1968 North American Soccer League season explained

Competition:North American Soccer League 1968 season
Country:
Confed:CONCACAF
Season:1968
Winners:Atlanta Chiefs
Premiers:San Diego Toros
most total points
*Atlanta Chiefs
best Won/Loss record
Matches:271
Total Goals:924
League Topscorer:Janusz Kowalik
(30 goals)
Average Attendance:4,669
Prevseason:NPSL 1967
USA 1967
Nextseason:1969

The 1968 North American Soccer League season was the 56th season of FIFA-sanctioned soccer in the United States and Canada, and the 1st with a national first-division league with the inaugural season of the NASL.

The NASL was formed this year as a merger between the former top division soccer leagues, the United Soccer Association along with the National Professional Soccer League. In the inaugural year, the Atlanta Chiefs were the champions, by winning the NASL Final 3–0, in a two-game aggregate over the San Diego Toros. While the Chiefs were the champions for the season, the premiers for this season were the Toros, who obtained the highest point total.[1]

Overview

17 teams competed in this inaugural season, and the Atlanta Chiefs won the championship. While San Diego won the premiership, Atlanta's winning percentage was higher because a match had been canceled.[1] This would mark the first of five times in the league's history that the best record did not equate to a premiership. The Oakland Clippers had an identical record to the Western Division Champion Toros and a higher goal-differential, but just as with Atlanta the Toros had more league points. Oakland had won every competition in the NPSL's 1967 season, but were denied a chance to defend their title in the merged league because of this unique points system.

Map of clubs

Regular season

W = Wins, L = Losses, T= Ties, GF = Goals For, GA = Goals Against, Pts= point system, Avg Att= Average Attendance[2]

6 points for a win, 3 points for a tie,0 points for a loss,1 point for each goal scored up to three per game.

-Premiers (most points). -Best record. -Other playoff teams.

Eastern Conference

Atlantic DivisionWLTGFGAPtsAvg Att
align=left Atlanta Chiefs187650321745,794
align=left Washington Whips1510750321676,586
align=left New York Generals1281262541645,606
align=left Baltimore Bays1316342431284,628
align=left Boston Beacons917651691214,004
Lakes DivisionWLTGFGAPtsAvg Att
align=left Cleveland Stokers1471162441754,305
align=left Chicago Mustangs1310968681642,463
align=left Toronto Falcons1313655691445,284
align=left Detroit Cougars62144865884,266

Western Conference

Gulf DivisionWLTGFGAPtsAvg Att
align=left Kansas City Spurs1611561431588,510^
align=left Houston Stars1412658411503,246
align=left St. Louis Stars1214647591305,388
align=left Dallas Tornado226428109522,929
Pacific DivisionWLTGFGAPtsAvg Att
align=left San Diego Toros188665381864,245
align=left Oakland Clippers188671381853,700
align=left Los Angeles Wolves1113855521392,441*
align=left Vancouver Royals1215551601366,197
^League best, *League worst

NASL All-Stars

First Team[3] [4]   Position   Second Team
Mirko Stojanović, Oakland align=center GVic Rouse, Atlanta
Mel Scott, Oaklandalign=center DJohn Worbye, Washington
Momcilio Gavric, Oaklandalign=center DJohn Cocking, Atlanta
David Davidovic, Oaklandalign=center MDennis Viollet, Baltimore
Ron Crisp, San Diegoalign=center MMilan Čop, Oakland
Ruben Navarro, Clevelandalign=center MTony Knapp, Los Angeles
Janusz Kowalik, Chicagoalign=center FVictorio Casa, Washington
Pepe Fernandez, San Diegoalign=center FMario Baesso, Oakland
Jorgen Kristensen, Detroit[5] align=center FEric Barber, Kansas City
Casey Frankiewicz, St. Louisalign=center FVavá, San Diego
Ilija Mitic, Oaklandalign=center FEnrique Mateos, Cleveland

Playoffs

Conference finals

width=180Higher seedwidth=50Aggregatewidth=180Lower seedwidth=80First legwidth=80Second legwidth=280Attendance
Atlanta Chiefs3–2 Cleveland Stokers1–1 2–1 (OT) September 11 • Cleveland Stadium • 3,431
September 14 • Atlanta Stadium • 6,645
San Diego Toros2–1 Kansas City Spurs1–1 1–0 (2OT) September 11 • Municipal Stadium • 5,042
September 16 • Balboa Stadium • 6,271
[6]

NASL Final 1968

See main article: NASL Final 1968.

width=180Eastern Championwidth=50Aggregatewidth=180Western Champion[7] width=80First legwidth=80Second legwidth=280Attendance
Atlanta Chiefs3–0 San Diego Toros0–0 3–0 September 21 • Balboa Stadium • 9,360[8]
September 28 • Atlanta Stadium • 14,994

Second leg


1968 NASL Champions: Atlanta Chiefs

Post season awards

Notes and References

  1. Web site: The Year in American Soccer - 1968 . Homepages.sover.net . 2014-01-13 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150726055314/http://homepages.sover.net/~spectrum/year/1968.html . 2015-07-26 . dead .
  2. Web site: Attendance Project: NASL. Kenn Tomasch. June 13, 2012.
  3. Web site: NASL Homepage . https://web.archive.org/web/20080501104955/http://home.att.net/~nasl/nasl.htm . 2008-05-01 . 2008-05-01 . 2014-01-13.
  4. Web site: Steve Dimitry's NASL Web Page . Oocities.org . 2014-01-13.
  5. Web site: NASL Soccer North American Soccer League Players-Jorgen Kristensen . Nasljerseys.com . 2014-01-13.
  6. Web site: Toros Win Divisional Soccer Title - The Miami News. 16 Sep 1968.
  7. Web site: San Diego Toros 1968. www.nasljerseys.com.
  8. Web site: San Diego Toros All-time Game Results | SoccerStats.us.