68 goals for and 50 scored against. Their record earned the Dips a berth into the 1979 NASL Playoffs, where they lost 2–0 in games to the Los Angeles Aztecs.
Squad
editThe following players were contracted by the Washington Diplomats for part of the 1980 season.[1]
Competitions
editNASL
edit| August 27 Game 1 | Washington Diplomats | 1–0 | Los Angeles Aztecs | Washington, D.C. |
| 8:00 pm EDT[6] | Stokes  23' (Cruyff) |
Stadium: RFK Stadium Attendance: 20,231 Referee: Gino D'Ippolito (USA)[7] |
| August 30 Game 2 | Los Angeles Aztecs | 1–1 (a.e.t.) (5–4 p) | Washington Diplomats | Los Angeles |
| 7:30 pm PDT[8] | Fernando 61' (Merrick) |
Report | Rongen 84' (Droege) |
Stadium: Rose Bowl Attendance: 14,163 Referee: Warner Winsemann (Canada) |
| Penalties | ||||
 Fernando  Van Veen Keri Sibbald Etherington Aguirre |
O'Hara Iarusci Cruyff Droege Rongen Mokgojoa |
|||
| August 30 Mini-Game | Los Angeles Aztecs | 2–0 | Washington Diplomats | Los Angeles |
| Simic 10' (McGrane) Simic 26' |
Stadium: Rose Bowl Attendance: 14,163 |
References
edit- ^ "Washington Diplomats 1980 Roster". NASLJerseys.com. Retrieved January 13, 2017.
- ^ "Men's Soccer Team Awards: Most Valuable Player" (Web). William & Mary Tribe. TribeAthletics.com. August 24, 2016. Retrieved January 13, 2017.
1976 - Kip Germain
- ^ "MCCC Men's Soccer NJCAA All-Americans". Mercer County Community College. MCCC.edu. May 6, 2009. Retrieved January 13, 2017.
Carmine Posillico, 1979
- ^ "Kenneth "Unbelieveable" Mokgojoa" (Blog). Washington Diplomats NASL. July 9, 2012. Retrieved January 14, 2017.
- ^ Feinstein, John. "Mokgojoa Poses Dip Dilemma". The Washington Post. Retrieved January 13, 2017.
- ^ "NASL Playoffs". Chicago Tribune. August 26, 1980. p. 26. Retrieved November 3, 2018.
- ^ Feinstein, John (August 28, 1980). "Diplomats Nip Aztecs, 1-0, on Goal By Stokes". The Washington Post. p. C1.
- ^ "NASL Playoffs". Chicago Tribune. August 26, 1980. p. 26. Retrieved November 3, 2018.
