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Soccer in Los Angeles

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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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 (Thousand Oaks) and California United Strikers FC (Orange County) joined a new, unsanctioned, professional league called the NPSL Founders Cup They both later left, with Cal FC joining the United Premier Soccer League.

Location map of professional top-division soccer clubs in Los Angeles County
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History

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Soccer in Los Angeles began in the 20th century when the Southern California Football League was founded in 1902.[1]

Historic clubs

Los Angeles Wolves

The first and only champions of the United Soccer Association (1967), predecessor to the North American Soccer League (1968–1984).

Los Angeles Kickers

The LA Kickers were the first LA area team to win the National Challenge Cup, known today as the U.S. Open Cup.[citation needed]

Maccabi Los Angeles

LA Maccabi won the U.S. Open Cup, known in their time as the National Challenge Cup, a record number five times.[2]

Orange County Soccer Club

The Orange County Soccer Club was a two-time consecutive finalist of the National Challenge Cup, in 1966 and '67. OCSC played Bayern Munich at Santa Ana Stadium in 1966. [3] [4] [5]

Los Angeles Aztecs

The LA Aztecs won the NASL National Championship in their inaugural season, 1974.[6] They played in many stadiums, including the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.[citation needed] The Aztecs folded in 1981.[citation needed]

California Sunshine

The California Sunshine, an Orange County based pro team, played in the ASL.[7]

Chivas USA

Club Deportivo Chivas USA was a joint venture between Chivas de Guadalajara owner Jorge Vergara, partner Antonio Cué, and Major League Soccer, that operated Chivas trademarks in the United States through the Delaware entity called Chivas de Guadalajara Licensing, LLC.[8] The team folded in 2014.[citation needed]

Historic season records

Los Angeles Wolves (USA and NASL) (1967–1968)

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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]

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California Surf (NASL) (1978–1981)

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Chivas USA (MLS) (2005–2014)

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Professional clubs, modern era

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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.[9]

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Los Angeles FC (MLS) (2018–present)

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Angel City FC (NWSL, 2022–present)

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Los Angeles derbies

LA Galaxy vs Chivas USA (2008–2014)

The rivalry ended in 2014 when Chivas ceased operations.

LA Galaxy vs Los Angeles FC (2018–present)

Los Angeles FC joined the league in 2018 and a crosstown rivalry, El Tráfico, was created.[11]

Amateur and Semi-professional

Amateur and Semi-professional leagues

Amateur and Semi-professional clubs

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Most successful clubs overall

Teams in bold are still active.

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Stadiums

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Dignity Health Sports Park during the 2009 MLS Western Conference Final
January 13, 1989 Club América (Liga MX) 2–1 Bayern Munich (Bundesliga) Santa Ana, CA
Stadium: Santa Ana Stadium
Attendance: 11,500
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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 Dignity Health Sports Park, 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 currently have a fully operational franchise in Los Angeles, nor in California. In July 2020, a then-unnamed team backed by an almost all-female ownership group was announced as a new NWSL member. The team, later unveiled as Angel City FC, plans to start play in 2022 at Banc of California Stadium, home to Los Angeles FC of MLS.

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Indoor soccer

Although the area does not have any current professional indoor soccer teams, Los Angeles has hosted three. The Los Angeles Aztecs played one tournament and two seasons in the NASL Indoor leagues in 1975 and from 1979 to 1981. The Los Angeles Lazers played in the original Major Indoor Soccer League from 1982 to 1989. Finally, the Los Angeles United played a single season in the Continental Indoor Soccer League in 1994 before being relocated to Anaheim.

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See also

References

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