Los Angeles FC facts for kids
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| Full name | Los Angeles Football Club | |||
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| Nickname(s) | The Black and Gold Falcons |
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| Founded | October 30, 2014 | |||
| Stadium | BMO Stadium Los Angeles, California |
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| Stadium capacity |
22,000 | |||
| Managing owners |
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| Executive Chairman |
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| President |
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| Coach | Steve Cherundolo | |||
| League | Major League Soccer | |||
| 2024 | Western Conference: 1st Overall: 3rd Playoffs: TBD |
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Los Angeles Football Club (LAFC) is a professional soccer team from Los Angeles. They play in Major League Soccer (MLS) as part of the Western Conference. The club started on October 30, 2014, and played their first game in 2018. Their home games are at BMO Stadium in Exposition Park.
The main owners of LAFC are Brandon Beck, Larry Berg, and Bennett Rosenthal. Famous actor Will Ferrell is also one of the part-owners. The team's first head coach was Bob Bradley, who coached from 2017 to 2021. In 2019, LAFC won the Supporters' Shield, which is given to the team with the best regular season record. Their captain, Carlos Vela, also won the MVP Award that year.
LAFC won their first MLS Cup in 2022. This meant they won both the Supporters' Shield and the MLS Cup in the same year, which is called a "league double." They also finished second in the CONCACAF Champions League in 2020 and 2023.
Since they began playing, LAFC has a big rivalry with the LA Galaxy. The Galaxy is another MLS team from nearby Carson, California. Fans call this rivalry "El Tráfico", which is a funny way to say "The Traffic" in Spanish. It's a play on "El Clásico" and the famous traffic in Los Angeles.
Contents
History of LAFC
LAFC was created on October 30, 2014. This happened after the MLS decided to add a new team in Los Angeles. The previous team, Chivas USA, had been dissolved. On September 15, 2015, the club announced that "Los Angeles Football Club" would be its official name. This name had been used as a temporary name before.
Bob Bradley became LAFC's head coach in July 2017. He worked with general director John Thorrington to find players. Mexican forward Carlos Vela was the first big player signed on August 11, 2017. He was a "designated player," meaning his salary didn't fully count against the team's cap.
On March 4, 2018, LAFC played its first MLS game. They won 1–0 against Seattle Sounders FC in Seattle. Diego Rossi scored the club's first goal, helped by Vela.
LAFC had their first MLS loss on March 31, 2018. They were winning 3–0 against the LA Galaxy but lost 4–3. This was also Zlatan Ibrahimović's first game for the Galaxy. Even with this loss, LAFC started strong, winning 4 out of 6 away games. They set a record for an expansion team by earning 12 points from a long road trip.
LAFC had the best regular season for an MLS expansion team in 2018. They earned 57 points, beating the record set by the 1998 Chicago Fire. They also scored 68 goals, which was the second-highest for an expansion team. On October 6, 2018, LAFC made it to the playoffs for the first time. They finished third in their conference but lost in the first round to Real Salt Lake.
Playing in the CONCACAF Champions League
LAFC played in the CONCACAF Champions League for the first time in 2020. They lost the first game 2–0 against Club León but came back to win 3–0 in the second game. This meant they won 3–2 overall and moved on. The tournament was paused because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
When the tournament started again in December, LAFC beat Cruz Azul 2–1 and then Club América 3–1. They became the third MLS team to reach the final. However, they lost 2–1 to Tigres UANL.
Winning the MLS Cup in 2022
In the 2022 MLS season, LAFC aimed for the league's all-time points record. They ended up with 67 points, winning their second Supporters' Shield. They won it over the Philadelphia Union because they had more wins.
LAFC then beat their rivals, the Galaxy, 3–2 in the conference semifinals. After that, they defeated Austin FC 3–0 to reach their first ever MLS Cup final.
LAFC won the 2022 MLS Cup by beating the Union in a penalty shootout. The game was a thrilling 3–3 draw after extra time. Gareth Bale scored a goal in the 128th minute to tie the game and send it to penalties. LAFC won the shootout 3–0. Their substitute goalkeeper, John McCarthy, saved two penalties and was named the MVP of the match.
