Latest news with #ElTráfico
Yahoo
22-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Commentary: LAFC fans put aside their rivalry with Galaxy to stand in solidarity against ICE
There are more important things than the results of a soccer game. Even when that soccer game is between bitter rivals whose supporters would rather bust one another's heads than shake hands. The El Tráfico match between LAFC and the Galaxy is one of those proper rivalries. In just eight seasons, it has blossomed into the most intense, meaningful and emotional rivalry in MLS. And at times, especially in the derby's early years, that emotion went largely unchecked, with some fans seeing their nights end in handcuffs or a hospital emergency room. Last Saturday was different. Well, at least it started differently before ending with the same wild raucousness that has come to define El Tráfico. More about that in a bit. But first, some background. Read more: Galaxy scores in final minute to force draw with LAFC in tense El Tráfico contest More than six weeks ago, masked federal agents, soon to be backed by National Guard troops and U.S. Marines, began invading neighborhoods across Southern California during immigration raids that The Times reported increased fear while leading to more than 2,700 arrests. More than two-thirds of those arrested had never been convicted of a crime and 57% had never been charged with a crime. And this is where the story becomes a soccer one. Soccer, by custom and breeding, is an immigrant sport. Like pizza, sushi and Halloween, soccer was imported to the U.S. by immigrants and was popularized in immigrant neighborhoods before spreading to the culture at large. So for many soccer fans, the violent raids, which upended families and communities, were personal. Angel City FC, Los Angeles' National Women's Soccer League team, and LAFC reacted immediately. Within hours of the first raids, both teams issued statements of support of their fans. Read more: Commentary: Angel City takes stand against immigration raids as others stay silent 'When so many in our city are feeling fear and uncertainty,' the LAFC statement read in part, 'LAFC stands shoulder to shoulder with all members of our community." The Galaxy and its parent company, AEG, like the rest of MLS, have so far been silent — a silence that has been deafening to so many of its supporters, they began boycotting the team and its activities. Longtime season-ticket holders have canceled their orders and at Saturday's El Tráfico at BMO Stadium the three sections in the upper deck reserved for fans of the visiting team were nearly half empty for the first time. So LAFC's supporters' union stepped into the void, delivering the message Galaxy fans have yet to get from their club: we have your back. Just before kickoff LAFC fans in the north stand unfurled a massive banner that read: 'Los Angeles Unidos Jamás Será Vencido" ("Los Angeles, united, will never be defeated.") The message is a take on a revolutionary slogan that begins 'the people united.' It originated in Chile in the 1970s but has long been popular with grassroots movements throughout Latin America because its meaning transcends political — and soccer — affiliations to deliver a universal truth about unity and justice. In this fight, the LAFC supporters were saying, the two local MLS teams were on the same side. It wasn't exactly joining hands with Galaxy supporters and singing "Kumbaya." But it was close. Given soccer's history and heritage, it's both sad and revealing that LAFC remains the only MLS organization that has spoken out about the fear and frustration the immigration raids have caused. This isn't a political issue, after all; LAFC's brief 49-word statement, which a league source not authorized to speak publicly said was approved by MLS, never mentions politics or immigration. Instead, it celebrates the importance of diversity. Yet no other team, in a league that owes its very existence to immigrants, has had the courage to take even that tepid a step. Rolling Stone, citing league and team sources, said there is worry taking any kind of stand would lead the Trump administration, which launched the raids, to retaliate. They cite the example of the Dodgers, who were sued by a Trump-aligned conservative legal group, after pledging to give $1 million to support immigrant families. A league executive, not authorized to speak on the record, pushed back on that. The closest the league has come to making a formal policy declaration about such matters, the executive said, is a two-decade-old fan code of conduct that 'prohibits fans from displaying signs, symbols, or images used for commercial purposes or to advocate for or against any political candidate, party, legislative issue, or government action.' Read more: Galaxy disciplines fans for rule violations while protesting team response to ICE raids The league may tacitly have encouraged teams to stay silent, but its policies don't expressly prohibit the Galaxy, or any other team, from supporting immigrants and opposing the arrests of legal residents. Yet LAFC — and Angel City and the Chicago Red Stars in the NWSL — are the only top-tier soccer teams that have yet done so. So it's fallen to the fans to take action, with MLS supporters in Seattle, San Diego, Chicago, Nashville, Austin and elsewhere waving banners and staging boycotts. But if ICE is a common enemy, it's not the only one. After the Galaxy rallied twice from two-goal deficits Saturday to tie LAFC on the final touch of the game — a game marred by a mini-brawl involving as many as 10 players early in stoppage time — the rivalry was back on, with LAFC fans pelting the referees with beer and trash and arguing with Galaxy supporters in the parking lots. Solidarity, it seems, has its limits. ⚽ You have read the latest installment of On Soccer with Kevin Baxter. The weekly column takes you behind the scenes and shines a spotlight on unique stories. Listen to Baxter on this week's episode of the 'Corner of the Galaxy' podcast. Get the best, most interesting and strangest stories of the day from the L.A. sports scene and beyond from our newsletter The Sports Report. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Los Angeles Times
