1978 Pacific Soccer Conference Champions
Head Coach: Steve Negoesco
Overall Record: 28-1
PSC Record: 5-0-0
All-PSC Team: Andy Atuegbu, Bjorn Dahl, Anthony Gray, Tony Igwe, Luis Magalhaes, Alex Nwosu
Most Goals: Dag Olavson (17)
Most Assists: Felipe Magalhaes (11)
Most Points: Dag Olavson (40 – 17 goals, 6 assists)
Goals Against Average: Andy Fry (0.88)
1978 was a year that records were broken and dreams realized as USF defeated Indiana 2-0 in the title game to grab their third NCAA Championship in four seasons. The Dons finished the regular season at 26-1, to rank 2nd nationally. In the NCAA Tournament the seeds held as the four top four-ranked teams in the country each advanced to the Final Four. USF faced a tough Clemson squad in the national semi-finals and subdued the Tigers 2-1. Clemson scored first, then in the 43rd minute, Tony Igwe tied the game on a penalty kick. One minute later, Luis Felipe Magalhaes scored to give USF a 2-1 halftime lead. USF dominated the second half by playing tight defense against Clemson’s Center forwards.
In the NCAA final game against Indiana, USF took a 1-0 lead 14 minutes into the game. Jan Erik Shaug lofted a pass to Alex Nwosu in front of the Indiana goal. With a defender draped all over him, Nwosu passed the ball to Dag Olavson who with his back to the goal, made a classic scissors kick that sent the ball to the back of the net for the early lead. The Dons next goal was when Nick Lambridis made a long pass to Nwosu, who then beat the goalie to the ball and scored.
Highlights during the regular season included a 3-2 win over nationally-ranked UCLA, a 2-0 win over Cal and a perfect 5-0-0 slate in the Pacific Soccer Conference. Forward Tony Gray received recognition in Soccer America magazine in October, and team Captain Igwe the team as outstanding on defense, and went 6/6 on penalty kicks. The 1978 season was the last season that SF Hall-of-Famers Peter Arnautoff, Bjorn Dahl, Gray and Igwe would play for the Dons.
Did You Know? The 1978 team featured players from 13 different countries. It was the team that the media called the "UN Team". There were only six Americans on the squad, but as Erik Visser from Amsterdam, Holland pointed out, “It doesn’t really matter how many countries we come from, soccer is all that matters.”
They Said It: “USF is so skilled they can do anything they want. They’ll use a 4-4-2 against us tomorrow, but they could use anything. They’re the most sophisticated team in college soccer. Eleven of them have been on their countries’ national teams,” said Indiana Coach Jerry Yeagley, the day before his Hoosiers faced the Dons in the National Championship game.
