Derby Week: Beckham, Zlatan, Hollywood, and titles. That, and much more, is El Trafico
It is around the Galaxy that the entire American soccer universe has revolved in modern history. It is one of the most successful clubs in the local Major League Soccer, both in terms of results and marketing, which, especially in North America, is perhaps on a par with sporting performance.
However, this - at least by American standards - traditional club suddenly has a new rival just around the corner: Los Angeles FC. The new team, though only in its sixth year in MLS, are the reigning champions.
Superclasico: The original Los Angeles derby
Los Angeles Galaxy is one of the 10 founding teams of Major League Soccer (MLS), whose first edition was played in 1996. The name Galaxy symbolises that the club is based in Los Angeles, the city of Hollywood stars.
MLS has gradually expanded the number of participants. The league is now referred to as "North American" - Toronto FC became the first Canadian club in MLS in 2007. Currently, the competition has 29 teams. In 2005, another Los Angeles-based team joined the ranks of the league.
The original derby of the city was between the Galaxy and Club Deportivo Chivas USA, a franchise based on the Mexican club of the same name from Guadalajara. The name took its inspiration in Mexico from the parent club of Chivas, whose biggest rival in the so-called El Clasico de Clasicos (The Classic of Classics), the biggest game in Mexican football, is Club America from the capital city of Mexico City - a derby that features this weekend too.
The derby for Los Angeles has come to be called both a little bit American and a little bit Mexican - the Superclasico. The rivalry between the LA Galaxy and Chivas was based on the principle of local competition and, of course, also on the ethnic divide between Americans and Mexicans and other Hispanics, respectively, who make up 47% of the population in Los Angeles and are thus the largest minority in the city.
The Superclasico rivalry was further spiced by the fact that both clubs shared the same stadium in Carson, a southern suburb of LA (which is still the Galaxy's headquarters today).
In 2007, Chivas USA won the Western Conference (MLS, like the NHL, is divided into Western and Eastern Conferences), but otherwise did not achieve much success. Even in the derby, the Galaxy were the significantly better team. Eventually, LA's Chivas folded in 2014, but the new club didn't wait long.
The current El Trafico
Just three days after the announcement of the end of Chivas, it was revealed by a group of investors that a new football team was being formed in the city - Los Angeles FC. The new club immediately applied to join the MLS, and even began building a brand new stadium of their own. LAFC is owned by a large group of successful businessmen, executives (and those with experience in other sports) and famous former athletes and celebrities. Some of the most visible leaders include actor and comedian Will Ferrell and former basketball star Magic Johnson.
Los Angeles FC joined the league in the 2018 season, creating a new derby following the Superclasico between Galaxy and Chivas. The name was given in keeping with the Hispanic history of the original derby combined with what is typical of Los Angeles in the present day. The California metropolis is notorious for horrible traffic jams. For this reason, the new derby has been given the name El Trafico.
A tense atmosphere - and it hasn't even started yet
It was 2017: The newly formed LAFC was building not only a stadium, and a squad, but also an identity. One of the forms the club chose for visibility was the creation of murals in neighbourhoods that were bastions of the original Chivas USA, and thus where there was potential to attract fans. Just after the street art saw the light of day with beautiful murals in the club's colours of black and gold as well as the LAFC logo, there was a perhaps unexpectedly mean-spirited reaction from Galaxy fans.
Not a single derby had been played yet, and they've already made it clear that they see the new team in town as some kind of pesky invasive insect. They defaced the LAFC mural. They spray-painted it to use the rivals' logo, which is the city's acronym. They would put "GA" in front of "LA", and then add "XY" at the end. The relationship between the two clubs, even though one of them was in its infancy, was thus set at a 'hate' level right from the start.
The star-studded rematch
David Beckham, the famous midfielder with world-class technique, was the first truly global star to appear for Galaxy. But the best American soccer player of all time, Landon Donovan, was also a prominent part of this Californian constellation.
The American international, who has also tried his hand in the Premier League and Bundesliga, is the top scorer of all time in MLS (136 goals). Other star players who have donned the LA Galaxy jersey include Steven Gerrard, Robbie Keane, Giovani dos Santos, Ashley Cole, Javier Hernandez known as Chicharito, and perhaps most notably Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
LAFC's star-studded board didn't want to be left too far behind. Their first triumph, which definitely won over the Hispanic fans of the previous club, Chivas USA, was the signing of one of the best Mexican footballers of the day, Carlos Vela.
Vela is a Chivas of Guadalajara, and at a young age tried to make it at Arsenal, eventually settling in Spain. Between 2011 and 2018, he was a key mainstay at Real Sociedad.
He has been the main star of LAFC since 2018 - the club's first steps. In terms of name size, perhaps an even bigger bombshell was the transfer of Gareth Bale from Real Madrid in the summer of 2022.
The famous Welshman left in the 2023 season (a very successful one, but more on that in a moment), and decided to call it a day on his professional career after the World Cup in Qatar in January 2023. In the summer of 2022, the Falcons, as LAFC footballers are nicknamed, also acquired the veteran Italian stopper Giorgio Chiellini to their nest.
