Los Angeles FC

Last updated

Los Angeles FC
Los Angeles Football Club.svg
Full nameLos Angeles Football Club
Nickname(s)The Black and Gold
Falcons[ citation needed ]
FoundedOctober 30, 2014;10 years ago (October 30, 2014)
Stadium BMO Stadium
Los Angeles, California
Capacity22,000
Managing
owners
Executive Chairman
President
Coach Steve Cherundolo
League Major League Soccer
2024 Western Conference: 1st
Overall: 3rd
Playoffs: TBD
Website lafc.com
Soccerball current event.svg Current season

Los Angeles FC (LAFC) is an American professional soccer club based in Los Angeles. The club competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member club of the Western Conference. It was established on October 30, 2014, and began play during the 2018 season as an expansion team. The team plays its home matches at BMO Stadium, a soccer-specific stadium located in Exposition Park.

Contents

The managing owners of the club are Brandon Beck, Larry Berg, and Bennett Rosenthal. Los Angeles FC also has a variety of other part-owners, such as Will Ferrell. The club's inaugural head coach was Bob Bradley, who served from 2017 to 2021. During their second season in 2019, Los Angeles FC won the Supporters' Shield with club captain Carlos Vela earning the MVP Award. The club won their first MLS Cup in 2022, which completed a league double with their second Supporters' Shield. In 2020 and 2023, Los Angeles FC were also the runners-up in the CONCACAF Champions League.

Since they started playing, Los Angeles FC have had a fierce rivalry with the LA Galaxy, from Carson, California, the closest MLS teams. The rivalry between the two clubs has been dubbed El Tráfico by the supporters of both clubs, a humorous play on El Clásico.

History

Groundbreaking ceremony for Banc of California Stadium (now BMO Stadium) in 2016 Los Angeles Football Club groundbreaking 2016.jpg
Groundbreaking ceremony for Banc of California Stadium (now BMO Stadium) in 2016

Los Angeles FC was founded on October 30, 2014, as a result of Major League Soccer (MLS) awarding a new expansion team to Los Angeles after the complete dissolution of Chivas USA. [3] On September 15, 2015, the club announced that Los Angeles Football Club, which had previously been used as a placeholder name for the club, would be the official team name. [4] Henry Nguyen, Los Angeles FC's principal owner at the time, hinted at this possibility shortly after the club was announced in describing the name as "timeless". [5]

LAFC announced Bob Bradley as its head coach in July 2017, [6] joining general director John Thorrington in a search for players. [7] Mexican forward Carlos Vela was signed as the club's first designated player on August 11, 2017. [8]

On March 4, 2018, LAFC played its first MLS game, a 1–0 win against Seattle Sounders FC at CenturyLink Field in Seattle. LAFC designated player Diego Rossi scored the club's first competitive goal in the 11th minute, assisted by Vela. [9]

On March 31, 2018, LAFC suffered its first MLS loss, giving up a 3–0 lead to lose 4–3 to LA Galaxy in the MLS debut of Zlatan Ibrahimović. [10] [11] LAFC was the second team ever to lose an MLS game after leading 3–0 during the match. [12] Despite the loss, LAFC won 4 of the 6 games on their road trip to start the season, becoming the first team to earn 12 points from a season opening road trip of 6 games or more. [13] They finished the season with 7 road wins which is the most for an expansion team in the post-shootout era. [14]

LAFC accomplished the best regular season for an MLS expansion team, earning 57 points. The total surpassed the 56 picked up the 1998 Chicago Fire, also coached by Bob Bradley, as well as the post-shootout era record of 55 set in 2017 by Atlanta United FC. [15] LAFC's seven road wins also tied for the most ever by an expansion team in the pre or post shootout-era with the '98 Fire who had two road wins come via the shootout. They finished second all-time in goals scored by an expansion team in a season, with 68, just behind Atlanta's 70. [15]

On October 6, 2018, LAFC clinched its first playoff spot after a 3–0 victory against the Colorado Rapids [16] finishing third in the West, but were knocked out at home in the first round in a 3–2 loss to sixth-place Real Salt Lake. [17]

2020 CONCACAF Champions League

Los Angeles FC appeared in CONCACAF Champions League for the first time in 2020. After going down 2–0 in the first leg against Club León, LAFC came back and won 3–0 in the second leg, advancing (3–2 on aggregate) to the round of 16. [18] Shortly after that, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the tournament was put on hold. When the tournament resumed in December, under a new one-off format, Los Angeles FC defeated Cruz Azul (2–1) after going down 1–0. In the semi-finals LAFC defeated Club América (3–1), again in comeback fashion. [19] They became the third MLS side to advance to the Final, where they were defeated by Tigres UANL (2–1), who had been runners-up in previous editions of the tournament, and who went on to become the runners-up in the Club World Cup. [20] [21]

2022 MLS Cup Champions

LAFC spent the majority of the 2022 MLS season pushing for the league's all-time points record (73, set the previous year), but major squad turnover brought about a string of losses (five in their final nine matches) which led to LAFC settling for 67 points as they won their second Supporters' Shield. This total was equal with the Philadelphia Union, who lost the Shield on a wins tiebreaker. LAFC defeated their archrivals, the Galaxy, 3–2 in the conference semifinals before knocking out Austin FC 3–0 to advance to their first MLS Cup.


Starting XI for 2022 MLS Cup Los Angeles FC vs Philadelphia Union 2022-11-05.svg
Starting XI for 2022 MLS Cup

Los Angeles FC won the 2022 MLS Cup by defeating the Union in a penalty shootout following a 3–3 draw through extra time. The two latest goals in MLS Cup Playoffs history were scored in the match, with Gareth Bale scoring an equalizer in the 128th minute to take the match to penalties, which LAFC won 3–0. LAFC substitute goalkeeper John McCarthy made two saves in the shootout and was named the most valuable player of the match.

2023 CONCACAF Champions League

During the team's 2023 season, Los Angeles had advanced to the 2023 CONCACAF Champions League final for the club's second time in four years. Their road to the finals consisted of victories against Alajuelense, Vancouver Whitecaps FC, and Philadelphia Union. LA had faced Club León in the final, who the team had faced before in the tournament. Los Angeles were the favorites, heading to their matches. Despite Bouanga scoring a late goal, to keep the team's chances of winning the final, Leon had bested LA 3–1 aggregate in their second match at home.

