Soccer in Los Angeles
Although soccer in the United States not as popular of a sport, Los Angeles's international influence has contributed to a prosperous and longstanding popularity of soccer.
Presently, there are two professional soccer clubs in the Los Angeles: the LA Galaxy and Los Angeles FC, who play in the top division, Major League Soccer.
History
Soccer in Los Angeles began 19th century and the Southern California Football League was founded in 1902.[1]
Professional clubs
Club | Stadium | Capacity | Founded | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
Major League Soccer (2) | ||||
LA Galaxy | StubHub Center | 27,000 | 1994 | Los Angeles' first MLS franchise. |
Los Angeles FC | Banc of California Stadium | 22,000 | 2014 |
Defucnt clubs
Club | Stadium | Capacity | Founded | Dissolved | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
North America Soccer League (1) | |||||
Los Angeles Aztecs | Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and so on | 27,000 | 1973 | 1981 | |
Major League Soccer (1) | |||||
Chivas USA | StubHub Center | 27,000 | 2004 | 2014 |
Amateur clubs
Professioanl Soccer
Los Angeles Wolves (USA and NASL) (1967–1968)
Year | League | W | L | T | Pts | Reg. Season | Playoffs | Avg. Attendance |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1967 | USA | 5 | 5 | 2 | 15 | 1st, Western Division | Champions | 7,777 |
1968 | NASL | 11 | 8 | 13 | 139 | 3rd, Pacific Division | Did not qualify | 2,441 |
Los Angeles Aztecs (NASL) (1974–81)
Several years after the formation of the North American Soccer League in 1968, the Los Angeles Aztecs joined NASL as an expansion team in 1974, and played from 1974 until 1981, folding after the 1981 season. The team featured international superstars such as George Best and Johan Cruyff. The team was at its most popular in 1979 and 1980, averaging over 12,000 fans both seasons.[citation needed]
Season | Division | Position | League Record | Playoffs | Top Scorer | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
P | W | L | D | F | A | Pts | Name | Goals | ||||
1974 | Western | 1st | 20 | 11 | 2 | 7 | 41 | 36 | 110 | Champions | Doug McMillan | 10 |
1975 | Western | 3rd | 20 | 11 | 2 | 7 | 40 | 41 | 36 | Conference Quarterfinals | Uri Banhoffer | 14 |
1976 | Southern | 3rd | 44 | 25 | 6 | 14 | 89 | 41 | 15 | First Round | George Best | 15 |
1977 | Southern | 2nd | 26 | 14 | 12 | 0 | 37 | 44 | 37 | Conference Final | George Best | 14 |
1978 | Western | 4th | 30 | 21 | 9 | 0 | 63 | 69 | 36 | Did not qualify | Jim Rolland | 17 |
1979 | Western | 2nd | 30 | 18 | 12 | 0 | 54 | 62 | 47 | Conference Semifinal | Johan Cruyff | 13 |
1980 | Western | 2nd | 32 | 20 | 12 | 0 | 60 | 61 | 52 | Conference Final | Luis Fernando | 28 |
1981 | Western | 2nd | 32 | 20 | 12 | 0 | 60 | 61 | 52 | First Round | Chris Dangerfield | 35 |
California Surf (NASL) (1978–1981)
Year | League | W | L | Pts | Regular Season | Playoffs | Avg. Attend. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1978 | NASL | 13 | 17 | 115 | 2nd, American Conference, Western Division | Lost 1st Round (San Diego) | 11,171 |
1979 | NASL | 15 | 15 | 140 | 1st(t), American Conference, Western Division | Lost 1st Round (San Diego) | 10,330 |
