The Los Angeles Aztecs was an American professional soccer team based in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

that existed from 1974 to 1981. The Aztecs competed in the North American Soccer League (NASL) from

1974 Major events in 1974 include the aftermath of the 1973 oil crisis and the resignation of United States President Richard Nixon following the Watergate scandal. In the Middle East, the aftermath of the 1973 Yom Kippur War determined politics; f ...

1981 Events January * January 1 ** Greece enters the European Economic Community, predecessor of the European Union. ** Palau becomes a self-governing territory. * January 10 – Salvadoran Civil War: The FMLN launches its first major offensiv ...

as well as the 1975 NASL Indoor tournament, the 1979–80 and 1980–81 NASL Indoor seasons, and won the

NASL Championship NASL or Nasl may refer to: * Nasl, Iran (disambiguation) * ''NASL Soccer'', a 1980 early sports videogame * National Association for the Support of Long Term Care, a US national trade association * Nessus Attack Scripting Language * North American ...

in 1974. During their eight years of existence, the Aztecs played at four different venues and were controlled by four different ownership groups, European football legends

George Best George Best (22 May 1946 – 25 November 2005) was a Northern Irish professional footballer who played as a winger, spending most of his club career at Manchester United. A highly skilful dribbler, Best is regarded as one of the greatest p ...

and

Johan Cruyff Hendrik Johannes Cruijff (, internationally known as Johan Cruyff; 25 April 1947 – 24 March 2016) was a Dutch professional football player and manager. As a player, he won the Ballon d'Or three times, in 1971, 1973 and 1974. Cruyff was a ...

played for the team, and from 1975 to 1977 English singer

Elton John Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, pianist and composer. Commonly nicknamed the "Rocket Man" after his 1972 hit single of the same name, John has led a commercially successful career a ...

was a part-owner.

History

Founding and First Season Success

In January 1974, looking to build off what was considered increasing public interest in professional soccer, the NASL announced Los Angeles as one of six cities awarded an

expansion team An expansion team is a new team in a sports league, usually from a city that has not hosted a team in that league before, formed with the intention of satisfying the demand for a local team from a population in a new area. Sporting leagues also ...

for the upcoming 1974 season. Jack Gregory, a local doctor and real estate investor, paid the franchise fee and acted as team owner and

Alex Perolli Alex Perolli (December 7, 1915 – March 19, 1994) was an Albanian football coach best known for coaching the Los Angeles Aztecs to a North American Soccer League championship in 1974. The following season, he coached the San Antonio Thunde ...

was appointed the first head coach. After playing a series of pre-season friendlies against teams from Mexico, the Aztecs opened their first NASL season with a 2–1 win over the

Seattle Sounders Seattle Sounders Football Club is an American professional men's soccer club based in Seattle. The Sounders compete as a member of the Western Conference of Major League Soccer (MLS). The club was established on November 13, 2007, and began ...

at the East Los Angeles College Stadium with 4,107 fans in attendance. After three consecutive victories to start the season, Perolli publicly criticized and then fired his starting goal keeper,

Trinidad and Tobago Trinidad and Tobago (, ), officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, is the southernmost island country in the Caribbean. Consisting of the main islands Trinidad and Tobago, and numerous much smaller islands, it is situated south of ...

international Kelvin Barclay, after he allowed three goals in the second half. The Aztecs finished the season with a record of 11 wins, 2 draws and 7 losses, averaging 5,098 fans per game, and winning first place in the Western Division . Forward

Doug McMillan Douglas McMillan is a former Scottish-American soccer forward. He was both the 1973 American Soccer League Rookie of the Year and the 1974 North American Soccer League Rookie of the Year. He earned two caps with the United States nation ...

scored eleven goals and was named Rookie of the Year for the 1974 season, an honor he had separately won the previous season with the Cleveland Stars of the American Soccer League. Having earned a first round bye, the Aztecs defeated the

Boston Minutemen The Boston Minutemen were an American professional soccer team based out of Boston that played in the North American Soccer League (NASL). They played from 1974 to 1976. Their home fields included Alumni Stadium in Chestnut Hill, Schaefer Stadium ...

