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

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

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

1981 Events January * January 1 ** Greece enters the European Economic Community, predecessor of the European Union. ** Palau becomes a self-governing territory. * January 6 – A funeral service is held in West Germany for Nazi Grand Admiral ...

as well as the

1975 NASL Indoor tournament In early 1975, the North American Soccer League (1968–84), North American Soccer League hosted its first league-wide indoor soccer tournament over the course of seven weeks. All but four NASL teams participated. Overview Though the Dallas Torn ...

, the 1979–80 and 1980–81 NASL Indoor seasons, and won the NASL Championship in 1974. During their eight years of existence, the Aztecs played at four different venues and were controlled by four different ownership groups European soccer legends

George Best George Best (22 May 1946 – 25 November 2005) was a Northern Irish professional association football, footballer who played as a winger (association football), winger, spending most of his club career at Manchester United F.C., Manchester Un ...

and Johan Cruyff played for the team, and from

1975 It was also declared the ''International Women's Year'' by the United Nations and the European Architectural Heritage Year by the Council of Europe. Events January * January 1 – Watergate scandal (United States): John N. Mitchell, H. R. ...

1977 Events January * January 8 – 1977 Moscow bombings, Three bombs explode in Moscow within 37 minutes, killing seven. The bombings are attributed to an Armenian separatist group. * January 10 – Mount Nyiragongo erupts in eastern Zaire (no ...

English singer

Elton John Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, songwriter and pianist. His music and showmanship have had a significant, lasting impact on the music industry, and his songwriting partnership with l ...

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 North American Soccer League (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 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 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, comprising the main islands of Trinidad and Tobago, along with several List of islands of Trinidad and Tobago, smaller i ...

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 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 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; 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 Greater Downtown Miami, downtown Miami. The venue was considered a landmark and ser ...

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

Miami Toros The Miami Toros were a professional soccer team in the North American Soccer League (1968–1984), 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 ...

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 in

1973 Events January * January 1 – The United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland and Denmark 1973 enlargement of the European Communities, enter the European Economic Community, which later becomes the European Union. * January 14 - The 16-0 19 ...

New ownership

Following the 1974 season, Alex Perolli left his position as head coach to take up the same job at the expansion San Antonio Thunder 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 ...

and drafted Michael Bain, two-time All-American and captain of the 1974 NCAA Division I Soccer champions Howard Bison. The Aztecs were one of the sixteen NASL teams to participate in the

. 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 association football, soccer club based in San Jose, California. The Earthquakes compete in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Western Conference (MLS), Western Conference. Origin ...

on February 14, and tournament matches against the

Vancouver Whitecaps Vancouver Whitecaps Football Club is a Canadian professional soccer club based in Vancouver. The Whitecaps compete in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Western Conference. The MLS iteration of the club was established on March 18, ...

and Seattle Sounders. The Aztecs opened the

1975 North American Soccer League season It was also declared the ''International Women's Year'' by the United Nations and the European Architectural Heritage Year by the Council of Europe. Events January * January 1 – Watergate scandal (United States): John N. Mitchell, H. R. ...

with a 2–1 victory on the road against the

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

Pelé Edson Arantes do Nascimento (; 23 October 1940 – 29 December 2022), better known by his nickname Pelé (), was a Brazilian professional Association football, footballer who played as a Forward (association football), forward. Widely reg ...

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 Indepen ...

, Uri Banhoffer 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 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 United Football Club, commonly referred to as Man United (often stylised as Man Utd) or simply United, is a professional association football, football club based in Old Trafford (area), Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, Engl ...

