August 11, 2022 – Major League Soccer (MLS) – Charlotte FC News Release
HISTORY
Los Angeles FC, commonly known as LAFC, were announced in 2014 as the new Los Angeles-area team to replace the recently defunct Chivas USA. Banc of California Stadium, a 22,000-seat soccer-specific stadium in downtown LA, broke ground in 2016 and was completed ahead of the team’s inaugural season in 2018.
LAFC made two big statements of intent in the summer of 2017 as they built their inaugural roster. First, in July 2017, they announced former US Men’s National Team manager and legendary MLS coach Bob Bradley as their head coach. The Black-and-Gold quickly followed this up with the signing of Mexican superstar Carlos Vela as their first Designated Player.
A historic season followed in 2018 as they set a record for points earned by an expansion team (57), finishing third in the Western Conference but getting bounced in the first round of playoffs by Real Salt Lake in a 3-2 defeat.
This disappointment fueled LAFC for year two. They steamrolled the rest of the field en route to the Supporters’ Shield and the best-ever regular season in MLS history. As a team, they set records for most points in a season (72) and best goal differential (+48). As individuals, Carlos Vela produced the single best offensive season ever seen in the league with 34 goals and 15 assists, bettering the entire offensive production of nine MLS teams and earning Landon Donovan MVP honors. Bob Bradley was also awarded the Sigi Schmid Coach of the Year and Walker Zimmerman and Eduard Atuesta were named to the MLS Best XI alongside Vela.
However, despite their regular season dominance, LAFC fell one game short of playing for an MLS Cup, losing 3-1 to the Seattle Sounders in the Western Conference final.
Their performance in 2019 qualified them for the 2020 Concacaf Champions League where, after a hiatus for the Covid-19 pandemic, they advanced past three different Liga MX sides (Club Leon, Cruz Azul, and Club America) to become the third MLS side at the time to reach the final. A fourth Mexican side proved too much, though, as LAFC were beaten 2-1.
Outside of the club’s impressive Champions League run, they also participated in the 2020 MLS is Back Tournament in Orlando, Florida, where they lost in a quarterfinal penalty shootout to eventual finalist Orlando City SC. When league play returned in late 2020, LAFC finished seventh in the Western Conference but fell for the second time in the playoffs to Seattle,…
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