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EspañolLOS ANGELES GALAXY
The 'Los Angeles Galaxy' are a professional football (soccer) team based in Carson, California that participates in Major League Soccer. The name "Galaxy" refers to Los Angeles being the home of many Hollywood "stars".[1] The team's original colors were teal and gold; however the teal was changed to green from 2003 until mid 2007. In July 2007, to coincide with the arrival of David Beckham, the Galaxy unveiled a new "rebranded" logo, and a new color scheme of white, navy, and gold. The new home strip is white kit, shorts, and socks, with gold and navy accents. The away strip is navy kit, shorts, and socks, with gold accents. It was rumored that Beckham helped design the new logo and kits.
The Galaxy were one of the ten founding members of Major League Soccer, that began play in 1996. The club played their home games at the Rose Bowl from 1996–2002 until they moved into their own soccer-specific stadium, The Home Depot Center in Carson, California, in 2003. Since the 2005 season, The Home Depot Center has been shared with Chivas USA.
The Galaxy have the highest all-time attendance in league history and are the first MLS team to make a profit in a season.
The Galaxy have two main supporters clubs known as ''The Galaxians'', and ''The Los Angeles Riot Squad''. Their mascot is known as "Cozmo," a frog-like extraterrestrial.
Recently, the Galaxy have attracted extensive media attention for being the first MLS team to take advantage of the Designated Player Rule, also known as the "Beckham Rule," by signing the rule's namesake David Beckham to a contract worth $50 million over five years, although with outside endorsements and profit sharing, Beckham will likely make up to $250 million, primarily paid by Galaxy owner Philip Anschutz through his company, AEG.[2][3]
History
1996-2005: A Decade of Success
The Galaxy advanced to the MLS Cup final five times in 1996, 1999, 2001, 2002, and 2005—winning in 2002 and 2005. In 2000 they won the CONCACAF Champions Cup and in 2001 the US Open Cup. They won the Open Cup again in 2005 as part of winning the domestic double, the third time a team has done so in MLS history. Their 2005 MLS Cup victory was the first time that the team with the worst record entering the playoffs won the championship. In 2005, after an unsuccessful stint in Germany's Bundesliga, Landon Donovan returned to the MLS to play for the Galaxy. In his first season with the Galaxy, Donovan scored 12 league goals and 10 assists and added four goals and an assist in the playoffs, leading the Galaxy to a victory in the 2005 MLS Cup.
2006-First Taste of Failure
The 2006 season was considered as 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. Midway through the season, Steve Sampson was sacked as head coach, replaced by Frank Yallop. It was also the season where Doug Hamilton, the team's general manager, died of a heart attack on board the plane carrying the team back from Costa Rica after their loss to Saprissa in the CONCACAF Champions Cup on March 16 which eliminated the Galaxy prematurely from the Concacaf tournament. Hamilton, who was only 43 years old, was also the GM of the Los Angeles Riptide of Major League Lacrosse. Despite the early exit from the Concacaf Champions Cup and the elimination of the team from playoff contention in MLS league play, the team did manage to make a run to the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup final which the team lost 1-0 agaisnt the Chicago Fire, ruining the opportunity for the team to win a throphy and salvage some pride for the year.
2007-Beckham and a New Look
On 11 January, 2007 Reuters reported that former England captain David Beckham would leave Real Madrid at the end of the season and sign a five-year deal with the Galaxy. The 32-year-old, who joined Real from Manchester United in June 2003, is one of the most famous athletes in the world, and his transfer to the American league made international headlines. Beckham is the fifth most capped England player of all time, has twice been voted the runner up in the FIFA World Player Of The Year award (in 1999 and 2001), and was a member of Manchester United's historic 1999 UEFA Champions League and Treble winning team. After news of the signing broke, club spokespeople stated that the primary motives were twofold: (a) securing a world class player, and (b) securing a player who is also popular outside of the football (soccer) world, and who, as AEG president Timothy J. Leiweke put it, "[can help] build the 'bridge' between football (soccer) in America and the rest of the world." [3] On a secondary level, the player's personal ethicism will also reflect well on the club. Examples of this ethicism include: (a) his role as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador since 2005; (b) the football Academies he founded in London and California; and (c) charity fundraising, such as the 'World Cup 06 Party - Full Length and Fabulous' at his Hertfordshire mansion.
