History of soccer in Los Angeles

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 North American Soccer League in 1968, the Los Angeles Aztecs joined NASL as an expansion team in 1974, and played from 1974 until 1981, folding after the 1981 season. The team featured international superstars such as George Best and Johan Cruyff. The team was at its most popular in 1979 and 1980, averaging over 12,000 fans both seasons.

In addition, the Los Angeles Skyhawks participated in the American Soccer League from 1976-1979.

L.A. Galaxy

The launch of Major League Soccer in 1996 included the newly formed Los Angeles Galaxy as one of the founding team. LA Soccer Partners were the original owners; Anschutz Entertainment Group is the current owner. The Galaxy won the CONCACAF Champions Cup in 2000.

Women's professional soccer

In 2009, Los Angeles became home to a third top-level professional team, the Los Angeles Sol, a charter member of Women's Professional Soccer. WPS is the second attempt to establish a fully professional women's league in the U.S., after the demise of the Women's United Soccer Association (which did not have an L.A. representative). The Sol shared The Home Depot Center with the Galaxy and Chivas USA, before ceasing operations in January 2010.^[1]

L.A. Teams Year-by-year Results (1955-73)

Season	Conf	Position	League Record							League	US Open Cup	CONCACAF Champions League	Club World Cup	Top Scorer
			P	W	L	D	F	A	Pts
1955	Western American Soccer League	1st								Champions	Final	Did not qualify	Did qualify
1956	Western American Soccer League	2nd								Conference final	Semifinal	Did not qualify	Did not qualify
1957	Western American Soccer League	1st								Champions	Quarterfinal	Did not qualify	Did not qualify
1958	Western American Soccer League	NA								Champions	Champion	Did Not Qualify	Did Not Qualify
1959	Western American Soccer League	2nd								Conference Semifinal	Semifinal	Did Not Qualify	Did Not Qualify
1960	Western American Soccer League	1st								Champions	Final	Did Not Qualify	Did Not Qualify
1961	Western American Soccer League	1st								Champions	Final	Did not qualify	Did not qualify
1962	Western American Soccer League	1st								Champions	Semifinal	Did not qualify	Did not qualify
1963	Western American Soccer League	1st								Champions	Final	Did not qualify	Did not qualify
1964	Western American Soccer League	1st								Champions	Champion	Did not qualify	Did not qualify
1965	Western American Soccer League	3rd								Conference Semifinal	Semifinal	Did Not Enter	Did Not Qualify
1966	Western American Soccer League	2nd								Conference Semifinal	Semifinal	Did Not Enter	Did not qualify	Eli Durante	15
1967	USA	1st	12	5	5	2	21	14	21	Champions	Semifinal	Did Not Enter	Did not qualify	Ernie Hunt	14
1968	NASL Pacific	3rd	32	11	8	13	55	52	139	Conference Quarterfinal	Quarterfinal	Did Not Enter	Did Not Qualify	Carlos Metidieri	16
1969	NASL	3rd								Conference Quarterfinal	Quarterfinal	Did Not Qualify	Did Not Qualify
1970	Amateur	Various teams								No NASL representation	Final	Did Not Qualify	Did Not Qualify
1971	Amateur	Various teams								No NASL representation	Quarterfinal	Did Not Qualify	Did Not Qualify
1972	Amateur	Various teams								No NASL representation	Champion	Did Not Qualify	Did Not Qualify
1973	Amateur	Various teams								No NASL representation	Semifinal	Did Not Qualify	Did Not Qualify

L.A. Aztecs (NASL) (1974-81)

Season	Conf	Position	League Record							League	US Open Cup	CONCACAF Champions League	Top Scorer
			P	W	L	D	F	A	Pts				Name	Goals
1974	Western	Champ	20	11	2	7	41	36	110	Champions	Semifinals	Did not qualify	Doug McMillan	10
1975	4th	3rd	20	11	2	7	40	41	36	Conference Quarterfinals	Champion	Did Not Enter	Uri Banhoffer	14
1976	1st	1st	44	25	6	14	89	41	15	Champions	Semifinal	Did not qualify	George Best	15
1977	6th	2nd	26	14	12	0	37	44	37	Conference Semifinal	Champion	Did Not Enter	George Best	14
1978	6th	3rd	30	21	9	0	63	69	36	Conference Final	Champion	Did not qualify	Jim Rolland	17
1979	4th	2nd	30	18	12	0	54	62	47	Conference Semifinal	Semifinal	Did Not Qualify	Johan Cruyff	13
1980	3rd	2nd	32	20	12	0	60	61	52	Conference Final	Final	Did Not Qualify	Luis Fernando	28
1981	4th	2nd	32	20	12	0	60	61	52	Conference Quarterfinal	Champion	Did Not Enter	Chris Dangerfield	35