Colors, badge, and sponsorship


Wordmark of Los Angeles FC. Los Angeles Football Club wordmark (gold).svg
Wordmark of Los Angeles FC.


The club's colors and logo were unveiled on January 7, 2016, at Union Station. [22] [23] The club's primary colors are black and gold, with red and gray used as accent colors. The Art Deco-inspired logo incorporates a shield outline referencing the city seal, with a winged "LA" monogram and the words "Los Angeles" and "Football Club" in Neutraface. The crest was designed by Matthew Wolff. [24]

Sponsorship

On January 31, 2018, LAFC announced that YouTube TV would be the club's first official shirt sponsor in addition to exclusively broadcasting the club's local matches in English. [25] [26] Target was announced as their first sleeve sponsor in October 2019. [27]

On March 26, 2021, upon the expiration of its sponsorship contract with YouTube TV, LAFC announced that FLEX, a power tool manufacturer headquartered in Steinheim an der Murr, Germany, would replace YouTube TV as the main shirt sponsor for the club. [28] Four days later, on March 30, 2021, the club announced that Postmates would become the second official sleeve sponsor (joining Target) on a one-year deal for the entirety of the 2021 season. [29] Shortly thereafter, LAFC announced that YouTube TV no longer held exclusive broadcasting rights over English language home matches. Instead, the club chose to partner with two local networks for all English language home games beginning that season. [30]

For the club's the 2022 season, LAFC announced on February 26, 2022, that it had partnered with PepsiCo to make Rockstar energy drink the exclusive shirt sponsor of its 2022 training kit. [31] The agreement expired at the end of the season. [32]

Prior to the 2023 season, on June 14, 2022, MLS announced a new media rights partnership with Apple giving the tech giant exclusive broadcast rights to all league games via its streaming service, Apple TV+, for the next 10 seasons. [33] To promote this new partnership, as well as their new streaming service entitled MLS Season Pass, both MLS and Apple agreed to have the Apple TV+ logo appear on the left kit sleeve of all league teams beginning with the 2023 season. [34] Additionally, Ford, LAFC's Official Domestic Automobile Partner, joined the club's top tier of sustained brand sponsorships - the "Golden Boot Club" - for the 2023 season. This enhanced partnership included Ford receiving promonent logo placement on the team's right kit sleeve. [35]


Denis Bouanga wearing the 2023 smokescreen kit with the new BMO Bank sponsor which replaced the FLEX sponsor in 2024. Denis Bouanga 2024.jpg
Denis Bouanga wearing the 2023 smokescreen kit with the new BMO Bank sponsor which replaced the FLEX sponsor in 2024.
PeriodKit manufacturerShirt sponsorSleeve sponsor
2018–2019 Adidas [36] YouTube TV
2020 Target
2021 FLEX Target
Postmates
2022 Target
2023 Ford
2024–present BMO Bank [37]

Stadium

BMO Stadium during the inaugural LAFC home game Los Angeles FC inaugural home game - April 29, 2018.jpg
BMO Stadium during the inaugural LAFC home game

On May 17, 2015, the team chose the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena site to build a 22,000-seat stadium for MLS in Exposition Park, estimated to cost $250 million. The site was under a sublease from the University of Southern California which managed and operated the Sports Arena and adjacent L.A. Memorial Coliseum. [38] The environmental impact report, arena demolition, and stadium construction were expected to take three years and delay the team's debut to 2018. On May 6, 2016, the Los Angeles City Council approved the stadium, clearing a way for the construction of the stadium.

A groundbreaking ceremony took place on August 23, 2016. At the event attended by owners and construction crews, LAFC announced a 15-year, $100 million naming rights deal for the stadium with the Banc of California. [39] [40] [41] Demolition of the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena began shortly after the groundbreaking and was completed by October 2016. [42] [43]

The first public event at the stadium was an open practice and dedication ceremony held on April 18, 2018. [44] The club's first home match was played on April 29, 2018, against Seattle Sounders FC, with the home side winning 1–0. [45] [46] The lone goal was scored by Laurent Ciman in stoppage time in front of a capacity crowd of 22,000. [46] The stadium was renamed to BMO Stadium on January 19, 2023. [47]

Los Angeles FC's training facility is on the California State University, Los Angeles campus as part of a partnership with the university that began in 2017. The LAFC Performance Center includes 4,000 square feet (370 m2) of indoor space and a training field with the same grass as the team's home stadium. [48]

Club culture

The 3252 Supporters unveiling their first tifo in the home inaugural game vs. the Seattle Sounders Lafctifoseattle.jpg
The 3252 Supporters unveiling their first tifo in the home inaugural game vs. the Seattle Sounders

After the launch, supporters were consulted on many of the club's early decisions including the team colors, the look of the crest and the design of BMO Stadium, built on land previously held by the LA Sports Arena. [49] Much of the marketing focus was to millennials, which led to the decision to play near downtown Los Angeles. [50] LAFC took a grassroots approach to building the club by founding the LAFC academy and signing younger prospects including Americans Walker Zimmerman and Tristan Blackmon, Portuguese draft pick João Moutinho, [51] and Uruguayan prospect Diego Rossi.

Supporters

The 3252 section unveil a tifo before the second El Trafico. 3252 LAFC Supporter's section.jpg
The 3252 section unveil a tifo before the second El Tráfico .

