GYASI ZARDES
EDITORS
02 Astronomical Figures A statistical look at the LA Galaxy SCOTT FRENCH
04 Side to Side and Up and Down
The story of soccer in Los Angeles ADAM SERRANO
10 A Brief History of (Our Corner of) the Universe
A timeline of America’s greatest club GEORGE VECSEY
16 Universal Dominion
Can the LA Galaxy call itself a dynasty?
C U T- O U T S B Y N O A H M a c M I L L A N
09 Landon Donovan 19 StubHub Center editor
copy editor
art director
e d i t o r i a l a s s i s ta n t
George Quraishi
Dan Stelly
C a
B
Landon Donovan
A
The LA Galaxy is preparing to compete for a record fifth MLS Cup. Every season, our intention is to be recognized as North America’s most successful soccer club, on and off the field. The key to our success since 1996 is simple—it’s you. Your unwavering support of the LA Galaxy for the past 19 seasons is what defines our club. Ever since our inception in 1996, you have pushed us to win championships and grow the game of soccer in Southern California. From matches at the Rose Bowl to lifting back-to-back MLS Cups at our very own StubHub Center, your ardent support has made the difference. You’ve pulled for the best in North American soccer: Mauricio Cienfuegos, Cobi Jones, David Beckham, Robbie Keane, Landon Donovan, Omar Gonzalez, and Gyasi Zardes—the players depicted on the cover of this edition— have all donned the Galaxy jersey in pursuit of bringing glory to the city of Los Angeles. We worked with Howler Magazine to create The Angeleno’s Guide to the Galaxy, which serves as a commemoration of our team’s first 19 years and a celebration of the club we have banded together to shape.
Michael Agovino
Joel Speasmaker
It’s that time of year.
We are excited to finish this season strong and continue our journey into the Galaxy’s 20th season and beyond.
b
Cobi Jones c
Robbie Keane d
David Beckham
Best,
D E
e
Mauricio Cienfuegos
Chris Klein President, LA Galaxy
c o v e r i l lust r at i o n by a s a f h a n u k a
2014 SEASON
01
AWARDS & T ROPHIES MLS Cup 2002, 2005, 2011, 2012
ASTRONOMICAL FIGURES
990
936
A S TAT I S T I C A L L O O K AT T H E L A G A L A X Y
MLS Western Conference Champions Regular season 1996, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2009, 2010, 2011 Playoffs 1996, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2005, 2009, 2011, 2012
949
908
Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup 2001, 2005
897
MLS Supporters’ Shield 1998, 2002, 2010, 2011
869 886
CONCACAF Champions League 2000
858 873
California Clásico 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2013
842
02
ew Cr m lu
ro
Co
et M
FC
MOST GOALS ALL-TIME MOST ASSISTS ALL-TIME
20
19
YEAR BY YEAR RECORD AND LEADING SCORER
Goals & Assists
bu
ar st
lla Da
Un C. D.
24 16 16
13
MLS
s
s/
Da s/
d ite
xy la Ga LA
Ne
lla
w
s
Yo
Bu
rk
rn
Re
d
Bu
lls
SuperClasico 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013
14
12
8
10 8
14
16 7
5
9
9
12
9
11 9 10
3
0
0
0
0
W L D
W L D
W L D
W L D
W L D
W L D
W L D
W L D
W L D
Eduardo Hurtado
Welton
Cobi Jones
Cobi Jones & Carlos Hermosillo
Cobi Jones
Luis Hernandez
Carlos Ruiz
Carlos Ruiz
Carlos Ruiz
21
11
19
8
7
8
24
15
11
T H E A N G E L E N O ’S G U I D E TO T HE GAL A X Y
i n f o g r a p h i c by i ta l /c
586
936
ALL-TIME TEAM NUMBERS
Games
161
Goals
2,006
Shutouts
990
Saves
Assists
7,649
3,326
Shots
960
1.25
Shots On Goal
55
Ejections
Yellow Cards
Goals Against Avg.
ASSISTS
GAMES PLAYED COBI JONES
306
KEVIN HARTMAN
LANDON DONOVAN
243
LANDON DONOVAN
COBI JONES
240
MAURICIO CIENFUEGOS
GOALS
6 W L D
JOSH SAUNDERS
48 45
11
15 6
W L D
9
62
DONOVAN RICKETTS
51
EDSON BUDDLE
13 13
KEVIN HARTMAN
70
ROBBIE KEANE
33
SHUTOUTS (Goal Keepers)
111
CARLOS RUIZ
40
ROBBIE KEANE
LA GALAXY P L AY ER S TAT S
COBI JONES
W L D
8
13
9
W L D
12
12
10
MATT REIS
9
6
7
W L D
W L D
5
16 5
10
W L D
27 20
JAIME PENEDO
19
18
14 7
80
DAVID BECKHAM
193
LANDON DONOVAN
91
MAURICIO CIENFUEGOS
206
GREG VANNEY
102
15
12 6
W L D
11
14 8
5 7
W L D
W L D
T O DAT E
Landon Donovan
Landon Donovan
Landon Donovan
Landon Donovan
Landon Donovan
Edson Buddle
Landon Donovan
Robbie Keane
Robbie Keane
Robbie Keane & Gyasi Zardes
12
12
8
20
12
17
12
16
16
14
i n f o r m a t i o n c o r r e c t a s o f s e p t e m b e r 9, 201 4
2014 SEASON
03
THE
STORY
OF
SOCCER
IN by SCOTT FRENCH LOS
ANGELES
04
T H E A N G E L E N O ’S G U I D E TO T HE GAL A X Y
jeff robbins
|
a s s o c i at e d p r e s s
George Best (11) and his
California has been home to per-
S O C C E R I N L O S A N G E L E S D AT E S
LA Aztecs teammates
haps two dozen professional clubs,
back to the late 19th century, and
look on in amusement
whether they played indoors (LA
the first local leagues were formed
as part-owner Elton
Lazers, LA United, Anaheim Splash,
in 1902. As in the rest of the US,
John kicks a ball at the
Anaheim Bolts, Ontario Fury, plus
teams and leagues were drawn
Los Angeles Coliseum
the Aztecs and Surf in the NASL’s
along ethnic lines, and occasional
in 1976
winter seasons) or merely belonged
exhibitions
in the semi-professional ranks (LA/
American or European clubs drew
Orange County Blues, Orange County
decent crowds. The LA Kickers,
Zodiac, LA Fireballs, San Fernando
which came out of the German com-
player to suit up for a
Valley
Riverside
munity in 1951, was the first great
Los Angeles team who
County Elite). There has been a
SoCal side, winning the National
might have believed he
women’s team (LA Sol, with Marta),
Challenge Cup (now called the US
was better player than
a squad transplanted entirely from
Open Cup) in ’58 and again in ’64.
the Black Pearl—the
England (LA Wolves), and of course
The pro game arrived in 1967,
extremely talented and
the Galaxy and Chivas USA of Major
when a consortium of businessmen
supremely confident
League Soccer.
led by Jack Kent Cooke formed the
Best was not the only
Golden
Eagles,
involving
big
South
Johan Cruyff joined the
The Galaxy lost to D.C. United
United Soccer Association (USA).
Aztecs a year after Best
in the first MLS Cup. A win, and
Cooke owned the NBA’s Lakers, the
left—or at least a bigger
it would have been the city’s fifth
NHL’s Kings, and part of the NFL’s
brand name: We’ve all
team to capture the league title
Washington
seen David Beckham’s
in its first attempt, following the
soccer was the next step. Play was
four-story underwear
Wolves (United Soccer Association,
supposed to begin in 1968, but in
advertisements.
1967), Aztecs (NASL, 1974), Skyhawks
order to beat out a bid by another
Still,
Best,
Redskins.
American
Beck-
(American Soccer League, 1976), and
fledgling league, the National Pro-
ham, and Cruyff, all
Hollywood Kickers (Western Soccer
fessional Soccer League (NPSL),
icons who transcended
Alliance, 1986).
for the imprimatur of the US Soccer
the sport, are a good
This year, the team is taking aim at
Federation (and therefore FIFA), the
place to start. Los
its fifth title, and it’s kind of neat to
USA owners decided to start a year
Angeles
always
know that the team is building not
earlier. There was just one problem:
worshipped stardom,
only on its own history but that of all
They didn’t have teams.
has
G E O R G E B E S T WA S AT T H E H O T E L,
and celebrities are, of course, a big
having just flown in from Europe. His
part of the tale. But these weren’t
from other places to play a 12-game
famous quote—the one everyone re-
the only stars: Carlos Alberto played
schedule. The Cleveland Stokers
members—goes something like this:
in
for
were really Stoke City. The Vancou-
“I spent a lot of my money on booze,
another North American Soccer
ver Royal Canadians were actually
birds, and fast cars; The rest I squan-
League (NASL) club, the California
Sunderland. And Wolverhampton
dered.” But that day, he offered some-
Surf, in 1981, and the colorful Jorge
Wanderers masqueraded as the LA
thing nearly as good to the reporters
Campos put his costume on for the
Wolves. Meanwhile, the unsanc-
gathered around him. It’s an anecdote
Galaxy long before the arrival of
tioned NPSL also launched, with a
I’d hear a couple of years later, when
Landon Donovan and Robbie Keane,
32-game schedule and teams draw-
I started working as a sportswriter
who are about as big as they come.
ing from mostly foreign talent. LA’s
Orange
County
professional soccer in the region.