2–0 at home in the semi-finals. Having earned the most points during the season, Los Angeles should have hosted the

NASL Final 1974 NASL Final 1974 was the championship match of the 1974 season, between the expansion Los Angeles Aztecs and the Miami Toros. The match was played on August 25, 1974 at the Orange Bowl, in Miami, Florida. The teams played to a, 3–3, draw, an ...

; however, due to the CBS televised start time of 3:30 ( EDT) and other factors, the game was moved to the

Miami Orange Bowl The Miami Orange Bowl was an outdoor athletic stadium in Miami, Florida from 1937 until 2008. The stadium was located in the Little Havana neighborhood west of Downtown Miami. The Miami Orange Bowl was considered a landmark and served as the ho ...

. On August 25, 1974 with 15,507 people in attendance, the Los Angeles Aztecs and the

Miami Toros The Miami Toros was a professional soccer team in the North American Soccer League from 1972 to 1976. The club was founded in 1967 as the Washington Darts, and moved to Miami, where they played the 1972 season in the NASL's Southern Division ...

played to a 3–3 draw in regular time, after which Los Angeles won the

penalty shoot-out The penalty shootout is a method of determining a winner in sports matches that would have otherwise been drawn or tied. The rules for penalty shootouts vary between sports and even different competitions; however, the usual form is similar to pe ...

5–3 to win the 1974 NASL Championship. It was the second year in a row that an expansion franchise and won the championship following the

Philadelphia Atoms The Philadelphia Atoms were an American soccer team based out of Philadelphia that played in the North American Soccer League (NASL). They played from 1973 to 1976, at Veterans Stadium (1973–75) and Franklin Field (1976). The club's colors wer ...

in 1973.

New Ownership

Following the 1974 season,

left his position as head coach to take up the same job at the expansion

San Antonio Thunder The San Antonio Thunder were an American soccer team based in San Antonio, Texas. Founded in 1975 as a member of the North American Soccer League, the team played two seasons in San Antonio before the franchise rights were moved to Hawaii. The t ...

and owner Jack Gregory sold his interest in the team to a group headed by John Chaffetz The new owners hired 25 year old Terry Fisher, at the time the youngest coach in the NASL, giving him a two year contract as head coach. That February, the team traded its first and second draft choices to the expansion

Chicago Sting The Chicago Sting (1974–1988) was an American professional soccer team representing Chicago. The Sting played in the North American Soccer League from 1975 to 1984 and in the Major Indoor Soccer League in the 1982–83 season and again from 1 ...

and drafted Michael Bain, two-time

All-America The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed upon an amateur sports person from the United States who is considered to be one of the best amateurs in their sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an All-Am ...

n and captain of the 1974 NCAA Division I Soccer champions

Howard Bison The Howard Bison and Lady Bison are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent Howard University, located in Washington, D.C. The Bison compete in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)'s and Division I Footba ...

. The Aztecs were one of the sixteen NASL teams to participate in the 1975 NASL Indoor tournament. In total, the Aztecs played three indoor matches in 1975, a pre-tournament tune-up match against the

San Jose Earthquakes The San Jose Earthquakes are an American professional soccer team based in San Jose, California. The Earthquakes compete as a member club of the Western Conference of Major League Soccer (MLS). Originally as the San Jose Clash, the franchise ...

on February 14, and tournament matches against the

Vancouver Whitecaps Vancouver Whitecaps Football Club is a Canadian professional soccer team based in Vancouver. They compete in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member club of the league's Western Conference. The MLS iteration of the club was established on Mar ...

and

. The Aztecs opened the 1975 North American Soccer League season with a 2–1 victory on the road against the

. The team's first home sellout occurred on 3 July 1975, in a 5–1 rout of the

Pelé Edson Arantes do Nascimento (; born 23 October 1940), known as Pelé (), is a Brazilian former professional footballer who played as a forward. Widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time and labelled "the greatest" by FIFA, ...

led

New York Cosmos New York Cosmos may refer to * New York Cosmos (1970–1985), a team in the North American Soccer League (then the top-tier soccer league in the United States and Canada) * New York Cosmos (2010), a team playing since 2020 in the National Independ ...