LAFC supporters are known collectively as "The 3252". The official capacity of the safe standing supporters section at BMO Stadium is 3,252. When added together, the numbers 3, 2, 5, 2 equal 12, serving as a reference to "the 12th man", and an homage to the supporters of the team. Composed of a variety of supporters groups, The 3252 is the club's independent supporters union, which encompasses a growing number of affiliate supporter groups and independent supporters with active season memberships. [52] [53]

Falcon program

The club's falcon program includes three live falcons who participate in various gameday and community events. One falcon is released pre-game by an honorary falconer (usually a celebrity or community figure) and flies around the stadium. The first honorary falconer was co-owner Will Ferrell. [54] The three falcons are named after famous streets in Los Angeles: "Olly" (Olvera Street), "Fig" (Figueroa Street), and "Mel" (Melrose Avenue). [55]

Rivalries

LA Galaxy

LAFC have a cross-town rivalry with fellow MLS club LA Galaxy, who play in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson. The series between the two teams is known as El Tráfico [56] (Spanish for "The Traffic"), conversely, Spanish-language speakers and media commonly refer to it as the Clásico del Tráfico [57] [58] (English for the "Traffic Classic"). The nickname was coined by MLS fans and adopted by some media outlets following polls by SB Nation blogs LAG Confidential and Angels on Parade. [59] [60] [61] It refers to the notorious traffic congestion in Los Angeles, [60] [62] among the worst in the United States and the world, while serving as a play on "El Clásico". [63] The rivalry has also been called the "Los Angeles Derby", [64] a moniker that was also used for the SuperClasico. [65]

Seattle Sounders FC

LAFC's first game ever played was a 1–0 win at CenturyLink Field over Seattle Sounders FC on March 4, 2018, marking the earliest starting point of any of LAFC's on-field rivalries. LAFC's first home game at Banc of California Stadium was also a 1–0 win over Seattle, ending in dramatic fashion with a 92nd-minute goal. The next season Seattle got its revenge, defeating LAFC for the first time in the 2019 Western Conference Finals, bringing L.A.'s record-setting season to an end. [66] Beyond these touchstone moments, the rivalry has carried on players, [67] coaches, [68] [69] and supporters.

Ownership

Ownership Group and Mayor Garcetti unveiling team colors. Los Angeles Football Club (24107435910).jpg
Ownership Group and Mayor Garcetti unveiling team colors.

In 2016, three local investors—Brandon Beck, Larry Berg and Bennett Rosenthal—took over as managing owners of the club with Berg serving as lead managing owner. [70] [71] As of 2017, chairman and CEO of Mandalay Entertainment Group and entrepreneur Peter Guber is executive chairman, and venture capitalist Henry Nguyen is vice-chairman. [72] The ownership group in 2019 also included businessman Ruben Gnanalingam. [5] Other part-owners and investors include Will Ferrell, Natalie Mariduena, Nomar Garciaparra, Mia Hamm-Garciaparra, Chad Hurley, Magic Johnson, Joseph Tsai, [73] Tucker Kain, Kirk Lacob, Mitch Lasky, Mark Leschly, Mike Mahan, Irwin Raij, Tony Robbins, Lon Rosen, Paul Schaeffer, Brandon Schneider, Allen Shapiro, Mark Shapiro, Jason Sugarman, Harry Tsao, and Rick Welts. [5] [72] [74] [75]

In February 2020, LAFC owners began the process of buying out a 20 percent ownership stake held by Malaysian businessman Vincent Tan. The buyout resulted in a $700 million valuation for the club, the largest on record for a Major League Soccer team at the time. [76]

Broadcasting

From 2023, every LAFC match is available via MLS Season Pass on the Apple TV app, in addition to select matches simulcast linearly on Fox or FS1. Prior to this all-streaming deal, LAFC aired matches on a few stations and one other streaming platform.

In 2021 and 2022, all locally broadcast LAFC matches were televised in English by KCOP. Max Bretos served as the team's lead play-by-play announcer [77]

YouTube TV carried live games for the team from 2018 to 2020. It marked the first time that a major U.S. professional sports team sold their regional broadcast rights to an online streaming service rather than a traditional television broadcaster or regional sports network. [25] [26] [78]

Prior to Apple, locally broadcast LAFC matches were televised in Spanish on Estrella TV station KRCA, with Francisco X. Rivera as the lead play-by-play announcer. [79] Regular local radio coverage of LAFC matches is provided in English by KSPN (ESPNLA 710), with Dave Denholm serving as the radio play-by-play announcer. Spanish radio broadcasts are provided by KFWB (980), with Armando Aguayo as the play-by-play announcer. [80] The club also partners with KIRN (670) as part of the station's weekly sports report. [81]

Players and staff

Roster

As of September 25, 2024 [82]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No.Pos.NationPlayer
1 GK Flag of France.svg  FRA Hugo Lloris
2 DF Flag of Mexico.svg  MEX Omar Campos
3 DF Flag of Colombia.svg  COL Jesús David Murillo
4 DF Flag of Colombia.svg  COL Eddie Segura
5 DF Flag of Brazil.svg  BRA Marlon
6 MF Flag of Spain.svg  ESP Ilie Sánchez (captain)
8 MF Flag of England.svg  ENG Lewis O'Brien (on loan from Nottingham Forest)
9 FW Flag of France.svg  FRA Olivier Giroud (DP)
10 FW Flag of Mexico.svg  MEX Carlos Vela
11 MF Flag of the United States.svg  USA Timothy Tillman
12 GK Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  CAN Thomas Hasal
13 FW Flag of Uruguay.svg  URU Cristian Olivera
14 DF Flag of Spain.svg  ESP Sergi Palencia
15 DF Flag of Italy.svg  ITA Lorenzo Dellavalle
18 MF Flag of the United States.svg  USA Erik Dueñas (HG)
19 MF Flag of Poland.svg  POL Mateusz Bogusz
No.Pos.NationPlayer
20 MF Flag of Colombia.svg  COL Eduard Atuesta (on loan from Palmeiras)
23 FW Flag of Sierra Leone.svg  SLE Kei Kamara
24 DF Flag of the United States.svg  USA Ryan Hollingshead
25 DF Flag of Luxembourg.svg  LUX Maxime Chanot
27 FW Flag of El Salvador.svg  SLV Nathan Ordaz (HG)
30 FW Flag of Venezuela (state).svg  VEN David Martínez
31 GK Flag of Mexico.svg  MEX David Ochoa
33 DF Flag of the United States.svg  USA Aaron Long
36 MF Flag of the United States.svg  USA Tommy Musto
42 DF Flag of the United States.svg  USA Luca Bombino(HG)
43 DF Flag of the United States.svg  USA Diego Rosales (HG)
55 MF Flag of the United States.svg  USA Bajung Darboe (HG)
77 FW Flag of the United States.svg  USA Adrian Wibowo(HG)
91 FW Flag of Germany.svg  GER Luis Müller
99 FW Flag of Gabon.svg  GAB Denis Bouanga (DP)

