The first professional soccer team was formed in the Los Angeles area in 1955 when the owner of the Fall River Marksmen, Sam Mark, moved the team to the West Coast.In an effort to promote soccer on the west coast, he encouraged highly decorated soccer athletes from Fall River to transfer to the west coast. Several years after the formation of the NASL in 1968, the Los Angeles Aztecs joined NASL as an expansion team in 1974, and played from 1974 until 1981 and folding after the 1981 season. The team featured international superstars such as George Best and Johan Cruyff and was at its most popular in 1979 and 1980 averaging over 12,000 fans.