1980 | NASL | 15 | 17 | 144 | 2nd, American Conference, Western Division | Lost 1st Round (Ft. Lauderdale) | 7,593 |
1981 | NASL | 11 | 21 | 117 | 3rd, Western Division | Did not qualify | 8,299 |
LA Galaxy (MLS) (1996–present)
The launch of Major League Soccer in 1996 included the newly formed Los Angeles Galaxy as one of the founding teams. LA Soccer Partners were the original owners; Anschutz Entertainment Group is the current owner. The Galaxy won the CONCACAF Champions Cup in 2000.[citation needed]
Season | Conf | Pos | League Record | Playoffs | U.S. Open Cup | CONCACAF Champions League |
Top Scorer | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Plyd | Won | Lost | Drew | F | A | Pts | Name | Goals | ||||||
1996 | West | 1st | 32 | 19 | 13 | 0 | 59 | 49 | 49 | Final | Did not enter | Did not qualify | Eduardo Hurtado | 21 |
1997 | West | 2nd | 32 | 16 | 16 | 0 | 55 | 44 | 44 | Conference Semifinal | Did not enter | Final | Welton | 11 |
1998 | West | 1st | 32 | 24 | 8 | 0 | 85 | 44 | 68 | Conference Semifinal | Did not enter | Did not enter | Cobi Jones | 19 |
1999 | West | 1st | 32 | 20 | 12 | 0 | 49 | 29 | 54 | Final | Quarterfinal | Did not qualify | Cobi Jones Carlos Hermosillo |
8 |
2000 | West | 2nd | 32 | 14 | 10 | 8 | 47 | 37 | 50 | Semifinal | Semifinal | Champions | Cobi Jones | 7 |
2001 | West | 1st | 26 | 14 | 7 | 5 | 52 | 36 | 47 | Final | Champions | Not Held | Luis Hernández | 8 |
2002 | West | 1st | 28 | 16 | 9 | 3 | 44 | 33 | 51 | Champions | Final | Did not qualify | Carlos Ruiz | 24 |
2003 | West | 4th | 30 | 9 | 12 | 9 | 35 | 35 | 36 | Conference Semifinal | Semifinal | Quarterfinal | Carlos Ruiz | 15 |
2004 | West | 2nd | 30 | 11 | 9 | 10 | 42 | 40 | 43 | Conference Semifinal | Fourth Round | Did not qualify | Carlos Ruiz | 11 |
2005 | West | 4th | 32 | 13 | 13 | 6 | 44 | 45 | 45 | Champions | Champions | Did not qualify | Landon Donovan | 12 |
2006 | West | 5th | 32 | 11 | 15 | 6 | 37 | 37 | 39 | Did not qualify | Final | Quarterfinal | Landon Donovan | 12 |
2007 | West | 5th | 30 | 9 | 14 | 7 | 38 | 48 | 34 | Did not qualify | Third round | Did not qualify | Landon Donovan | 8 |
2008 | West | 6th | 30 | 8 | 13 | 9 | 55 | 62 | 33 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Landon Donovan | 20 |
2009 | West | 1st | 30 | 12 | 6 | 12 | 36 | 31 | 48 | Final | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Landon Donovan | 12 |
2010 | West | 1st | 30 | 18 | 7 | 5 | 44 | 26 | 59 | Conference Final | Quarterfinal | Preliminary round | Edson Buddle | 19 |
2011 | West | 1st | 34 | 19 | 5 | 10 | 48 | 28 | 67 | Champions | Quarterfinal | Quarterfinal | Landon Donovan | 12 |
2012 | West | 4th | 34 | 16 | 12 | 6 | 59 | 47 | 54 | Champions | Third Round | Semifinal | Robbie Keane | 16 |
2013 | West | 3rd | 34 | 15 | 11 | 8 | 53 | 38 | 53 | Conference Semifinal | Third Round | Quarterfinal | Robbie Keane | 16 |
2014 | West | 2nd | 34 | 17 | 7 | 10 | 69 | 37 | 61 | Champions | Fifth round | Did not qualify | Robbie Keane | 19 |
2015 | West | 5th | 34 | 14 | 11 | 9 | 56 | 46 | 51 | Knockout round | Quarterfinal | Quarterfinal | Robbie Keane | 20 |
2016 | West | 3rd | 34 | 12 | 6 | 16 | 54 | 39 | 52 | Conference Semifinal | Semifinal | Did not qualify | Giovani dos Santos | 14 |