Playing in the 2023 CONCACAF Champions League
In 2023, LAFC reached the 2023 CONCACAF Champions League final again. This was their second final in four years. They beat teams like Alajuelense, Vancouver Whitecaps FC, and Philadelphia Union to get there.
In the final, they faced Club León again. Even though LAFC was favored to win, Leon beat them 3–1 overall after two games.
Team Colors, Logo, and Sponsors
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LAFC's colors and logo were shown to the public on January 7, 2016. The team's main colors are black and gold. Red and gray are also used as accent colors. The logo is inspired by Art Deco style. It has a shield shape like the Los Angeles city seal. Inside, there's a winged "LA" design and the words "Los Angeles" and "Football Club." A designer named Matthew Wolff created the logo.
Team Sponsors
On January 31, 2018, LAFC announced that YouTube TV would be their first official shirt sponsor. YouTube TV also showed the team's local games in English. In October 2019, Target became their first sleeve sponsor.
On March 26, 2021, FLEX, a power tool company, took over as the main shirt sponsor. Four days later, Postmates became the second sleeve sponsor for 2021, joining Target. After this, LAFC started showing English home games on two local TV networks instead of just YouTube TV.
For the 2022 season, LAFC partnered with PepsiCo. This made Rockstar energy drink the sponsor for their training kits. This deal ended after the season.
Before the 2023 season, MLS made a new deal with Apple. This means all MLS games are now shown on Apple TV+ through a service called MLS Season Pass. To promote this, the Apple TV+ logo is on the left sleeve of all MLS team kits. Also, Ford became a top sponsor for LAFC in 2023. Their logo is on the team's right kit sleeve.
Home Stadium
On May 17, 2015, the team chose the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena site for their new stadium. It was planned to have 22,000 seats and cost about $250 million. The stadium would be built in Exposition Park. The old Sports Arena was torn down, and the new stadium was expected to take three years to build. This meant the team would start playing in 2018. On May 6, 2016, the Los Angeles City Council approved the stadium plans.
A special ceremony for starting construction happened on August 23, 2016. At this event, LAFC announced that Banc of California would pay $100 million over 15 years for the stadium's naming rights. The demolition of the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena finished by October 2016.
The first public event at the stadium was an open practice on April 18, 2018. The club's first home game was on April 29, 2018, against Seattle Sounders FC. LAFC won 1–0 with a goal from Laurent Ciman in the last moments of the game. The stadium was full with 22,000 fans. On January 19, 2023, the stadium was renamed BMO Stadium.
LAFC's training facility is at California State University, Los Angeles. This partnership started in 2017. The LAFC Performance Center has a large indoor space and a training field with the same type of grass as the stadium.
Club Culture
When LAFC was first created, fans were asked for their ideas. They helped decide on the team colors, the look of the logo, and even the design of BMO Stadium. The stadium was built where the old LA Sports Arena used to be. The team wanted to appeal to young people, so they chose a location near downtown Los Angeles. LAFC also focused on growing talent by starting their own academy. They signed young players like Walker Zimmerman, Tristan Blackmon, João Moutinho, and Diego Rossi.
LAFC Supporters
LAFC fans are known as "The 3252." This name comes from the official number of standing spots in the supporters' section at BMO Stadium, which is 3,252. If you add up 3, 2, 5, and 2, you get 12. This is a nod to the "12th man" idea, which means the fans are like an extra player on the team. The 3252 is a group of different fan clubs and independent supporters who cheer for LAFC.
The Falcon Program
LAFC has a special falcon program with three live falcons. These falcons take part in game day and community events. Before each home game, one falcon is released by an honorary falconer, often a celebrity. The falcon then flies around the stadium. The first honorary falconer was co-owner Will Ferrell. The three falcons are named after famous streets in Los Angeles: "Olly" (Olvera Street), "Fig" (Figueroa Street), and "Mel" (Melrose Avenue).
Team Rivalries
LA Galaxy Rivalry
LAFC has a big rivalry with the LA Galaxy, another MLS team from the Los Angeles area. The games between these two teams are called El Tráfico. This name is Spanish for "The Traffic" and is a funny reference to the heavy traffic in Los Angeles. It's also a play on "El Clásico", a famous soccer rivalry in Spain. Some people also call it the "Los Angeles Derby."