The solution? Bring over clubs
at a local paper at the age of 16, and
Dig a little deeper, and there’s a far
entry in this league was the Toros,
it stuck with me over the decades I’ve
richer narrative with a good number
owned by Dan Reeves, who also con-
covered soccer in Los Angeles.
of supporting characters—emphasis
trolled the NFL’s LA Rams. Both
Someone asked him about Pelé,
on characters. Jack Kent Cooke, Dan
soccer teams played at the Coliseum.
who had joined the Cosmos the year
Reeves, Alan Rothenberg, and Elton
The Toros were managed by Max
before and was pretty much the only
John are also part of this story. Them
Wozniak, a German-Polish goal-
soccer player most Americans could
you know, or ought to. You might not
keeper who would later coach the
name. “Pelé?” he snorted. “I’m better
know Max Wosniak and Poli Garcia,
US national team for two games
than Pelé.”
Doug McMillan and Jimmy Hinch,
in the mid-1970s (both losses) and
John Gregory and William De La
guide Maccabi Los Angeles, a local
Peña, but they were there, too.
amateur side, to the first of its
Pelé apparently agreed, reportedly calling the Northern Irishman the best player on earth.
Over the last 50 years, Southern
record-tying five US Open Cup
2014 SEASON
05
LOS ANGELES WENT WITHOUT PRO
soccer for six years, until real estate magnate John Gregory brought the NASL back in 1974. His team, the Los Angeles Aztecs, won the title under Alex Pirolli on its first try, beating the Miami Toros on penalties after a thrilling 3–3 draw at the Orange Bowl. LA’s Doug McMillan (who was named the NASL’s Rookie of the Year, at 29, a season after he had earned the same honor playing in the ASL for Cleveland) forced the shootout with a goal in the 88th minute, moments after Esteban Aranguiz gave the Toros their third lead of the afternoon. The city took little notice of the Aztecs, which played that first year at East LA College and the second and third at El Camino College. In 1976, things changed. First, Elton John joined the ownership group. Second, George Best was lured from his premature retirement. Best was a true star, both at home in Northern Ireland and for his former club, Manchester United. He was one of the most skillful players ever to kick a ball, and landing him was a real coup, even though his primary interests were women and whiskey. Best was productive in two full championships. They had just one
would complete his hat trick and
Johan Cruyff, right, is presented to
seasons with the Aztecs, contributing
American, Nicaraguan-born for-
put LA ahead in the 82nd min-
the Los Angeles media by Aztecs
25 goals and 27 assists, but the team
ward Manuel Abunza, and ended
ute, only for Frank Munro to bring
head coach Rinus Michels. The two
averaged only 8,000 fans in 1976
the season on a 13-game winless
Washington level and send the
men revolutionized world soccer with
and 9,600 in 1977, which looked like
streak to post the worst record in
match to extra time in the 89th.
the creation of Total Football while at
even less in the cavernous Coliseum.
the league (7–10–15).
LA went ahead in the 113th minute
Ajax, and would work together again at
He spent time in pretty much every
The Wolves were much bet-
and had a chance to seal the win
Barcelona and then for the Netherlands
South Bay bar before deciding to
ter, advancing to what is surely
in the 118th, but Terry Wharton
at the 1974 World Cup before arriving in
open one himself, Besties, in Hermo-
the greatest final in the history of
missed his penalty. Unbelievably,
Southern California.
sa Beach, which became a hangout
any American soccer league. They
Washington equalized in the 120th,
for expatriate Brits, visitors from the
were playing at home against the
when Munro completed a hat trick
UK, and his teammates.
Washington Whips—Aberdeen of
of his own on another penalty. Fi-
Best went to the Fort Lauderdale
Scotland—in front of a crowd of
nally, after all of that, Washington’s
Strikers during the 1978 season. I was a
17,842. Tied at one by the 21st min-
Ally Shewan put in an own goal in
ute, the game remained level until
the 122nd minute, and LA won the
built
former
County newspaper, and I had arranged
Washington scored a penalty in
league title, 6–5.
17-year-old reporter for a small Orange a
squad
under
Manchester United keeper Ray
to speak with him following a game
the 64th minute. LA answered in
The USA and NPSL merged in
Wood that starred future two-
against the California Surf, the area’s
the 65th. Washington regained the
’68, forming the NASL. The Toros
time NASL MVP Carlos “Topolino”
other NASL team, which launched in
lead in the 66th. LA tied it again
relocated to San Diego and lost to the
Metidieri and limped to third in
’78. After the game, Best went straight
in the 67th. Both of LA’s rapid-fire
Atlanta Chiefs in the first NASL
its division. Both clubs folded after
to Anaheim Stadium’s strictly 21-and-
goals were by David Burnside, who
championship game. The Wolves
the 1968 season.
up Stadium Club. They wouldn’t
06
T H E A N G E L E N O ’S G U I D E TO T HE GAL A X Y
bob thomas
|
getty images
let me in to interview him, and they
as a Dip. Ownership had passed to
Also notable was San Diego-born
wouldn’t let him take his drink outside
a group led by Alan Rothenberg,
midfielder Poli Garcia, who was
to talk to me. We were at an impasse
who was in charge of the ’94 World
until his gorgeous blonde companion
Cup, and then to Mexican tele-
dragged him to the door. He stood
communications magnate Emilio
inside with his drink, and I lobbed
Azcarraga, who shuttered the team
questions at him from just outside,
after the ’81 season.
where I was holding my tape recorder.
The Surf had some big names of
The winger was notorious for
their own—Scottish star Charlie
his alcoholism, and during his
Cooke, who had also played for the
funeral nine years ago, a plaque
Aztecs, Brazilian superstar Carlos
commemorating him above the
Alberto, and in his final season as a
bar at Besties—now called The
pro, future Arsenal boss George Gra-
Underground—toppled
the
ham—but only averaged more than
taps, causing the ale to flow. It was
10,000 at the gate in two of its four
a most appropriate memorial.
seasons. It also folded in 1981.
onto
After Best came the Dutch, with
The Galaxy didn’t have a regular training facility and bounced among college fields, or practiced in
Rinus Michels and Johan Cruyff— the architects, coach and star player, of Ajax and Holland’s Total Foot-
T H E A P PA R E N T S U C C E S S O F T H E
ball. Defender Wim Suurbier and a
NASL in the mid-1970s convinced
few others also joined, including a
another, much older league to expand.
22-year-old Thomas Rongen, who
The second American Soccer League
would go on to coach MLS clubs
(ASL) launched in 1933, a few months
(including Chivas USA) and US
after the demise of the first, which had
youth national teams.
been around since 1921. Both ASLs
Area H of the Rose Bowl parking lot, which was at
capped by the US at 17 and scored 50 goals in three years for the Sunshine before moving on to the Aztecs and then to the indoor circuit. This was out of necessity; Once LA’s entries in the ASL and NASL went belly-up, it would be several years before professional outdoor soccer returned to the city. That happened in 1986, when the Hollywood Kickers and Torrancebased LA Heat began playing in the Western Soccer Alliance (WSA). Both would compete for five seasons, and the Kickers would change names several times after becoming the fourth LA team to win the league in the year of its debut. The Kickers represent a fulcrum of sorts in the story of Los Angeles soccer. Head coach Rildo Menezes, a Brazilian who had suited up for the Lazers during their only season, was assisted by Octavio Zambrano, an Ecuador-born mid-
Cruyff was a genius on the field,
featured northeastern clubs and had
one of the most incisive thinkers the
been, between them, the best leagues
game has produced. He was mesmer-
in the country for several decades. But
izing in his sole season in LA, winning
in 1976, league commissioner (and
the NASL’s MVP award after scoring
former Boston Celtic) Bob Cousy
Lazers Rildo had played for). Zam-
13 goals with 16 assists en route to a
went nationwide. The LA Skyhawks
brano would go on to be an assistant
second-place finish in the National
started play in the San Fernando
and then head coach with the Galaxy.
Conference’s Western Division.
Valley, followed by Orange County’s
American soccer’s modern era was
least somewhat grassy.
fielder by way of Chapman University in Orange, California, who had played indoor with the LA Lazers (no relation the Southern California
Cruyff ’s poison was tobacco, and
California Sunshine a year later, and
beginning. The United States had
he would roll his own cigarettes, in
the South Bay’s Southern California
been awarded the 1994 World Cup
the Dutch style, and smoke before
Lazers the year after that. By 1980,
and played, with little success, in
and after games and practices, and
all three were gone, and the league
Italy in 1990, its first World Cup in
even during interviews. As a man-
itself vanished in 1983.