David Beckham takes a free kick against the New York Red Bulls
In March 2007 it was announced that Herbalife would be the primary shirt sponsor of the Galaxy in a five-year deal worth between $3.5 million and $5 million a year through 2011.[4]
On 18 April 2007, Rangers manager, Walter Smith announced that talks between the two clubs were underway, with regards to a player link deal. This deal would allow Galaxy to use Rangers' world class training facility, Murray Park. Rangers would be able to take Galaxy youngsters on trial, and allow them a greater exposure to the US market.
On 13 July 2007, David Beckham was officially unveiled as a Galaxy player in a ceremony gala at the Home Depot Center attended by 5000 invited season-ticket holders and hundreds of international media. In a surprise move, he was handed the number 23 shirt he wore while at Real Madrid. He was expected to return to his favored number 7 shirt he wore while at Manchester United (he has a "VII" tattooed on his arm). It is thought that Beckham opted for 23 again because of the popularity of NBA legend Michael Jordan, who also wore 23. Prior to Beckham's debut, his Galaxy jersey sales had already reached a record figure of over 250,000. It is believed that Beckham has already paid his initial fee back to the club through ticket sales, jersey sales, and promotions.
On 21 July, David Beckham made his long-awaited debut before a record crowd of nearly 30,000 at the Home Depot Center, coming on in the 78th minute in a 1-0 loss to Chelsea F.C. in a match during the World Series of Football tournament. The match saw unprecendented TV coverage from ESPN, who used 19 cameras to cover the it, including one trained only on Beckham, even when he was on the bench, and several used for interviewing and showing some of the many celebrities and dignitaries on hand, including California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. The match set an all-time record high for TV ratings for MLS on ESPN, and was the most-watched program on all of TV that night among young adult males in the U.S.
Beckham did not start the match because of a nagging injury to his left ankle, sustained while playing for England in June. Beckham spent just over 16 minutes on the field, including stoppage time, and was greeted with applause from the crowd after the match and shared a hug with the man who succeeded him as England captain and scored the winning goal, John Terry.
Beckham missed the Galaxy's next 4 matches, against Mexican champion Pachuca, Chivas, and F.C. Dallas in the SuperLiga tournament and the MLS match against Toronto F.C., because of his ankle injury. Club officials wanted him to fully recover from his ankle injury before he plays again. In the SuperLiga match versus F.C. Dallas on 31 July, 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.[5]
Beckham made his regular-season Galaxy debut on 9 August against D.C. United. He did not start the match, but came on as a substitute in the second half in a 1-0 loss. Beckham then missed the Galaxy's next MLS match against New England Revolution because he re-aggravated his injury against D.C. United and did not want to risk further injury on New England's FieldTurf pitch.
Beckham returned to the pitch against D.C. United in the SuperLiga semifinal match at the HDC on August 15, where in his first start (and match as captain) for the Galaxy, he scored his first goal for the club off a trademark free kick in the first half. In the second half, Beckham provided an assist to Landon Donovan to seal a 2-0 win, advancing LA to the SuperLiga championship match against Pachuca. Although substituted in the 63rd minute, Beckham was named Man of the Match.[6] It was announced that Donovan handed Beckham the captaincy on a permanent basis prior to the SuperLiga semifinal match. [7]
Beckham's first start in league play then came on 18 August, in an away match versus the New York Red Bulls in front of a record crowd at Giants Stadium.[8] Within the first nine minutes of the match, the Galaxy scored two goals off set pieces, with Beckham assisting Carlos Pavón on both.[9] Beckham tallied the two assists in a 5-4 loss. At over 66,000, the game set an all-time attendance record for a regular-season MLS match at Giants Stadium, and many people believe the match was one of the greatest in MLS history.[10]
On August 28, following five successive league defeats, it was incorrectly announced on Fox Soccer Channel's "Fox Football Fone-In" that coach Frank Yallop had been sacked as manager of the Galaxy and that former Germany manager and Orange County, California resident, Jurgen Klinsmann was believed to be the favorite to replace Yallop as head coach. However, FSC's comments proved to be premature, as there was no official comment about Yallop's sacking the next day and Yallop coached the side in the SuperLiga final. There is little question though that Yallop is under intense pressure and that his position as head coach is very unstable.
