Editing Los Angeles Aztecs (section)

===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]] for the upcoming [[1974 North American Soccer League season|1974 season]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Soccer Loop Is Expanded To 13 Teams |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OoIlAAAAIBAJ&dq=Soccer+Loop+Is+Expanded+To+13+Teams&pg=PA11&article_id=1628,1586689 |access-date=January 5, 2022 |work=Gettysburg Times |agency=AP |date=December 12, 1973}}</ref> Jack Gregory, a local doctor and real estate investor, paid the franchise fee and acted as team owner <ref name="SportsScene">{{cite news |title=Aztecs Find Haven At East Lost Angeles |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HPVKAAAAIBAJ&dq=Aztecs+Find+Haven+At+East+Los+Angeles&pg=PA15&article_id=6976,1549241 |access-date=January 19, 2022 |work=The Press-Courier |date=April 7, 1974 |page=29 |language=en}}</ref><ref name="LATimes">{{cite news |last1=Jones |first1=Grahame |title=Grass-Roots Grandeur |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1999-dec-29-ss-48675-story.html |access-date=January 18, 2022 |work=Los Angeles Times |date=December 29, 1999}}</ref> and [[Alex Perolli]] was appointed the first head coach.<ref name="SportsScene"/><ref name="TACO">{{cite web |last1=Fernandez |first1=Ivan |title=Before The L.A. Galaxy, Chivas USA, Or LAFC, We Had The Los Angeles Aztecs |url=https://www.lataco.com/before-the-galaxy-chivas-the-aztecs-were-losangeles-original-soccer-sensation/ |website=L.A. TACO |date=October 4, 2018 |access-date=January 5, 2022}}</ref>  
After playing a series of pre-season friendlies against teams from Mexico,<ref>{{cite news |title=Club America Spoils Aztecs' Win Streak |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LPVKAAAAIBAJ&dq=Club+America+Spoils+Aztecs%27+Win+Streak&pg=PA6&article_id=7060,5694924 |access-date=January 19, 2022 |work=The Press-Courier |date=April 23, 1974 |page=11}}</ref> the Aztecs opened their first NASL season with a 2–1 win over the [[Seattle Sounders (1974–1983)|Seattle Sounders]] at the [[Weingart Stadium|East Los Angeles College Stadium]] with 4,107 fans in attendance.<ref>{{cite news |title=Sounders lose |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yn9UAAAAIBAJ&dq=Los+Angeles+Aztecs+opened+their+North+American+Soccer&pg=PA5&article_id=2566,2103640 |access-date=January 5, 2022 |work=Ellensburg Daily Record |agency=UPI |date=May 6, 1974 |page=6}}</ref>  After three consecutive victories to start the season, Perolli publicly criticized and then fired his starting goal keeper, [[Trinidad and Tobago]] international [[Kelvin Barclay]], after he allowed three goals in the second half.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Cascio |first1=Chuck |title=Soccer U.S.A. |date=1975 |publisher=R. B. Luce |isbn=9780883310755 |page=96 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yY8TAQAAIAAJ}}</ref>  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 .<ref name="NASL">{{cite web |last1=Litterer |first1=David |title=North American Soccer League |url=https://www.rsssf.org/usadave/nasl.html |website=The Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. |access-date=January 5, 2022}}</ref>  Forward [[Doug McMillan]] scored eleven goals and was named Rookie of the Year for the 1974 season, an honor he had separately won the [[1973 American Soccer League|previous season]] with the [[Cleveland Cobras|Cleveland Stars]] of the [[American Soccer League (1933–1983)|American Soccer League]].<ref>{{cite news |title=At Age 29 He's Rookie Of Year |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=W3MlAAAAIBAJ&dq=Doug+McMillan+NASL+rookier+of+the+year&pg=PA4&article_id=2658,641626 |access-date=January 7, 2022 |work=Gettysburg Times |date=August 24, 1974}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Hatfield |first1=Thomas |title=The History of Soccer in Greater Cleveland from 1906 Until 1981 |date=July 21, 2014 |publisher=Outskirts Press |location=United States |isbn=9781478700173 |page=924 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=R9IdBAAAQBAJ |access-date=January 7, 2022}}</ref> Having earned a [[Bye (sports)|first round bye]], the Aztecs defeated the [[Boston Minutemen]] 2–0 at home in the semi-finals.<ref>{{cite web |title=North American Soccer League – 1974 → Saturday, August 17, 1974 |url=http://soccerstats.us/games/35700/ |website=SoccerStats.us |access-date=January 7, 2022}}</ref>  Having earned the most points during the season, Los Angeles should{{cn|date=July 2022}} have hosted the [[NASL Final 1974]]; however, due to the CBS televised start time of 3:30 ([[Eastern Daylight Time|EDT]])<ref>{{cite news |title=North American Soccer Finals on "CBS" |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2aFDAAAAIBAJ&dq=1974+NASL+final+CBS&pg=PA16&article_id=4630,5659449 |access-date=January 8, 2022 |work=The Robesonian |date=August 25, 1974 |page=11}}</ref> and other factors{{cn|date=July 2022}}, the game was moved to the [[Miami Orange Bowl]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Miami to Host Soccer Title Game on Sunday |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7L8qAAAAIBAJ&dq=Miami+to+host+soccer+title+game+on+sunday&pg=PA15&article_id=7233,3594381 |access-date=January 8, 2022 |work=Sarasota Herald-Tribune |agency=AP |date=August 24, 1974 |page=2-C}}</ref>  On August 25, 1974, with 15,507 people in attendance, the Los Angeles Aztecs and the [[Miami Toros]] played to a 3–3 draw in regular time, after which Los Angeles won the [[Penalty shoot-out (association football)|penalty shoot-out]] 5–3 to win the 1974 NASL Championship.<ref>{{cite news |title=Aztecs Win Soccer Title in Overtime |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=8HZKAAAAIBAJ&sjid=8CINAAAAIBAJ&pg=7039,5233642&dq=toros+overtime&hl=en |access-date=January 8, 2022 |work=The Press-Courier |agency=AP |date=August 26, 1974 |page=12}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Los Angeles Aztecs win North American Soccer League title |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=j2wzAAAAIBAJ&sjid=vzIHAAAAIBAJ&pg=4129,5026763&dq=aztecs+kick+toros&hl=en |access-date=January 8, 2022 |work=Lodi News-Sentinel |agency=UPI |date=August 26, 1974 |page=13}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Levin |first1=Dan |title=The Penalty for Success |url=https://vault.si.com/vault/1974/09/02/the-penalty-for-success |website=Vault |access-date=January 8, 2022}}</ref>  It was the second year in a row that an expansion franchise and won the championship<ref>{{cite news |last1=Blankenship |first1=Ken |title=Rowdies Looking to rosy Future – Expansion clubs successful |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=l0BSAAAAIBAJ&dq=Rowdies+Looking+to+rosy+Future+-+Expansion+clubs+successful&pg=PA24&article_id=4687,3292161 |access-date=January 11, 2022 |work=St. Petersburg Times |date=February 4, 1975 |page=7C}}</ref> following the [[Philadelphia Atoms]] in [[1973 North American Soccer League season|1973]].