Soccer has enjoyed longstanding popularity in Los Angeles . As of 2023, Los Angeles County has three top-level professional teams. The LA Galaxy and Los Angeles FC play in Major League Soccer , and Angel City FC plays in the National Women's Soccer League . The Greater Los Angeles area is also home to one 2nd division professional team, Orange County SC , of the USL Championship , and four 3rd division professional teams, LAFC2 and LA Galaxy II , of MLS Next Pro , and Los Angeles Force and California United Strikers FC of the National Independent Soccer Association . There are also many semi-professional clubs and leagues including the United Premier Soccer League , SoCal Premier League and National Premier Soccer League , among others. In 2019, two more professional teams, Cal FC (Thousand Oaks) and California United Strikers FC (Orange County) joined a new, unsanctioned, professional league called the NPSL Founders Cup They both later left, with Cal FC joining the United Premier Soccer League .
History
Soccer in Los Angeles began in the 20th century when the Southern California Football League was founded in 1902.[1]
Historic clubs
The first and only champions of the United Soccer Association (1967), predecessor to the North American Soccer League (1968–1984) .
The LA Kickers were the first LA area team to win the National Challenge Cup, known today as the U.S. Open Cup.[citation needed
LA Maccabi won the U.S. Open Cup, known in their time as the National Challenge Cup, a record number five times.[2]
The Orange County Soccer Club was a two-time consecutive finalist of the National Challenge Cup, in 1966 and '67. OCSC played Bayern Munich at Santa Ana Stadium in 1966.
[3] [4] [5]
The LA Aztecs won the NASL National Championship in their inaugural season, 1974.[6] Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum .[citation needed The Aztecs folded in 1981.[citation needed
The California Sunshine, an Orange County based pro team, played in the ASL .[7]
Club Deportivo Chivas USA was a joint venture between Chivas de Guadalajara owner Jorge Vergara, partner Antonio Cué, and Major League Soccer, that operated Chivas trademarks in the United States through the Delaware entity called Chivas de Guadalajara Licensing, LLC.[8] [citation needed
Historic season records
Los Angeles Wolves (USA and NASL) (1967–1968)
Year
League
W
L
T
Pts
Reg. season
Playoffs
Avg. attendance
1967
USA
5
5
2
15
1st, Western Division
Champions
7,777
1968
NASL
11
8
13
139
3rd, Pacific Division
did not qualify
2,441
Los Angeles Aztecs (NASL) (1974–81)
Several years after the formation of the North American Soccer League in 1968, the Los Angeles Aztecs joined NASL as an expansion team in 1974, and played from 1974 until 1981, folding after the 1981 season. The team featured international superstars such as George Best and Johan Cruyff . The team was at its most popular in 1979 and 1980, averaging over 12,000 fans both seasons.[citation needed
California Surf (NASL) (1978–1981)
Year
League
W
L
Pts
Regular season
Playoffs
Avg. Attend.
1978
NASL
13
17
115
2nd, American Conference, Western Division
Lost 1st Round (San Diego )
11,171
1979
NASL
15
15
140
1st(t), American Conference, Western Division
Lost 1st Round (San Diego )
10,330
1980
NASL
15
17
144
2nd, American Conference, Western Division
Lost 1st Round (Ft. Lauderdale )
7,593
1981
NASL
11
21
117
3rd, Western Division
did not qualify
8,299
Chivas USA (MLS) (2005–2014)
Professional clubs, modern era
LA Galaxy (MLS) (1996–present)
The launch of Major League Soccer in 1996 included the newly formed Los Angeles Galaxy as one of the founding teams. LA Soccer Partners were the original owners; Anschutz Entertainment Group is the current owner. The Galaxy won the CONCACAF Champions Cup in 2000.[9]
Season
Conf
Pos
League Record
Playoffs
U.S. Open Cup
CONCACAF
Top scorer
Plyd
Won
Lost
Drew
F
A
Pts
Name
Goals
1996
West
1st
32
19
13
0
59
49
49
Final
Did not enter
Did not qualify
Eduardo Hurtado
21
1997
West
2nd
32
16
16
0
55
44
44
Conference Semifinal
Did not enter
Final
Welton
11
1998