2017 | West | 11th | 34 | 8 | 18 | 8 | 45 | 67 | 32 | Did not qualify | Quarterfinal | Did not qualify | Romain Alessandrini | 13 |
Chivas USA (MLS) (2005–2014)
Season | Conf | Pos | League Record | Playoffs | U.S. Open Cup | CONCACAF Champions League |
Top Scorer | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Plyd | Won | Lost | Drew | F | A | Pts | Name | Goals | ||||||
2005 | West | 6th | 32 | 4 | 22 | 6 | 31 | 67 | 18 | Did not qualify | Fourth round | Did not qualify | Héctor Cuadros | 4 |
2006 | West | 3rd | 32 | 10 | 9 | 13 | 45 | 42 | 43 | Conference Semifinal | Third round | Did not qualify | Ante Razov | 14 |
2007 | West | 1st | 30 | 15 | 7 | 8 | 46 | 28 | 53 | Conference Semifinal | Third round | Did not qualify | Maykel Galindo | 12 |
2008 | West | 2nd | 30 | 12 | 11 | 7 | 40 | 41 | 43 | Conference Semifinal | Third round | Preliminary round | Alecko Eskandarian Ante Razov Sacha Kljestan |
5 |
2009 | West | 4th | 30 | 13 | 11 | 6 | 34 | 31 | 45 | Conference Semifinal | Third round | Did not qualify | Eduardo Lillingston | 8 |
2010 | West | 8th | 30 | 8 | 18 | 4 | 31 | 45 | 28 | Did not qualify | Semifinal | Did not qualify | Justin Braun | 9 |
2011 | West | 8th | 34 | 8 | 14 | 12 | 41 | 43 | 36 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Justin Braun Nick LaBrocca |
9 |
2012 | West | 9th | 34 | 7 | 18 | 9 | 24 | 58 | 30 | Did not qualify | Semifinal | Did not qualify | Juan Pablo Ángel | 4 |
2013 | West | 9th | 34 | 6 | 20 | 8 | 30 | 67 | 26 | Did not qualify | Fourth round | Did not qualify | Erick Torres | 7 |
2014 | West | 7th | 34 | 9 | 16 | 6 | 29 | 61 | 33 | Did not qualify | Fourth round | Did not qualify | Erick Torres | 15 |
Los Angeles FC (MLS) (2018–present)
![]() | This section is empty. You can help by adding to it. (November 2017) |
Women's soccer
In 2009, Los Angeles became home to a third top-level professional team, the Los Angeles Sol, a charter member of Women's Professional Soccer. WPS was the second attempt to establish a fully professional women's league in the U.S., after the demise of the Women's United Soccer Association (which did not have an L.A. representative). The Sol shared The Home Depot Center, now known as StubHub Center, with the Galaxy and Chivas USA, before ceasing operations in January 2010.[citation needed]
WPS folded after the 2011 season; its effective successor, the National Women's Soccer League, does not have a franchise in Los Angeles, or even in California.
Most successful clubs overall
Teams in italics are no longer active.
Team | D1 Regular Season | U.S. Open Cup | D1 Playoffs |
Domestic Total | CONCACAF Champions League | North American SuperLiga |
Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
LA Galaxy | 4 | 2 | 5 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 12 |
Stadia
- Rose Bowl: Hosted the 1994 FIFA World Cup Final
- StubHub Center: Second American sports arena designed specificallyfor soccer in the MLS era.
Los Angeles derbies
- LA Galaxy vs Los Angeles FC
- LA Galaxy vs Chivas USA (defunct)
See also
References
- ^ "History of Soccer in Greater Los Angeles". American Soccer History Archives. August 12, 2011.