Los Angeles FC

Groundbreaking ceremony for Los Angeles FC in 2016.

On October 30, 2014, Major League Soccer awarded a new expansion team to Los Angeles, filling the vacancy in the market created by the dissolution of Chivas USA three days earlier.[6] 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.[7] 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".[8]

LAFC announced Bob Bradley as its head coach in July 2017,[9] joining general director John Thorrington in a search for players.[10] Mexican forward Carlos Vela was signed as the club's first designated player on August 11, 2017.[11]

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-ever competitive goal in the 11th minute, assisted by Vela.[12]

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.[13][14] LAFC was the second team ever to lose an MLS game after leading 3–0 during the match.[15] 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.[16] They finished the season with 7 road wins which is the most for an expansion team in the post-shootout era.[17]

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.[18] 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.[18]

On October 6, 2018, LAFC clinched its first playoff spot after a 3–0 victory against the Colorado Rapids[19] 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.[20]

Los Angeles had appeared for the first time, in the 2020 CONCACAF Champions League and advanced in the round of 16 after defeating Liga MX León 3–2 on aggregate after going down 2–0 after the first leg.[21] They subsequently defeated Cruz Azul and Club América in the quarter- and semi-finals.[22] They became the third MLS side to advance to the Final, where they were defeated by Tigres UANL 2–1.[23][24]

The club's colors and logo were unveiled on January 7, 2016, at Union Station.[25][26] 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.[27]

Banc of California Stadium during one of LAFC's games.

On May 17, 2015, the team chose the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena site to build a 22,000-seat state of the art stadium for the MLS in Exposition Park, costing $250 million. The group estimated the project would create 1,200 temporary construction jobs and 1,800 full-time jobs, generating $2.5 million in annual tax revenue.[31] 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.[32][33][34] Demolition of the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena began shortly after the groundbreaking and was completed by October 2016.[35][36]

The first public event at the stadium was an open practice and dedication ceremony held on April 18, 2018.[37] The club's first home match was played on April 29, 2018, against Seattle Sounders FC, with the home side winning 1–0.[38][39] The lone goal was scored by Laurent Ciman in stoppage time in front of a capacity crowd of 22,000.[39]

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 Banc of California Stadium, built on land previously held by the LA Sports Arena.[40] Much of the marketing focus was to millennials, which led to the decision to play near downtown Los Angeles.[41] LAFC took a grassroots approach to building the club by founding the LAFC academy and signing younger prospects including Americans Walker Zimmerman and Los Angeles native Tristan Blackmon, Portuguese draft pick João Moutinho,[42] and Uruguayan prospect Diego Rossi.

The club shares the Los Angeles market with the LA Galaxy; the two teams' rivalry is nicknamed El Tráfico.[43]

Supporters

The 3252 section unveil a tifo before the second El Tráfico.

LAFC supporters are known collectively as "The 3252", a reference to the number of seats in the safe standing supporters section at Banc of California Stadium, as well as adding up to 12, a reference to the supporters being the team's 12th man. The 3252 is the club's independent supporters union, which encompasses a number of affiliated supporters groups, including the Black Army 1850, District 9 Ultras, Expo Originals, LAFC Cuervos, Empire Boys, Lucky Boys, Tigers Supporters Group, and several others.[44][45]

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.[56][57] Chairman and CEO of Mandalay Entertainment Group and entrepreneur Peter Guber is executive chairman, former National Basketball Association executive Tom Penn is president, and venture capitalist Henry Nguyen is vice-chairman.[58] The ownership group also includes businessman Ruben Gnanalingam.[8] Other part owners and investors include Will Ferrell,Natalie Mariduena, Nomar Garciaparra, Mia Hamm-Garciaparra, Chad Hurley, Magic Johnson, Joseph Tsai,[59] 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.[8][58][60][61]

In February 2020, LAFC owners began the process of buying out a 20 per cent ownership stake held by Malaysian businessman Vincent Tan. The buyout resulted in a $700 million valuation for the club, the most ever for a Major League Soccer team at the time.[62]

All locally broadcast LAFC matches are televised in English by YouTube TV, with the team's channel carrying live games and supplemental coverage. It marks the first time that a major U.S. professional sports team has sold their regional broadcast rights to an online streaming service as opposed to a traditional television broadcaster or regional sports network. Max Bretos serves as the team's lead play-by-play announcer.[28][29][63] All locally broadcast LAFC matches are televised in Spanish on Estrella TV, with Francisco X. Rivera serving as the lead play-by-play announcer.[64] 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.[65]

• Official website

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