West
1st
32
24
8
0
85
44
68
Conference Semifinal
Did not enter
Did not enter
Cobi Jones
19
1999
West
1st
32
20
12
0
49
29
54
Final
Quarterfinal
Did not qualify
Cobi Jones Carlos Hermosillo
8
2000
West
2nd
32
14
10
8
47
37
50
Semifinal
Semifinal
Champions
Cobi Jones
7
2001
West
1st
26
14
7
5
52
36
47
Final
Champions
Not Held
Luis Hernández
8
2002
West
1st
28
16
9
3
44
33
51
Champions
Final
Did not qualify
Carlos Ruiz
24
2003
West
4th
30
9
12
9
35
35
36
Conference Semifinal
Semifinal
Quarterfinal
Carlos Ruiz
15
2004
West
2nd
30
11
9
10
42
40
43
Conference Semifinal
Fourth round
Did not qualify
Carlos Ruiz
11
2005
West
4th
32
13
13
6
44
45
45
Champions
Champions
Did not qualify
Landon Donovan
12
2006
West
5th
32
11
15
6
37
37
39
Did not qualify
Final
Quarterfinal
Landon Donovan
12
2007
West
5th
30
9
14
7
38
48
34
Did not qualify
Third round
Did not qualify
Landon Donovan
8
2008
West
6th
30
8
13
9
55
62
33
Did not qualify
Did not qualify
Did not qualify
Landon Donovan
20
2009
West
1st
30
12
6
12
36
31
48
Final
Did not qualify
Did not qualify
Landon Donovan
12
2010
West
1st
30
18
7
5
44
26
59
Conference Final
Quarterfinal
Preliminary round
Edson Buddle
19
2011
West
1st
34
19
5
10
48
28
67
Champions
Quarterfinal
Quarterfinal
Landon Donovan
12
2012
West
4th
34
16
12
6
59
47
54
Champions
Third round
Semifinal
Robbie Keane
16
2013
West
3rd
34
15
11
8
53
38
53
Conference Semifinal
Third round
Quarterfinal
Robbie Keane
16
2014
West
2nd
34
17
7
10
69
37
61
Champions
Fifth round
Did not qualify
Robbie Keane
19
2015
West
5th
34
14
11
9
56
46
51
Knockout round
Quarterfinal
Quarterfinal
Robbie Keane
20
2016
West
3rd
34
12
6
16
54
39
52
Conference Semifinal
Semifinal
Did not qualify
Giovani dos Santos
14
2017
West
11th
34
8
18
8
45
67
32
Did not qualify
Quarterfinal
Did not qualify
Romain Alessandrini
13
2018
West
7th
34
13
12
9
66
64
48
Did not qualify
Round of 16
Did not qualify
Zlatan Ibrahimović
22
2019
West
5th
34
16
15
3
56
55
51
Conference Semifinal
Round of 16
Did not qualify
Zlatan Ibrahimović
30
Los Angeles FC (MLS) (2018–present)
Season
Conf
Pos
League Record
Playoffs
U.S. Open Cup
CONCACAF
Top scorer
Plyd
Won
Lost
Drew
F
A
Pts
Name
Goals
2018
West
3rd
34
16
9
9
68
52
57
Knockout round
Semifinal
Did not qualify
Carlos Vela
14
2019
West
1st
34
21
4
9
85
37
72
Conference Final
Quarterfinal
Did not qualify
Carlos Vela
34
Angel City FC (NWSL, 2022–present)
Los Angeles derbies
LA Galaxy vs Chivas USA (2008–2014)
The rivalry ended in 2014 when Chivas ceased operations.
LA Galaxy vs Los Angeles FC (2018–present)
Los Angeles FC joined the league in 2018 and a crosstown rivalry , El Tráfico , was created.[10]
Women's soccer
In 2009, Los Angeles became home to a third top-level professional team, the Los Angeles Sol , a charter member of Women's Professional Soccer . WPS was the second attempt to establish a fully professional women's league in the U.S., after the demise of the Women's United Soccer Association (which did not have an L.A. representative). The Sol shared The Home Depot Center, now known as Dignity Health Sports Park , with the Galaxy and Chivas USA, before ceasing operations in January 2010.[citation needed
WPS folded after the 2011 season; its effective successor, the National Women's Soccer League , does not currently have a fully operational franchise in Los Angeles, nor in California. In July 2020, a then-unnamed team backed by an almost all-female ownership group was announced as a new NWSL member. The team, later unveiled as Angel City FC , plans to start play in 2022 at Banc of California Stadium , home to Los Angeles FC of MLS.
Indoor soccer
Although the area does not have any current professional indoor soccer teams, Los Angeles has hosted three. The Los Angeles Aztecs played one tournament and two seasons in the NASL Indoor leagues in 1975 and from 1979 to 1981. The Los Angeles Lazers played in the original Major Indoor Soccer League from 1982 to 1989. Finally, the Los Angeles United played a single season in the Continental Indoor Soccer League in 1994 before being relocated to Anaheim .