Uri Banhoffer Uruguay Gustavo Graffigna Banhoffer, also known as Uri Banhoffer or Yuri Banhoffer (14 January 1948 – 12 March 2021) was a Uruguayan footballer who played for clubs in Uruguay, Chile, the Netherlands and the United States. He died from COVID-1 ...

scored a hat-trick and was named NASL player of the week for his performance. The team officially protested their 2 August 1975 2–1 overtime loss to Earthquakes stating crowd noise prevented head coach Fisher from communicating with his players between the end of regulation and the beginning of overtime. The team finished the season with a record of twelve wins and ten losses, ending in third place of the Western Division. Making the playoffs as a wild card after

lost their final game of the season to the

Washington Diplomats The Washington Diplomats were an American soccer club representing Washington, D.C. Throughout their playing existence, the club played their home games at Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium and indoor home matches at the neighboring D.C. Arm ...

, the Aztecs were defeated by the St. Louis Stars in a quarter-finals match that was decided by a penalty shoot-out.

Best Years

Following the 1975 season, English singer

, purchased a stake in the team, and was given permission by the league to sit on the bench during games. A few weeks later, Managing General Partner Chaffetz announced the team's intention of signing 1968 Ballon d'Or winner

, who had been released by

Manchester United Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of City of Salford, Salford to ...

. After some confusion in December between the team announcing Best's signing and the player denying he had, George Best arrived in Los Angeles on 20 February 1976. The Aztecs opened the 1976 North American Soccer League season on the road with a 1–2 loss against the

, Best scored his first of fifteen goals for the season on 25 April 1976 in the team's home opener against the Rochester Lancers. Los Angeles finished the season in third place of the Pacific Conference Southern Division with a record of twelve wins and twelve losses. The Aztecs were defeated in the First Round of the playoffs 2–0 by the

Dallas Tornado The Dallas Tornado was a soccer team based in Dallas, Texas that played in the North American Soccer League (NASL) from 1967 to 1981. Of the twelve teams that comprised the U.S. in 1967, the Tornado franchise played the longest–15 seasons. ...

on 18 August 1976. After playing the previous two seasons at

Murdock Stadium Featherstone Field, previously known as Murdock Stadium is a stadium on the campus of El Camino College in Torrance, California. Built in 1958 the stadium seats around 12,127 on wood-backed bleacher seats. It was home to the North American So ...

on the campus of

El Camino College El Camino College (Elco or ECC) is a two-year public community college located in the unincorporated area of Los Angeles County known as Alondra Park.L.A. Coliseum for the 1977 season. The Aztecs began the 1977 North American Soccer League season on the road against the Earthquakes again, this time beating San Jose 3–0. On 3 July 1977, the largest home crowd of the season, 32,165, attended the game against the

Cosmos The cosmos (, ) is another name for the Universe. Using the word ''cosmos'' implies viewing the universe as a complex and orderly system or entity. The cosmos, and understandings of the reasons for its existence and significance, are studied in ...

