Tag: LA Galaxy

This MLS playoff race is an absolute mess

Put on your boots, because we’re about to wade into a mess

The race for the MLS playoffs is promising that Decision Day will be as bonkers as it ever has been.

The final day of the regular season is less than a month away, with 28 of the league’s 29 teams set for two breathless rounds of simultaneous kickoffs, one for each conference (sorry D.C. United, you’re just going to have to follow along at home).

There’s an old MLS truism that a team just needs to stay in touch until late August or so, and that if said team can start to heat up around Labor Day, you’re looking at a major threat coming from what on paper is a low playoff seed. Plenty of teams with multiple MLS Cups in their trophy case have at least one season where they followed this plan to a tee.

However, in 2023 it’s not so much about getting hot at the right time as simply ending up next to an empty seat during a poorly-played game of musical chairs. Seven teams have clinched their playoff berths already, and two more are simply abysmal.

That leaves 20 teams vying for 11 postseason spots in what is an extraordinarily forgiving set-up. The problem is that almost none of this group seems able to get a solid hold on their invite to the big dance.

Put on your boots, because we’re about to wade into a mess:

LA Galaxy-LAFC match at Rose Bowl sets MLS attendance record

The game at the Rose Bowl broke the previous record set last year at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte

Tuesday’s match between the LA Galaxy and Los Angeles FC broke the all-time MLS single-game attendance record, with an announced crowd of 82,110 at the Rose Bowl.

That crowd broke the previous record set in March 2022, when 74,479 fans packed Bank of America Stadium to see Charlotte FC face the Galaxy for the expansion club’s first home game.

The Galaxy defeated LAFC 2-1 on Tuesday behind a first-half stunner from Tyler Boyd and a second-half winner from the influential Riqui Puig, after Ilie Sánchez had equalized for LAFC.

“It was an exciting atmosphere to be honest,” Galaxy head coach Greg Vanney said after the game. “For me, personally, to be back in the Rose Bowl, to see it full, to take a second and realize just how far this league has come since we kicked it off in ’96, to where it is now.

“The level of the two teams. The competition tonight. Quality of players on the field. All of it. It was just an incredible venue. Incredible atmosphere. And, a wonderful game that I think entertained. As these games always do.”

The Galaxy and LAFC were originally scheduled to play at the Rose Bowl on opening weekend of the 2023 MLS season, before inclement weather in Southern California moved the match from February to the Fourth of July.

The 20th match in the history of the El Tráfico rivalry was the first to be held at the iconic venue in Pasadena, California. The Galaxy now lead the all-time series with a 9W-6L-5D record.

Largest standalone match attendances in MLS history

July 4, 2023: LA Galaxy vs. LAFC — 82,110

March 5, 2022: Charlotte FC vs. LA Galaxy — 74,479

December 8, 2018: Atlanta United vs. Portland — 73,019 (MLS Cup)

August 3, 2019: Atlanta United vs. LA Galaxy — 72,548

July 15, 2018: Atlanta United vs. Seattle — 72,243

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From bad to worse for LA Galaxy: Chicharito out for season with torn ACL

The 35-year-old may have played his final Galaxy match

An already rough LA Galaxy season just got a lot rougher.

The Galaxy announced on Friday that star forward Javier “Chicharito” Hernández tore the ACL in his right knee during Wednesday’s U.S. Open Cup loss at Real Salt Lake.

Midway through the first half, the Mexican striker went down with a non-contact injury and had to be removed from the game immediately. The Galaxy would go on to lose 3-2 and be eliminated from the Open Cup at the quarterfinal stage.

“The LA Galaxy today announced that forward Javier “Chicharito” Hernández sustained a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his right knee during the club’s 2023 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup quarterfinal match against Real Salt Lake on June 7,” a club release said. “Hernández will undergo surgery on a date to be determined to begin the rehabilitation process.”

The news is a blow for a Galaxy team that is already sitting in last place in the Western Conference, collecting just 12 points from its first 15 league games.

The team’s poor start has already cost president Chris Klein his job, with head coach Greg Vanney under major pressure as well.

For Chicharito, the injury is a major setback from a personal standpoint as well. Having just turned 35 and with his contract expiring at the end of the season, the striker faces an uncertain future.

Chicharito has scored 38 goals in 74 league matches since making his Galaxy debut in 2020.

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Forbes ranks 20 most valuable soccer teams in the world

Valuations of the world’s biggest clubs are sky high

Who are the most valuable soccer teams in the world?

With success being more and more tied to an ability to spend, being a “big” club — at least in financial terms — is the clearest indicator of whether a given team is going to contend for trophies in the world’s top leagues.