Out on loan

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No.Pos.NationPlayer
21 FW Flag of Colombia.svg  COL Tomás Ángel (at Phoenix Rising)
No.Pos.NationPlayer
FW Flag of Spain.svg  ESP Mario González (at Famalicão)

Coaching staff

As of May 13, 2024 [83]
Technical Staff
Head coach Steve Cherundolo
Assistant coach Ante Razov
Assistant coach Marc Dos Santos
Assistant coach Enrique Duran
Goalkeeping coach Oka Nikolov
Player Development Coach Giorgio Chiellini
Performance directorGavin Benjafield
Technical directorNeil McGuinness

Team management

As of March 31, 2021 [84]
Front Office
Lead managing ownerLarry Berg
Co-managing owner Brandon Beck
Co-managing ownerBennett Rosenthal
Executive chairman and owner Peter Guber
Vice-chairman and owner Henry Nguyen
Director and owner Ruben Gnanalingam
Director and owner Mitch Lasky
Co-president and chief business officerLarry Freedman
Co-president and general manager John Thorrington
Director of Football operations Marco Garcés
Head Coaches
CoachStartEnd
Bob Bradley July 27, 2017November 18, 2021
Steve Cherundolo January 3, 2022Present

Honors

Team

The MLS Supporters' Shield Icon Major League Soccer Supporters' Shield.svg
The MLS Supporters' Shield

In 2019, LAFC won their first major MLS trophy, the Supporters' Shield. They won it with a record breaking 72 points, in just their second season in existence. In 2022, LAFC won their second Supporters' Shield, becoming the second club to win two shields within their first five seasons (after D.C. United). LAFC capped-off the 2022 season by winning the MLS Cup over the Philadelphia Union. In 2024, LAFC won the U.S. Open Cup with a 3–1 victory against Sporting Kansas City. This marked the team’s very first Open Cup win. [85]

National
CompetitionsTitlesSeasons
MLS Cup 1 2022
Supporters' Shield 2 2019, 2022
U.S. Open Cup 1 2024
Western Conference (Playoffs) 2 2022, 2023
Western Conference (Regular Season) 3 2019, 2022, 2024

Players

HonorPlayer NameSeason
Landon Donovan MVP Award Carlos Vela 2019 [86]
MLS Golden Boot Carlos Vela 2019 [87]
Diego Rossi 2020 [88]
Denis Bouanga 2023 [89]
MLS Newcomer of the Year Award Cristian Arango 2021 [90]
MLS Young Player of the Year Award Diego Rossi 2020 [91]
MLS Cup MVP John McCarthy 2022 [92]

Head coaches

HonorHead CoachSeason
Sigi Schmid Coach of the Year Award Bob Bradley 2019 [93]

Records

List of seasons

This is a partial list of the last five seasons completed by LAFC. For the full season-by-season history, see List of Los Angeles FC seasons.

Season League Position Playoffs USOC Continental Average
attendance
Top goalscorer(s)
PldWLDGFGAGDPtsPPGConf.Overall CCL LC CC Name(s)Goals
2019 3421498537+48722.121st1st SF QF DNQ DNE DNQ 22,251 Flag of Mexico.svg Carlos Vela 38♦ [94]
2020 229854739+8321.457th12th R1 NH RU NH NH 22,117 [95] Flag of Uruguay.svg Diego Rossi 18♦ [96]
2021 34121395351+2451.329th17th DNQ NH DNQ DNQ NH 20,204 [97] Flag of Colombia.svg Cristian Arango 14
2022 3421946638+28671.971st1st W R16 DNQ EXH [98] DNQ 22,090 [99] Flag of Colombia.svg Cristian Arango 21
2023 341410105439+15521.533rd8th RU R16 RU QF RU 22,155 [100] Flag of Gabon.svg Denis Bouanga 37♦ [101]
Total158774437305204+1012681.70 Flag of Mexico.svg Carlos Vela 93

^ 1. Avg. attendance include statistics from league matches only.
^ 2. Top goalscorer(s) includes all goals scored in League, MLS Cup Playoffs, U.S. Open Cup, MLS is Back Tournament, CONCACAF Champions League, FIFA Club World Cup, and other competitive continental matches.

Player records

As of August 12, 2024

Matches

#NameNationMLSPlayoffsUSOCCCCLeagues CupMLS is BackCampeones CupTotal
1 Carlos Vela Flag of Mexico.svg MEX15212813201188
2 Latif Blessing Flag of Ghana.svg GHA1424105150167
3 Eduard Atuesta Flag of Colombia.svg COL115493550141
4 Jesús Murillo Flag of Ecuador.svg ECU1079310800137
5 Diego Palacios Flag of Ecuador.svg ECU998313351132

Goals

#NameNationMLSPlayoffsUSOCCCCLeagues CupMLS is BackCampeones CupTotal
1 Carlos Vela Flag of Mexico.svg MEX7823820093
2 Denis Bouanga Flag of Gabon.svg GAB37707110062
3 Diego Rossi Flag of Uruguay.svg URU4316207059
4 Cristian Arango Flag of Colombia.svg COL3023000035
5 Adama Diomande Flag of Norway.svg NOR2022000024

Assists

#NameNationMLSPlayoffsUSOCCCCLeagues CupMLS is BackCampeones CupTotal
1 Carlos Vela Flag of Mexico.svg MEX4272210054
2 Denis Bouanga Flag of Gabon.svg GAB1702460029
3 Eduard Atuesta Flag of Colombia.svg COL2102111026
4 Diego Rossi Flag of Uruguay.svg URU1721002022
4 José Cifuentes Flag of Ecuador.svg ECU1702100020

Clean sheets

#NameNationMLSPlayoffsUSOCCCCLeagues CupMLS is BackCampeones CupTotal
1 Tyler Miller Flag of the United States.svg USA1901000020
2 Maxime Crépeau Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg CAN1141000117
3 John McCarthy Flag of the United States.svg USA800420115
4 Hugo Lloris Flag of France.svg FRA900030012
5 Pablo Sisniega Flag of Mexico.svg MEX30100004
Tomás Romero Flag of El Salvador.svg SLV4000000