, for Brazilian superstar

's last competitive appearance in Los Angeles. The Aztec won the game 4–1. The Aztecs finished the season in second place of the Pacific Conference Southern Division with a record of fifteen wins and eleven losses. The Aztecs were defeated by the

in the Conference Championships after having beaten the Earthquakes in the first round, and

over two-legs in the Division Championships. After the season, the team was purchased by a group headed by

Alan Rothenberg Alan I. Rothenberg (born April 10, 1939) is an American lawyer and sports executive. He is known for his contributions to and influence on the growth of soccer in the United States. He is the namesake of the Alan I. Rothenberg Trophy, which was ...

with former

Los Angeles Lakers The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Lakers play their ...

player

Rudy LaRusso Rudolph A. LaRusso (November 11, 1937 – July 9, 2004) was an American professional basketball player who was a five-time All-Star in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was nicknamed "Roughhouse Rudy." Early life LaRusso was Jewish ...

named general manager. The Aztecs also signed a lease to play its homes matches at the Rose Bowl for the 1978 North American Soccer League season. In the first game of the season, the Aztecs lost to the

Houston Hurricane The Houston Hurricane was a soccer team based out of Houston that played in the NASL. They played from 1978 to 1980. Their home field was the Astrodome. Their colors were orange, white and red. History The team was the last of six expansion t ...

in a shoot-out after playing to a 2–2 draw. Rumor's of Best's extravagant lifestyle and various personal problems, including

alcoholism Alcoholism is, broadly, any drinking of alcohol (drug), alcohol that results in significant Mental health, mental or physical health problems. Because there is disagreement on the definition of the word ''alcoholism'', it is not a recognize ...

, began to spread during the previous season. After missing two training sessions and meeting with the team owners to address his concerns with the direction of the club, Best skipped the team's final practice before their 10 May 1978 match against the Oakland Stompers, and the team announced his indefinite suspension. The following month, the team traded Best to the

Fort Lauderdale Strikers Fort Lauderdale Strikers may refer to: *Fort Lauderdale Strikers (1977–1983), member of North American Soccer League from 1977 to 1983 *Fort Lauderdale Strikers (1988–1994), member of American Soccer League from 1988 to 1989 and American Profes ...

, with the Aztecs receiving players

George Dewsnip George Dewsnip is an English retired professional footballer who played in the Football League, North American Soccer League, American Soccer League and Major Indoor Soccer League. He became an apprentice in 1972 and later signed professiona ...

Andy Rowland Andrew Arthur Rowland (born 8 September 1954) is an English former footballer who played for Derby County, Bury and Swindon Town Swindon Town Football Club is a professional football club based in Swindon, Wiltshire, England. The team cu ...

and the Strikers first 1980 draft choice. On 6 June 1978 and with a record of five wins in thirteen games, the Aztecs fired head coach Terry Fisher and replaced him with

Tommie Smith Tommie C. Smith (born June 6, 1944) is an American former track and field, track and field athlete and former wide receiver in the American Football League. At the 1968 Summer Olympics, Smith, aged 24, won the 200-meter sprint finals and gold me ...

. With only three wins during the next fourteen games, Smith was replaced by team Director of Personnel Peter Short for the final two games of the season. The Aztecs finished the season in last place of the National Conference Western Division, recording nine wins and twenty-one loses. It was the team's worst outdoor season record and the only outdoor season the Aztecs did not qualify for the playoffs. The Aztecs did not participate in the 1978 NASL Skelly Indoor Invitational, but did play a few indoor exhibition games in March 1978.

Michels & Cruyff Years

On 14 November 1978, team president

Larry Friend Larry Haskell Friend (April 14, 1935 – February 27, 1998) was an American National Basketball Association (NBA) player. Biography Friend was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, and was Jewish. He played basketball at Marshall Metropolitan Hi ...

announced former

FC Barcelona Futbol Club Barcelona (), commonly referred to as Barcelona and colloquially known as Barça (), is a professional football club based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, that competes in La Liga, the top flight of Spanish football. Founded ...

AFC Ajax Amsterdamsche Football Club Ajax (), also known as AFC Ajax, Ajax Amsterdam, or simply Ajax, is a Dutch professional football club based in Amsterdam, that plays in the , the top tier in Dutch football. Historically, Ajax (named after the l ...