That said, what defines value doesn’t necessarily require a team to be in the Premier League, La Liga, the Bundesliga, or Serie A. MLS has three teams in the top 20, including LAFC becoming the first club to break the $1 billion valuation barrier.

That said, Europe is still the home of the world’s biggest clubs, and its most valuable. In particular, eight of the top 20 hail from the Premier League, which will not be a particular surprise given the league’s global reach.

Here are Forbes’ 20 most valuable teams in global soccer.

LA Galaxy, amid nightmare season, dismiss president Chris Klein

A big change at the Galaxy after protests, bad results, and bans

Chris Klein’s decade-long run as the LA Galaxy’s president is over.

Klein, who has been the target of fan protests throughout the 2023 season, was let go Tuesday with the club languishing at the very bottom of the MLS standings.

“The LA Galaxy have parted ways with president Chris Klein, it was announced today by Dan Beckerman, president and CEO of AEG,” read an official team statement posted to social media. “LA Galaxy head coach and sporting director Greg Vanney will continue to lead all soccer operations while reporting directly to Beckerman.”

“As a club we have not achieved our goals or met the standard that we have established for the LA Galaxy,” said Beckerman in the team statement. “We believe it is in the best interest of the club to make a change.”

2023 has been a miserable season for the Galaxy, historically one of MLS’s powers. Supporters groups promised to refuse to show up as long as Klein remained in his position, while an anti-Klein banner was flown by plane over the stadium during a 3-2 loss to Los Angeles FC.

Their crosstown rivals LAFC, who on Wednesday will play the first leg of their CONCACAF Champions League final against Liga MX’s Club Léon, have added to the misery by taking over as the biggest club both in the city and the league, a position the Galaxy long saw as their own.

The Galaxy are in 29th place in MLS, taking just nine points from 14 games. Despite big names like Javier “Chicharito” Hernández and one of the league’s best playmakers in Riqui Puig, they’ve only scored a joint-worst 10 goals on the season. That includes three straight shutout losses in league play, with the only bright spot coming in a 2-0 U.S. Open Cup win over what was effectively LAFC’s MLS Next Pro side.

Klein’s early years as team president, after success with the club as a player, were marked by success. A year after he got the job, the Galaxy won the 2014 MLS Cup amid the glory days of Landon Donovan and Robbie Keane terrorizing defenses around the league.

However, that is the club’s last trophy, and last year’s playoff appearance (which ended at the hands of LAFC) was just the second in six years despite signings like Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Giovani Dos Santos. In the meantime, the team has been banned from making transfers outside the United States and Canada in this summer’s transfer window after MLS found that the Galaxy violated salary budget and roster guidelines relating to Cristian Pavón’s contract in 2019.

MLS specifically named Klein in announcing those sanctions, suspending him from all sporting-side decision-making through the 2023 primary transfer window, which only closed late last month.

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Giorgio Chiellini did not love Riqui Puig’s El Trafico goal celebration

Props to Chiellini for translating his insult into Puig’s native language

Riqui Puig scored a Lionel Messi-like goal against LAFC on Tuesday night, and he pulled out a Messi-like celebration to mark the moment.

The LA Galaxy midfielder picked the ball up near midfield in the second half of the match, and proceeded to expertly weave his way through LAFC’s defense en route to a sensational individual goal.

Just like Messi famously did in 2017 at the Santiago Bernabéu, Puig removed his jersey and lifted it up in front of his biggest rival’s fans — a fitting move for a former teammate of Messi’s at Barcelona.

Puig’s goal would help the Galaxy to a 2-0 win over LAFC in the U.S. Open Cup round of 16, a desperately needed result for a team currently in last place in the MLS Western Conference table.

Chiellini calls Puig a clown

Puig’s celebration did not go down well with LAFC supporters or, apparently, its players.

As Puig was giving a post-game interview, LAFC defender Giorgio Chiellini emerged from his locker room to see the midfielder talking to the press. The Italian quite loudly yelled “payaso” — the Spanish word for clown.

We have to give Chiellini props for not only stoking the flames of the El Tráfico rivalry, but also translating his insult into its recipient’s native language. Very thoughtful! 

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L.A. Galaxy vs. San Jose Earthquakes, live stream, channel, time, lineups, how to watch MLS

How to watch the California clash between the #LAGalaxy & the #Earthquakes.

The California Clasico is coming to Major League Soccer this weekend.

On Sunday, the San Jose Earthquakes head down to face the Los Angeles Galaxy for a 6:30 p.m. PT (9:30 p.m. ET) MLS kickoff.