. 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 February 20, 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 April 25, 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 on August 18, 1976. After playing the previous two seasons at Murdock Stadium on the campus of El Camino College, the team moved to the L.A. Coliseum for the 1977 season. The Aztecs began the

1977 North American Soccer League season Statistics of North American Soccer League (1968–84), North American Soccer League in season 1977. This was the 10th season of the NASL. Overview The league was made up of 18 teams. The schedule was expanded to 26 games and the playoffs to 12 ...

on the road against the Earthquakes again, this time beating San Jose 3–0. On July 3, 1977, the largest home crowd of the season, 32,165, attended the game against the

Cosmos The cosmos (, ; ) is an alternative name for the universe or its nature or order. Usage of the word ''cosmos'' implies viewing the universe as a complex and orderly system or entity. The cosmos is studied in cosmologya broad discipline covering ...

, 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 Seattle Sounders in the Conference Championships after having beaten the Earthquakes in the first round, and Dallas Tornado over two-legs in the Division Championships. After the season, the team was purchased by a group headed by Alan Rothenberg 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 Pacific Division (NBA), Pacific Division of the Western Conference (NBA ...

player Rudy LaRusso 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 The 1978 North American Soccer League (1968–1984), North American Soccer League season was the 66th season of FIFA-sanctioned soccer, the 11th with a national first-division league, in the United States and Canada. Changes from the previous ...

. In the first game of the season, the Aztecs lost to the Houston Hurricane 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 the continued drinking of alcohol despite it causing problems. Some definitions require evidence of dependence and withdrawal. Problematic use of alcohol has been mentioned in the earliest historical records. The World He ...

, 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 May 10, 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, with the Aztecs receiving players George Dewsnip, Andy Rowland and the Strikers first 1980 draft choice. On June 6, 1978, and with a record of five wins in thirteen games, the Aztecs fired head coach Terry Fisher and replaced him with Tommy Smith. 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

Los Angeles Aztecs 1979 media guide cover

On November 14, 1978, team president Larry Friend announced former

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

AFC Ajax Amsterdamsche Football Club Ajax (), also known as AFC Ajax, Ajax Amsterdam, or commonly Ajax, is a Dutch professional Association football, football Football team, club based in Amsterdam, that plays in the , the top tier in Dutch football. ...

, and Dutch national team manager

Rinus Michels Marinus Jacobus Hendricus "Rinus" Michels (; 9 February 1928 – 3 March 2005) was a Dutch Association football, football player and coach. He list of one-club men in association football, played his entire career for AFC Ajax, Ajax, which he ...

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 May 22, 1979, the team announced the signing of three-time

Ballon d'Or The Ballon d'Or (; ) is an annual association football, football award presented by French magazine ''France Football'' since 1956 Ballon d'Or, 1956 to honour the player deemed to have performed the best over the previous season. Conceived ...

winner Johan Cruyff 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 Washington Diplomats two games to none in the first round of the playoffs. The Aztecs won the home leg of the Conference Semifinals against 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 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. The team then played six games in the

Netherlands , Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...

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

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

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

Televisa Grupo Televisa, S.A.B., simply known as Televisa, is a Mexican telecommunications and broadcasting company. A major Latin American mass media corporation, it often presents itself as the largest producer of Spanish-language content. In April ...

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 Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium, commonly known as RFK Stadium and originally known as District of Columbia Stadium, is a defunct multi-purpose stadium in Washington, D.C. located on East Capitol Street near the Anacostia River. Opened in 1 ...

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 Seattle Sounders 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.

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 January 9, 1981, the Aztecs announced Cláudio Coutinho 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 Los Angeles Coliseum or L.A. Coliseum) is a multi-purpose stadium in the Exposition Park, Los Angeles, Exposition Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, United States. Conceived as a hal ...

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 December 9, 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 football Manager (association football), manager and former Association football, footballer who played as a midfielder. He is currently manag ...

