Growing up in LA in the 80′s, and being completely devoted to soccer, you would have thought that the LA Aztecs would have been a team that we were all hip to on some level. The team was around until 1981, so their history and legacy should have been something that all of us young bucks were aware of. Sadly this wasn’t the case.

The LA Aztecs played in the NASL from 1974-81, featured players such as George Best and Johan Cruyff and at one time or another were owned by Sir Elton John and Alan Rothenberg. They eventually were compared to the New York Cosmos, although their successes on the field and in the stands never compared to their east coast counterparts.

Before the celebrity owners and world class players, the LA Aztecs joined the NASL in 1974 and played their home games at East LA College with average attendance of around 5,000. This rookie season for the Aztecs proved to be their most successful, as they did one of the most difficult things to do in sports, and they won the NASL Championship in their inaugural season. With that in mind, we are happy to release the 35th anniversary LA Aztecs Bumpy Pitch t-shirt.

LA Aztecs 35th Anniversary T-Shirt

Back of shirt

This shirt pays tribute to that LA Aztecs team and their single NASL title. 35 years after winning this championship, we are tilting our hat and paying tribute to the Aztecs, their accomplishments and their impact on soccer in the United States. I for one can’t wait to see where soccer is at in the United States 35 years from now.