22-07-2025
- Sport
- Los Angeles Times
LAFC fans put aside their rivalry with Galaxy to stand in solidarity against ICE
There are more important things than the results of a soccer game. Even when that soccer game is between bitter rivals whose supporters would rather bust one another's heads than shake hands. The El Tráfico match between LAFC and the Galaxy is one of those proper rivalries. In just eight seasons, it has blossomed into the most intense, meaningful and emotional rivalry in MLS. And at times, especially in the derby's early years, that emotion went largely unchecked, with some fans seeing their nights end in handcuffs or a hospital emergency room. Last Saturday was different. Well, at least it started differently before ending with the same wild raucousness that has come to define El Tráfico. More about that in a bit. But first, some background. More than six weeks ago, masked federal agents, soon to be backed by National Guard troops and U.S. Marines, began invading neighborhoods across Southern California during immigration raids that The Times reported increased fear while leading to more than 2,700 arrests. More than two-thirds of those arrested had never been convicted of a crime and 57% had never been charged with a crime. And this is where the story becomes a soccer one. Soccer, by custom and breeding, is an immigrant sport. Like pizza, sushi and Halloween, soccer was imported to the U.S. by immigrants and was popularized in immigrant neighborhoods before spreading to the culture at large. So for many soccer fans, the violent raids, which upended families and communities, were personal. Angel City FC, Los Angeles' National Women's Soccer League team, and LAFC reacted immediately. Within hours of the first raids, both teams issued statements of support of their fans. 'When so many in our city are feeling fear and uncertainty,' the LAFC statement read in part, 'LAFC stands shoulder to shoulder with all members of our community.' The Galaxy and its parent company, AEG, like the rest of MLS, have so far been silent — a silence that has been deafening to so many of its supporters, they began boycotting the team and its activities. Longtime season-ticket holders have canceled their orders and at Saturday's El Tráfico at BMO Stadium the three sections in the upper deck reserved for fans of the visiting team were nearly half empty for the first time. So LAFC's supporters' union stepped into the void, delivering the message Galaxy fans have yet to get from their club: we have your back. Just before kickoff LAFC fans in the north stand unfurled a massive banner that read: 'Los Angeles Unidos Jamás Será Vencido' ('Los Angeles, united, will never be defeated.') The message is a take on a revolutionary slogan that begins 'the people united.' It originated in Chile in the 1970s but has long been popular with grassroots movements throughout Latin America because its meaning transcends political — and soccer — affiliations to deliver a universal truth about unity and justice. In this fight, the LAFC supporters were saying, the two local MLS teams were on the same side. It wasn't exactly joining hands with Galaxy supporters and singing 'Kumbaya.' But it was close. Given soccer's history and heritage, it's both sad and revealing that LAFC remains the only MLS organization that has spoken out about the fear and frustration the immigration raids have caused. This isn't a political issue, after all; LAFC's brief 49-word statement, which a league source not authorized to speak publicly said was approved by MLS, never mentions politics or immigration. Instead, it celebrates the importance of diversity. Yet no other team, in a league that owes its very existence to immigrants, has had the courage to take even that tepid a step. Rolling Stone, citing league and team sources, said there is worry taking any kind of stand would lead the Trump administration, which launched the raids, to retaliate. They cite the example of the Dodgers, who were sued by a Trump-aligned conservative legal group, after pledging to give $1 million to support immigrant families. A league executive, not authorized to speak on the record, pushed back on that. The closest the league has come to making a formal policy declaration about such matters, the executive said, is a two-decade-old fan code of conduct that 'prohibits fans from displaying signs, symbols, or images used for commercial purposes or to advocate for or against any political candidate, party, legislative issue, or government action.' The league may tacitly have encouraged teams to stay silent, but its policies don't expressly prohibit the Galaxy, or any other team, from supporting immigrants and opposing the arrests of legal residents. Yet LAFC — and Angel City and the Chicago Red Stars in the NWSL — are the only top-tier soccer teams that have yet done so. So it's fallen to the fans to take action, with MLS supporters in Seattle, San Diego, Chicago, Nashville, Austin and elsewhere waving banners and staging boycotts. But if ICE is a common enemy, it's not the only one. After the Galaxy rallied twice from two-goal deficits Saturday to tie LAFC on the final touch of the game — a game marred by a mini-brawl involving as many as 10 players early in stoppage time — the rivalry was back on, with LAFC fans pelting the referees with beer and trash and arguing with Galaxy supporters in the parking lots. Solidarity, it seems, has its limits. ⚽ You have read the latest installment of On Soccer with Kevin Baxter. The weekly column takes you behind the scenes and shines a spotlight on unique stories. Listen to Baxter on this week's episode of the 'Corner of the Galaxy' podcast.
