Los Angeles Soccer History

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Soccer has long struggled for popularity in the mainstream of the American sporting public. When it arrived in the United States in the 1860s it should have established itself as the nation's second sport behind Baseball. The University players who took the rules decided that the rules of Rugby were better and in turn adapted those rules to become American Football. Despite being well attended in the 1920s and the national team reaching the semi finals of the first World Cup in 1930 the game still struggled to gain any support and watched as first Basketball and then Ice Hockey achieved what soccer seemingly couldn't.

The game was little more than a pastime in Los Angeles up until the mid 1950s when a series of team began entering the US Open Cup, soccer's oldest competition in the country. The names of the teams from the city who reached the final of the tournament reflected the foreign nature of the sport in the US. The Danish-Americans reached the 1955 final but lost before the Los Angeles Kickers finally became the first team to bring the trophy back to the city in 1958, a full forty-four years after it had first been played for. The Kickers won the trophy again in 1964 while the Los Angeles Scots Los Angeles Armenians and Los Angeles Croatia all fell at the final hurdle.

The open cup has continued to this day but by the mid 1960s its position in American soccer dropped off the radar as the glitz of the North American Soccer League arrived.

The first recognised professional franchise for Los Angeles were the Los Angeles Wolves formed in 1966 and followed within months by the Los Angeles Toros the two played their first seasons in 1967 in rival leagues with the Wolves, having not had time to raise a team, taking a loan of the entire Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club from England. Every team in the league had adopted a European or South American pro team during their close/off season to promote the league. Attendances ranged between 5-10,000 in that first season as the Wolves, at the time a mid division top flight English club, easily won the first title.

The second season was a struggle despite a new name, the North American Soccer League. The Toros moved to San Diego while the Wolves, without their star players from England, struggled and folded by the end of 1968.

It was six years before the NASL offered a franchise to Los Angeles again when the Los Angeles Aztecs, partially backed by Elton John who had at that time been unable to buy an English team, joined the league in 1974. The Aztecs played through the glory years of the NASL at the Los Angeles Coliseum where the Wolves had played before them. Star players such as Johan Cruyff and George Best were lured into the white and gold with the team matching the achievement of the Wolves in winning the title in their first season. It was a feat they were never able to repeat and though attendances hit an all time average high of 12,057 in 1980 the team and the league was heavily in debt. Elton John and co pulled the plug in 1981 and the NASL followed in 1984.

The next big thing in LA soccer came the following year when the Los Angeles Lazers were formed to play the indoor game in the Major Indoor Soccer League at The Forum in Inglewood. Again attendances on paper looked sound right through the 80s but soccer's ability to self destruct happened again and the Lazers folded in 1989.

The Los Angeles Heat and the California Kickers both arrived at the same time in the next attempt at bringing professional outdoor soccer to the city but with no major league to play in their history was troubled. Both were formed in 1986 and both had folded by 1990.

Los Angeles Salsa were next to take up the baton in 1993 as they joined the A-League, a semi pro attempt to fill the void left by the NASL. Attendances were tiny in comparison to the glory days of the Aztecs but there was much to play for. The 1994 FIFA World Cup was coming to America and with it came the promise of a new league Major League Soccer.

The Salsa were never in the running for the LA Franchise and bowed out by the end of 1994 to make way for the first proper professional franchise in the city for fourteen years, the Los Angeles Galaxy so called for the galaxy of stars who lived in the city the team represents.

Galaxy have taken soccer to new heights in the city with average attendances in their first season, 1996 hitting 30,000. They have been unable to sustain those figures but have achieved feats that none of their predecessors have. They became the first LA team to be crowned continental champions in 2000 when winning the Concacaf Champions Cup, which should have led them to face the might of Europe and South America in the official World Club Championship of 2001 in Spain. The tournament was always in doubt after complaints over its first competition in 2000. The competition was considered a flop in Europe and as a result the 2001 tourny was cancelled. It remains the only time a team from LA has qualified for the competition.

Having matched the Wolves and Aztecs in winning a national title in 2002 the Galaxy also became the first to win a second title in 2005. They also achieved the league and cup double that year in winning the open cup, a competition that neither the Wolves nor Aztecs had taken part in during their existence.

Finally, and probably the most important first for the Galaxy is that in 2006 they became the first Los Angeles team to return a profit at the end of the season. All of their predecessors, both indoor and outdoor, major and minor, had been run at a huge financial loss.

other firsts are Galaxy's Home Depot Center the first soccer specific stadium in Los Angeles, although the stadium itself is in Carson.

And finally comes Los Angeles first European style soccer rivalry and derby when Chivas USA came into being in 2005 as the citie's second franchise. Owned and modelled on the famous Chivas team from Mexico, Chivas USA have been unable to match Galaxy in fan base.

Galaxy can also boast an impressive celebrity fan base. celebrity American soccer fans is of course nothing new, Frank Sinatra used to send Liverpool Football Club a telegram and bottle of bubbly before every cup final or important game they played from the mid 1960s while Sylvester Stallone famously paraded around Everton Football Club in their colours in 2006. Galxy though has brought soccer to Hollywood's doorstep with many celebrity fans watching the team. This interest has only increased with the arrival of David Beckham to play for the team in 2007.

