La Galaxy
The club plays in Major League Soccer (MLS); America's highest division of soccer. In 1995, the club became one of the ten founding franchises of MLS.
The name "Galaxy" refers to Los Angeles being the home of Hollywood "movie stars".
The club has won the MLS Cup twice (2002, 2005), and the U.S. Galaxy play their home matches at The Home Depot Center in suburban Carson, California, which they share with arch-rival, Chivas USA.
In January 2007, the club made international headlines by signing English superstar David Beckham, to a record deal potentially worth $250 million.
Beckham is currently club captain.
History
Further information: Los Angeles Soccer History
1996-2005: Decade of Success
The Los Angeles Galaxy have a long and proud history, having been an inaugural team of the MLS. They appeared in it two more times in 1999 and 2001 before finally winning it in 2002.
They were regular season champions of the Western Conference in 1996, 1998, 1999, 2001 and 2002, winning the league's Supporters' Shield for best record in 1998 and 2002. After losing to Landon Donovan and the San Jose Earthquakes in MLS Cup 2001 and in the 2003 MLS Cup playoffs, AEG orchestrated the transfer of Donovan to the Galaxy in 2005, and the Galaxy won the MLS Cup a second time in 2005 to cap off their first decade.
The Galaxy hold the singular distinction of having made the MLS playoffs in each of the club's first ten seasons.
2006-Present
2006: First Taste of Failure
The 2006 season began tragically on March 16 with the sudden death of Doug Hamilton, the team's 43-year-old general manager, who suffered a heart attack on board a plane carrying the team back from Costa Rica after where they were playing Saprissa in the CONCACAF Champions' Cup. The season is considered the worst in the Galaxy's history, as the team finished fifth in the Western Conference, eliminating them from playoff contention for the first time since the league's inception. The Galaxy lost after extra-time on penalty kicks.
In the SuperLiga match versus FC Dallas on July 31st, a total of 11 goals were scored, with the final 6-5 in favor of Galaxy.
This match tied the all-time record for number of goals scored in a match between two MLS sides, and the win guaranteed the Galaxy a spot in the tournament's semifinals.
In August, following five successive league defeats, pressure mounted on the club, especially head coach, Frank Yallop, and there were widespread rumors that he would be sacked. However, their fortunes turned around and after five straight league victories, the Galaxy's post-season hopes were surprisingly still alive toward the end of the season.
The Galaxy were officially eliminated from the playoffs on October 21, in a 1-0 loss to the Chicago Fire.
With a final season record of 9-14-7, both unpopular general manager Alexi Lalas and head coach Frank Yallop were rumored to be in danger of being sacked by owner Philip Anschutz, after a second consecutive season in which the club failed to reach the post-season.
Offseason: Departures and Arrivals
After the 2007 season Cobi Jones retired. MLS expansion club, the San Jose Earthquakes, bought out his contract and offered a 3rd round draft pick to the Galaxy to make Yallop their new head coach.
On November 7, rumors spread that former Chelsea, Newcastle United, and Feyenoord manager, Ruud Gullit, had accepted an offer to be the Galaxy's new head coach.
international Clint Mathis from New York for a third round pick in the 2008 MLS SuperDraft. He made his debut for the Galaxy in a friendly at Telstra Stadium against Sydney and scored the first goal in the Galaxy's match versus Wellington Phoenix. In a strange move which led to more criticism of under-fire club G.M.
Alexi Lalas, less than two months after acquiring Mathis, he was sold to Greek club Ergotelis. On November 21, in the 2007 MLS Expansion Draft, the Galaxy lost forward Gavin Glinton with the ninth pick to stock expansion club, the San Jose Earthquakes.
The Galaxy went on a promotional tour of Australia and New Zealand and played two friendlies with teams of the new Australian A-League.
Ruiz is the leading scorer in MLS postseason history and is the 8th leading scorer in league history. after his contract expires with Inter Milan in June.
On January 21, 2008, The Times reported that 29-year-old former Chelsea and Newcastle United defender, Celestine Babayaro, had signed a 3-year-deal with the Galaxy after being released by Newcastle.
defense next season and also be reunited with his former manager at Chelsea, Ruud Gullit. However, on March 3rd, Babayaro was released by the club after playing only 45 minutes for L.A. Speculation ensued that he was released because he either demanded too much money or was deemed not good enough by Ruud Gullit.
On February 15, the Galaxy acquired 33-year-old defender Greg Vanney from D.C.
Vanney, who began his MLS career with the Galaxy in 1996, returns to Los Angeles after previous stops at FC Dallas, Colorado and D.C. United, as well as a three year stint with Bastia in France's Ligue 1.
On February 21, the Galaxy fell 1-0 to Japanese club Gamba Osaka in the semi-finals of the inaugural Pan-Pacific Championship in Honolulu, Hawaii. However, on February 23, LA defeated Sydney 2-1 in the tournament third-place match.
took on expansion club, the San Jose Earthquakes (and former coach Frank Yallop and goalkeeper Joe Cannon) in a match broadcast nationally on ESPN's MLS Primetime Thursday. This rivalry remains strong, as the two clubs are the two most successful clubs in MLS history, along with having the two largest fan bases in the league.
The Galaxy's chief rival for the past few years has been Chivas USA, with whom they share a home stadium.
This led to a tense confrontation between Beckham and Marsch, during which Beckham was restrained by teammate Edson Buddle. It is said that Cozmo was beamed down to The Home Depot Center from his intergalactic spaceship on June 7, 2003.
The team’s website claims that Cozmo is also “universally known as a goalkeeper who can stop shots traveling at the speed of light,” but also possesses the speed and skill to play forward for any team on the planet.
Popular with kids and adults alike, Cozmo is loved for his antics while entertaining fans during games.
MLS Scoring Champion Award included both goal and assist totals those years.
Defensive Player of the Year
Home stadiums
Home Depot Center
Rose Bowl (1996–2002)
The Home Depot Center (2003–present)
Year-by-year
* Won MLS Supporters' Shield
† In Progress
Further information: Los Angeles Soccer History
Year-by-year stats
International competition
Average attendance
*As of July 29, 2008
The LA Galaxy draw the highest average attendance of all MLS teams.
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