Yahoo
20-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Galaxy scores in final minute to force draw with LAFC in tense El Tráfico contest
The rivalry between the old-school Galaxy and its upstart neighbor LAFC was once the best in MLS. The Galaxy traces its roots to the inception of the league while LAFC helped define its modern era, setting up a turf war so good, so competitive and so emotional, it had its own nickname. Much of that drama had faded from El Tráfico in recent matches. But that changed Saturday when Maya Yoshida scored on the last touch of the game to give the Galaxy a 3-3 draw before a packed house of 22,301 at BMO Stadium. And the teams didn't limit their fight to the scoreboard. A tense shoving match broke out seconds into stoppage time, leading referee Guido Gonzalez to send off LAFC's Eddie Segura with a red card while handing two yellow cards to the Galaxy and one to LAFC goalkeeper Hugo Lloris. The most devastating punch, however, came from Yoshida, who was in the center of the shoving match. Minutes later his header off a cross from Mauricio Cuevas — his first goal and just his second shot on target of the season — capped a Galaxy comeback from a late 3-1 deficit. Gabriel Pec had the other two goals for the Galaxy while Denis Bouanga scored twice for LAFC, whose other goal came from Javairo Dilrosun. The draw gave the Galaxy (3-14-7) points in five of their last seven games, the team's best stretch of the season. LAFC (10-5-6) is unbeaten in four straight and has lost just once in 14 league games since April 5. But the two points it lost on Yoshida's goal dropped it to fifth in the Western Conference standings. Bouanga's fifth goal in six games gave LAFC the early lead in the 26th minute and, significantly, it was the first goal in that span that didn't come from the penalty spot. It also gave him a goal in his last six games against the Galaxy. Dilrosun doubled the lead with his second MLS goal on a counterattack five minutes later. Pec halved the deficit for the Galaxy on a penalty kick less than10 minutes before the intermission. That goal, set up by a Ryan Hollingshead hand ball in the box, snapped a 375-minute scoreless streak for LAFC. Bouanga extended the LAFC lead on another counterattack set up by a Galaxy mistake in the 67th minute. Afterward, as the teams walked back to the center circle, Pec and Galaxy defender Emilio Garces, who was out of position on the breakaway, engaged in a heated argument. Read more: Galaxy disciplines fans for rule violations while protesting team response to ICE raids Pec calmed down enough to get his fifth goal of the season, on a cross from Marco Reus, to pull his team closer in the 79th minute. The Galaxy then appeared to tie the score just before stoppage time, but Lloris made a spectacular kick save on Christian Ramirez while lying on his back on the goal line. That set the stage for Yoshida, however, with the Galaxy captain slipping in front of Nkosi Tafari to redirect a glancing header inside the far post, earning the Galaxy a league result at BMO Stadium for the first time since August 2021, a game that also ended in a 3-3 draw. Get the best, most interesting and strangest stories of the day from the L.A. sports scene and beyond from our newsletter The Sports Report. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
USA Today
19-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
LAFC vs. LA Galaxy: TV, time, how to watch MLS 'El Trafico' rivalry
One of MLS's great rivalries is on tap for Saturday, with LAFC and the LA Galaxy expected to provide some fireworks in the latest edition of "El Tráfico." The two foes are in very different places right now. LAFC enters the match on a three-game winning streak, shutting out Minnesota United, FC Dallas, and the Colorado Rapids in consecutive games. That run, along with an 8W-1D-2L home record that is among the best in MLS, has Denis Bouanga and Co. in fourth place in the Western Conference, and LAFC holds three games in hand on first-place San Diego FC. For the Galaxy, 2025 has been a nightmare. The defending MLS champions have completely fallen apart, and sit 29th out of 30 teams league-wide (with CF Montréal behind LA only via goal difference). That said, the Galaxy have finally course-corrected after a staggering 16-game winless run to start the season, going 3W-2D-2L in their last seven outings. Here's what to know about LAFC vs. LA Galaxy, including the start time and how to watch: What time is LAFC vs. LA Galaxy? LAFC and the LA Galaxy will meet in the latest chapter of "El Tráfico" on Saturday night, with the MLS rivalry scheduled to start at 10:30 p.m. ET (7:30 p.m. local) at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles. How to watch LAFC vs. LA Galaxy MLS game: TV, stream
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
LAFC and Galaxy each won something notable in their El Tráfico draw
