The LAFC Punk: My Introduction to Football and LAFC

If you haven't heard there is a new Football team in Los Angeles and I'm not talking about the Rams or the Chargers, I'm talking about LAFC (Los Angeles Football Club). LAFC is the newest club in MLS (Major League Soccer), and yes I am a LAFC supporter aka fan.

Now before I really get into the love of new soccer (football club) LAFC, let me share with you about how I became a fan of the beautiful game. We are going to go way back to the mid 80's, when I was a kid in elementary school there was not really a professional outdoor soccer league in the United States. As a kid growing up I loved and still do love sports. I wanted to be a professional athlete as a kid, then as I got older I desired to be a sports journalist. Alright back to pro soccer in the United States, there was one league I followed MISL and my team was the Los Angeles Lazers. I loved going to Lazer games, I even attended the 1987 All-Star game. The Lazers folded in 1989, so there really wasn't any soccer to watch in Los Angeles, so I just became disconnected with soccer.

Then in 1994 the FIFA World Cup was in the United States, and I watched every game I could, especially if the United States or Mexico was playing, but even after the US and Mexico got eliminated I watched the entire tournament. Because of the World Cup I wanted to keep on watching soccer. So being born and raised in Southern California and being half Mexican on the weekends there was always the Mexican league on TV. I needed a team to cheer for in the Mexican league so I asked my dad what part of Mexico my grandpa was from, he said Guadalajara, and I noticed there was a club called Chivas from Guadalajara, so they became my Mexican team.

At the time I had no idea that Chivas were the most popular and most hated team in Mexico, kind of like the Cowboys, Yankees and Celtics are in the United States in football, baseball. and basketball. I enjoyed watching the games, but I just wanted a LA team, also being 2nd generation Mexican and half Mexican I did not speak or understand Spanish.

In 1996 soccer in America changed forever, MLS had it's first season. Being that I've always supported my local Los Angeles sports teams (Kings, Dodgers, Lakers, Rams), I was a Galaxy fan, in fact I had season seats during their last season at the Rose Bowl (2002), but driving to Carson was just way too far, and the ticket prices sky rocketed my seats went from $15 a game to $60 a game. In 2005 the league added Chivas USA to MLS, so being a Chivas de Guadalajara I became a supporter of Chivas USA, I even had season seats in 2007 (their best season), but the drive was again just too far driving all the way to Carson. Make a long story short, Chivas USA had terrible ownership and the club folded in 2014. Now I did consider going back to being a supporter for the Galaxy, but the rivalry between Chivas USA and Galaxy just caused me to not go back, plus with the fact, a member of one the Galaxy support group pissed on my leg in the restroom at Home Depot Center as I was at the urinal, so I was to put it lightly a little bitter towards the Galaxy.

Right after Chivas USA folded MLS granted Los Angeles new expansion club, set to play in 2018, under new ownership (thank God), the new owners were and are a LA celebrities (Magic Johnson, Will Ferrell, Nomar Garciaparra, Mia Hamm, Ruben Gnanalingam). The name of this new club, Los Angeles Football Club (LAFC). So of course this would eventually become my new MLS club. During this time I didn't really watch too many MLS matches. But as 2018 MLS season was approaching the PR department and those who work for LAFC, were doing an amazing job promoting the club. Owners like Will Ferrell were on talk shows promoting the club. Also there was a stadium being built, LAFC would not be sharing the StubHub Center with the Galaxy, which Chivas USA did, and that was one of the many things that hurt Chivas USA (I could literally write a whole blog and the disastrous ownership of Chivas USA). The new stadium was being built on the same location of the old LA Sports Arena in Exposition Park in Los Angeles right nest door to the historic Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, right in the heart of Los Angeles.