, and Dutch national team manager

Rinus Michels Marinus Jacobus Hendricus Michels (; 9 February 1928 – 3 March 2005) was a Dutch football player and coach. He played his entire career for AFC Ajax, which he later managed, and played for and later managed the Netherlands national team ...

had been hired as head coach. Michels revamped the team's roster with only four players from the Aztecs 1978 team remaining on the roster for the 1979 NASL season. The Aztecs started the season with a record of five wins in seven games when on 22 May 1979 the team announced the signing of three-time

Ballon d'Or The Ballon d'Or (; ) is an annual football award presented by French news magazine ''France Football'' since 1956. Between 2010 and 2015, in an agreement with FIFA, the award was temporarily merged with the FIFA World Player of the Year (fo ...

winner

on a $1.4 million contract over two years which also included a percentage of gate receipts, making Cruyff the highest paid athlete in Southern California. The Aztecs finished the season in second place of the National Conference Western Division with a record of eighteen wins and twelve losses. Prior to signing Cruyff, the Aztecs averaged 7,500 fans a game, but ended the season with an average attendance of 14,333. The Aztecs defeated the

two games to none in the first round of the playoffs. The Aztecs won the home leg of the Conference Semifinals agsinst the

in an overtime shootout, but lost the away leg and the 30 minute mini game. Cruyff was awarded the league MVP and

Larry Hulcer Larry Hulcer is a former U.S. soccer forward and midfielder. He spent three seasons in the North American Soccer League and at least three in Major Indoor Soccer League. He also earned eight caps, scoring one goal, with the U.S. national ...

was named the Rookie of the Year for the 1979 season. From September through October 1979, the team embarked on a three-country European tour beginning with a 2–1 victory over

Paris Saint-Germain F.C. Paris Saint-Germain Football Club (), commonly referred to as Paris Saint-Germain, Paris, Paris SG or simply PSG is a professional football club based in Paris, France. They compete in Ligue 1, the top division of French football. As ...

The team then played six games in the

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

winning three, losing two and earning one draw. On the team's final leg through

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

, the Aztec drew 1–1 against Birmingham City F.C. and lost 2–0 to

Chelsea F.C. Chelsea Football Club is an English professional football club based in Fulham, West London. Founded in 1905, they play their home games at Stamford Bridge. The club competes in the Premier League, the top division of English football ...

Mexican media company

Televisa Grupo Televisa is a Mexican multimedia mass media company. A major Latin American mass media corporation, it often presents itself as the largest producer of Spanish-language content. In April 2021, Televisa and Univision Communications announce ...

purchased the team in early 1980 and sold the team's rights to Johan Cruyff to the Washington Diplomats for $1 million in order to save payroll money and foster a different image for the team. The Aztecs participated in the 1979–80 NASL Indoor season earning only two wins in twelve matches. A few weeks prior to the beginning of the 1980 outdoor season, Michels resigned has head coach, but was able to reach an agreement with the new owners and confirmed he would be returning. The Aztecs finished the 1980 season in second place of the National Conference Western Division with a record of twenty wins and twelve losses. Losing the first game of the Conference Quarterfinals at RFK Stadium the Aztecs defeated the Diplomats in the series by winning the home leg in a shootout, and the 30-minute minigame 2–0. The Aztecs advanced to the Conference Championships after defeating the

in another shootout after each team won their home leg and playing to a 1–1 tie in the minigame. The Aztecs were defeated by the

in both games of the Conference Championships. Less than a month after the team was eliminated from the playoffs, Michels left the team for the position of technical director of

FC Köln FC may refer to: Businesses, organisations, and schools * Fergusson College, a science and arts college in Pune, India * Finncomm Airlines (IATA code) * FranklinCovey company, NYSE stock symbol FC * Frontier Corps, a paramilitary force in Paki ...