40 years. A real professional league—
ager, before his heart bypass surgery
Still, the coach of the Skyhawks,
something worthy of the “major
in 1991, he would smoke on the field
Ron Newman, had a lasting impact
league” moniker—was in the distance.
during games.
on soccer in Southern California
Even after the arrival of Best and
and beyond. The former Portsmouth
then Cruyff, the Aztecs never got big
winger had led the Dallas Tornado to
crowds, drawing 14,334 per game
the NASL title as player-manager in
at the Rose Bowl in ’79 and 12,057
’71, and he became the only coach to
B U T U N T I L T H E N , T H E O N LY T H I N G
the following year. Those were the
win NASL and ASL crowns when his
going was the American Professional
only seasons attendance averaged
Skyhawks did it the very first year,
Soccer League. The APSL never had
in five figures. In eight years, the
playing at Birmingham High School
more than seven teams after 1992, but
Aztecs had just nine crowds of more
in Van Nuys. Newman would later
those teams had better backing and a
than 20,000, the largest 48,483 for
guide the San Diego Sockers to 10
higher level of play than those that had
a Fourth of July shootout victory in
indoor championships in 11 years,
closed out the ’80s, and a successful
1980 over the Washington Diplo-
then become the first head coach
Montebello ophthalmologist named
mats—Cruyff ’s return to Pasadena
hired in MLS, by Kansas City.
William De La Peña wanted in.
2014 SEASON
07
So an eye doctor formed the LA Salsa, hired as his president and general manager Rick Davis—one of the best American players of the 1970s,
LA’s three Designated
who had lined up alongside Pelé and
Players—Robbie Keane,
Franz Beckenbauer for the Cosmos—
Landon Donovan, and David
and brought in Rildo Menezes, now
Beckham (L to R)—combined
a full-time Angeleno, to coach the
on the only goal of the 2011
team. De La Peña wanted a first-
MLS Cup: Beckham flicked
class team that would attract the
to Keane; Keane passed to
region’s mammoth Latino commu-
Donovan; Donovan finished.
nity, and he wanted to be part of the landscape after the World Cup, whatever it might look like. Davis and Rildo built a superb
Davis added coaching to his
THE GALAXY FRONT OFFICE EXPECTED
in Area H of the Rose Bowl parking
team for the Salsa’s 1993 launch
duties, and the Salsa—with a roster
around 30,000 people to show up
lot, which was at least somewhat
around silky Brazilian playmaker
that featured US national-team-
for the team’s first game, at the Rose
grassy. Greg Vanney, a rookie out
Paulinho and English-born, San
ers Paul Caligiuri, Jeff Agoos, and
Bowl against the MetroStars. When
of UCLA in ’96, once stretched for
Diego-bred striker Paul Wright,
Hugo Perez; future Galaxy play-
the teams came out for warmups 45
a ball during a training session and
who finished as the league’s top two
ers Danny Peña and Jorge Salce-
minutes before kickoff, there were
came down on a manhole cover.
scorers in ’93 and ’94. (Paulinho was
do; and Bell High School legend
already that many people in the
The rest of the history you prob-
league MVP for both seasons.) They
Waldir Guerra, who was capped
seats. The players were stunned, and
ably know: the sale to Anschutz
also signed Javier Aguirre, who de-
for El Salvador—made it to the
they didn’t know that the Pasadena
Entertainment Group; a few more
buted in an exhibition game against
semifinals in year two.
Freeway leading to the stadium was
disappointing MLS Cup finals, and
a parking lot.
then four triumphant ones; a new
his former club Chivas de Guadala-
De La Peña pursued and won a
jara, playing one half for each side.
spot in Mexico’s new Division 1A.
“The best story from that night
stadium in Carson; the arrival of
Returning to Los Angeles after more
US Soccer and FIFA approved, but
came from the ticket office,” said
Chivas USA; a guy named Landon
than a decade—he’d played for the
CONCACAF vetoed the move. Plan
Danny Villanueva Jr., the Galaxy’s
and a guy named David and a
Aztecs in the early ’80s—Aguirre
B was a 19-game exhibition series,
first president and general manager.
guy named Robbie. If you’re not
retired almost immediately in order
starting in October of ’94, against
“Somebody actually bought a ticket
familiar, there’s a timeline of Galaxy
to begin his coaching career.
Mexican clubs, to be played mostly
to get into the game with less than
history elsewhere in this issue. The
at East LA College.
two minutes left [in the match]
team inherited the tradition of Los
because they had to get into the
Angeles soccer, but they’ve done a
stadium on that night.”
lot of the building themselves.
The Salsa made it to the ’93 APSL final, where the team was beating
The series would prove to be the
the defending-champion Colorado
Salsa’s last stand—a bid by the APSL
Foxes (fielding future LA Galaxy
to become the nation’s top tier of
The team put on a good show:
defender Robin Fraser) with three
professional soccer failed, and De La
Lothar Osiander’s squad had cen-
minutes plus stoppage time left
Peña would move his club to a third-
ter backs Dan Calichman and
in the game. (Phillip Gyau, father
division league in Mission Viejo—
Robin
goal-
picking up beer bottles and caps
of current USMNT player Joe,
but even that didn’t go as planned.
Fraser
protecting
Here’s Cobi Jones recalling those Area H training sessions: “I remember, before practice,
keeper Jorge Campos; Salvador-
and broken glass on the ‘field’ and
had scored the game’s lone goal
Nearly 15,000 people watched
an star Mauricio Cienfuegos run-
just throwing it out. The night be-
for the Salsa). At that point, Ril-
the Salsa lose to Guadalajara, then
ning the midfield with Cobi Jones
fore, people were tailgating there.
do replaced Paulinho, who wasn’t
just 2,600 showed up for its defeat
on the flank; and the hulking,
A simple pass from 10 yards is roll-
exactly known for defending, with
to Puebla. A sparsely attended draw
nearly impenetrably shy Eduar-
ing from side to side and bumping
future Galaxy midfielder Harut
with Veracruz turned out to be the
do Hurtado putting the ball into
in the air.”
Karapetyan, and watched the sec-
end: the Mexican federation called
the net. The team won its first
I love Jones’s description of that
onds tick down.
a boycott of California after the
dozen games en route to a 19–13
pass. Side to side and up and down.
But the Foxes equalized, then went
state’s passage of Proposition 187,
regular-season campaign, starting
A bumpy ride. Something that is
ahead 3–1 in extra time to retain
which denied social services to
with that victory over the Metro-
much harder to pull off than it looks.
the title. De La Peña was incensed,
undocumented immigrants.
Stars witnessed by 69,225—still
That’s the story of soccer in LA.
railing afterward about the horrible
the largest MLS crowd for a game
substitution. He wanted to fire Ril-
that wasn’t part of a doubleheader.
scott french has covered soccer in southern
do that night. Davis intervened, but
The Galaxy didn’t have a regu-
california for more than three decades. he
within days of the final, Rildo was
lar training facility and bounced
lives in orange county and tweets under the
out—a resignation, officially.
among college fields, or practiced
handle
08
T H E A N G E L E N O ’S G U I D E TO T HE GAL A X Y
@ s c o t tj f r e n c h .
MAKE YOUR OWN
LANDON DONOVAN
i l l u s t r at i o n by n o a h m acm i l l a n
2014 SEASON
09
1994
1996
JUNE 15 Two days before the
FEBRUARY 6 At the Inaugural Player Draft, the Galaxy selects Curt Onalfo, John O’Brien, Robin Fraser, and Jorge Salcedo. El Salvador playmaker Mauricio Cienfuegos and Ecuadorian striker Eduardo “El Tanque” Hurtado also join.
opening game of the 1994 World Cup, Los Angeles is one of seven cities awarded a Major League Soccer team. Play is expected to start with 12 teams the following year, but the league will in fact begin with 10 teams in 1996.
1995 JUNE 4 Mexican goalkeeper
Jorge Campos becomes the first international player signed by MLS, which pays a $2 million transfer fee to Pumas and assigns him to LA
NOVEMBER 19 Former U.S. Men’s National Team boss Lothar Osiander is named the Galaxy’s first head coach. Less than a month later, American defender Dan Calichman becomes the second player assigned to LA.
MARCH 4 The Galaxy takes UCLA’s Greg Vanney with the 17th pick in the MLS College Draft. Three days later, LA native Cobi Jones signs after stints with Coventry City and Vasco da Gama APRIL 13 Playing in front of 69,000 fans at the Rose Bowl, LA beats the New York/New Jersey MetroStars 2–1 in its first MLS match. Calichman captains the side while Jones scores the club’s first goal, and Iranian defender Arash Noamouz nets the game-winner.
APRIL 28 LA tops the San Jose
Among the 69,225 fans who packed the Rose Bowl for the Galaxy’s opening match against the New York/New
Clash 2–1 in the first meeting between the in-state rivals. The matchup will eventually come to be known as the California (Cali) Clásico.