Galaxy midfielder Marco Reus controls the ball in front of LAFC midfielder Marco Delgado during a 2-2 draw Sunday at Dignity Health Sports Park. (Shaun Clark / Getty Images) It was the kind of showdown MLS has long dreamed of to sell the league. Marco Reus, a three-time Bundesliga player of the year, standing over the ball 25 yards from where Hugo Lloris, the most-capped goalkeeper in World Cup history, waited for his free kick. With less than three minutes left in regulation, the league's most intense rivalry was hanging in the balance. Advertisement For Reus, however, the moment felt far from unique. 'I had these kind of situations a thousand times in my career. So I know what I have to do,' said Reus, who then did it, chipping a shot inches over LAFC's five-man defensive wall and inches wide of a diving Lloris to give the Galaxy a 2-2 draw in Sunday's El Tráfico. Read more: Galaxy score late, but can't end their record winless streak in draw with rival LAFC For all the drama, the result was one neither team wanted, but one that both accepted. 'The feeling in the locker room is just pure disappointment. And we'll learn from this moment and get better,' LAFC coach Steve Cherundolo said. Advertisement But, he added, 'it's also really important not to lose games, not just always to look to win, win, win. Yes, we all want to win. We do everything we can to win. It's also important to understand we're away and we got a point tonight.' The result extended LAFC's unbeaten streak to seven games. However the Reus goal, with less than three minutes left in regulation time, kept the team from winning back-to-back games for the first time since March 1. 'The result is fair,' Cherundolo said. 'In a couple of key moments we weren't good enough to win. We didn't have our best day. But we didn't have a poor day.' Advertisement For the Galaxy (0-10-4), the tie extended their winless streak to 14 games, the longest ever by a reigning MLS Cup champion. However it also ended their five-game losing streak, the team's longest in five seasons. 'It probably is somewhat of a fair result,' Galaxy coach Greg Vanney agreed. Nobody won, nobody lost, everybody had a good time. Well, not exactly. Because both sides missed opportunities to take a big step forward and wound up running in place instead. For LAFC (6-4-4), the draw continued a trend that has seen the team play well enough not to lose but rarely well enough to win. Reus' goal prevented it from ending that mediocrity and building some momentum heading into next week's Club World Cup qualifier with Mexico's Club América. Advertisement 'I definitely wanted to win so bad. The competitive juices were flowing,' said midfielder Mark Delgado, whose last game at Dignity Health Sports Park was the MLS Cup final, when he helped the Galaxy to their sixth league title and their last victory before being traded up the 110 Freeway to LAFC. For the Galaxy, the winless streak remains an albatross hanging around their necks. Injuries have plagued the team, but the Galaxy were healthier Sunday than they've been all season. They were also playing in Carson, where they haven't lost to LAFC in more than two years. And when Reus scored his first goal in the sixth minute, they led for just the third time all season. 'I told the guys in the dressing room that it doesn't feel like a draw,' said Reus, whose first two-goal game in MLS won him the league's player of the week honors. 'We should win this game, especially 1-0 ahead after six minutes.' Read more: Galaxy sign coach Greg Vanney to contract extension amid franchise-record winless start Advertisement On Friday the team signed Vanney to a multiyear contract extension that makes him the best-paid manager in MLS. If the announcement, two days before the rivalry game, was meant to take some pressure off the coach, another week without a win left Vanney once again searching for silver linings on the black cloud hovering above his team. This time he pointed to the determination the Galaxy showed after losing both the lead and an apparent tying goal to an offside call. 'Tonight is a positive night that hopefully we need to think about using as a springboard,' he said. 'This is as good of a team as we've played against and we played them very even up.' Cherundolo, like Vanney, thought his team looked good in a tie — especially at the end of a week in which it played three times in two countries in seven days. Advertisement So maybe it's more appropriate to call Sunday's game a tie in which both teams won something. For LAFC, Denis Bouanga's first-half wonderstrike from well outside the box gave him seven goals in his team's seven-game unbeaten streak. He led MLS in scoring the last two seasons but was goalless through his team's first seven games this season, four of which LAFC lost. Read more: LAFC to host América in Club World Cup qualifying playoff on May 31 For the Galaxy, the two scores from Reus gave him four goal contributions in two games — and he lost another assist on the offside call that negated Gabriel Pec's second-half goal. More importantly, he played 90 minutes in consecutive games for the first time since coming to MLS last summer. Advertisement Even MLS won with the Reus-Lloris showdown. 'We can't lose sight of the journey that we're on for the entire season,' Cherundolo said. 'The steps we've made as a group have been very positive. I'm seeing this as one of 34 league games, plus the Champions League games. We're on a good path.' ⚽ You have read the latest installment of On Soccer with Kevin Baxter. The weekly column takes you behind the scenes and shines a spotlight on unique stories. Listen to Baxter on this week's episode of the 'Corner of the Galaxy' podcast. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