Final Season

The Aztecs achieved their best indoor season record with eleven wins and seven loses and earning first place of the Western Division in the 1980–81 NASL Indoor season but were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by Edmonton Drillers. On 9 January 1981, the Aztecs announced

Cláudio Coutinho Cláudio Pêcego de Moraes Coutinho (5 January 1939 – 27 November 1981) was a Brazilian football manager who coached Brazil from 1977 to 1980 and Los Angeles Aztecs in 1981. He died as a result of a scuba diving accident at Rio de Janeiro. Mi ...

had signed a two year contract to coach the team. The team also moved back to the

Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum (also known as the L.A. Coliseum) is a multi-purpose stadium in the Exposition Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. Conceived as a hallmark of civic pride, the Coliseum was commissioned in 1921 as a mem ...

to play their home games for the 1981 outdoor season. The Aztecs finished the 1981 North American Soccer League season in second place of the Western Division with a record of nineteen wins and thirteen losses and an average attendance of 5,814. The team was knocked out of the first round of the playoffs by the Montreal Manic two games to one, the last game decided on a controversial penalty call in overtime. Following the season on 9 December 1981,

released a statement stating the team would not be operating for the 1982 season and that any remaining player contracts would be sold.

Year-by-year

Notable players

Javier Aguirre Javier Aguirre Onaindía (; born 1 December 1958), nicknamed ''El Vasco'' (The Basque), is a Mexican former professional footballer and manager who is currently in charge of Spanish team RCD Mallorca. Aguirre played for Mexico at the 1986 Wo ...

Gary Allison Gary Allison is a retired German-born American soccer player. This outstanding goalkeeper (association football), goalkeeper played professionally, for 12 years, from 1973-1984, in the NASL (North American Soccer League (1968-1984), North Americ ...

Lee Atack Lee Atack is an American soccer defender who played four seasons in the North American Soccer League and one in the Major Indoor Soccer League. Atack attended high school in Newark, CA at Newark High school, and played soccer for Coach Har ...

Desmond Backos Desmond Patrick Backos (born 13 November 1950) is a South African former association football, footballer who played in the Football League for Stoke City F.C., Stoke City. Career Backos was born in Johannesburg and played football with local s ...

Phil Beal Phil Beal (born 8 January 1945) is an English former association football, footballer who played as a central defender. Career Tottenham Hotspur Beal was born in Godstone, Surrey. He played for Surrey boys and England Youth before signing as ...

Željko Bilecki Željko Bilecki (April 28, 1950 – April 26, 2023) was a Canadian soccer player who played as a goalkeeper. Club career Bilecki played at the youth level with Toronto Croatia's junior team in 1969. In 1970, he played in the National Socc ...

Bob Bolitho Robert "Bob" Bolitho (born July 20, 1952, in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada) is a former Canadian national team, North American Soccer League and Canadian Soccer League player. He is of Cornish descent. Club career Bolitho played as a te ...

Colin Boulton Colin Donald Boulton (born 12 September 1945) is a former footballer who played as a goalkeeper. Football career "Solid", "dependable", "ever present" are among the things that were said about him. Boulton was the only Derby County player to ta ...

* Colin Clarke * Martin Cohen *

Charlie Cooke Charles Cooke (born 14 October 1942) is a Scottish former footballer. He played as a winger for Aberdeen, Dundee, Chelsea and Crystal Palace, before ending his career in the United States. Club career Cooke began his professional career wi ...

Julio César Cortés Julio César "''El Pocho''" Cortés Lagos (born 29 March 1941) is an Uruguayan football coach and former midfielder who participated in three World Cups with the Uruguay national team. At the club level, Cortés was most successful during t ...

* Renato Costa * Peter Coyne *

Chris Dangerfield Christopher George Dangerfield (born 9 August 1955) is an English former association football, footballer who spent most of his career in the United States. He began his career in England before playing ten seasons in the North American Socce ...