Jersey MetroStars back in 1996, there was one excited-ashell seven-year-old who would grow up following, loving, and eventually working for the team: me. As I matured, so did the Galaxy. At first, we were notable for our blackand-orange kits—everyone goes through an awkward stage—and the dreadlocks of our star player, but we’ve become the standard bearer for Major League Soccer and the American game as a whole. Nearly 16 years after that first match, with the Galaxy at its zenith, I joined the club and began to report on the club as the LA Galaxy Insider. Like any great Hollywood tale, the Galaxy’s journey to the top of the American soccer landscape has had more twists and turns than the roads that lead through the canyons north of our city. What follows is a look at the the rich history of America’s greatest club. — a d a m
r e s e a r c h by d a n st e l ly
10
T H E A N G E L E N O ’S G U I D E TO T HE GAL A X Y
MANAGERS
serrano
JUNE 25 A 3–1 victory over the Colorado Rapids gives the Galaxy its 12th-straight win, still the league’s longest winning streak within a single season
OCTOBER 20 In extremely rainy conditions at Foxboro Stadium, LA takes a 2–0 lead through Hurtado—the second-highest regularseason scorer—and Chris Armas in the first MLS Cup. However, United levels the match with two goals in the final 17 minutes before Eddie Pope scores the winner for D.C. in extra time.
The Galaxy debuts wearing a dark green, two-toned home jersey with yellow-and-black patterned sleeves as well as a red collar. The shirt front contains the club crest, player numbers, and “Los Angeles Galaxy” across the chest. The jersey and shorts also feature Budweiser sponsorship logos. The away jerseys, meanwhile, offer white socks, white shorts, and a white jersey with similar patterns to the home top. Lothar Osiander 1996—1997
GROWING UP IN THE GALAXY
Coming out of the 1994 World Cup, Cobi Jones was one of the most talented, and recognizable, American players
DANNY PEÑA: THE GALAXY’S FIRST TRUE HOMEGROWN PLAYER
2001
US OPEN CUP
JANUARY 14 Veteran US defender Alexi Lalas comes out of retirement, signing with the Galaxy as a Discovery Player
Local players have long been a staple in Galaxy lineups, but no player embodied LA like defensive midfielder
MAY 18 Due to financial issues, FIFA cancels the 2001 Club World Cup and gives each participant— including the Galaxy, by virtue of its CONCACAF Champions’ Cup triumph the previous season—$750,000 in compensation
Danny Peña. Having survived stints in the pre-MLS professional soccer wilderness, the Inglewood-born Peña joined the club through the league’s supplemental process ahead of the 1997 season and immediately provided the bite needed to bolster the team’s high-flying attack. A true midfield number six, Peña parked in front of the back four, breaking up opposition chances with crunching tackles while also serving as an offensive outlet with his deft passing. — a s
1997
1998
FEBRUARY 2 LA picks UCLA goalkeeper Kevin Hartman 29th in the 1997 MLS College Draft
SUPPORTERS’ SHIELD
MARCH 21 An arbitrator rules
in favor of U.S. international Paul Caligiuri, who had sued MLS for violating his contract by allocating him to the Columbus Crew rather than his hometown Galaxy. MLS transfers the 33-year-old defender to LA the following week, allowing the Galaxy to break the salary cap in order to acquire him.
JUNE 10 Following a 3–9 start, LA fires Osiander and promotes assistant coach Octavio Zambrano to head coach
AUGUST 24 LA falls to Cruz Azul 5–3 in the 1997 CONCACAF Champions’ Cup final. Despite leading 2–0 with a brace from Hurtado, the Mexican side scores five in a row to win the title. The Galaxy’s consolation goal is scored by goalkeeper Campos.
The Galaxy adopts greenand-black vertical bars with gold piping for its 1997 home jersey along with black shorts and socks. The away number remains all-white, although the shirt features green horizontal stripes. Both kits feature Nike logos for the first time.
OCTOBER 17 Cienfuegos scores an extra-time winner as LA bests the Fire 2–1 in the third and final game of its semifinal series
OCTOBER 21 At Crew Stadium in Columbus, Hernández gives LA a lead in its third MLS Cup, but Landon Donovan levels and Dwayne De Rosario scores a golden goal to carry San Jose to its first championship.
APRIL 2 The Galaxy trades Hurtado to the MetroStars for fellow Ecuador international Wéllington Sánchez. Hurtado ends his time in LA with 30 league goals in 50 regularseason appearances.
JUNE 6 Harut Karapetyan
tallies three goals within five minutes, the fastest hat trick in league history, as the Galaxy beat Dallas 8–1.
1999 SEPTEMBER 27 Jones scores
his 19th goal of the year in LA’s season-finale win over Chicago, which secures the Supporters Shield for the Galaxy.
2000
APRIL 22 Sigi Schmid leaves
UCLA to become the Galaxy’s third head coach, replacing Zambrano, who had begun the season with a 2–3 record
OCTOBER 13 LA scores three
times in the final 10 minutes to defeat the Burn 3–2 in the second game of their Western Conference semifinal series. Rookie Clint Mathis’s solo effort in the 88th minute is the game-winner. OCTOBER 16 The Galaxy
exits the playoffs at the hands of eventual champion Chicago in a second-leg shootout defeat
OCTOBER 23 Entrepreneur
OCTOBER 9 Hartman, who
finishes with a 0.91 goals against average, is the first keeper in league history to allow less than one goal per game over a season
NOVEMBER 21 Fraser, who had received the MLS Defender of the Year award days before, exits the Galaxy’s second MLS Cup final with an injury after just seven minutes, and LA falls 2–0 to D.C. at Foxboro Stadium.
Phil Anschutz purchases the Galaxy and names Tim Leiweke president
JANUARY 21 Two goals from Ezra Hendrickson and one from Jones see LA past Club Deportivo Olimpia 3–2 in the final of the CONCACAF Champions’ Cup.
FEBRUARY 6 LA selects
Maryland defender Danny Califf and UCLA midfielder Peter “Pasadena Pete” Vagenas with the sixth and 23rd picks of the 2000 MLS SuperDraft.
OCTOBER 6 After finishing their three-game conference final series level on points, eventual champions Kansas City Wizards edge LA with a golden goal
POSTSEASON Vanney, one of the Galaxy’s most consistent defenders, completes a transfer to French First Division side SC Bastia
LA ditches its stripes for an all-green home jersey featuring gold side panels on the shirt and shorts. The away kit follows suit with gold-andgreen side panels on white shirts and shorts.
Pasadenaborn Peter Vagenas captained the Galaxy in 2005, when the club won both the MLS Cup and US Open Cup
LA adds dark pinstripes to its white away jersey while retaining the white shorts and socks
Octavio Zambrano 1997—1999
CONCACAF CHAMPIONS’ CUP
MAY 16 Prolific Mexican goalscorer Luis Hernández joins from Tigres UANL for a transfer sum of $4 million
OCTOBER 27 A crowd of just over 4,000 at Fullerton’s Titan Stadium watches the Galaxy take on New England in the US Open Cup final. Hendrickson ties the match with 20 minutes to play, and Califf nets a dramatic winner in the second minute of added time to give LA a 2–1 win. It is Caligiuri’s final professional game.
Sigi Schmid 1999—2004
2014 SEASON
11
GROWING UP IN THE GALAXY
2002
SUPPORTERS’ SHIELD MLS CUP JANUARY 11 D.C. ships then-
forward Chris Albright to LA in exchange for the Galaxy’s first and secondround selections in the 2002 MLS SuperDraft as well as a conditional pick in the 2003 MLS SuperDraft. The Galaxy also selects Tyrone Marshall— whose previous club, the Miami Fusion, had folded after the 2001 campaign—with the ninth pick of the 2002 MLS Allocation Draft. FEBRUARY 26 Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG) breaks ground on a soccerspecific stadium—the second such facility in the United States—that eventually comes to be known as the Home Depot Center. The stadium, located in Carson, California, on the campus of California State University, Dominguez Hills, will seat 27,000. MARCH 22 Carlos “El Pescadito” Ruiz, newly acquired on a free transfer from CSD Municipal in his native Guatemala, scores in the 85th and 92nd minutes to give LA a 2–1 opening-day win over D.C.
JULY 4 Ruiz scores twice, including an 87th-minute winner, as the Galaxy edges the Earthquakes 2–1 in front of 55,000 fans at the Rose Bowl
One of many UCLA Bruins to play for the Galaxy, Hartman spent most of his career in LA and retired as the most decorated goalkeeper in MLS history
SEPTEMBER 28 Newcomer Herculez Gomez’s fifth-minute goal turns out to be the winner as LA collects its second U.S. Open Cup title, beating Dallas 1–0 at the Home Depot Center
It was the end of the 2001 season, just days after
OCTOBER 23 Despite dropping
the Galaxy’s 2–1 defeat to archrival San Jose in the MLS
three of four regular season matches to the Earthquakes, LA stuns San Jose 3–1 (with two goals by Donovan against his former club) in the first leg of the conference semifinal. Six days later, a 1–1 draw sees the Galaxy through to its fifth MLS Cup.