[afflinkbutton text=”Watch San Jose Earthquakes at LA Galaxy” link=”https://apple.co/42ztpoN”]

Surprisingly out of form, the Galaxy are looking to crawl out of the basement of the Western Conference as they sit in 13th place with just six points. But L.A. is fresh off a 3-1 win over the Seattle Sounders in a midweek cup clash.

On the flip side, San Jose is the their best form at this point of the season with 18 points, good for a fourth-place position. The Earthquakes’ attacking approach is fun, but they’ve allowed 14 goals (11 on the road), which is the most of any team in the top seven.

Ahead of a pivotal matchup for both teams, here is everything you need to know to stream the action:

L.A. Galaxy vs. San Jose Earthquakes

  • When: Sunday, May 14
  • Time: 6:30 p.m. PT
  • Location: Dignity Health Sports Park (Los Angeles)
  • Watch: Apple TV

Major League Soccer Starting Lineups

Galaxy possible starting lineup:
Bond; Calegari, Caceres, Coulibaly, Aude; Alvarez, Delgado, Puig, Edwards; Chicharito, Judd

Earthquakes possible starting lineup:
Marcinkowski; Marie, Mensah, Beason, Trauco; Yueill, Gruezo, Monteiro; Espinoza, Ebobisse, Cowell

[afflinkbutton text=”Watch San Jose Earthquakes at LA Galaxy” link=”https://apple.co/42ztpoN”]

Major League Soccer Odds and betting lines

Premier League odds courtesy of Tipico Sportsbook. Odds were last updated Friday at 4:00 p.m. ET.

L.A. Galaxy (-125) vs. San Jose Earthquakes (+280)

Draw: (+260)

[afflinkbutton text=”Watch every MLS game on Apple TV” link=”https://apple.co/3Bkh8su”]

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Chicharito is sick of his Galaxy teammates not facing the media

After fans voiced their discontent, the striker could only say “they’re right”

After another dismal defeat for the LA Galaxy, Javier “Chicharito” Hernández hit out at teammates who weren’t doing what he was doing at the time: facing the press.

The Galaxy fell 3-1 at home to the Colorado Rapids on Saturday night, dropping their record to 1W-6L-3D as they sit 13th out of 14 teams in the MLS Western Conference.

Chicharito was at the podium after the match at Dignity Health Sports Park and he didn’t hold back his opinion that one of his teammates should have been there instead.

“We need so many things to change starting from, I believe that more people need to come [speak to the media] to face things,” the Mexican forward said. “We’re the same people speaking, always. That’s a thing that needs to change too, you know? We always speak in here, the same guys. So I think that should change in the beginning, and then on the training ground other stuff needs to change.”

One of the league’s most storied franchises is in the midst of one of their worst ever runs, with fan protests rampant in 2023. After another subpar performance on home ground saw his side greeted with more fan anger, Chicharito could only say that he agreed with their point of view.

“We’re LA Galaxy, man. When I say we need to behave and understand that – they’re giving you the chance to be the greatest,” Hernandez said. “You’re in the greatest f—ing organization in the USA. At the least, you give everything. And if teams are better than us, I can take that, I can take those losses. I can take that.

“When El Tráfico happened we were way better. We beat ourselves. We were the better team and we lost. I take those ones. These ones, at home? Against a [conference] rival? Man, no. Not good enough. Not good enough. And yeah, the fans were right this time. They’re right.”

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Galaxy misery continues as LAFC fans, players run riot at Dignity Health Sports Park

In a season full of lows, this one had to sting the most for the Galaxy

Dignity Health Sports Park, the home of the LA Galaxy, looked and sounded like it got a new tenant on Sunday: the Galaxy’s crosstown rivals LAFC.

LAFC fans took over swaths of their rival’s stadium in El Tráfico, a game that fully displayed the gulf between the two teams on and off the pitch.

For the first time in its history LAFC won a game at its rival’s home ground, as a Carlos Vela double helped the visitors to a 3-2 win.

For LAFC, the result continued an undefeated start to the MLS season that has also seen the club reach the CONCACAF Champions League semifinal.

Conversely, the Galaxy are still looking for their first win and continue to be roiled by fan protests against president Chris Klein and technical director Jovan Kirovski.

That discontent was on display high above the stadium on Sunday.

Inside the stadium, the upper sections were successfully commandeered by huge numbers of away fans.

“It’s definitely a gift for the fans,” said LAFC head coach Steve Cherundolo after the game. “3252 [LAFC’s supporters group] and the rest of our community, family at LAFC has done such amazing work over the first five seasons, and this has been a long time coming.”

In a season full of lows, this one had to sting the most for the Galaxy.

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