Seattle Sounders FC Rivalry
LAFC's very first game was a 1–0 win against Seattle Sounders FC in Seattle in 2018. LAFC's first home game was also a 1–0 win against Seattle. The rivalry grew when Seattle beat LAFC in the 2019 Western Conference Finals. This ended LAFC's record-setting season. This rivalry continues with players, coaches, and fans.
Team Ownership
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In 2016, three local investors became the main owners of LAFC: Brandon Beck, Larry Berg, and Bennett Rosenthal. Larry Berg is the lead managing owner. As of 2017, Peter Guber, who is a chairman and CEO of Mandalay Entertainment Group, is the executive chairman. Henry Nguyen is the vice-chairman. Other part-owners and investors include famous people like Will Ferrell, Nomar Garciaparra, Mia Hamm-Garciaparra, Magic Johnson, and Tony Robbins.
How to Watch LAFC Games
Since 2023, you can watch every LAFC game on MLS Season Pass through the Apple TV app. Some games are also shown on Fox or FS1. Before this, LAFC games were shown on different TV stations and streaming services.
From 2018 to 2020, YouTube TV showed live games for the team. This was the first time a major U.S. sports team sold its local broadcast rights to an online streaming service.
Players and Staff
Current Roster
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Players on Loan
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Coaching Staff
| Technical Staff | |
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| 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 director | Gavin Benjafield |
| Technical director | Neil McGuinness |
Team Management
| Front Office | |
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| Lead managing owner | Larry Berg |
| Co-managing owner | Brandon Beck |
| Co-managing owner | Bennett 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 officer | Larry Freedman |
| Co-president and general manager | John Thorrington |
| Director of Football operations | Marco Garcés |
Team Honors and Awards
In 2019, LAFC won their first major MLS trophy, the Supporters' Shield. They earned a record-breaking 72 points in only their second season. In 2022, LAFC won their second Supporters' Shield. This made them the second club to win two Shields within their first five seasons. LAFC also won the MLS Cup in 2022, beating the Philadelphia Union. In 2024, LAFC won the U.S. Open Cup for the first time, defeating Sporting Kansas City 3–1.
Team Trophies
| National | ||
|---|---|---|
| Competitions | Titles | Seasons |
| 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 |
Player Awards
| Honor | Player Name | Season |
|---|---|---|
| Landon Donovan MVP Award | Carlos Vela | 2019 |
| MLS Golden Boot | Carlos Vela | 2019 |
| Diego Rossi | 2020 | |
| Denis Bouanga | 2023 | |
| MLS Newcomer of the Year Award | Cristian Arango | 2021 |
| MLS Young Player of the Year Award | Diego Rossi | 2020 |
| MLS Cup MVP | John McCarthy | 2022 |
Head Coach Awards
| Honor | Head Coach | Season |
|---|---|---|
| Sigi Schmid Coach of the Year Award | Bob Bradley | 2019 |
Youth Development System
LAFC Academy
On February 1, 2016, LAFC started its own youth academy. The academy began with a fully funded team for players under 12 years old. Todd Saldana is currently the academy director.
On August 21, 2018, the U-13 (under 13) team won the CONCACAF Champions League for their age group. This made them champions of North America. On July 8, 2020, LAFC signed its first three "Homegrown" players from the academy: Tony Leone, Christian Torres, and Erik Dueñas. These are players who grew up in the club's system.
Affiliate Teams
Orange County SC, a team in the USL Championship, used to be linked with Los Angeles FC. This partnership lasted from December 7, 2016, until the end of the 2018 season. On March 12, 2021, LAFC announced a new partnership with another USL Championship team, Las Vegas Lights.
LAFC also started its own reserve team called Los Angeles FC 2 (or LAFC2). This team began playing in the MLS Next Pro league in 2023. They play their games at Titan Stadium and are coached by Junior Gonzalez.
Images for kids
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Groundbreaking ceremony for Banc of California Stadium (now BMO Stadium) in 2016
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Starting XI for 2022 MLS Cup
See also
In Spanish: Los Angeles Football Club para niños