Cup, when Kevin Hartman issued a challenge to the team’s fans: if they could form a supporters group of at least 100 people for the team’s home opener in 2002—and every match thereafter— the Galaxy goalkeeper would provide a keg of beer. The fans met the challenge, forming the LA Riot Squad (LARS), which took its name from the notorious Los Angeles Riots of 1992. At the Galaxy’s 2002 home opener, more
2003 AUGUST 22 The Galaxy beats
the Chicago Fire 1–0 in the US Open Cup semifinal thanks to a golden goal by Lalas, who celebrates by sprinting up the steep hill behind the goal at Titan Stadium SEPTEMBER 21 LA secures the
Supporters’ Shield with a 1–0 win over San Jose on the final day of the campaign. Ruiz’s game-winning goal—his 24th strike of the season—earns him the league’s goal-scoring title. OCTOBER 20 In LA’s fourth MLS
Cup appearance, league MVP Ruiz notches the game-winner (and his eighth goal of the playoffs) with seven minutes remaining in extra time, giving the the Galaxy a 1–0 victory over New England at Gillette Stadium. With an additional two assists, Ruiz finishes the postseason with 18 points, a record that still stands. OCTOBER 24 LA fails to
Mauricio Cienfuegos, left, laughs with teammate Cobi Jones at LA’s first ring ceremony
KEVIN HARTMAN STARTS A RIOT
defend the US Open Cup, falling to Columbus 1–0 in the final
than 100 LARS members showed up at the Rose Bowl
JUNE 7 The Galaxy plays its
and soon after tapped Hartman’s promised keg. — a s
first game at the Home Depot Center, defeating the Rapids 2–0 with a brace from Ruiz AUGUST 16 Despite having the AUGUST 20 Hartman sets
a new Galaxy record with 12 saves in a 1–0 defeat to the Fire (Chicago outshoots LA 23–2) OCTOBER 11 Ruiz scores his
15th goal of the season in a 2–1 defeat to the Wizards. The Guatemalan shares the league’s goal-scoring title with Taylor Twellman, the first and only shared scoring crown to date. NOVEMBER 9 Cienfuegos
plays his last game (see Wrong Side of History, right), retiring as LA’s all-time leader in appearances (206) and assists (80) LA changes its home shirt from green to gold with a two-toned, black-and-green sash, and adopts green shorts and gold socks. The white away jersey features a greenand-gold sash, green shorts, and white socks. LA also removes numbers from jersey fronts.
2004
most points in MLS at this stage in the season, LA fires head coach Schmid. General manager Doug Hamilton had previously said,
“I WILL NOT BE PLEASED IF WE GET POSITIVE RESULTS THAT ARE NOT ENTERTAINING FOR THE FANS. THAT WOULD BE HARD TO STOMACH.” Steve Sampson, who led the USMNT at the 1998 World Cup, becomes the Galaxy’s fourth head coach.
The Galaxy abandons the two-toned sash for a thicker, single-colored sash. White shorts and socks return to the away kit.
GROWING UP IN THE GALAXY
WRONG SIDE OF HISTORY They call it the greatest comeback in MLS history, but for the LA Galaxy, it was simply an historic heartbreak.
NOVEMBER 5 The Galaxy loses
In the 2003 playoffs, the Galaxy jumped out to an 2–0
2–0 to Kansas City in the Western Conference final
series lead in the home leg of the Western Conference semifinals against the San Jose Earthquakes. In the second leg at Spartan Stadium on November 9th, the
NOVEMBER 30 After scoring 17 goals in 27 games for the Timbers, Gordon rejoins the Galaxy on a permanent basis
2005
JANUARY 16 LA selects Oregon
State’s Alan Gordon with the 53rd pick in the 2004 MLS SuperDraft. Gordon will fail to make the team, signing instead with the A-League’s Portland Timbers.
MARCH 31 Donovan, 23, joins the Galaxy from Bayer Leverkusen for a $1.3 million transfer fee. He tells the American press, “If we, as Americans, can’t contribute to our league, it’s a bit of a disservice in growing soccer here in the US and making MLS as fierce as it can be.” Donovan will score twice in his debut against Real Salt Lake just over a week later.
NOVEMBER 13 The Galaxy edges the Revolution 1–0 in Dallas to win its second MLS Cup. Once again, LA’s winning goal comes in extra time as Guillermo Ramirez volleys home from the top of the box in the 105th minute. Ramirez, who had scored just once during the regular season, is named MLS Cup MVP.
Galaxy scored twice in the opening 20 minutes to put the Earthquakes down by four on aggregate. What happened next has become MLS lore. Spearheaded by the play of new signing Landon Donovan, the Earthquakes erased LA’s lead, the equalizer coming just moments before the final whistle. In extra time, San Jose needed just six minutes to finish the series, as Rodrigo Faria beat Kevin
US OPEN CUP MLS CUP
Hartman with a stunning golden goal. To make matters worse, Donovan would lead the Earthquakes to their second MLS Cup at LA’s own Home Depot Center. — a s
MARCH 23 The Galaxy deals Califf to the Earthquakes for a better allocation position. He is the third player to move from LA to San Jose in the opening months of 2005. MARCH 30 Anticipating Donovan’s return to MLS, LA trades Ruiz to Dallas for the top allocation spot.
12
T H E A N G E L E N O ’S G U I D E TO T HE GAL A X Y
Steve Sampson 2004—2006
Frank Yallop 2006—2007
GROWING UP IN THE GALAXY
DONOVAN RETURNS TO (THE RIGHT PART OF) CALIFORNIA
MAY 14 Portuguese defender
Abel Xavier joins the Galaxy from Middlesbrough on a free transfer. The 34-year-old World Cup veteran’s famous bleached hairstyle only adds to his high profile. JUNE 13 The Galaxy trades Marshall to Toronto for striker Edson Buddle. Marshall makes 125 MLS appearances over six seasons with LA. JUNE 17 Buddle scores his
first Galaxy goal to help LA top Salt Lake 3–2
Fresh off a stint with Bayern Leverkusen, Donovan declared that he was no longer interested in playing on foreign shores—all the US national team star wanted was a chance to return home, and he was allocated to LA
JULY 11 The Galaxy unveils a new club crest to coincide with Beckham’s arrival. The badge features a quasar—a galactic radio source that generates a tremendous amount of light and energy—along with the team’s new colors of collegiate navy, gold, and white.
NOVEMBER 5 After failing to make the playoffs, the Galaxy fires head coach Sampson
AUGUST 18 Former USMNT and D.C. coach Bruce Arena arrives as head coach and GM
NOVEMBER 9 LA unveils legendary Dutch international Ruud Gullit as the club’s new head coach. Gullit signs a deal for $2 million per year, the highest salary ever given to an MLS coach at the time.
OCTOBER 26 Donovan scores
The Galaxy unveils all-new home and away kits for the franchise’s rebranding. The club adopts an all-white home strip with gold accents and navy stripes while an all-navy away kit features gold stripes and a collar. Both shirts display the club’s sponsor, Herbalife, across the chest.
for the start of the 2005 season. Without the weight of expectations that had burdened him in Germany, Donovan notched 12 goals and 10 assists in his first season wearing Galaxy colors. While the team sputtered in league play, Donovan helped LA to win the 2005 U.S. Open Cup with three goals in the tournament. But it was Donovan’s
Edson Buddle was LA’s MVP and leading scorer in 2010
his 20th goal of the campaign in the Galaxy’s final match of the season, securing the MLS Golden Boot. After the match, Vanney announces his retirement. NOVEMBER 12 LA becomes the first club in MLS history to sign a player directly from its youth academy as forward Tristan Bowen, 17, joins the senior team NOVEMBER 13 Defender Sean Franklin earns Rookie of the Year honors despite LA’s concession of a league-high 62 goals during the regular season
NOVEMBER 26 Seattle selects
unprotected Galaxy veteran Peter Vagenas in the 2008 MLS Expansion Draft. Vagenas ends his nine seasons in LA with 183 MLS appearances and 14 regular-season goals.
California native Sean Franklin was part of a defensive unit that helped LA capture two Supporters’ Shields and two MLS Cups between 2010 and 2012
JULY 13 LA unveils Beckham before a crowd of over 5,000 fans and about 700 media members gathered at the Home Depot Center
performance in the postseason that truly endeared him to his new fans, as his four-goal showing brought LA to the MLS Cup. It was no surprise that Donovan was involved in the game-winner, his cross falling perfectly to Pando Ramirez, who tucked in the MLS Cup-winning goal. — a s
2006 MARCH 9 As the team flies
home from its CONCACAF Champions Cup quarterfinal against Deportivo Saprissa, Galaxy president and general manager Hamilton suffers a fatal heart attack. The threetime MLS Executive of the Year was 43 years old. A month later, former defender Lalas assumes his responsibilities with the club.
JUNE 6 LA dismisses head
coach Sampson. Frank Yallop is announced as his replacement the following day
SEPTEMBER 27 LA reaches the
final of the U.S. Open Cup but fails to defend its title, losing 3–1 to the Chicago Fire
DECEMBER 15 LA deals Hartman to Kansas City for second-round picks in the 2007 and 2008 MLS SuperDrafts. The goalkeeper ends his 10-year Galaxy career with 903 saves in 243 appearances as well as two MLS Cups and a US Open Cup.
Adidas replaces Nike as kit sponsor but keeps the sash, simply adding pinstripes on either side. The outfitter’s famous three stripes grace the shirt, shorts, and socks.