Unlike Bale, however, Chiellini is still sporting the black and gold jersey at the age of 39. The main card in the 'Clash of the Stars' derby for LA, however, was - and will long remain - the Zlatan versus Carlos Vela duel. The two main fighters of El Trsfico's first fights.
Goal derby - an advertisement for football
Right at the start of the new Major League Soccer season in March 2018 came the first Los Angeles derby between the traditional Galaxy and the new LAFC. After three games, the Galaxy had a record of one win, one draw, and one loss. The LAFC players had only two games under their belt so far, and had started fantastically - winning both.
More than 27,000 spectators showed up at the Galaxy stadium in Carson. They didn't have to wait long for El Trafico's first-ever goal - Carlos Vela put LAFC into the lead in the fifth minute. He then increased his team's lead to 2-0, and just after half-time, the Falcons had already blown Galaxy away with a third.
All indications were that the new team in town would clearly dominate the first derby. However, Galaxy got a goal back in the 61st minute and in the 71st minute, while Ibrahimovic came off the bench to make his MLS debut.
Then things started to happen! The final score, believe it or not, was 4-3 to the Galaxy! It's definitely worth watching the highlights from this match. Especially the equalizer at 3-3 - a typically characteristic, Zlatan-like stunner.
The matches between them always guarantee drama. In the 20 derbies so far, the average number of goals per game is 4.25.
Unfortunately, however, derbies don't just bring the joy of scoring goals, they also bring plenty of problems. As hinted above, there are plenty of reasons for tension between the two camps. For example, the second derby, the first at the new LAFC stadium (the team, incidentally, shares it with Angel City FC, a women's football club also owned by a star-studded group of investors led by actress Natalie Portman), brought an unpleasant incident. During the match, which ended amicably 2-2, a brawl broke out in the stands. Six rioters were arrested.
LA, the most football-friendly address in the US
But the Los Angeles derby is, thankfully, not just about disputes between groups of fans. The Galaxy are five-time MLS champions - the MLS Cup is awarded to the winner of the play-offs - they have won four Supporters' Shields and once even won the CONCACAF Champions Cup - the equivalent of the Champions League for clubs from North and Central America.
Even LAFC has managed to achieve great success in its only five-year history. It has already won the regular season in 2019. The team did the same last season in 2022, when the LAFC players managed to crown their Supporters' Shield win with an overall playoff victory.
There was an incredible turnaround in the final MLS Cup match that involved Gareth Bale, for whom, as it later turned out, it was the last game of his club career. Again, I'd recommend watching the highlights.
In addition to team success, Los Angeles boasts great individual performances at both clubs. In 2019, for example, Vela was the competition's top scorer with 34 goals (Zlatan was second with 30). Vela also won the league's Most Valuable Player award for this season. The award is named after the legend of their rival club - Landon Donovan.
The biggest derby in American soccer
The Los Angeles derby is a battle of two heavyweights within the USA - it is the biggest derby in American soccer. Along with the contest between the New York teams - the Red Bulls and City - which is also played this weekend - it is the only purely urban derby in the States. Despite its short history, El Trafico is a derby full of goals, stars, sold-out stadiums, but also controversy and mutual hatred.
To see how the historic 21st El Trafico will turn out, you can follow along on Flashscore. In the last meeting, the Galaxy players celebrated victory. However, the LAFC players have fared much better overall in the league this year and will have home field advantage on Saturday (Sunday morning for Europeans).
This week's derby
Friday September 15th
Germany - 2. Bundesliga
Frankenderby (Derby of the Franks)
Nurnberg and Greuther Furth are two traditional clubs from Bavaria, specifically from Franconia. It is after this historical territory that the rivalry between Nuremberg and Furth is named. It is not a city derby, but neither is it a typical regional derby. In fact, Furth was part of Nuremberg until 1922. Today, the two cities are de facto homogeneous, with the centres of Nurnberg and Furth only seven kilometres apart.
The two clubs have met throughout their history, plus they are similar in performance in the long run, so they often share the same competition. This makes Frankenderby one of the most played matches in all of German football. It was first played in 1904 and has been played 270 times since then.
Saturday September 16th
USA - Major League Soccer
New York City FC vs. New York Red Bulls
Hudson River Derby
The New York Red Bulls are one of the teams that played in the first edition of Major League Soccer in 1996. At that time, however, the club was called the New York/New Jersey MetroStars. The team has been known as the Red Bulls since 2005.
In 2013, the formation of a new club in the city was announced. Immediately, a rivalry was formed. The Red Bulls are based in New Jersey and City in the Bronx right across the Hudson River in New York City. New York City plays its games at Yankee Stadium, a stadium originally designed for baseball only.
Italy - Serie A
Derby della Madonnina
One of the most important derbies in the world between the great clubs that share an iconic stadium.
When AC Milan play there, it's called the San Siro. When the home team is Inter, on the other hand, it's the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza.
The derby between AC and Inter has been played more than 300 times. The Milan derby is also known as the Derby della Madonnina, after one of the most famous landmarks of the city of Milan, the statue of the Virgin Mary at the top of the Duomo Quadrille, which is called the "Little Madonna". The last four clashes have been won by Inter.
