For me as a person who grew up with DC United (they are still my first team) hatred of the Galaxy has always been there. Now that there is a team a short light rail line away and my children are interested in soccer supporting LAFC makes sense. I have two season seats and went to the open house yesterday. James
This is simple. Carson Galaxy got complacent when it came to their fan base and their academies. AEG always did their best to get the best team money can buy, and they did win titles, but you can't rely on that and refuse to do anything else. Their corporate approach when it came to the treatment of their fans and then justifying it by essentially saying, "We're the Galaxy." is what has really done them in. LAFC has made such a significant impact in the city by capitalizing on what the Galaxy should have been doing in the first place, such as using the campfire approach on all ends, building camaraderie from the ownership/staff to the players/coaching staff to the fans/supporters. This is summarized in #ShouldertoShoulder. In regards to their academy players, not once have their supporters ever really cared enough to go support them until LAFC started doing it. When you have LAFC supporters cheering their own lads and consoling the opposing Galaxy lads, and the Galaxy supporters are nowhere to be found, that is a huge issue, the Galaxy parents themselves said it.
LA area has two teams in all of its sports and soccer will not an exception. There are more than enough folk for both w/o crossover.
Sure but there hasn’t really been enough time to divide loyalty or develop a rivalry. It’s not like you can compare LAFC to the Chivas because it’s a different philosophy and three years have past. Time will tell what will happen but in response to the previous poster, I don’t think anyone can really tell what rivalry will take place. I’m sure having a new and improved stadium and/or team will help fans flock to supporting the new club but it’s still an unknown about what will happen between the Galaxy and them.
For me I never felt that the Galaxy ever catered to the inner city. It seems to me that they cater more to the white collar fan base. They feel a bit detached to the normal Joe. Galaxy feels more like a corporate business. They feel like if they spend money then that's good enough to have loyal supporters. With LAFC you have both the money and what seems like players that want to be here and give their fans all that they have. I feel like the team makes a collective effort to make the fans experience special.
Apparently the supporters have their own bar that they designed behind the stand. That kind of stuff is really cool - and unlike DCU the team always refers to them as an independent supporters union - not picking favorites. james
Absolutely true. And the supporters also played a major role in LAFC getting safe standing for the North End.
Galaxy fan from first days at the Rose Bowl and even the Aztecs in the 70's. Early days of the league with Cobi and Campos were exciting, but you always wondered if the league was going to make it, especially when Tampa and Miami contracted. Born and raised in Pasadena, LAG were of course my team and the league has come a long way since. Then they moved to Carson. The distance hurt. The stadium was fine as it was an early SSS. But AEG is another matter in itself. They are too busy running arenas and promoting concerns it seems. Yes, they can roll out the check book and buy a bunch of players and like the Yankees, buy championships. But the way they treated me as a season ticket holder, who by now was living out in the Inland Empire, caused me to go to fewer games every year. Generally expensive tickets, expensive parking, expensive concessions plus the drive added up. Very few times did the stadium have life or truly sell out or have every seat filled even in the Becks & LD time frame. - Now LAFC shows up. MLS is far different place now. You need to go large or go home. I have posted in other threads, i am more now a fan of the league than specific teams or players, especially as the league continues to expand. I have been to 1-2 home games of every team in the league over the life of the league (I think over 30-35 different stadiums) My respect to LAFC (so far) is the ownership group- you have soccer people - sports people- well known social people. A pretty good mix and so far, their goals all seem aligned. Hope this continues. Was at the open house and have a ticket for first home game Sunday. Stadium is amazing, like a mini-NFL stadium. Saw the training facility at Cal State LA (my alma mater) the other day- very first class, as it seems like all they are doing Good rapport with the supporters groups, trying to make a place in the crowded sports market etc. All good things. - The couple things I will be watching is the crowd- will they be like a typical LA crowd- arrive late and leave early for traffic or whatever? How many will come by train etc. ? Will the team try to keep ticket prices reasonable for the fans in LA now that a team is actually in the center of LA, where some fans it will be a real treat to go to a game for financial reasons? And for the biggest one , is I hope the fans of both LA team keep it real, no violence or haters, support your respective teams with passion. The city is more than big enough for 2 teams, but lets make the "soccer derby/rival day/ "traffico" really special. The other sports teams in the other pro leagues play each other, but the passion that can be in soccer should stand out.
I found this article where people were able to have a Q & A with Los Angeles mayor Eric Garcetti on Reddit and found this particular question very telling. Mayor Garcetti a true LAFC fan. https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/...After-State-of-the-City-Speech-480626261.html @Penguinhunter3: Can you stop just supporting LAFC? Honestly, there's been a history with another team in LA and have done great things for the community. You sound like a hipster from Silverlake. @Eric_Garcetti: I hear you and love the Galaxy. But there's one team in the city boundaries now...so...and I haven't seen many hipsters, just a lot of old Chivas USA fans and some folks around the stadium who are pumped for LAFC. They do kind of only have the city's name and nothing else as their brand.
Get your cameras ready...Tomorrow is LAFC Day in Los Angeles!#LAFCComesHome pic.twitter.com/0IlrrYO03E— LAFC (@LAFC) April 26, 2018
Thank you @Dodgers for having @11carlosV and Diego Rossi at the game last night!⚽️🤝⚾️ pic.twitter.com/7sJCFhKshc— LAFC (@LAFC) April 25, 2018
It's LAFC Day in Los Angeles! Starting at 7 PM tonight, iconic LA landmarks will be lit up in Black & Gold. http://lafc.me/2vSWEYS
Let's see those LAFC Day photos! The following landmarks are now lit up in Black & Gold: LA City HallLA Convention CenterBanc of California StadiumLA Memorial ColiseumLA Union StationUS Bank TowerLA Public LibraryLAXGensler LA Office📲 #LAFCComesHome pic.twitter.com/STLRc2Cdqx— LAFC (@LAFC) April 28, 2018