During the SuperLiga final match against Pachuca on August 29, Beckham seriously injured his right knee in a challenge with Fernando Salazar in the 30th minute. The Galaxy went on to lose the match in penalties. An MRI scan the following day revealed that Beckham had sprained his medial collateral ligament (MCL) and that he would be out for six weeks. A Galaxy spokesman refuted an earlier report that Beckham had also undergone arthroscopic surgery. The news comes as a massive blow to the struggling Galaxy, England, and Beckham, as he will now miss several key matches for the Galaxy and England. However, some believe that there may be a silver lining, as it will force Beckham to rest until his problematic left ankle is fully healed before returning to the pitch.[11]
Logo
The original Galaxy logo reflected a gold galaxy and the words "GALAXY" written horizontally. After rebranding themselves in 2007, the logo changed to a crest with a star and the words "LA GALAXY". Additionally, after each MLS Cup the club added a star for each championship.
Rivalries
The Galaxy's biggest rival in the 1990s was D.C. United, where the two squads met in MLS Cup 1996 and MLS Cup 1999. The Galaxy lost 3-2, in overtime, and 2-0, respectively. This rivalry remains strong. The Galaxy's biggest rival in the early 2000s was the San Jose Earthquakes until they were relocated to Houston, Texas following the 2005 season, becoming the Houston Dynamo. The Earthquakes have recently announced that they will return as a MLS team for the 2008 season. This new version of the Earthquakes could return to the Galaxy's list of closest rivals.
The Galaxy's chief rival is now Chivas USA, with whom they share a home stadium. The Galaxy–Chivas USA game is the league's first and (thus far) only derby, known as the Honda SuperClassico. Although the Galaxy won all four games the first year of the rivalry, in 2006 a more competitive Chivas side increased the popularity of the SuperClassico, which features sell-out crowds and great atmosphere. The Galaxy won 3 of 4 Classico games in 2006. In the 2007 inaugural tournament Superliga, a new much anticipated rivalry was formed. With the Galaxy taking on Chivas USA parent team Club Deportivo Guadalajara, playing at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, falling 2-1, however still advancing to the next round leaving their rivals behind.
The rivalry between the Galaxy and Chivas USA heated up during a match on August 23, 2007 when Chivas USA player Jesse Marsch applied a high kick from behind to Galaxy captain David Beckham's upper right hip (some believe he was attempting to kick Beckham in the groin), at the end of the first half. This led to a tense confrontation between Beckham and Marsch, during which Beckham was restained by teammate Edson Buddle. A shoving match occurred, and Galaxy's midfielder Kevin Harmse threw a punch towards Chivas USA player Alex Zotinca who retaliated by headbutting Harmse. Both players received red cards, and Chivas USA went on to win the match 3-0. However, Marsch surprisingly only received a yellow card, when the recommended punishment for Marsch's tackle from behind is actually a red card.
Spokesmodel
Miss LA Galaxy 2007 is Candice Hansard, a senior communications major at Biola University and a native of Palmdale, California. Candice is the official club representative to the Southern California community and along with Galaxy players, regularly participates in various charitable work along with appearing at every home match at the Home Depot Center.
Mascot
The Los Angeles Galaxy's mascot is '"Cozmo"', a frog-like extraterrestrial. It is said that Cozmo was beamed down to The Home Depot Center from his intergalactic spaceship on June 7, 2003. He is known for entertaining fans and teaching kids in the Los Angeles area the basics of football. Cozmo mainly wows spectators with his goalkeeping prowess, but is said to be able to play forward for any team on the planet.
Television and radio
Galaxy matches are televised locally by FSN West. Max Bretos and Allen Hopkins are the English language announcers, while Jaime Motta and Elmer Polanco announce in Spanish.
Matches are broadcast on radio by XEPE "CASH 1700 AM" in English and in Spanish on KMXE "Radio Visa". Joe Tutino does the English play-by-play while Troy Santiago does the same in Spanish.