* Gary Allison * Lee Atack * Desmond Backos * Phil Beal *

* Željko Bilecki * Bob Bolitho * Colin Boulton * Colin Clarke * Martin Cohen * Charlie Cooke * Julio César Cortés * Renato Costa * Peter Coyne * Johan Cruyff * Chris Dangerfield * Steve David * Ron Davies * Antonio de la Torre Villalpando * Roberto de Oliveira * George Dewsnip * Angelo DiBernardo * Vito Dimitrijević * Tony Douglas * Gary Etherington * Bernie Fagan * Mike Ferguson * Santiago Formoso * Randy Garber * Poli Garcia * Steve Gay * Uruguay Graffigna * Austin Hayes * Graham Horn * Larry Hulcer * Alan Jones * Garry Jones * Jerry Kazarian * Alan Kelley * Jimmy Kelly *

Mihalj Keri Mihalj Keri (; born 15 January 1951) is a Yugoslavia, Yugoslav retired 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 star ...

* György Kottán * Bob Lenarduzzi * Dave Lennard *

Malcolm Linton Malcolm Wilton Linton (born 13 February 1952) is an English former professional footballer who played in the Football League The English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in ...

* Sammy Llewellyn * Miguel Lopez * Luís Fernando Gaúcho * Terry Mancini * Jackie Marsh * John Mason * Bobby McAlinden * John McGrane *

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 ...

* Doug McMillan * Alan Merrick * Ramón Mifflin * Ane Mihailovich * Jim Millinder * Bill Mishalow * Ramon Moraldo * Dave Morrison * Buzz Parsons * Hugo Pérez * Héctor Pulido * Brian Quinn *

Luiz Rangel Luiz Ronaldo Nunes Rangel (born 14 August 1956), commonly known as Luisinho Rangel, Luizinho or Luiz Rangel, is a former Brazilian association football, soccer player who played in the North American Soccer League (1968–84), NASL. Career stat ...

* Tom Reynolds * Bob Rigby * Andy Rolland * Rubén Omar Romano * Thomas Rongen * Alex Russell *

Miro Rys Miro Rys (July 18, 1957 – September 1977) was a Czech American soccer forward who played professionally in the North American Soccer League. Rys earned three caps, scoring one goal, with the U.S. national team. A talented striker with, acc ...

* Todd Saldana * Bill Sautter * Dave Shelton * Bobby Sibbald * Dave Smith * Tommy Smith * Franciszek Smuda * Frantz St. Lot * Wim Suurbier * Chris Turner * Juli Veee * Leo van Veen * Sergio Velazquez * Scott Vorst * Walter Wagner * Rudy Ybarra

Ownership

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

– co-owner (1975–1977) * Alan Rothenberg – owner (1977–80) *

– owners (1980–1981)

Honors

NASL championships * 1974 NASL Regular Season Premierships * 1974 Division Champions * 1974 Western Division * 1980–81 Western Division ''(indoor)'' League MVP * 1979 Johan Cruyff Rookie of the Year * 1974 Doug McMillan * 1979 Larry Hulcer League scoring champion * 1977 Steve David ''(26 goals, 6 assists, 58 points)'' League goal scoring champion * 1977 Steve David ''(26 goals)'' League Assists Leader * 1974 Doug McMillan ''(10 assists)'' * 1977

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

, Chris Dangerfield All-Star first team selections * 1976

* 1977 Steve David,

* 1979 Johan Cruyff All-Star second team selections * 1974

Luis Marotte Luis Marotte (born October 14, 1944) is an Uruguayan former association football, footballer who played as a midfielder. Career Marotte played in the Canadian National Soccer League, National Soccer League in 1969 with Toronto Hellas. The follo ...

, Doug McMillan * 1977 Charlie Cooke * 1979

* 1980 Luis Fernando,

* 1981

All-Star honorable mentions * 1976 Charlie Cooke * 1979 Wim Suurbier U.S. Soccer Hall of Fame * 2003 Bob Lenarduzzi * 2006 Hugo Pérez Canadian Soccer Hall of Fame * 2001 Bob Lenarduzzi * 2003 Buzz Parsons * 2004 Bob Bolitho * 2008 John McGrane Indoor Soccer Hall of Fame * 2012 Juli Veee * 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