EDITORIAL: On The Arrival Of Los Angeles FC To Major League Soccer (VIDEO)

Oct 30, 2014; Los Angeles, CA, USA; (L-R) Club president Tom Penn, owner Peter Guber , Major League Soccer commissioner Don Garber and majority owner Henry Nguyen pose for a photo at a press conference announcing the new Los Angeles Football Club at Siren Studios. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

As the 2014 MLS Cup Playoffs continue on here in America, I am slowly coming to terms with the fact that Los Angeles Football Club will be coming to Major League Soccer in 2017. We already broke to you the news here on the MLS Multiplex that Los Angeles FC will be entering the league to replace Chivas USA, a club now lost forever to the pages of history. In case you missed it, here is the press conference that announces the formation of this rival to the Los Angeles Galaxy.

I am of the opinion that if it works, it works. End of story. But I am mixed on the return of the Clasico Angelino coming back in a series of contests between the Galaxy and LAFC, which is actually their working name until a new name is selected. To their credit, there are a number of owners of this club that have strong credentials.

Magic Johnson. VIncent Tan. Henry Nguyen. Nomar Garciaparra and his wife Mia Hamm. Peter Guber. Tom Penn. Tony Robbins. And these are just a few. This is a team of owners that all have a reputation, either as players or as businesspeople or as both, in the case of Magic.

I want to believe that it will work. But I am of the school of which there is only one team that runs Los Angeles in the Galaxy. They will have done this for 21 years by the time Los Angeles FC begins their season in what I hope will be a new soccer-specific stadium somewhere in the city limits.

If they want to adopt a name, it has to be Aztecs. It’s a name with an NASL history, like the Vancouver Whitecaps, the Seattle Sounders and the Portland Timbers. Elton John used to be an owner of that team. By whatever means they can acquire the trademark for, the ownership group need to purchase it. There might be cries that it will be “Chivas 2.0” if they go with Aztecs but from my perspective, this is Chivas 2.0 anyway. Let’s not kid ourselves.

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“Every movie needs a hero and a villain,” said Guber to MLSSoccer.com’s Blair Angulo. “Every combination brings drama to it. We’re in the drama business. That’s the drama: Can we compete? Someone asked me, ‘How are you ever going to compete as the second team in the market place?’

“Well, I said, ‘Maybe by becoming the first team.’”

Already 30,000 people have signed up to be original supporters of this club. I happened, ironically, to be one of them because I have plans to cover some matches of this team since I here to be with the MLS Multiplex for the long haul. Of course, it’s still a long ways away so I might end up stuck covering the Galaxy, but that’s no skin off my teeth.

I want Los Angeles FC to be successful. But if it isn’t, it won’t be much of a big deal. Seriously.

“The idea is that the marketplace is big enough and large enough for two competitors to live warmly, but combatively,” Guber added. “That’s going to be our attitude, and that’s how we’ll bring everyone in. We want to engage respectfully but fight like heck on the field.”

So to sum up this editorial piece, I personally welcome Los Angeles FC but hesitantly. This team needs to be successful on and off the fieldf to earn my respect. And of course, it needs a few wins against the Galaxy to really earn my kudos. I like the Clasico Angelino to be back kicking and screaming, and the arrival of Los Angeles FC will do just that.

So here’s to you, Los Angeles FC. We’ll see you folks in 2017. Cheers.