_(Stadium_crop).jpg) Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium hosted the second leg of the Final | |||||||
| Event | NASL Final | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||
| onaggregate | |||||||
| First leg | |||||||
| |||||||
| Date | September 21, 1968 (1968-09-21) | ||||||
| Venue | Balboa Stadium[1],San Diego, California | ||||||
| Referee | Reg Clark (Canada) | ||||||
| Attendance | 9,360 | ||||||
| Second leg | |||||||
| |||||||
| Date | September 28, 1968 (1968-09-28) | ||||||
| Venue | Atlanta Stadium,Atlanta, Georgia | ||||||
| Referee | Jim Carr (England) | ||||||
| Attendance | 14,994 | ||||||
←1967 1970 → | |||||||
NASL Final 1968 was theNorth American Soccer League's postseason championship final of the1968 season,[2] and the first championship final for the NASL. The event was contested in atwo-game aggregate match between theAtlanta Chiefs and theSan Diego Toros. The first leg was played to a, 0–0, draw on September 21, 1968, atBalboa Stadium inSan Diego, California. The return leg was contested on September 28, 1968, atAtlanta Stadium inAtlanta, 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]
The Atlanta Chiefs qualified for the playoffs by virtue of winning theAtlantic Division with 174 points. They faced the Lakes Division championCleveland Stokers in a two-game aggregate match for theEastern 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 thePacific Division with 186 points. They faced the Gulf Division championKansas City Spurs in a two-game aggregate match for theWestern 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' reserveNovak 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]
| Champion | Runner-up | Game 1 | Venue 1 | Game 2 | Venue 2 | Agg. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlanta Chiefs | San Diego Toros | 0–0 | Balboa Stadium | 3–0 | Atlanta Stadium | 3–0 |
Assistant referees:
Artie Wachter
John Greenhalgh[8]
Television:CBS
Announcers:Mario Machado,Clive Toye
| Atlanta Chiefs | 3–0 | San Diego Toros |
|---|---|---|
McParland 23'Scott 43'Motaung 80' | Report |
1968 NASL Champions:Atlanta Chiefs
Assistant referees:
Television:CBS
Announcers:Mario Machado,Clive Toye
| Statistic | San Diego | Atlanta |
|---|---|---|
| Goals scored | 0 | 0 |
| Total shots | 18 | 12 |
| Shots on target | 2 | 5 |
| Saves | 5 | 2 |
| Corner kicks | ? | ? |
| Fouls | ? | ? |
| Yellow cards | ? | ? |
| Red cards | 0 | 0 |
| Statistic | San Diego | Atlanta |
|---|---|---|
| Goals scored | 0 | 3 |
| Total shots | 15 | 11 |
| Shots on target | 1 | 6 |
| Saves | 3 | 1 |
| Corner kicks | 5 | 7 |
| Fouls | 18 | 33 |
| Yellow cards | 0 | 0 |
| Red cards | 0 | 0 |