Development system

Academy

On February 1, 2016, the club announced the founding of the LAFC Academy. [102] The academy is launching with a fully funded U12 USSDA academy team with a roster of 26 players. Todd Saldana currently serves as academy director. [103]

On August 21, 2018, the U-13 squad won the CONCACAF Champions League, as champions of North America. [104]

On July 8, 2020, LAFC signed its first three Homegrown players from the academy in Club history – Tony Leone, Christian Torres and Erik Dueñas. [105]

Affiliates

Orange County SC, competing in the USL Championship, was affiliated with Los Angeles FC as part of a multi-year affiliation agreement with the team that started on December 7, 2016, and ended after the 2018 season. [106] [107] On March 12, 2021, LAFC announced their partnership with USL Championship club Las Vegas Lights. [108]

LAFC launched a reserve team, Los Angeles FC 2 (or LAFC2), for the 2023 season of MLS Next Pro. The team plays at Titan Stadium and is currently coached by Junior Gonzalez.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LA Galaxy</span> Soccer club in Los Angeles, California

The Los Angeles Galaxy, more commonly known as the LA Galaxy, are an American professional men's soccer club based in the Greater Los Angeles area. The Galaxy competes in Major League Soccer (MLS), as a member of the Western Conference. The club began play in 1996 as one of the league's 10 charter members.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">MLS Cup</span> Annual soccer tournament

The MLS Cup is the annual championship game of Major League Soccer (MLS) and the culmination of the MLS Cup playoffs. The game is held in November or December and pits the winner of the Eastern Conference Final against the winner of the Western Conference Final. The MLS Cup winner is awarded the title of league champion.

Ante Razov is an American soccer coach and former player who is an assistant coach for Los Angeles FC. A prolific forward, Razov is one of the leading goal scorers in the history of Major League Soccer (MLS) and the all-time leading goal scorer for two current or former MLS clubs: the Chicago Fire with 76 goals and Chivas USA with 30 goals. In April 2007, Razov became the third player in MLS history to score 100 goals. Razov also played for the United States men's national soccer team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carlos Vela</span> Mexican footballer (born 1989)

Carlos Alberto Vela Garrido is a Mexican professional footballer who plays for Major League Soccer club Los Angeles FC. A versatile offensive player, Vela has been deployed as a forward, winger, and attacking midfielder.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chivas USA</span> Defunct Football club

Chivas USA was an American professional football club that was based in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson, California. The club played from 2005 to 2014 in Major League Soccer (MLS) and was a subsidiary of Mexican club C.D. Guadalajara, sharing common ownership and branding.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Major League Soccer attendance</span> Attendance figures for Major League Soccer in the United States and Canada

Major League Soccer is the premier professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. Competition began in 1996 and attendance has been increasing rapidly since the early 2000s, making it one of the fastest-growing sports leagues in the world. On average, MLS draws to its games the third largest crowds of any professional sports league in North America, ranking behind the National Football League and Major League Baseball. Similar to the National Hockey League and Major League Baseball, attendance is based on the number of tickets distributed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">BMO Stadium</span> Soccer stadium in Los Angeles

BMO Stadium, formerly Banc of California Stadium, is a soccer-specific stadium in the Exposition Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. It is the home of Major League Soccer's Los Angeles FC and the National Women's Soccer League's Angel City FC. Opened on April 18, 2018, it was the first open-air stadium built in the city of Los Angeles since Dodger Stadium in 1962.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Raheem Edwards</span> Canadian soccer player (born 1995)

Raheem Nathaniel Anfernee Edwards is a Canadian professional soccer player who plays as a left winger or wing-back for CF Montréal in Major League Soccer.

The 2018 Los Angeles FC season was the club's inaugural season, and their first season in Major League Soccer, the top-tier of the American soccer pyramid. Los Angeles FC play its home games at the Banc of California Stadium in Exposition Park neighborhood of Los Angeles. Outside of MLS play, LAFC participated in the 2018 U.S. Open Cup tournament, and qualified for the 2018 MLS Cup Playoffs, being eliminated in the knockout round.

Soccer has enjoyed longstanding popularity in Los Angeles. As of 2023, Los Angeles County has three top-level professional teams. The LA Galaxy and Los Angeles FC play in Major League Soccer, and Angel City FC plays in the National Women's Soccer League. The Greater Los Angeles area is also home to one 2nd division professional team, Orange County SC, of the USL Championship, and four 3rd division professional teams, LAFC2 and LA Galaxy II, of MLS Next Pro, and Los Angeles Force and California United Strikers FC of the National Independent Soccer Association. There are also many semi-professional clubs and leagues including the United Premier Soccer League, SoCal Premier League and National Premier Soccer League, among others. In 2019, two more professional teams, Cal FC and California United Strikers FC joined a new, unsanctioned, professional league called the NPSL Founders Cup They both later left, with Cal FC joining the United Premier Soccer League.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eduard Atuesta</span> Colombian footballer (born 1997)

Eduard Andrés Atuesta Velasco is a Colombian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Major League Soccer club Los Angeles FC, on loan from Campeonato Brasileiro Série A club Palmeiras.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">El Tráfico</span> Soccer rivalry between the LA Galaxy and Los Angeles FC

El Tráfico, also known as the Los Angeles Derby, is a soccer rivalry between the two Major League Soccer (MLS) clubs based in the Greater Los Angeles area, the LA Galaxy and Los Angeles FC. The rivalry is one of two crosstown derbies in MLS, alongside the Hudson River Derby in the New York City area, and replaced the SuperClasico between the LA Galaxy and the now-defunct Chivas USA.

The Leagues Cup is an annual soccer competition between clubs from Major League Soccer, the main soccer league in the United States and Canada, and Liga MX, the main soccer league in Mexico. It is hosted in Canada and the United States. It began in July 2019 with four teams from both leagues participating. The first edition was a single-elimination tournament hosted in the United States with a final played in Whitney, Nevada, near Las Vegas, on September 18, 2019.

