Los Angeles Rules the MLS Galaxy

Last week, I excitedly sat down to watch Seattle play a key Western Conference home game.  My bubble was burst within 36-minutes.   The Sounders were down 3-0 by then... 

The Los Angeles Galaxy are the class of Major League Soccer.  For all my burgeoning enthusiasm about the Sounders, their well-run organization, and the passionate fans that pack their stadium in league-record numbers, the Galaxy proved in a relatively easy outing last Monday that they are still the team to beat.  There is so much parity in MLS that LA might not win the trophies every year, but there should be no mistaking that they are the most consistently dominant side in American professional soccer.

In sports, the media often define periods of play through team-specific eras.  College Football is currently in the era of the Alabama Crimson Tide.  The NBA recently wrapped up the Miami Heat era.  In pro wrestling, they called their most successful period of mainstream prominence the "Attitude" era.  The San Francisco Giants have established their own era in Major League Baseball.  The term "dynasty" is often applied in such cases.  Reserved for an even higher elite status are the teams that win consistently over the long haul.  The San Antonio Spurs, for instance, never won consecutive championships, but they have captured the NBA title five times since 1999.  Manchester United of the English Premier League are, perhaps, the world's model for excellence.  What they've done is staggering.

Major League Soccer can be similarly divided into eras and has featured dynastic squads throughout its history, but the Los Angeles Galaxy have been incomparable when it comes to maintaining success.  They have the highest winning percentage, the most total victories, the most playoff appearances (15), and the best goal differential in MLS lore.  Their trophy case sets the pace for the league with four 1st place regular season finishes (earning the MLS Supporters' Shield) and four MLS Cup titles. Through 18 completed seasons, the Galaxy have rivals but no equals.

They're kind of a glitzy franchise, borrowing from the identity established by their basketball-playing neighbors, the Lakers, the model of NBA supremacy since the league was founded in the late 1940s.  A little Hollywood flare has helped the Lakers become a part of pop culture.  By signing David Beckham to an astonishing $250 million contract (a combo of salary, revenue sharing from the club, and endorsements) in 2007, the Galaxy became the toast of the town; and if you're the toast of SoCal, then you're internationally relevant.  Ever since that day, the Galaxy have had a profile unlike any other MLS team.  Beckham was on the cover of Sports Illustrated, celebrities flocked to LA's state-of-the-art, 30,000 seat Stub Hub Center, and the television media blitz was World Cup-quality.  The Galaxy had already been very successful, winning the MLS Cup and Supporters' Shield twice each in the early 2000s, becoming champions of North America in 2000 (via the CONCACAF Champions League), and making the MLS Final three other times, but the league changed after Beckham's arrival and the Galaxy spearheaded an era that many in American soccer refer to as "MLS 2.0."   

Beckham signing with Galaxy in 2007

The exposure that Beckham brought with him helped MLS grow substantially.  He was the very first "Designated Player," which meant that his signing could be counted against a very strict salary cap in a manner different than other players.  The DP rule made it possible for MLS clubs to compete for players on the international market, tremendously advancing the star power necessary for the league to become more attractive to viewers and sponsors.  2015's expansion franchises have already signed three huge stars in Kaka, David Villa, and Frank Lampard.  That doesn't happen without Beckham's arrival in Los Angeles and, arguably, neither does the city approval for the seven beautiful soccer-specific stadiums that have opened since 2007 thanks to the league's growth.  Soccer pundits can be a particularly fickle bunch, so there are some doubters to these claims.  Dutch legend Johan Cruyff might say, in response, “Coincidence is logical.” 

On Beckham’s watch, league attendance grew by an average of over three thousand fans, overtaking the NBA and NHL.  Four teams were added, as well.  The mere fact that he was in MLS made a difference.  “I think there is an interesting impact [just] because of his presence,” said Grant Wahl, author of The Beckham Experiment and long-time writer for Sports Illustrated.  Beckham put the team on the international map.  He sold more jerseys in 2007 that any other athlete in the world.  More importantly, he brought MLS into the consciousness of prospective owners with the business acumen to thrive in a new American sports market.  Wahl demonstrates, “The most successful team, business-wise, in the league is the one in Seattle which started in 2009. The [part] owner of that team is Joe Roth, who used to run Disney Studios, and the reason he invested in the league and a team in Seattle is because of the attention that Beckham could bring.  That team might not exist if Beckham had not come to the US."  Former US Men’s National Team defender and current ESPN soccer analyst, Alexi Lalas, echoes the sentiment.  “The fact that when people talk about American soccer, most people around the world now know about the LA Galaxy - that's the type of brand awareness that you die for… there is incredible value to that.”

Of course, it wouldn't be LA without a little drama.  Landon Donovan, one of America's all-time greatest soccer players, justifiably and publicly called out Beckham on his fleeting interest in MLS as the team struggled to find its footing in 2007 and 2008.  “When David first came, I believed he was committed to what he was doing,” Donovan was quoted in The Beckham Experiment. “[But then] he just flipped a switch and said, ‘Uh-huh, I’m not doing it anymore.’”  Becks wanted to leave, but the Galaxy held him firm to his commitment.  The rest is history; the two stars/teammates cleared the air, Beckham stayed, and the Galaxy went on phenomenal multi-year run that did not overshadow their accomplishments of the past but did repeat many of them in more dramatic fashion that moved soccer in Los Angeles from a blip on the sports page to the front page.  

MLS all-time leading goal scorer, Landon Donovan

The results do not lie, be it on the field or around the league.  From the days of Cobi Jones, Carlos Ruiz, and Kevin Hartmann through Beckham’s years to the current club led by Donovan and All-Stars Omar Gonzalez and Ireland’s all-time leading goal scorer, Robbie Keane, the Galaxy have been the finest club in MLS history.  Of course, it has helped that their two best periods have come with the two all-time winningest coaches in MLS, Sigi Schmid from 1999-2004 and Bruce Arena from 2008-present, at the helm.  The Galaxy have been the league standard bearers for victories, trophies, game-changing player signings, shirt sponsorship money, local TV contracts, and total revenue. 

This week, I’ll watch the All-Star Game and attempt to forget that, as I look at the league standings, the most successful franchise in MLS history is right on Seattle’s heels…