Other L.A. teams (1982-1995)

Season	Conf	Position	League Record							League	US Open Cup	CONCACAF Champions League	Club World Cup	Top Scorer
			P	W	L	D	F	A	Pts
1982	4th	4th	32	17	12	3	54	58	53	Conference Quarterfinal	Final	Did Not Qualify	Did Not Qualify	Chris Dangerfield	21
1983	6th	4th	32	15	12	5	50	58	53	Conference Quarterfinal	Second Round	Did Not Qualify	Did Not Qualify	Chris Dangerfield	20
1984	8th	4th	48	24	24	0	72	69	67	Conference Quarterfinal	Third Round	Did Not Qualify	Did Not Qualify	Poli Garcia	29
1985	8th	4th	48	24	22	2	74	68	69	Conference Quarterfinal	Quarterfinal	Did Not Qualify	Did Not Qualify	Poli Garcia	27
1986	3rd	1st	34	24	5	5	79	68	47	Conference Semifinal	Semifinal	Did Not Qualify	Did Not Qualify	Michael Brady	11
1987	1st	1st	32	22	5	5	71	66	45	Conference Semifinal	Semifinal	Did Not Qualify	Did Not Qualify	Michael Brady	15
1988	1st	1st	32	20	5	7	67	56	42	Conference Final	Semifinal	Did Not Qualify	Did Not Qualify	Michael Brady	19
1989	1st	1st	32	21	4	7	70	66	42	Conference Final	Quarterfinal	Did Not Enter	Did Not Qualify	Michael Brady	16
1990	3rd	2nd	20	11	9	0	60	39	39	Conference Final	Semifinal	Did Not Enter	Did Not Qualify	Jerry O'Hara	10
1991	3rd	2nd	20	11	6	3	66	41	39	Conference Final	Third Round	Did Not Enter	Did Not Qualify	Jerry O'Hara	17
1992	4th	2nd	20	10	6	4	64	41	39	Conference Semifinal	Second Round	Did Not Enter	Did Not Qualify	Jimmy Hutchinson	15
1993	6th	4th	32	12	12	8	44	41	37	Final	Semifinal	Did Not Qualify	Did Not Qualify	Paulinho	15
1994	7th	4th	32	12	8	12	48	36	22	Conference Final	Semifinal	Did Not Enter	Did Not Qualify	Paul Wright	12
1995	1st	1st	10	8	1	1	24	17	7	No Playoffs	Did Not Enter	Did Not Enter	Did Not Qualify	Paul Wright	6

L.A. Galaxy (MLS)

Season	Conf	Pos	League Record							League	US Open Cup	CONCACAF Champions League	Top Scorer
			Plyd	Won	Lost	Drew	F	A	Pts				Name	Goals
1996	1st	1st	32	19	13	0	59	49	49	Final	Did Not Enter	Did Not Qualify	Eduardo Hurtado	21
1997	2nd	2nd	32	16	16	0	55	44	44	Conference Semifinal	Did Not Enter	Final	Welton	11
1998	1st	1st	32	24	8	0	85	44	68	Conf Semifinal	Did Not Enter	Did Not Enter	Cobi Jones	19
1999	1st	1st	32	20	12	0	49	29	54	Final	Quarterfinals	Did not qualify	Cobi Jones Carlos Hermosillo	8
2000	2nd	2nd	32	14	10	8	47	37	50	Semifinals	Semifinals	Champions	Cobi Jones	7
2001	1st	1st	26	14	7	5	52	36	47	Final	Champions	Not Held	Luis Hernández	8
2002	West	1st	28	16	9	3	44	33	51	Champions	Final	Did not qualify	Carlos Ruiz	24
2003	West	5th	30	9	12	9	35	35	36	Conference semifinal	Semifinals	Quarterfinals	Carlos Ruiz	15
2004	West	2nd	30	11	9	10	42	40	43	Conference Semifinal	Fourth Round	Did not qualify	Carlos Ruiz	11
2005	West	4th	32	13	13	6	44	45	45	Champions	Champions	Did not qualify	Landon Donovan	12
2006	West	4th	32	11	15	6	37	37	39	Did Not Qualify	Final	Quarterfinals	Landon Donovan	12
2007	West	5th	30	9	14	7	38	48	34	Did Not Qualify	Third round	Did not qualify	Landon Donovan	8

References

1. http://www.usatoday.com/sports/soccer/2010-01-28-sol-fold_N.htm