Exactly 35 years ago today, the Vancouver Whitecaps became the city’s first professional sports team to win a major North American championship when they defeated the Tampa Bay Rowdies in the 1979 NASL Soccer Bowl.
The improbable run, which saw the ‘Caps upset New York Cosmos in the deciding mini-game of the 1979 NASL semifinal in New York City, was a defining moment for the club and the entire City of Vancouver.
Upon return to Vancouver, as many as 100,000 people lined Robson Street to salute their heroes during a championship parade, creating arguably the most historic moment in Whitecaps history.
See below for some videos and photos from that memorable championship, including the original scoresheet from Vancouver's 2-1 win over Tampa Bay Rowdies on September 8, 1979.