Steve David Steve David (born 11 March 1951 in Point Fortin, Trinidad) is a Trinidadian former North American Soccer League and international football player. Club career David began his professional career with Police in Trinidad and Tobago. In 1974, he ...

* Ron Davies *

Antonio de la Torre Villalpando Antonio de la Torre Villalpando (21 September 1951 – 2 August 2021) was a Mexican professional footballer who played as a defender, spending most of his career with Club América. Career De la Torre helped Club América win the 1975 ...

* Roberto de Oliveira *

Angelo DiBernardo Angelo DiBernardo (born May 16, 1956) is an Argentine-American former soccer player who played professionally in the North American Soccer League and Major Indoor Soccer League. He also represented the United States at the 1984 Summer Olympic ...

Vito Dimitrijević Vitomir Dimitrijević (born 11 December 1948) is a Serbian former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. He spent three seasons in the North American Soccer League, making 59 appearances for the New York Cosmos and the Los Angeles A ...

* Tony Douglas *

Gary Etherington Gary Etherington (born April 22, 1958 in England) is a retired soccer player who began his professional career in the North American Soccer League before moving to the Major Indoor Soccer League. He earned seven caps with the U.S. national tea ...

Bernie Fagan Bernard Fagan (born 29 January 1949) is an English former professional footballer who played as a defender. Fagan is currently active in the United States as a coach. Career Playing career Born in Sunderland, Fagan began his career with the ...

* Mike Ferguson *

Santiago Formoso Santiago Formoso (born July 4, 1953) is an American soccer defender who spent five seasons in the North American Soccer League. He also earned seven caps with the U.S. national team in 1976 and 1977. Club career Santiago Formoso was born in ...

* Randy Garber *

Poli Garcia Jose “Poli” Garcia (born in San Diego, California) is an American former soccer player. He spent at least four seasons in the American Soccer League, three in the North American Soccer League and four in the Major Indoor Soccer League. H ...

* Steve Gay *

Uruguay Graffigna Uruguay Gustavo Graffigna Banhoffer, also known as Uri Banhoffer or Yuri Banhoffer (14 January 1948 – 12 March 2021) was a Uruguayan footballer who played for clubs in Uruguay, Chile, the Netherlands and the United States. He died from COVID-1 ...

Austin Hayes Austin William Patrick Hayes (15 July 1958 – 3 December 1986) was an English-born professional footballer of Irish descent, who played once as a full international for the Republic of Ireland national team in 1979, the same year that he coll ...

Graham Horn Graham Horn (23 August 1954 – 29 June 2012) was an English professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper. Career Born in Westminster, Horn was active in both England and the United States, and made over 150 career league appearances for ...

* Alan Jones *

Garry Jones Garry Edwin Jones (11 December 1950 – 6 April 2016) was an English footballer who played as a centre forward. In 1965, at the age of 15, he was known locally for playing for the Manchester schoolboys. Spending most of his career (1968–197 ...

Jerry Kazarian Jerry Kazarian is a retired Armenian-American soccer forward who spent two seasons in the North American Soccer League. Kazarian played for the Greater Los Angeles Soccer Club when he signed with the Los Angeles Aztecs of the North Americ ...

Alan Kelley Alan Kelley (born 24 December 1952) is an English former professional footballer who played as a fullback. Kelley, who was active in both England and the United States, made over 150 career appearances. Career Born in Bootle, Kelley played ...

* Jimmy Kelly *

Mihalj Keri Mihalj Keri (; born 15 January 1951) is a retired Yugoslavia, Yugoslav association football player who professionally played in Yugoslavia and the United States. Born in Kikinda, SR Serbia, SFR Yugoslavia, his father was a footballer. Keri start ...

* György Kottán *

Bob Lenarduzzi Robert Italo Lenarduzzi, OBC (born May 1, 1955) is a former North American Soccer League player, Canadian international, and coach of the Canadian national and Olympic soccer teams. He is currently club liaison for Vancouver Whitecaps FC. H ...

