LA Galaxy and LAFC fans have the summer blues
The Summer of Soccer. A bottomless buffet of football with sunny weather and chill vibes. Club World Cup, Gold Cup, Leagues Cup, and soon, the MLS Cup playoffs.
This is the time of year when teams round into form and the performances turn up a notch. Saturday’s Hell is Real derby was pure entertainment, and I’m looking forward to another tantalizing El Trafico this weekend.
That being said, it’s been more like the Summer of Hell in Los Angeles, specifically for the LA Galaxy. And I’m not talking about the weather, or the Hello Kitty fiasco. I’m talking underperforming sides and ICE raids.
Let’s talk.
Both clubs have endured drastically different circumstances this year. LAFC are firmly in the playoff hunt aiming to secure a top seed, while at this point the Galaxy simply want to avoid finishing bottom of the table. And yet both fanbases share a similar sentiment that better times are ahead.
Greg Vanney’s group were always going to struggle in their quest to lift a 7th MLS Cup without the services of their talismanic leader Riqui Puig, and well, they’ve been bad. Historically bad. LAFC put together a respectable showing at the Club World Cup including a competitive loss to champions Chelsea Football Club, in fact they’re currently on a three-game winning streak without conceding a goal.
However there are concerns about what the team can accomplish with an attack that’s become overly reliant on Denis Bouanga. The Black and Gold are also stuck in an awkward position with manager Steven Cherundolo leaving at the end of the season which compromises their ability to bring in reinforcements, specifically Designated Players. Losing center back Aaron Long to a season-ending Achilles injury certainly doesn’t help.
Not all is lost however. The G’s are still clinging onto the faintest of playoffs hope, though it’s all but certain they’ll need a result in this weekend’s El Trafico. LAFC meanwhile are closing in on a deal to sign Canadian international Mathieu Choinière from Swiss outfit Grasshopper. An attacking midfielder by trade, Choinière’s ability to progress the ball into the final third could significantly improve LAFC’s one-dimensional attack.
Now, we really need to talk.
You can’t separate politics from football, and there’s no point in trying.
When ICE began aggressively raiding communities across Southern California last month spearheaded by the Trump administration, LAFC quickly sprung into action days ahead of a home match vs. Sporting Kansas City.
A statement in support of the immigration community was put out. A gathering to celebrate their Club World Cup berth at Mariachi Plaza was moved to BMO Stadium to keep fans out of harm’s way. Signs and banners protesting ICE were permitted inside the venue and prominently displayed on the Jumbotron. Players directly addressed the issue afterwards.
Though the match itself was a somber occasion due to a silent protest from the 3252 supporter’s union, the event proved to be an uplifting moment that brought the club and its supporters closer together. It was a risky gambit that paid off in spectacular fashion.
The 3252 making their voices heard
photo courtesy of LAFC
The LA Galaxy in comparison chose not to address the ICE raids, though the club pledged to prioritize direct community support through donations to local nonprofits and ensure the safety of its staff.
The club’s inaction infuriated many of the club’s diehard fans, and as a result the past six weeks has been a slow but steady escalation of dissent from the Galaxy supporters groups with a significant number of fans joining in as well. A protest from content creators was soon followed by supporters cancelling the annual convoy to San Jose for the California Clasico, and now a full-blown boycott has broken out. Without the supporters groups, Dignity Health Sports Park has been eerily silent the past few matches.
Fans have cancelled season-tickets and subsequently attendance has suffered. The July 4th match which traditionally sells out drew 19,557 fans, well below capacity. LA’s midweek matchup vs. Austin FC drew 16,272, the lowest number of the regular season. Though the team’s poor record is partially responsible for these numbers, they can’t be ignored.
“Fight ignorance, not immigrants”
Do the Galaxy deserve blame for what’s transpired? While it makes sense why the organization would hesitate to dip its toes into politics, the turmoil, the incertidumbre the Latino community is going through is unprecedented and as real as it gets. In that respect, a bit of effort to speak out on behalf of the affected communities could have gone a long way to assuage the fanbase.
The club has pledged to prioritize community support, but there’s been no follow up news. (Update: The Galaxy have confirmed to Rolling Stone they remain committed to supporting Latino based organizations CARECEN, Heart of Los Angeles and All Peoples Community Center)
Additionally it should be noted when legendary Spanish announcer Rolando “Veloz” Gonzalez (An immigrant himself) tragically passed away recently, the club was slow to honor his memory, so slow in fact it was branded as “disrespectful” by a local outlet. Also, up until recently the club’s Spanish account on X was basically abandoned, going six months without a single post.
Any of these oversights could be excused on their own as isolated incidents, but together they establish a potentially troubling pattern of neglectful behavior. In that respect, an argument can be made the club has appeared indifferent to the concerns of the fanbase.
The LA Riot Squad supporters group displaying a tifo before the July 4th match.
To be fair to the Galaxy, I don’t believe the club is entirely to blame? Anyone who’s read my article on LAFC’s reaction to the ICE raids knows my personal feelings on the issue. But my cause isn’t everyone’s cause.
As emotionally charged as the ICE raids are to my fellow Angelinos, it’s still a political issue, and a divisive one at that. The fragmentation of the usually knit-tight Galaxy Community on social media demonstrates the polarizing nature of the subject matter. When fans protested Chris Klein’s contract renewal a few years ago for example, everyone wanted him out. This isn’t the same situation.
The fact of the matter is, only 2 of the 12 LA professional sports teams have released a statement while the Dodgers, Angels, Sparks, Lakers, Clippers, Kings, Ducks, Rams and Chargers and Galaxy have all stayed silent. In that respect, is the club being held to an unreasonable standard?
Ultimately having given both perspectives their day in court, I don’t blame the fans for expressing disappointment in the club’s response to the ICE raids.
For many of the diehard supporters, the Galaxy isn’t just a sports team, but a part of their identity. Many of them have been loyal to the club through the good and the bad times, often traveling long distances and spending significant money to support the squad.
That loyalty should always be reciprocated, no matter the cost.