NASL Final 1968
NASL Final 1968 was the North American Soccer League's postseason championship final of the 1968 season,[2] and the first championship final for the NASL. The event was contested in a two-game aggregate match between the Atlanta Chiefs and the San Diego Toros. The first leg was played to a, 0–0, draw on September 21, 1968, at Balboa Stadium in San Diego, California. The return leg was contested on September 28, 1968, at Atlanta Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia with the Chiefs winning by the score of 3–0. After the two-day competition was completed, the Atlanta Chiefs held a 3–0 aggregate lead and were crowned the 1968 NASL champions.[3][4]
| Event | NASL Final | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||
| on aggregate | |||||||
| First leg | |||||||
| |||||||
| Date | September 21, 1968 | ||||||
| Venue | Balboa Stadium[1], San Diego, California | ||||||
| Referee | Reg Clark (Canada) | ||||||
| Attendance | 9,360 | ||||||
| Second leg | |||||||
| |||||||
| Date | September 28, 1968 | ||||||
| Venue | Atlanta Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia | ||||||
| Referee | Jim Carr (England) | ||||||
| Attendance | 14,994 | ||||||
Background
The Atlanta Chiefs qualified for the playoffs by virtue of winning the Atlantic Division with 174 points. They faced the Lakes Division champion Cleveland Stokers in a two-game aggregate match for the Eastern Conference championship. The first game was played on September 11 and ended in a, 1–1, draw. The second leg, played on September 14, also finished regulation at 1–1, but the Chiefs were able to score in overtime to win the Eastern Conference title and advance to the finals.[5]
The San Diego Toros qualified for the playoffs by virtue of winning the Pacific Division with 186 points. They faced the Gulf Division champion Kansas City Spurs in a two-game aggregate match for the Western Conference championship. Like the other match played that day, the first leg ended in a, 1–1, draw on September 11. After 90 minutes of regulation the second leg ended with neither team able to score. The September 16 match moved into overtime, and then into a second overtime before Toros' reserve Novak Tomić scored in 118th minute to end it. The victory gave San Diego the Western Conference title and advanced them to the finals.[5][6]
Match summary
Championship results
| Eastern Champion | Aggregate | Western Champion | First leg | Second leg | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlanta Chiefs | 3–0 | San Diego Toros | 0–0 | 3–0 | September 21 • Balboa Stadium • 9,360 September 28 • Atlanta Stadium • 14,994 |
First leg
Assistant referees:
Artie Wachter
John Greenhalgh[8]
Television: CBS
Announcers: Mario Machado, Clive Toye
Second leg
| Atlanta Chiefs | 3–0 | San Diego Toros |
|---|---|---|
Peter McParland  Delroy Scott Kaizer Motaung |
Report |
1968 NASL Champions: Atlanta Chiefs
Assistant referees:
Television: CBS
Announcers: Mario Machado, Clive Toye
References
- http://soccerstats.us/teams/san-diego-toros/games/
- History: 1968-1984 on NASL website
- NASL. "NASLSoccerBowl - History - Past Winner". North American Soccer League.
- NASL. "NASL 1968-1984 - Yearly Result". North American Soccer League. Archived from the original on October 12, 2013.
- Soccer history: Atlanta Chiefs by Clemente Lisi on US Soccer Players, 20 Aug 2018
- The Milwaukee Journal - Google News Archive Search
- Rome News-Tribune - Google News Archive Search
- North American Soccer League Championship, Leg 1 program, published September 1968
- Dial, Tom (September 28, 1968). "Chiefs Battle Toros For NASL Title". Atlanta Constitution. p. 8. Retrieved November 29, 2019.
- Past winners on NASL Soccer Bowl (archived, 5 Nov 2013)
- Chiefs 1968 on NASL Jerseys
- NASL Soccer North American Soccer League Players-Delroy Scott
- Toros 1968 on NASL jerseys
- Toros 1968 home