England - Championship
South Wales Derby
The derby between Cardiff City and Swansea City is referred to as the South Wales Derby. However, as they are clearly the two strongest clubs in the whole of Wales, their clash could be referred to as the Battle of Wales. In addition to Cardiff and Swansea, three other Welsh clubs are part of the English league system - Newport County, Wrexham and Merthyr Town.
They have joined English football competitions in the past simply because they wanted to compete in better competition. The derby between Cardiff and Swansea is unfortunately infamous for the frequent clashes between the rough hooligan factions of both clubs.
Cardiff will be looking to break an unflattering losing streak to their age-old rival. Swansea have won their last four games.
Brazil - Serie A
Clássico dos gigantes (Clasico of the giants)
Vasco da Gama and Fluminense are two giant clubs from the giant football city of Rio de Janeiro in the giant football country of Brazil.
Vasco da Gama is the second most popular team in Rio (Flamengo being the most popular) according to a census of football fans. Classico dos gigantes represents a battle of social classes.
The wealthier upper middle class gravitates towards Fluminense, Vasco da Gama belongs to the working class. Vasco da Gama has up to four times more supporters than its rivals Fluminense.
The city rivals are the opposite in terms of current form. Vasco da Gama are currently 18th in the table out of 20 teams and fighting for safety, while Fluminense are fifth and are three points behind second place.
Norway - Eliteserien
Rogalandsderby (Derby for Rogaland)
The rivalry between Viking FK and Haugesund is a relatively new derby. Haugesund was formed by the merger of the two clubs in 1993. It only made its first appearance in Norway's top competition in 2010. Viking, by contrast, is a traditional Norwegian club. Footballers and fans of Viking from Stavanger consider SK Brann or Bryne FK as bigger rivals.
Stavanger is the regional centre of Rogaland, in which Haugesund is also located. Therefore, the Rogaland derby is prestigious for the new club, and is starting to be for Viking as well, as the smaller and new neighbour finished one place higher last season (2022) (10th Haugesund, 11th Viking).
In the current season, however, Viking is keeping pace with Bodo/Glimt at the top of the table and fighting for the title. Haugesund is now in 12th place. The points from the derby will be even more valuable.
Sunday September 17th
Mexico - Liga MX
El Clásico de clásicos
Two biggest cities, two biggest clubs, two different approaches. El Clásico de clásicos between Club America from Mexico's capital Ciudad de México and CD Guadalajara from the second biggest city - the biggest rivalry in Mexican football and one of the strongest in the world. Club America has won 13 league titles and Chivas, as the Guadalajara outfit is nicknamed, is just behind its arch rival in the historical tables with 12 triumphs.
They are the two clubs with the largest fan bases, spread not only throughout Mexico but also in large numbers in the United States, where Mexicans are a large minority (37 million of them live in the US, according to the latest census, making up 60% of the US Hispanic population).
Club America is known for attracting the best players from all over the country and often engages quality foreigners. CD Guadalajara, on the other hand, is steeped in Mexican tradition, with a strong preference for local players from the Jalisco region.
Greece - Super League
AEK Athens v Olympiakos Piraeus
Athenian derby
Athens, the capital of Greece, is home to the so-called Big Three, the three most successful clubs in Greek football. They are Olympiacos Piraeus (47 titles), Panathinaikos (20) and AEK (13). This weekend, the derby between Olympiacos and AEK is on the schedule. However, the biggest rival for both teams is Panathinaikos, which is based in the part of the city that is closer to the other two Athens teams.
Czech Republic - Fortuna Liga
Podještěd derby
The clash between two clubs from neighbouring towns in the north of Bohemia - Liberec and Jablonec - is named after Mount Jested with its iconic eponymous hotel and transmitter at its peak. Jested towers above both towns.
Both stadiums have a good view of it. Slovan Liberec also has the mountain in its emblem. In the past, the Podještěd derby used to be a duel between teams from the top of the table. In recent years, however, neither team has been very successful.
Despite this, or perhaps because of it, the derby is still very important for both clubs and for both cities.
Monday 18 September
Northern Ireland - NIFL Premiership
North Belfast derby
The North Belfast derby is a clash between Cliftonville and Crusaders. In addition to these two clubs, the Northern Ireland capital is home to two other successful clubs - Linfield and Glentoran.
For most of its history, the rivalry between Cliftonville and Crusaders has been based simply on the geographical proximity of the two clubs. However, tensions between the two camps increased significantly during the period of conflict in Northern Ireland known as The Troubles. It lasted from the 1960s onwards and only ended in 1998 (although isolated incidents of violence between the feuding sides still occur).
It was an ethnic, political and religious dispute, where on the one hand the Unionists, who are predominantly British Protestants, want to keep Northern Ireland as part of the United Kingdom, and on the other hand the Irish Nationalists are mostly Catholic and consider themselves Irish. Their ambition is for Northern Ireland to secede from the United Kingdom and to merge into a united Ireland.
During the years of conflict, the Crusaders and their supporters have emerged as supporters of the unionist movement, and Cliftonville, on the other hand, has tended towards the Irish, nationalist section of the population.