The 2021 Major League Soccer All-Star Game was the 25th edition of the annual Major League Soccer All-Star Game, an exhibition soccer match in the United States. The game, featuring the MLS All-Stars taking on the Liga MX All-Stars, was played at Banc of California Stadium in Los Angeles, California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">MLS Cup 2022</span> 2022 edition of the MLS Cup

MLS Cup 2022 was the 27th edition of the MLS Cup, the championship match of Major League Soccer (MLS) at the conclusion of the 2022 MLS Cup Playoffs. The soccer match took place on November 5, 2022, at Banc of California Stadium in Los Angeles, California, United States. It was contested by hosts Los Angeles FC from the Western Conference and the Philadelphia Union of the Eastern Conference to determine the champion of the 2022 season. Both clubs finished the regular season atop their respective conference standings with the same number of points, but LAFC won the Supporters' Shield with the wins tiebreaker.

The 2022 Los Angeles FC season was the club's fifth season in Major League Soccer, the top tier of the American soccer pyramid. LAFC played its home matches at the Banc of California Stadium in the Exposition Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. Steve Cherundolo is the club's second head coach, joining on January 3, 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2023 Los Angeles FC season</span> Los Angeles FC 2023 soccer season

The 2023 Los Angeles FC season was the club's sixth season in Major League Soccer, the top tier of the American soccer pyramid. LAFC plays its home matches at BMO Stadium in the Exposition Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. The venue was renamed prior to the start of the season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">MLS Cup 2023</span> 2023 edition of the MLS Cup

MLS Cup 2023 was the 28th edition of the MLS Cup, the championship match of Major League Soccer (MLS), played on December 9, 2023, at Lower.com Field in Columbus, Ohio, United States. The soccer match between hosts Columbus Crew of the Eastern Conference and defending champions Los Angeles FC of the Western Conference determined the champions of the 2023 season. It also marked the conclusion of the MLS Cup Playoffs, which was contested by the top eighteen teams based on their regular season records.