[edit] Los Angeles Soccer Year-by-year

Season	Conference	Position	League Record							League	US Open Cup	CONCACAF Cup	Club World Cup	Top Scorer
			P	W	L	T	F	A	Pts
1955	Regional	NA								Not represented	Final {Danish-Americans}	Did not qualify	Did not qualify
1956	Regional	NA								Not represented	Semifinal	Did not qualify	Did not qualify
1957	Regional	NA								Not represented	Quarterfinal	Did not qualify	Did not qualify
1958	Regional	NA								Not represented	Champion {Kickers}	Did Not Qualify	Did Not Qualify
1959	Regional	NA								Not represented	Semifinal	Did Not Qualify	Did Not Qualify
1960	Regional	NA								Not represented	Final {Kickers}	Did Not Qualify	Did Not Qualify
1961	Regional	NA								Not represented	Final {Scots}	Did not qualify	Did not qualify
1962	Regional	NA								Not represented	Semifinal	Did not qualify	Did not qualify
1963	Regional	NA								Not represented	Final {Armenian}	Did not qualify	Did not qualify
1964	Regional	NA								Not represented	Champions {Kickers}	Did not qualify	Did not qualify
1965	Regional	NA								Not represented	Semifinal	Did Not Enter	Did Not Qualify
1966	Regional	NA								Not represented	Semifinal	Did Not Enter	Did not qualify
1967	Wolves join USA League	1st	12	5	5	2	21	14	21	Champions {Wolves}	Semifinal	Did Not Enter	Did not qualify	Ernie Hunt	14
1968	NASL Pacific	3rd of 4	32	11	8	13	55	52	139	Did Not Qualify	Quarterfinal	Did Not Enter	Did Not Qualify	Carlos Metidieri	16
1969	{Wolves Folded}	Various Amateur teams								Not represented	Quarterfinal	Did Not Qualify	Did Not Qualify
1970	Amateur	Various teams								No NASL representation	Final {Croatia}	Did Not Qualify	Did Not Qualify
1971	Amateur	Various teams								No NASL representation	Quarterfinal	Did Not Qualify	Did Not Qualify
1972	Amateur	Various teams								No NASL representation	Quarterfinal	Did Not Qualify	Did Not Qualify
1973	Amateur	Various teams								No NASL representation	Semifinal	Did Not Qualify	Did Not Qualify
1974	Aztecs join NASL Western	Champions	20	11	2	7	41	36	110	Champions {Aztecs}	Semifinals	Did not qualify	Did not qualify	Doug McMillan	10
1975	NASL Pacific	3rd of 5	22	12	10	na	42	33	107	Conference Quarerfinals	Semifinal	Did Not Enter	Did Not Qualify	Uri Banhoffer	14
1976	NASL Pacific Southern	3rd of 5	24	12	12	na	43	44	108	first round	Semifinal	Did not qualify	Did not qualify	George Best	15
1977	NASL Pacific Southern	3rd of 5	26	14	12	na	37	44	119	Conference Semifinal	Semifinal	Did Not Enter	Did Not Qualify	George Best	14
1978	NASL National, Western	4th of 4	30	21	9	na	36	69	88	Did Not Qualify	Semifinal	Did not qualify	Did Not Qualify	Jim Rolland	17
1979	NASL National Western	2nd of 4	30	18	12	na	62	47	162	Conference Semifinal	Semifinal	Did Not Qualify	Did Not Qualify	Johan Cruyff	13
1980	NASL National Western	2nd of 4	32	20	12	na	61	52	174	Conference Final	Semifinal	Did Not Qualify	Did Not Qualify	Luis Fernando	28
1981	NASL Western	2nd of 4	32	19	13	na	53	55	160	Play-offs 1st round	Semifinal	Did Not Enter	Did Not Qualify
1982	{Aztecs folded}{Lazers join Major Indoor Soccer League} }									No NASL Representation	Semifinal	Did Not Qualify	Did Not Qualify	Chris Dangerfield	21
1982/83	Major Indoor Soccer League Western	7th of 7	48	8	40	na	191	286	24	Did Not Qualify	Second Round	Did Not Qualify	Did Not Qualify
1983/84	MISL Western	3rd of 6	48	24	24	0	223	239	2	Quarter finals	Third Round	Did Not Qualify	Did Not Qualify
1984/85	MISL Western	3rd of 7	48	24	24	na	232	230	13	Conference Quarterfinal	Quarterfinal	Did Not Qualify	Did Not Qualify
1986	{Heat and Hollywood Kickers both formed to join Regional Western soccer outdoor league}	{Kickers} Western Champions	14	8	4	2	21	13	28	Western Champions {Kickers}	Semifinal	Did Not Qualify	Did Not Qualify
1987	Hollywood Kickers became California Kickers Regional Western	{Heat} 5th of 6	10	5	5	na	9	15	24	Did Not Qualify	Semifinal	Did Not Qualify	Did Not Qualify
1988	Regional Western	{Heat} 4th of 6	12	7	5	na	20	17	61	Did Not Qualify	Semifinal	Did Not Qualify	Did Not Qualify
1989	Western, South	{Heat} 2nd of 5	16	10	6	na	35	19	81	Play-off semi finals	Quarterfinal	Did Not Enter	Did Not Qualify
1990	new A-League formed with Kickers who became Emperors and Heat	{Emperors} WSL North 1st of 6	20	10	10	na	35	32	89	Conference Final {Heat}	Semifinal	Did Not Enter	Did Not Qualify
1991	Heat folded, Emperors left league and went amateur	Various amateur teams									Third Round	Did Not Enter	Did Not Qualify
1992	Amateur leagues	Various teams									Second Round	Did Not Enter	Did Not Qualify
1993	Salsa formed and joined A-League	4th of 7	24	12	12	na	53	47	118	Final	Semifinal	Did Not Qualify	Did Not Qualify
1994	A-League	2nd of 7	20	12	8	na	36	22	106	Conference Semifinal	Semifinal	Did Not Enter	Did Not Qualify
1995	Salsa withdrew: No A-League representation	East Los Angeles Cobras top minor league team USISL Southwest 1st of 7	16	11	5	na	40	18	101	Lost in Playoffs	Did Not Enter	Did Not Enter	Did Not Qualify
1996	Galaxy founder member of Major League Soccer	Western Conference 1st of 5	32	19	13	na	59	49	49	Final	Did Not Enter	Did Not Qualify	Did Not Qualify	Eduardo Hurtado	21
1997	MLS Western	2nd of 5	32	16	16	na	55	44	44	Conference Semifinal	Did Not Enter	Final	Did not qualify	Welton	11
1998	MLS Western	1st of 5	32	24	8	na	85	44	68	Semifinal	Did Not Enter	Did Not Enter	Did not qualify	Cobi Jones	19
1999	MLS Western	1st of 6	32	20	12	na	49	29	54	Final	Quarterfinals	Did not qualify	Did not qualify	Cobi Jones/Carlos Hermosillo	8
2000	MLS Wetsern	2nd of 4	32	14	10	8	47	37	50	Semifinals	Semifinals	Champions {Galaxy}	Did not qualify	Cobi Jones	7
2001	MLS Western	1st of 4	26	14	7	5	52	36	47	Final	Champions {Galaxy}	Not Held	Did Not Enter	Luis Hernández	8
2002	MLS Western	1st of 5	28	16	9	3	44	33	51	Champions {Galaxy}	Final {Galaxy}	Did not qualify	Did not qualify	Carlos Ruiz	24
2003	MLS Western	4th of 5	30	9	12	9	35	35	36	Quarter finals	Semifinals	Quarterfinals	Did not qualify	Carlos Ruiz	15
2004	MLS Western	2nd of 5	30	11	9	10	42	40	43	Conference final	Fourth Round	Did not qualify	Did not qualify	Carlos Ruiz	11
2005	Chivas joined MLS Western	{Galaxy} 4th of 6	32	13	13	6	44	45	45	Champions {Galaxy}	Champions {Galaxy}	Did not qualify	Did not qualify	Landon Donovan	12
2006	MLS Western	{Chivas} 3rd of 6	32	10	9	13	45	42	43	Conference Semifinal	Final {Galaxy}	Quarterfinals {Galaxy}	Did Not Qualify
2007	MLS Western	{Chivas} & {Galaxy} competing								Current	Third round {Galaxy & Chivas}	Did not qualify	Did not qualify