2007 JANUARY 11 The Galaxy announces David Beckham will depart Real Madrid at the end of the Spanish season and join LA with a five-year contract worth $32.5 million in total
DECEMBER 1 The Galaxy
trades Gomez to the Rapids for veteran goalkeeper Joe Cannon
MARCH 26 Nutrition company
Herbalife signs a five-year, multimillion dollar deal to become the Galaxy’s presenting partner and primary jersey sponsor
Ruud Gullit 2007—2008
JULY 21 In front of a national
TV audience, a slew of celebrities, and a sold-out Home Depot Center, Beckham makes his Galaxy debut in the final 12 minutes of a 1–0 friendly loss to Chelsea AUGUST 9 After missing LA’s next four competitive games due to injury, Beckham makes his MLS debut in a loss to D.C.
AUGUST 15 Beckham earns his first start and captains the Galaxy to a 2–0 victory over D.C. in the SuperLiga semifinal. The Englishman scores his first goal with a trademark free kick, provides his first assist, and even receives his first yellow card.
OCTOBER 21 A 1–0 defeat to the Fire on the final day of the regular season eliminates the Galaxy from playoff contention. Donovan finishes as the team’s leading scorer with eight goals and 13 assists on the year. The defeat is also Cobi Jones’ final professional soccer game. The midfielder finishes his 12-season Galaxy career with 306 MLS appearances, 70 league goals, and 91 league assists, and will become the first and, to date, only Galaxy player to have his number (13) retired.
2008 MAY 24 Beckham scores a stunning goal from 70 yards in a 3–1 win over the Wizards
GROWING UP IN THE GALAXY
after the defender appears in just 21 regular-season games
REMEMBERING DOUG HAMILTON
AUGUST 11 In danger of missing
No one embodied the Los Angeles Galaxy’s family spirit
JULY 19 LA releases Xavier
the playoffs for a third-straight season, Galaxy ownership fires president and general manager Lalas. Meanwhile, head coach Gullit resigns. Jones, who had been serving as Gullit’s assistant, takes over as interim head coach.
quite like general manager Doug Hamilton, who led the team from 2002 until his death from a heart attack while flying back from a 2006 CONCACAF Champions Cup match in Costa Rica. The architect of the Galaxy’s MLS Cup-winning sides in 2002 and 2005 had been named the league’s Executive of the Year for the three seasons before his death. The news hit the Galaxy squad hard, and the club began the 2006 season in poor form, eventually failing to make the playoffs. Now, Hamilton’s final message to the team before every match is emblazoned on LA’s locker room doors: “And we move on.” — a s
Cobi Jones 2008 (interim)
2014 SEASON
13
GROWING UP IN THE GALAXY
THE GALAXY’S FIRST GALACTICO Trumpeted as a player who could change the perception of an entire league, David Beckham and the Galaxy sputtered in his first two seasons. Add a series of injuries and an unforgettable in-game confrontation with a member of the LA Riot Squad, and the “Beckham experiment”—as Sports Illustrated’s Grant Wahl
2010
SUPPORTERS’ SHIELD JANUARY 2 Donovan joins Everton for a two-and-a-half month loan, during which the American registers two goals and three assists while becoming a fan favorite
coined it in his book—began to look like a costly mistake. But Beckham returned and played like a man who was fueled by his
APRIL 17 With his brace in a 2–1
failures, leading the Galaxy to two MLS Cup trophies and three
victory over Salt Lake, Buddle becomes the first player in MLS history to score his club’s first seven goals to open a season
appearances in the final in four years. Where once there were boos, cheers echoed around the Home Depot Center when Beckham stepped onto the field for the last time in 2012—a
David Beckham, known for his free kicks, also scored directly from a corner kick and from 70 yards out for LA
2011
victorious MLS Cup final on home ground. — a s
AUGUST 15 LA agrees terms
AUGUST 5 Gordon departs the
2009 NOVEMBER 1 The Galaxy ties JANUARY 7 Beckham joins
AC Milan on loan in order to retain match sharpness for England’s upcoming World Cup qualifiers. The veteran confirms he’ll return to the Galaxy in time for the MLS season opener.
JULY 19 After missing the first half of the MLS season and expressing his desire to remain on-loan at Milan, Beckham returns to Los Angeles and plays for the Galaxy in a friendly against the Rossoneri. Members of LA supporters clubs boo the Englishman and display signs reading “23: Repent” and “Go Home Fraud.” Following the match, Beckham attempts to climb a barrier to confront fans but is held back by security personnel. Meanwhile, a fan who rushes toward the midfielder is restrained. Beckham tells reporters after the game,
“I TRIED TO SHAKE ONE OF THE GUYS’ HANDS BUT HE DIDN’T WANT ANY OF IT. THAT’S THE WAY IT IS.” AUGUST 8 Donovan curls a sensational left-footed volley into the top corner to help the Galaxy defeat the Revolution 2–1. The strike will be named MLS Goal of the Year.
14
Chivas 2–2 in leg one the Western Conference semifinal, the first-ever playoff edition of the SuperClásico, on goals from Mike Magee and Donovan. After the final whistle, Beckham and Chivas defender Yamith Cuesta exchange heated words on the way to the locker rooms. A week later, Donovan’s lone goal secures the win on aggregate. NOVEMBER 12 Having started all 30 of LA’s regular-season matches and forming a partnership with Gregg Berhalter in central defense, Omar Gonzalez is named MLS Rookie of the Year
Galaxy for rival Chivas with 96 regular-season appearances and 16 league goals to his name
SUPPORTERS’ SHIELD MLS CUP
OCTOBER 24 A win on the final
JANURY 10 Buddle signs with lower-level German club FC Ingolstadt 04
day of the season gives LA its third Supporters’ Shield NOVEMBER 3 Donovan Ricketts
is named MLS Goalkeeper of the Year after setting a new Galaxy record for lowest goals-against-average (.90) and equaling Hartman’s club record of 11 regular-season shutouts NOVEMBER 14 Dallas ends
the Galaxy’s season with a 3–0 victory in the Western Conference final
JUNE 22 The Galaxy hires former midfielder Mauricio Cienfuegos, 43, as a technical coach for the club’s academy
JUNE 25 Goalkeeper Josh Saunders receives a red card with 48 minutes left, prompting Magee to don the gloves for the rest of a match against the Earthquakes. The forward makes three saves en route to a scoreless draw.
NOVEMBER 13 After multiple
power outages at the Home Depot Center, LA scores twice in extra time to beat the Houston Dynamo and claim its sixth Western Conference crown. Berhalter opens the scoring in the 103rd before Donovan seals the win with his 17th playoff strike, breaking Carlos Ruiz’s MLS record for most career playoff goals.
GROWING UP IN THE GALAXY
GOONIES SAY DIE No year sticks out in the LA-SJ rivalry more than 2012, when the Quakes threatened LA’s quest for consecutive
with Ireland international Robbie Keane, who joins Donovan and Beckham as the club’s third Designated Player. Five days later, Keane scores just over 20 minutes into his debut as LA blanks San Jose 2–0
OCTOBER 8 A Seattle loss gives LA its second-straight Supporters’ Shield. The Galaxy is the third club in MLS history to win the trophy in consecutive seasons.
NOVEMBER 9 Gonzalez is named MLS Defender of the Year as the Galaxy posts the third-lowest goals-against average in league history. LA’s 17 regular-season shutouts ties the MLS record set by Kansas City in 2000. NOVEMBER 20 LA collects its third MLS Cup with a 1–0 victory over Houston at the Home Depot Center, with Donovan scoring the winner— his 20th career playoff goal
MLS Cups. San Jose’s Steven Lenhart referenced the 80s cult classic The Goonies after a 3–2 regular-season win over LA when he said, “Goonies never say die.” The
NOVEMBER 19 Donovan, with
12 goals and six assists on the season despite missing a month due to the FIFA Confederations Cup, collects the MLS MVP award
quote, along with the post-game antics of San Jose, further intensified a rivalry that reached its breaking point in the playoffs. LA went down a goal on aggregate in the first leg—after which Omar Gonzalez called San Jose a “bunch of jokers”—and headed north, eager to put the Goonies away for good. And they did, with a
NOVEMBER 22 In its sixth MLS
brace by Robbie Keane and a goal by Mike Magee. — a s
Cup appearance, the Galaxy loses to Salt Lake on penalties in Seattle. After seven rounds of penalties, a miss from Buddle allows Robbie Russell to net the title-winning kick. The Galaxy adds the MLS Cup scudetto patch to the home jersey’s right breast. The club also removes the collar from its away shirt.