Team honors
★ 'CONCACAF Champions Cup:'
★
★ 'Winner (1):' 2000
★
★ 'Runner-up (1):' 1997
★ 'MLS Cup:'
★
★ 'Winner (2):' 2002, 2005
★
★ 'Runner-up (3):' 1996, 1999, 2001
★ 'MLS Supporters' Shield:'
★
★ 'Winner (2):' 1998, 2002
★
★ 'Runner-up (2):' 1996, 1999
★ 'US Open Cup:'
★
★ 'Winner (2):' 2001, 2005
★
★ 'Runner-up (2):' 2002, 2006
★ 'SuperLiga:'
★
★ 'Runner-up (1):' 2007
Current Squad
''As of August 28, 2007'' The players in bold have senior international caps
(Vice-Captain)
(Captain)[12]
Notable former players
★ Chris Armas (1996–1997)
★ Paul Caligiuri (1997–2001)
★ Jorge Campos (1996–1997)
★ Mauricio Cienfuegos (1996–2003)
★ Robin Fraser (1996–2000)
★ Kevin Hartman (1997–2006)
★ Herculez Gomez (2003–2006)
★ Carlos Hermosillo (1998–1999)
★ Luis Hernández (2000–2001)
★ Andreas Herzog (2004)
★ Eduardo Hurtado (1996–1998)
★ Alexi Lalas (2001–2003)
★ Curt Onalfo (1996)
★ Clint Mathis (1998–2000)
★ Hong Myung-Bo (2003–2004)
★ Carlos Ruíz (2002–2004)
★ Welton (1997–1999)
Most Valuable Players
| Year | Name | Nation |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Landon Donovan | |
| 2005 | Herculez Gomez | |
| 2004 | Kevin Hartman | |
| 2003 | Kevin Hartman | |
| 2002 | Carlos Ruiz | |
| 2001 | Ezra Hendrickson | |
| 2000 | Simon Elliott | |
| 1999 | Kevin Hartman | |
| 1998 | Cobi Jones | |
| 1997 | Mauricio Cienfuegos | |
| 1996 | Eduardo Hurtado |
Golden Boot Winners
The Golden Boot Winner is the leading goal scorer at the end of the season (only goals in MLS count).
| Year | Name | Nation | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Landon Donovan | 12 | |
| 2005 | Landon Donovan | 12 | |
| 2004 | Carlos Ruiz | 11 | |
| 2003 | Carlos Ruiz | 15 | |
| 2002 | Carlos Ruiz | 24 | |
| 2001 | Luis Hernandez | 8 | |
| 2000 | Cobi Jones | 7 | |
| 1999 | Cobi Jones | 8 | |
| 1998 | Cobi Jones | 19 | |
| 1997 | Welton | 11 | |
| 1996 | Eduardo Hurtado | 21 |
Defensive Player of the Year
| Year | Name | Nation |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Chris Albright | |
| 2005 | Tyrone Marshall | |
| 2004 | Tyrone Marshall | |
| 2003 | Danny Califf | |
| 2002 | Alexi Lalas | |
| 2001 | Greg Vanney | |
| 2000 | Danny Califf | |
| 1999 | Robin Fraser | |
| 1998 | Robin Fraser | |
| 1997 | Robin Fraser | |
| 1996 | Jorge Campos |
See also
★ Richest football clubs
Head coaches
★ Lothar Osiander (1996–1997)
★ Octavio Zambrano (1997–1999)
★ Ralph Perez (1999; interim)
★ Sigi Schmid (1999–2004)
★ Steve Sampson (2004–2006)
★ Frank Yallop (2006—)
Team records
★ Games: Cobi Jones, 300
★ Goals: Cobi Jones, 70
★ Assists: Cobi Jones, 86
★ Shutouts: Kevin Hartman, 62
''MLS regular season only, through 2006 season''
Home stadiums
★ Rose Bowl (1996–2002)
★ The Home Depot Center (2003–present)
MLS Year-by-year
| Season | Div | Pos | League Record | MLS Cup | US Open Cup | CONCACAF Cup | Top Scorer | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 'P' | 'W' | 'L' | 'D' | 'F' | 'A' | 'Pts' | ||||||||
| 1996 | West | '1st' | 32 | 19 | 13 | 0 | 59 | 49 | 49 | Final | ''Did not enter'' | ''Did not enter'' | Eduardo Hurtado | 21 |
