1968 North American Soccer League season

17 teams competed in this inaugural season, and the Atlanta Chiefs won the championship. While San Diego won the premiership, Atlanta's winning percentage was higher because a match had been canceled. This would mark the first of five times in the league's history that the best record did not equate to a premiership. The Oakland Clippers had an identical record to the Western Division Champion Toros and a higher goal-differential, but just as with Atlanta the Toros had more league points. Oakland had won every competition in the NPSL's 1967 season, but were denied a chance to defend their title in the merged league because of this unique points system.

• 8 came from the NPSL: Atlanta, Baltimore, Kansas City (from Chicago), New York, Oakland, St. Louis, San Diego ( from Los Angeles) and Toronto.
• 9 came from the USA: Boston (nickname changed), Chicago, Cleveland, Dallas, Detroit, Houston, Los Angeles, Vancouver (nickname shortened) and Washington.
• 2 teams from the NPSL folded (Philadelphia and Pittsburgh).
• 3 teams from the USA folded (New York, San Francisco and Toronto).
• 2 teams, Houston (USA) and St. Louis (NPSL), had the same nickname the "Stars".

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{{Clear}}

W = Wins, L = Losses, T= Ties, GF = Goals For, GA = Goals Against, Pts= point system, Avg Att= Average Attendance{{cite web|url=http://www.kenn.com/the_blog/?p=496|title=Attendance Project: NASL|publisher=Kenn Tomasch|access-date=June 13, 2012}}

6 points for a win,

3 points for a tie,

0 points for a loss,

1 point for each goal scored up to three per game.

:{{Color box|#B3B7FF|border=darkgray}}-Premiers (most points). {{Color box|#BBEBFF|border=darkgray}}-Best record. {{Color box|#ccffcc|border=darkgray}}-Other playoff teams.

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{{4TeamBracket-2legs

| RD1=Conference Finals{{cite news|title=San Diego advance to Finals in Soccer - Milwaukee Journal|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=JAMqAAAAIBAJ&sjid=CygEAAAAIBAJ&pg=3634,4064653&dq=atlanta+wins+soccer+title&hl=en|newspaper=Google news|date=17 Sep 1968}}
(2-match aggregate)

| RD2=NASL Final 1968
(2-match aggregate)

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| RD2-team2=San Diego Toros

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}}

{{-}}

{{main|NASL Final 1968}}

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|goals1= Peter McParland {{goal|22:34|Hughes}}
Delroy Scott {{goal|42:53}}
Kaizer Motaung {{goal|79:50}}

|goals2=

|stadium=Atlanta Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia

|attendance=14,994

|referee=Jim Carr (USA)

}}

1968 NASL Champions: Atlanta Chiefs

{{-}}

• Most Valuable Player: Janusz Kowalik, Chicago
• Coach of the year: Phil Woosnam, Atlanta
• Rookie of the year: Kaizer Motaung, Atlanta

{{reflist}}

{{North American Soccer League (1966–85)}}

Category:North American Soccer League (1968–1984) seasons

Category:1968 in American soccer leagues

Category:1968 in Canadian soccer