T H E A N G E L E N O ’S G U I D E TO T HE GAL A X Y
Bruce Arena 2008—PRESENT
Jamaican international Donovan Ricketts was named MLS Goalkeeper of the Year in 2010, but was injured for much of 2011 and replaced by Josh Saunders for MLS Cup
Landon Donovan wheels away after scoring his record-breaking 135th career MLS goal on May 25, 2014
GROWING UP IN THE GALAXY
AN ODE TO LANDON Ever since the 2002 World Cup, we have been awed
Ireland’s Robbie Keane has scored more goals in international competition than any other active European player, and is fifth all-time
by his exploits and celebrated (most of) his triumphs, but the 2014 campaign will be Landon Donovan’s last. His retirement signals the end of an amazing era for
2013
soccer in this country. Donovan led the Galaxy to three MLS Cups and appeared in three FIFA World Cups. He
JANUARY 31 Beckham signs
has more goals and assists at the international level
a five-month deal with Paris Saint-Germain. The Englishman ends his Galaxy career with 18 goals and 40 assists in 98 appearances.
than any other American man. This season, he became Major League Soccer’s all-time leading scorer, and with four games left in the regular season, he is a mere four assists away from tying the career record in that category as well. He is, simply, the most dominant player in the history of American soccer. — a s
MARCH 4 StubHub signs a sixyear deal with AEG for stadium naming rights. Three months later, LA’s home is officially known as StubHub Center.
APRIL 27 Gyasi Zardes, 21, a
highly-touted Homegrown talent, makes his senior Galaxy debut in a 2–0 victory over Salt Lake MAY 24 LA trades Magee to Chicago for the MLS rights to Robbie Rogers. Magee finishes with 19 league goals in 105 regular-season appearances—however, the foward manages eight strikes in 15 playoff matches. MAY 26 Two days after signing
with LA, Rogers, 25, becomes the first openly gay man to play in a top-level North American professional sports league as the Galaxy routs the Sounders 4–0 JUNE 9 Ten-man San Jose
2012 DECEMBER 1 The Galaxy repeats
JULY 4 Former Galaxy goalkeeper Kevin Hartman, now playing for Dallas, becomes the first player in MLS history to make 400 appearances in a 1–1 tie with Toronto
as MLS Cup champion with a 3–1 win over Houston at the Home Depot Center. LA goes a goal down but responds with second-half strikes from Donovan, Gonzalez, and Keane. The fourth title equals D.C.’s previous record. For Donovan, who won two titles with San Jose, it’s a fifth MLS Cup.
OCTOBER 23 Guillermo
DECEMBER 14 Following a brief
Ramirez, who scored the Galaxy’s game-winner in the 2005 MLS Cup, is banned for life from all soccer-related activities for match-fixing. FIFA’s ruling on the ex-LA forward is based on evidence from three games, including a CONCACAF Champions League match with C.S.D. Municipal and two international fixtures with Guatemala.
return to the Galaxy, Buddle moves to the Rapids in exchange for allocation money and a first-round pick in the 2013 MLS Supplemental Draft. He has 45 league goals in 106 appearances during two stints with LA.
MLS CUP
LA re-introduces the sash—this time in navy—and removes the gold accents from its home jersey. The club also adopts a lighter shade of blue for its away strip.
stuns the Galaxy with two goals in second-half stoppage time to win the Cali Clásico 3–2. Former Galaxy striker Gordon, now starring for the Earthquakes, nets the 93rdminute game winner. AUGUST 15 Gonzalez becomes the first American defender to sign a Designated Player contract
NOVEMBER 7 Despite Franklin’s stunning strike in a first-leg victory, LA drops its conference semifinal tie to Salt Lake, losing 2–0 in the return fixture NOVEMBER 21 Former
Galaxy goalkeeper Hartman announces his retirement from professional soccer, finishing his 17-year career as the all-time MLS leader in appearances, minutes played, saves, wins, and shutouts
AUGUST 6 Donovan nets the
winning goal in the MLS AllStars’ 2–1 triumph over German champions Bayern Munich. Fellow All-Star selections Keane and Gonzalez skip the game due to fitness concerns. AUGUST 7 Donovan, easily the most decorated player in Galaxy, MLS, and USMNT history, announces he will retire from professional soccer at the end of the 2014 campaign
AUGUST 11 LA acquires Gordon
from the Earthquakes in exchange for allocation money
LA gives its sash a gradient effect and brings back gold trim on the home jersey’s collar and sleeves. The club also unveils a third kit that features black, green, gold, and red, the same colors that appeared on the club’s 1996 home uniform.
2014 JANUARY 29 LA becomes
the first MLS club to own and operate a lower-division team with the unveiling of LA Galaxy II. Former Galaxy defender Curt Onalfo becomes the side’s first head coach, and LA Galaxy II begins play in USL PRO. MAY 25 Days after being cut from the US World Cup roster, Donovan becomes MLS’s all-time leading scorer with his 135th and 136th regular-season goals in LA’s 4–1 win over Philadelphia
Still only 25, Omar Gonzalez has been named MLS Rookie of the Year, MLS Defender of the Year, MLS Cup MVP, and to the league’s Best XI on three occasions
With four regularseason matches left in 2014, Gyasi Zardes has already broken the record for goals by a Homegrown Player with 14
2014 SEASON
15
CAN
THE
LA GALAXY
CALL
ITSELF
A
DYNASTY?
16
T H E A N G E L E N O ’S G U I D E TO T HE GAL A X Y
i l lust r at i o n by n i c k i lu z a da
and Mike, when they were quar-
allowed David Beckham to perform
terbacks at Carey High in Frank-
his missionary work in Southern
lin Square, Long Island, back in
California, purely out of his love
the day. Their kid brother became
of the game, and is now allowing
a soccer keeper in the autumn, a
American stars like Clint Dempsey
star lacrosse player in the spring.
and Michael Bradley to come back
I
from Europe for gigantic salaries
can
interpret
Brooklyn-Lawn
by GEORGE VECSEY
Arena’s Guyland
Italoaccent
based on arcane exemptions.
for my soccer-writer pals, and I
When I spoke to Arena, his com-
totally get his sarcastic approach
ments sizzled on this topic. Later,
to the media. When Arena begins
when I read Steven Goff ’s report
to answer a question with the dag-
that Arena had been trying to sign
ger-word “Obviously…” I laugh out
Sacha Kljestan from Anderlecht,
loud. Sounds like home to me.
only to have the deal fall through
Was it good for MLS to have D.C.
somewhere in the league hierarchy,
United (with predominately Latino
it made sense. Arena sizzled some
stars) dominate the first wave of MLS,
more when he saw Chicago try to
and is it good for the Galaxy (with
sign Jermaine Jones only to have
predominantly Anglophone stars like
the German-American player allo-
Beckham, Donovan, and Keane) to
cated to New England in something
win multiple titles recently?
called a blind draw. Arena said he
IS THERE ROOM FOR DYNASTIES
Major League Soccer began with
“I think he is the defining fig-
had never heard of that process.
in Major League Soccer? Or is
a collectivist single-entity owner-
ure in American soccer in the last
The Galaxy’s ownership, AEG,
that exactly what the league is
ship, which has continued under
quarter of a century, if you include
has spent considerable money on
trying to avoid?
Commissioner Don Garber. The
his great success at UVA,” Doug
star players, Arena said, but he
As MLS concludes its 19th sea-
fear of free spending is associated
Logan, the first commissioner of
added that when he and Kevin
son, there have been two dominant
with the Curse of the Cosmos, still
MLS, wrote in an e-mail, refer-
Payne were running D.C. United in
teams: D.C. United in the early
one of the great soccer brands in the
ring to Arena’s previous stint at the
the early days of the league, “It was
years and recently the Los Angeles
world, dating back to Pelé and other
University of Virginia.
a lot easier to put together a ros-
Galaxy, both winning four champi-
international stars, most past their
Logan admires Arena even if he
ter, a lot easier to get players.” The
onships to date.
prime, who dominated the North
sometimes needed to discipline or
message: dynasties are tough to build.
As it happens, both teams have
American Soccer League in the late
muzzle him. They could laugh about
“The league is confused about
been coached at times by the very
1970s only to go belly up in 1985.
it later. The first commissioner said
the direction it’s going,” Arena said.
same person: Bruce Arena, who won
MLS would just as soon avoid that.
Arena
theatrically.”
“It’s a vicious cycle.” The league’s
“intimidates
two titles with D.C. in 1996 and 1997,
“I certainly subscribe more to the
With LA, he has presided over the
desire for parity, he suggested,
and has won two more with the Gal-
NFL’s approach to parity than I do
most scrutinized locker room in
came at the expense of clubs that
axy in 2011 and 2012.
perhaps to the structure of the En-
league history, and he “has shown
know how to spend their money
Like most coaches, Arena would
glish Premier League, where for the
his dominance over all the slick
wisely. “Look at D.C. United,” he
not mind presiding over a dynasty.
most part only a handful of clubs re-
imports with fancy résumés.”
says of his first team. “Last year it
Some sports fans actually enjoy
ally have a chance of winning each
Arena downplays the concept
had one of the worst records in the
über-teams that win champion-
year,” Garber, who once worked for
of dynasties partially because he
history of the league, and this year
ships on almost an annual basis.
the NFL, said in 2010.
chafes at the ever-shifting payroll
it’s doing well. We’re so focused on competitive balance.”