| 1997 | West | 2nd | 32 | 16 | 16 | 0 | 55 | 44 | 44 | Quarterfinal | ''Did not enter'' | Final | Welton | 11 |
| 1998 | West | '1st' | 32 | 24 | 8 | 0 | 85 | 44 | 68 | Semifinal | ''Did not enter'' | ''Did not qualify'' | 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 Hernandez | 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 | Quarterfinal | Semifinal | Quarterfinal | Carlos Ruiz | 15 |
| 2004 | West | 2nd | 30 | 11 | 9 | 10 | 42 | 40 | 43 | 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 | Quarterfinals | Landon Donovan | 12 |
| 2007 | West | 12 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 13 | 17 | 18 | Third round | ''Did not qualify'' | ||||
International competition
★ '1997 Champions' Cup'
★
★ Qualifying Playoff v. Santos Laguna -- 4:1
★
★ Quarterfinals v. Luis Angel Firpo -- 2:0
★
★ Semifinals v. D.C. United -- 1:0
★
★ Final v. Cruz Azul -- 3:5
★ '2000 Champions' Cup'
★
★ Quarterfinals v. Real España -- 0:0 (Galaxy advance 5:3 on penalties)
★
★ Semifinals v. D.C. United -- 1:1 (Galaxy advance 4:2 on penalties)
★
★ Final v. CD Olimpia -- 3:2
★ '2003 La Manga Cup'
★
★ Group Stage v. Lyn Oslo -- 5:0
★
★ Group Stage v. Torpedo Moskva -- 3:0
★
★ Group Stage v. Odd Grenland -- 0:1
★
★ Third Place Match v. Viking Stavanger -- 3:0
★ '2003 Champions' Cup'
★
★ First round v. Motagua -- 2:2, 1:0 (Galaxy advance 3:2 on aggregate)
★
★ Quarterfinals v. Necaxa -- 1:4, 1:2 (Necaxa advance 6:2 on aggregate)
★ '2003 Peace Cup
★
★ Group Stage v. Nacional -- 0:0
★
★ Group Stage v. 1860 München -- 0:0
★
★ Group Stage v. PSV Eindhoven -- 1:4
★ '2006 Champions' Cup'
★
★ Quarterfinals v. Saprissa -- 0:0, 2:3AET (Saprissa advance 3:2 on aggregate)
★ '2007 SuperLiga'
★
★ Group Stage v. Pachuca -- 2:1
★
★ Group Stage v. Guadalajara -- 1:2
★
★ Group Stage v. FC Dallas -- 6:5
★
★ Semifinals v. D.C. United -- 2:0
★
★ Final v. Pachuca -- 1:1 (Pachuca wins 4:3 on penalties)
Average attendance
''regular season/playoffs''
★ 1996: 30,129/29,883
★ 1997: 23,626/26,703
★ 1998: 21,784/13,175
★ 1999: 17,632/21,039
★ 2000: 20,400/25,033
★ 2001: 17,387/28,462
★ 2002: 19,047/24,596
★ 2003: 21,983/20,201
★ 2004: 23,809/20,206
★ 2005: 24,204/17,466
★ 2006: 20,814/missed playoffs
★ All-Time: 21,892/22,676
References
1. Meaning of the Galaxy name
2. Entertainment value
3. Debunking the myths behind Beckham's contract
4. Galaxy, Herbalife ink five-year deal to sponsor shirts
5. http://www.superliga2007.com/headlines/index.html?article_id=120
6. http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=448376&cc=5901
7. http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=453915&cc=5901
8. http://web.mlsnet.com/news/mls_news.jsp?ymd=20070817&content_id=112159&vkey=news_mls&fext=.jsp
9. http://www.mlsnet.com/scoreboard/game.jsp?match=08182007_LANY
10. On the Beckham Watch...
11. [4]
12. Impressed Donovan hands Becks armband Grahame Jones
External links
★ Official Website
★ Los Angeles Riot Squad
★ The Galaxians Fan Club
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