[edit] Attendance averages

The following averages are from regular season only and do not include play-offs 'Teams in bold won the title.

1967: 7,773: Wolves
1967: 3,595: Toros
1968: 2,441: Wolves
1974: 5,098: Aztecs
1975: 8,307: Aztecs
1976: 8,027: Aztecs
1977: 9,643: Aztecs
1978: 9,235: Aztecs
1979: 14,333: Aztecs
1979/80: 2,768: Aztecs {Indoor}
1980: 12,097: Aztecs
1980/81: 3,446: Aztecs {Indoor}
1981: 5,814: Aztecs
1996: 30,129: Galaxy
1997: 23,626: Galaxy
1998: 21,784: Galaxy
1999: 17,632: Galaxy
2000: 20,400: Galaxy
2001: 17,387: Galaxy
2002: 19,047: Galaxy
2003: 21,983: Galaxy
2004: 23,089: Galaxy
2005: 24,204: Galaxy
2005: 17,080: Chivas
2006: 20,814: Galaxy
2006: 19,840: Chivas

In 2006 Los Angeles Galaxy attracted higher average attendances than three English Premier League clubs while Chivas bettered the lowest attended club Portsmouth by literally an average of one person. At the second level of English soccer Galaxy would have been the eleventh best supported club and Chivas thirteenth, this time coming in just one person per game less than Hull City.