Dave Lennard David Lennard is a footballer who played as a midfielder in the Football League for Bolton Wanderers, Halifax Town, Blackpool, Cambridge United, Chester, Stockport County, Bournemouth Bournemouth () is a coastal resort town in the Bour ...

Malcolm Linton Malcolm Wilton Linton (born 13 February 1952) is an English former professional footballer who played in the Football League and the North American Soccer League as a central defender In the sport of association football, a defender is an ...

* Sammy Llewellyn * Miguel Lopez * Luís Fernando Gaúcho *

Terry Mancini Terence John Mancini (born 4 October 1942) is a former professional footballer who played as a centre-half. Born in England, he earned five international caps for the Republic of Ireland national team. Playing career Mancini was born in London ...

* Jackie Marsh * John Mason *

Bobby McAlinden Robert McAlinden (born 22 May 1946) is an English former professional footballer who played as a winger in England, Northern Ireland, South Africa and the United States, making over 100 career appearances. Career McAlinden was born in Salford ...

John McGrane John McGrane (born October 12, 1952) is a Scottish-Canadian former soccer player who played as a defender. Starting his career at Hamilton City, he went on to spend nine years playing in the North American Soccer League for the Los Angeles Az ...

Mike McLenaghen Mike McLenaghen (born June 10, 1954 in Burnaby, British Columbia) is a Canadian former North American Soccer League (1968–1984), North American Soccer League player and member of the Canada men's national soccer team, Canadian national soccer ...

Alan Merrick Alan Ronald Merrick (born 20 June 1950) is a retired English-American Association football defender who played professionally in England, the North American Soccer League and the Major Indoor Soccer League. He also earned one cap with the Unit ...

Ramón Mifflin Ramón Antonio Mifflin Páez (born 5 April 1947) is a former Peruvian football player. Career He started his career in Centro Iqueño in 1963, by 1965 he played in Defensor Arica, and signed with Peruvian team Sporting Cristal in 1968 ...

Ane Mihailovich Ane Mihailovich is a Yugoslavian-American former soccer player. He spent at least four seasons in the American Soccer League, four in the North American Soccer League and one in the Major Indoor Soccer League. He also earned five caps with the ...

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Ownership

* Dr. Jack Gregory – Founder / co-owner *

– co-owner *

– owner (1977–80) *

– owners (1980–1981)

Honors

NASL Championships *

NASL Regular Season Premierships *

Division Champions *

Western Division * 1980–81 Western Division ''(indoor)'' League MVP * 1979

Rookie of the Year * 1974

* 1979

League Scoring Champion * 1977

''(26 goals, 6 assists, 58 points)'' League Goal Scoring Champion * 1977

''(26 goals)'' League Assists Leader * 1974

''(10 assists)'' * 1977

''(18 assists)'' Indoor All-Stars * 1980–81

All-Star First Team Selections * 1976

* 1977

* 1979

All-Star Second Team Selections * 1974

Luis Marotte Luis Marotte (born October 14, 1944) is an Uruguayan former footballer who played as a midfielder. Career Marotte played in the National Soccer League in 1969 with Toronto Hellas. The following season he played in the North American Soccer L ...

* 1977

* 1979

* 1980 Luis Fernando,

* 1981

All-Star Honorable Mentions * 1976

* 1979

U.S. Soccer Hall of Fame * 2003

* 2006 Hugo Pérez Canadian Soccer Hall of Fame * 2001

* 2003

* 2004

* 2008

Indoor Soccer Hall of Fame * 2012

* 2013 Brian Quinn

Notes

References

{{North American Soccer League (1966–85) Association football clubs established in 1974 Association football clubs disestablished in 1981 North American Soccer League (1968–1984) teams Defunct soccer clubs in California Soccer clubs in California Defunct indoor soccer clubs in the United States 1973 establishments in California 1981 disestablishments in California Elton John