Also during this time, even before the club had played a game, supporter groups started forming; The Empire Boys (the group I'm part of), The Black Army 1850, District 9 Ultras, Expo Originals, The Lucky Boys, LAFC Cuervos, just to name a fewf. But together we are the 3252. 3252 is in the North End of the stadium, in consists of 3252 seats (except we do not sit, we stand the entire match), also 3+2+5+2=12, which represents the 12th man, and if you've ever been to a LAFC match, you know how loud the 3252 is. being in the 3252 is a experience in itself, you will lose your voice, you will lose some calories, by jumping for LA Football Club.

Trust me I know I've left some stuff out, like the signing of Carlos Vela, and drafting the team through the expansion draft, but I don't want this to go too long. But the long wait was over, the 2018 MLS season came. Due to the fact that Banc of California Stadium was not going to be ready until April, LAFC had to play their first 6 matches on the road, and they put up a remarkable 4-2 record, picking up 12 of a possible 18 points. In their first ever game they played the Sounders in Seattle (one of the toughest stadiums to win in, with some of the loudest supporters in the MLS and the defending Western Conference Champions). LAFC went in and beat the Sounders 1-0, with a beautiful goal (the first in LAFC history) by Diego Rossi.

Well after the first game I was hooked, and watched every game I could. Now I really wanted to go to a game, but just could not afford it (you've heard of putting your kids through college, I'm working two jobs to put my lovely wife through college). Well on July 15 as I watching the World Cup Final I received a message from an old friend Jacob Mann, asking if I wanted his tickets for the LAFC match against the Portland Timbers (thanks again). So I asked my wife if I could go and she said I could go if I clean the restroom and clean the kitchen (sometimes being married is like being a teenager, if you want to go out you have to do chores). So of course I cleaned the kitchen and restroom drove to the APU Metro goldline station and headed to LA to attend my first LAFC match. Needless to say the experience from walking into the stadium, pregame, and of course the match. The result was a 0-0 draw, but now I was even more hooked, and I knew next I had to be in the 3252. So I sent out a tweet asking if there were any supporter groups out where I live in the Inland Empire, and I was pointed to the Empire Boys.

Once I got hooked up to the Empire Boys I started going to viewing parties and a meet and greet and a local brewery. Then on October 12 I saved up some money and was finally able to attend a match in the 3252, with the Empire Boys. Needless to say this was not your ordinary match. When I arrived to the Banc, the weather was beautiful. I got their early had two $4 beers, in the 3252, sang the national anthem with the 3252 (which happens at every game), the at around the 32 minute rain came along with lighting, so because of the lighting the game was on a weather delay. We all thought it would not be that long, I was really hoping it wouldn't be long because I had to be at work in Rancho Cucamonga at 5am. During the weather most of the fans in the stadium, except for the 3252. During the entire weather delay the 3252, was still chanting, singing, jumping and banging on the drums. The match finally started up again, with LAFC being down 1-0, LAFC ended up winning the match 4-2, with one of the goals, being this beauty from Carlos Vela.

That night I didn't get home until 2AM, but made it to work by 5AM, with just 2 hours of sleep, and it was totally worth it. Being part of a supporter group is amazing, it's a brotherhood and sisterhood. You can act like a total nut, by signing, chanting, jumping, and not look crazy because you have 3251 other people acting the same way. Before the game started someone asked me; "Is this your first game?" I said; "No I sat in section 222 earlier in the season." She said; "No that didn't count this is your first game." Well she was right! LAFC ended the regular season with 57 points, a expansion team record in MLS, the playoffs ended in a way that we may not have liked, but the future of this club looks more than great. Hopefully in 2019 I'll be able to attend more matches, money is still tight. If you're reading this and you have not attended a LAFC match I strongly encourage you to go, even if it's not in the 3252. You might bump into Will Ferrell like I did at the Houston match.

In closing I'm in the process of trying to do my own podcast called The LAFCPunk, it will be covering LAFC and throw a little punk music in there. I have no idea how to do a podcast. I'd love to interview different members of the 3252, game reviews, game previews. If you'd like to help me out let me know and contact me at jasonarellano77@gmail.com, I live in Alta Loma.