References

  1. 1 2 "Ownership". LAFC.com. Retrieved January 22, 2023.
  2. Stejskal, Sam. "Local trio takes over as managing owners of LAFC". MLSSoccer.com. Retrieved January 22, 2023.
  3. "Major League Soccer awards new team to Los Angeles". October 30, 2014.
  4. "LA's MLS expansion team announces official club name: Los Angeles Football Club". MLSsoccer.com. September 15, 2015. Archived from the original on September 18, 2015. Retrieved September 16, 2015.
  5. 1 2 3 Wahl, Grant (November 7, 2014). "How did LAFC come to be? These businessmen are behind MLS' newest team". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved September 16, 2015.
  6. Baxter, Kevin (July 27, 2017). "Bob Bradley is back in the MLS to become Los Angeles Football Club's first coach". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved March 5, 2018.
  7. Dwyer, Alex (September 12, 2017). "Spanning the globe: LAFC casting wide net in search of players". MLSsoccer.com. Retrieved March 5, 2018.
  8. Baxter, Kevin (August 11, 2017). "Carlos Vela happy — but lonely — as LAFC's first designated player". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved March 5, 2018.
  9. Baxter, Kevin (March 4, 2018). "LAFC thrill new fans by winning their inaugural game against Seattle Sounders". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved March 5, 2018.
  10. Quillen, Ian (March 31, 2018). "LA Galaxy 4, Los Angeles Football Club 3 | 2018 MLS Match Recap". MLSsoccer.com. Retrieved May 15, 2018.
  11. Lutz, Tom (March 31, 2018). "Zlatan Ibrahimovic's low-key MLS debut: a wondergoal then the winner for LA Galaxy". The Guardian. Retrieved May 15, 2018.
  12. Quillen, Ian (March 31, 2018). "LA Galaxy 4, Los Angeles Football Club 3 2018 MLS Match Recap". mlssoccer. Retrieved July 21, 2018.
  13. "LAFC Completes Historic Road Trip". Lafc.com. April 23, 2018. Archived from the original on April 2, 2019. Retrieved November 6, 2018.
  14. "LAFC quietly sets record for away victories in inaugural season". Prosoccerusa.com. September 6, 2018. Archived from the original on March 4, 2020. Retrieved November 6, 2018.
  15. 1 2 "LAFC secure best regular season points total ever by MLS expansion team". Mlssoccer.com. October 29, 2018.
  16. "LAFC clinches playoff spot in its expansion season with 3–0 win over Rapids". Los Angeles Times . Associated Press. October 7, 2018. Retrieved October 29, 2018.
  17. "Damir Kreilach helps Salt Lake shock LAFC, advance to West semifinals". Espn.com. November 1, 2018.
  18. "LAFC looked like a different team in the second leg vs. León — one that could win the CONCACAF Champions League". News.yahoo.com. February 28, 2020.
  19. Straus, Brian (December 21, 2020). "LAFC Braces for CCL Final After Being Concacafed and Living to Tell About It". Sports Illustrated .
  20. Marshall, Tom (December 23, 2020). "Tigres, Gignac break LAFC hearts as MLS' wait for CONCACAF Champions League glory goes on". ESPN .
  21. Boehm, Charles (December 23, 2020). "LAFC's heartbreaking loss to Tigres again shows there's no agony quite like CCL agony". Major League Soccer .
  22. "Crest". LAFC.com. Retrieved January 22, 2023.
  23. Couch, Ben (January 7, 2016). "LAFC unveil crest, logo, colors ahead of MLS launch in 2018". MLSSoccer.com. Retrieved January 22, 2023.
  24. "LOS ANGELES FC". Matthew Wolff Design. Archived from the original on July 20, 2016. Retrieved January 7, 2016.
  25. 1 2 "LAFC And YouTube TV Form Historic Broadcast And Jersey Partnership". Los Angeles FC. January 31, 2018. Archived from the original on June 16, 2018. Retrieved February 26, 2018.
  26. 1 2 Baxter, Kevin (January 31, 2018). "LAFC reaches jersey, streaming deal with YouTube TV". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 31, 2018.
  27. "LAFC in MLS first with Target sleeve sponsorship deal". SportsProMedia.com. October 11, 2019. Retrieved December 8, 2019.
  28. "LAFC Announces FLEX Power Tools as Official Jersey Sponsors". Los Angeles FC. March 26, 2021. Retrieved March 26, 2021.
  29. "LAFC announce Postmates as sleeve sponsor in 2021". MLSsoccer.com. March 30, 2021. Retrieved March 30, 2021.
  30. Baxter, Kevin (May 20, 2021). "LAFC finalizes deal for games to be broadcast on KCOP-TV and Bally Sports SoCal". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved May 20, 2021.
  31. "Rockstar Energy Drink Becomes The Official Training Kit Partner Of LAFC For 2022 Season". lafc.com. February 26, 2022. Retrieved July 21, 2022.
  32. Baxter, Kevin (January 19, 2023). "LAFC announces renaming of Banc of California Stadium to BMO Stadium". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 19, 2023.
  33. ""A historic day": MLS, Apple enter global media partnership beginning in 2023". MLSsoccer.com. June 14, 2022. Retrieved February 17, 2023.
  34. McCaskill, Steve (November 17, 2022). "MLS clubs to promote Apple TV season pass with sleeve sponsorship". SportsProMedia.com. Retrieved February 17, 2023.
  35. "LAFC Unveils New 2023 'Smokescreen' Kit". lafc.com. February 16, 2023. Retrieved February 17, 2023.
  36. "Major League Soccer and adidas extend landmark partnership through 2024". MLSSoccer.com. August 2, 2017. Retrieved March 28, 2019.
  37. "LAFC Announces BMO as Official Jersey Sponsor | Los Angeles Football Club".
  38. Baxter, Kevin (May 17, 2015). "Expansion L.A. Soccer Team Plans New Stadium on Sports Arena Site". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved January 13, 2016.
  39. "LAFC owners join with Los Angeles business and community leaders to break ground on Bank of California Stadium" (Press release). Los Angeles FC. August 23, 2016. Archived from the original on August 25, 2016. Retrieved August 23, 2016.
  40. Koren, James Rufus (August 23, 2016). "Banc of California snags naming rights for L.A. Football Club soccer stadium". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved August 23, 2016.
  41. Novy-Williams, Eben (August 23, 2016). "Bank Run by 41-Year-Old Signs $100 Million Stadium-Name Deal". Bloomberg News . Retrieved August 25, 2016.
  42. "LAFC Job Fair Flyer" (PDF). Los Angeles Football Club. March 10, 2016. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 19, 2016. Retrieved June 9, 2016.
  43. "RIP Sports Arena: Aerial Shots Capture Demolished Former Home Of Lakers, Clippers, DNC". CBS Los Angeles. September 14, 2016. Retrieved September 16, 2016.
  44. Brewer, Ashley (April 18, 2018). "Los Angeles Football Club's Banc of California Stadium officially unveiled in Exposition Park". ABC 7 . Retrieved April 18, 2018.
  45. Baxter, Kevin (December 18, 2017). "LAFC's stadium is coming together ahead of schedule". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved December 18, 2017.
  46. 1 2 "Boxscore: Los Angeles Football Club vs. Seattle Sounders FC 04/30/2018 | Matchcenter". Matchcenter.mlssoccer.com. Retrieved May 15, 2018.
  47. "LAFC's home venue renamed as BMO Stadium". MLSsoccer.com. January 19, 2023. Retrieved January 19, 2023.
  48. Calhoun, Damian (April 4, 2018). "LAFC moves into new training home at Cal State Los Angeles". Los Angeles Daily News. Retrieved February 25, 2024.
  49. "LAFC supporters group has helped team establish its new identity". Los Angeles Times . April 27, 2018.