Hordes of Japanese baseball fans
Still, two different MLS teams
rules of MLS. Still trying to avoid a
worship the Tokyo Giants; many
have managed to win four titles, each
Cosmos-like reliance on high-paid
And if you manage to engineer
Italians seem to accept Juventus
within a decade. Does that qualify
stars, MLS has come around to a
a team that might be capable of
and the mysterious 89th-minute
D.C. United and the current Galaxy
somewhat more competitive model
becoming a dynasty, there are other
calls that referees have produced in
as dynasties?
of ownership.
forces ready to pull it apart, particu-
its favor over the decades; there are
“I think that’s a bit of a reach,”
Having struggled in my career to
larly the financial appeal of the rich
the Lakers, the Bulls, the Cowboys,
said Arena, when I reached him on
explain the infield fly rule in base-
European leagues, combined with
the 49ers; and bless their masoch-
the phone.
ball, pass interference in football,
the insistence by national team
istic hearts, many baseball fans
journalistic
or salary caps in various leagues,
coach
have flocked to stadiums to watch
integrity, I must note that I get a
In
the
name
of
I will not even attempt to parse
emerging American internationals
Jurgen
Klinsmann
the Yankees brutalize the home
kick out of Bruce Arena, having
the rules about signing players in
fight their way onto Champions
team. Go figure.
covered his two older brothers, Paul
ML S. I will note that the league
League teams. The next young star
2014 SEASON
that
17
Bruce Arena (left) and Landon Donovan hoist the 2011 Western Conference trophy. The Galaxy has played in a record eight MLS Cups, three more than D.C. United. The clubs are tied with a league-leading four Supporters’ Shields apiece.
to transfer will be DeAndre Yedlin of Seattle, who made an impression in the recent World Cup and has been signed for autumn delivery by Tottenham Hotspur. Arena thinks it’s a good move for the player, but he does not agree with Klinsmann’s dictate that players go overseas. “We’d be stronger if we built a base out of domestic players,” he said, adding, “Also, I don’t agree with foreign players becoming citizens. We need to develop them here.” This seems to be a criticism of Klinsmann for using five German-born players with an American parent in the World Cup. For all the measures designed to
S O C C E R I N T H E U N I T E D S TAT E S
ented right foot and his glamor
divisions worldwide, reaching a
check spending and keep any club
has always had to find space within a
were good for the league. Robbie
peak average of 18,807 fans per
from dynastic dominance, teams have
larger sports landscape. The Galaxy
Keane followed, and the Galaxy
game in 2012, Beckham’s last year.
begun to follow the Designated Player
plays in its own stadium, the more
will have another DP spot available
Going into September, the league
model pioneered by LA. In addition
modest StubHub Center in Carson,
once Landon Donovan retires at
was averaging 18,948, partially
to Seattle and Toronto, New York
but that too comes with challenges.
the end of 2014.
because of the 40,000-plus crowds
has signed a number of high-profile
“You have the Lakers and now they
But Arena also wants to build
in Seattle, the great downtown
players, including Thierry Henry,
are the weak sister,” said Arena.
the Galaxy from the bottom up, by
success story, which took a play
Orlando will begin next season with
“You’ve got the Dodgers with Yasiel
accumulating young players bare-
from LA’s book by signing Dempsey
Kaka in the midfield, and even New
Puig and the best pitching staff in
ly out of high school. He counts
and set a high bar of its own in the
England, long one of the league’s
baseball. Down the road you have
four home-grown players on the
form of record attendance figures.
most frugal teams, recently wrote a
the Angels, another powerful team.
30-player roster, including Gyasi
The league was good enough for
big check for Jermaine Jones. New
You’ve got USC and UCLA. The
Zardes from nearby Hawthorne,
Beckham to strut his brand, good
York City FC has already acquired
Kings are Stanley Cup winners. This
California, who has been a starter
enough to keep Landon Donovan
David Villa and Frank Lampard.
is a city of champions.”
for most of 2014, before turning
home, good enough to keep Bruce
Speaking of NYCFC, what does
Going into September, the Galaxy
23. Arena is also high on Bradford
Arena busy agitating. Now Ameri-
Arena think of a team owned by
was drawing an average of 20,721
Jamieson IV, a willowy forward
can soccer tries to capitalize on the
Manchester City and the Yankees
fans per home game, down 6 per-
from Los Angeles—not yet 18—
booster rocket that was the highly
joining MLS in 2015? “I think it
cent from 2013, and down from the
who plays mostly for the Galaxy II
popular World Cup in Brazil.
will create more chaos,” he said,
franchise high of 26,009 in 2008,
squad but has already assisted on
Asked again if the Galaxy were a
predicting that the use of Yankee
during the Beckham years. That era
a goal for the senior team. “He is
dynasty, Arena said, “We want to be
Stadium will be, in his words, a
ended gloriously with two straight
going to be a good one,” Arena said.
one of the elite teams.” Obviously.
disaster: “You’re talking about one
MLS Cups in 2011 and 2012. Beck-
MLS has survived two seasons
of the most famous sports stadi-
ham worked hard in the last final
longer than the old NASL did.
george vecsey is the author of eight world
ums in the world. The Yankees just
before Arena paid him the tribute
Jamieson
days
cups: my journey through the beauty and dark
lost most of their pitching staff to
of an 89th minute exit in front of
before the Galaxy lost to D.C. in
s i d e o f s o c c e r , p u b l i s h e d b y h o lt / t i m e s b o o k s
injuries. Can you imagine what it
the home fans. Beckham drew fans
the first MLS Cup. The league’s
i n 2014 . h e i s a c o n t r i b u t i n g s p o r t s c o l u m n i s t
will be like if they have to rebuild
everywhere, appeared at clinics,
average attendance now ranks in
for the new york times and issues his own web
the pitching mound once a week?”
chatted up the media, and his tal-
the top ten professional soccer
site, georgevecsey.com.
18
T H E A N G E L E N O ’S G U I D E TO T HE GAL A X Y
was
born
two
27
1
6
MAKE YOUR OWN
3
10
STUBHUB CENTER
8
1. Using a craft knife or scissors, cut out sections A and B along the dashed lines.
5 SECTION A 31,32 30
2. Assemble section A by folding along seams 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5; inserting and attaching
9
tabs 6 and 7 into slits 8 and 9; and attaching tabs 10 and 11 to the underside of the roof.
3. Assemble Section B by folding along
11
4
seams 12, 13, 14, 15 (the edges of the field) and seams 16, 17, 18, 19 (the corners of the stands). Attach tabs 20, 21, 22, 23 behind the adjacent sections of stands.
7
4. Fold along Seam 24. Attach sections A and B by
28
2
inserting and attaching tabs 25 and 26 (on section B)
12
16
into slots 27 and 28 (on section A).
15
SECTION B 25
17
18 13
14
19
5. Attach tab 29 (on section A) under tab 30 (on section B). Fold along seams 31 and 32 to construct the scoreboard.
20
21
24
29
22
23
26
i l l u s t r at i o n by n o a h m acm i l l a n
2014 SEASON
19
A MAGAZINE ABOUT SOCCER. MADE IN THE USA.
HOWLERMAGAZINE.COM @WHATAHOWLER
i l lust r at i o n by m e e n c h o i
GALAXY A L RISING STARS
COMMMUNITY TICKET PROGRAM
Donations start at $40 If you would like to become a Rising Star Sponsor, call the LA Galaxy at 877-3GALAXY (342-5299)
Goalkeeper Josh Saunders
David Beckham (left) and Bruce Arena with the MLS Cup in 2012
LA Galaxy II, which finished third in its debut USL PRO regular season
Abel Xavier during his stint in LA
Carlos “El Pescadito” Ruiz skips past D.C. United’s Bobby Convey
Omar Gonzalez and AJ DeLaGarza celebrate winning the 2011 MLS CUP
Greg Vanney became a coach with the Galaxy academy after retiring as a player
Matt Reis (left), Cobi Jones (13), Greg Vanney (3), and Mauricio Cienfuegos (10) celebrate winning the Galaxy’s first US Open Cup in 2001
Jovan Kirovski dribbles past a Colorado defender
Sean Franklin (left) and Robbie Rogers in 2013
Defender Todd Dunivant in 2014
T h
After scoring a goal on August 27th, Omar Gonzalez (left) revealed a shirt he wore to mark the birth, expected the following day, of AJ DeLaGarza’s son, who had been diagnosed with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome. Luca DeLaGarza passed away on September 5, 2014
Late GM Doug Hamilton’s words on the locker room door at StubHub Center
Edson Buddle, back with the Galaxy in 2012
Kevin Hartman (right) and Cobi Jones after winning the MLS Cup in 2002
he Galaxy coaching staff, including ead coach Bruce Arena (left)
Landon Donovan captained the Galaxy to the 2012 MLS Cup title
Donovan Ricketts attempts a save against Seattle
Coach Bruce Arena holds his grandson after LA’s 2012 MLS Cup triumph
Galaxy supporters greet Robbie Keane at the airport
Sean Franklin during the SuperClásico against Chivas USA
Pete Vagenas (left) and Cobi Jones during a Galaxy alumni game
Marcelo Sarvas (left) and Robbie Rogers in 2014
Herbalife would like to congratulate Landon Donovan on a remarkable career and wish him the best in the future
#THANKSLD