  50. Baxter, Kevin (September 15, 2015). "Marketing to millennials, Los Angeles Football Club looking to stand apart". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved March 31, 2018.
  51. Baxter, Kevin (January 29, 2018). "LAFC make Joao Moutinho its first-ever draft pick". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 30, 2018.
  52. "Supporters | Los Angeles Football Club". Lafc.com. April 9, 2021. Retrieved April 26, 2021.
  53. Radio, Southern California Public (April 18, 2018). "LA Football Club diehards wanted a stadium that was loud, intimidating and never let you sit down" . Retrieved May 15, 2018.
  54. "LAFC introduce falcon as Banc of California Stadium pregame ritual". April 30, 2018.
  55. "Falcon | Los Angeles Football Club". LAFC.com. April 19, 2018. Retrieved October 4, 2018.
  56. Wiebe, Andrew (March 28, 2018). "Wiebe: First-ever "El Trafico" will lay stakes for LA Galaxy-LAFC rivalry". MLSsoccer.com. Retrieved March 30, 2018.
  57. "Clásico del Tráfico: breve historia de la rivalidad entre LA Galaxy y LAFC".
  58. "CLÁSICO DEL TRÁFICO". Telemundodeportes.com.
  59. "What are we calling the LA Galaxy LAFC rivalry?". LAG Confidential. Retrieved April 3, 2018.
  60. 1 2 Baxter, Kevin (March 28, 2018). "Galaxy and LAFC fans are taking new rivalry very seriously". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved March 29, 2018.
  61. "Poll: What should we call the LAFC-LA Galaxy rivalry?". Angels on Parade. Retrieved April 3, 2018.
  62. Davis, Matt (March 29, 2018). "Will Ferrell v Zlatan Ibrahimovic? Los Angeles FC prepare to face Galaxy on derby day". BBC Sport . Retrieved March 31, 2018.
  63. "L.A.'s traffic congestion is world's worst for sixth straight year, study says". Los Angeles Times. February 6, 2018. Retrieved March 31, 2018.
  64. Lutz, Tom (March 31, 2018). "Zlatan Ibrahimovic's low-key MLS debut: a wondergoal then the winner for LA Galaxy". The Guardian. Retrieved March 31, 2018.
  65. Lalas, Greg (October 26, 2009). "L.A. derby finally means something". Sports Illustrated . Retrieved March 31, 2018.
  66. "Seattle Sounders vs. LAFC: The history between two Western Conference powerhouses". mlssoccer.com. Retrieved August 23, 2022.
  67. "Do Sounders have a genuine rivalry with LAFC?". sounderatheart.com. October 11, 2020. Retrieved August 23, 2022.
  68. "As LAFC chases the standard the Sounders set, one of the best rivalries in MLS is budding". sports.yahoo.com. April 25, 2021. Retrieved August 23, 2022.
  69. "LAFC, Seattle Sounders ready to renew rivalry for Western superiority". mlssoccer.com. Retrieved August 23, 2022.
  70. Thomas, Ian (May 19, 2019). "The overachieving owners of the Los Angeles Football Club". Biz Journals.
  71. Rodriguez, Alicia (August 9, 2016). "Big ownership changes come to LAFC". Angels on Parade. Retrieved May 19, 2019.
  72. 1 2 "LAFC Ownership". Los Angeles FC. October 5, 2017. Retrieved February 26, 2018.
  73. Novy-Williams, Eben (October 10, 2019). "LAFC, Target Ink First Sleeve Sponsorship in Major League Soccer". Bloomberg News . Retrieved October 10, 2019.
  74. Mendola, Nicholas (October 30, 2014). "Los Angeles officially given new MLS team; Magic Johnson, Vincent Tan among investors". NBC Sports . Retrieved October 30, 2014.
  75. "Will Ferrell announced as LAFC part owner". Sports Illustrated. January 7, 2016. Retrieved February 26, 2018.
  76. "L.A. Soccer Team Gets Record-Setting $700 Million-Plus Valuation". Bloomberg.com. February 28, 2020. Retrieved September 7, 2020.
  77. "LAFC & KCOP 13 To Team Up Again In 2022 For All English-Language TV Broadcasts". Los Angeles Football Club. March 16, 2022. Retrieved March 26, 2022.
  78. Wallenstein, Andrew; Spangler, Todd (January 31, 2018). "YouTube TV Strikes Unprecedented Deal for Pro Sports TV Rights". Variety . Retrieved January 31, 2018.
  79. "LAFC, Estrella Media Announce Spanish-Language Broadcast TV Partnership". Los Angeles Football Club. February 21, 2020. Retrieved February 21, 2020.
  80. "LAFC Announces ESPNLA 710AM & KFWB 980 AM As Official Radio Broadcast Partners". Los Angeles Football Club. March 1, 2018. Archived from the original on June 24, 2018. Retrieved May 30, 2018.
  81. "LAFC Announces Renewal of Radio Broadcast Partnerships". Los Angeles Football Club. April 15, 2021. Retrieved April 22, 2021.
  82. "Los Angeles FC Roster". lafc.com. Los Angeles FC. Retrieved July 13, 2022.
  83. "LAFC Head Coach Steve Cherundolo Signs Contract Extension". Los Angeles FC. February 25, 2024. Retrieved January 1, 2024.
  84. "Los Angeles FC Team Management". Lafc.com. October 5, 2017.
  85. Baxter, Kevin (September 25, 2024). "LAFC rallies to beat Sporting Kansas City, wins U.S. Open Cup in extra time". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 25, 2024.
  86. Rodriguez, Alicia (November 4, 2019). "Carlos Vela is 2019 Landon Donovan MLS Most Valuable Player". Major League Soccer . Retrieved November 4, 2019.
  87. Bogert, Tom (October 6, 2019). "LAFC forward Carlos Vela wins 2019 MLS Golden Boot presented by Audi". Major League Soccer .
  88. "LAFC's Diego Rossi wins the 2020 MLS Golden Boot presented by Audi". Major League Soccer . November 8, 2020.
  89. "LAFC's Dénis Bouanga wins 2023 MLS Golden Boot presented by Audi". Major League Soccer. October 21, 2023. Retrieved October 23, 2023.
  90. "LAFC Forward Cristian Arango Named MLS Newcomer of the Year". Major League Soccer . November 11, 2021.
  91. "LAFC's Diego Rossi named AT&T MLS Young Player of the Year for 2020 season". Major League Soccer . November 16, 2020.
  92. "LAFC Goalkeeper John McCarthy Named MLS Cup 2022 MVP". Major League Soccer . November 5, 2022.
  93. Boehm, Charles (October 23, 2019). "Bob Bradley wins 2019 Sigi Schmid Coach of the Year after LAFC's dominant season". Major League Soccer . Retrieved May 2, 2023.
  94. Vela won the MLS Golden Boot (34 goals)
  95. Attendance before COVID-19 restrictions
  96. Rossi won the MLS Golden Boot (14 goals)
  97. "2021 MLS Attendance". Soccer Stadium Digest. Retrieved January 5, 2022.
  98. "LAFC, LA Galaxy, Chivas and Club América headline Leagues Cup Showcase at SoFi Stadium | MLSSoccer.com". mlssoccer. Retrieved April 23, 2022. (LAFC beat Club América 0-0 (pen 6-5)).
  99. "2022 MLS Attendance". Soccer Stadium Digest. Retrieved October 23, 2022.
  100. "2023 MLS Attendance". Soccer Stadium Digest. Retrieved March 4, 2024.
  101. Bouanga won the MLS Golden Boot (20 goals)
  102. "U.S. Soccer Development Academy Adds 56 Clubs at Under-12 Division for 2016–17 Season". United States Soccer Federation. February 2, 2016. Retrieved February 3, 2016.
  103. "LAFC Academy – Staff". Lafc.academy. Retrieved March 23, 2018.
  104. Rodriguez, Alicia. "LAFC win 2018 U-13 Concacaf Champions League". MLSsoccer.com. Retrieved January 15, 2019.
  105. "LAFC Signs First Three Homegrown Players In Club History". LAFC.com. July 8, 2020. Retrieved July 8, 2020.
  106. "LAFC, Orange County Blues FC Announce Multi-Year Partnership". United Soccer League. December 7, 2016. Retrieved December 10, 2017.
  107. "LAFC announce end of USL affiliation with Orange County SC". Alicia Rodriguez. December 14, 2018. Retrieved December 14, 2018.
  108. "LAFC Announces Partnership with Las Vegas Lights FC of USL". LAFC. March 12, 2021. Retrieved March 15, 2021.