The ETERNAL Question: Why LAFC?

Why LAFC?
Why The 3252?
I thought you were a Galaxy fan?
I thought you didn't like Chivas?

We're here.
The reason why we are all here.

Yes, it is true, I was an LA Galaxy fan from day one. My family took the weekend trips to Pasadena, we played games around the stadium and I played in Cienfuego's Academy. Also yes, I wear #13 because Cobi Jones was my favorite player.

Trust me I don't hide any of that information, and it took LAFC about 2-3 years to convince me and here is how they did it...

First of all, shoutout to all the "homies" I made along the way with the Galaxy. In the 19 years of following them I made like 10 friends and 3 of them played for the Galaxy, it was cool.
I loved the Galaxy as a kid and thought they were the coolest team in the world, until I grew up and realized it just wasn't. I supported them and hoped they won but for some reason the connection was never there. I only went to games because of the free tickets I received all the time. They did a lot of sad things to a lot of dope players and even during the Beckham era, the fans turned on him!! After he had to transition from playing for Real Madrid to come play with Kyle Martino, Coji Jones and Peter Vagenas in the mid (sorry no offense, they will never be Figo, Zidane or Guti) but LAG fans eventually gave him love.

Not here to bash on the Galaxy, just here to talk about not feeling I was a part of anything. I didn't relate to the odd hate between all the supporter crews and never felt welcomed when we bought tickets in their sections to get involved. Something simply did not click.

After the crappy life that Chivas USA had... some years go by and another team comes to Los Angeles. My first thought, why do you want to try this again? It didn't work the first time and there isn't enough soccer fans in LA to rival the Galaxy. Then friends of mine that didn't follow the MLS "hey you hear about LAFC?" and this craze started to grow and grow.

LAFC then started building from the ground up and it took OFF. Social Media posts started to explode, the events with hundreds of people and the chants! All I could think of was like wtf is going on? They don't even have a team! Little by little I started seeing what this was becoming and how it was being developed within our city. Then in 2017 came Bob Bradley, the Crest launch and Carlos Vela. I remember going to my favorite bar and seeing the homie bartending in an LAFC hat and would think FUCK, this is a community I am going to pass up and not grow with just to support a team I never felt a part of. It wasn't jumping ship on the team or it's history but leaving something I wasn't a part of and joining a culture that I was looking for my entire life.

I said fuck it, my brother-in-law was trying to convince me to get season tickets to the Galaxy and I said, nah. For the first time in my entire life I purchased season tickets for a team in Los Angeles. I am a Lakers, Kings and Angel's fan and NEVER did I ever think I would want to buy season tickets, but for this team with only a coach, a logo, a hat and like 5 players I invested my money in LAFC and their "Safe Standing Supporter Section." The North End.

I called my homie Sam and asked "who is your LAFC rep, I am hitting them up right now"
He gave me Rebecca Schneider's info and with one quick email I was a season ticket holder for team that didn't have team or a stadium yet, but somehow had thousands of supporters!

From Fall 2017 to Preseason 2020, just 2.5yrs later and only two full seasons in, I can say this has been the best decision of my life. At the same time this was all happening, I was working for Urban Outfitters as a Men's Manager and was in the process of transferring to an Amsterdam location that was hiring for my same position. It all stopped when LAFC came into my life... I could be typing this us as an Ajax supporter!

This supporter culture has been like no other you can experience here in Los Angeles. The 3252 has completely taken over my life and supporting my club with my family of supporters is all that matters to me from March to November. I went from casual local fan to a traveling supporter after one game.

In 2.5 seasons I have purchased, 3 jerseys, 7 scarves, merch from LAFC & the 3252 Independent Supporter Groups. I've been back to Carson as an away supporter and lost my voice supporting our club. I've traveled to Portland with 800+ fans to take over their traffic and stadium and now waiting to travel to MEXICO for a CLUB match?!?! Yes, I missed Seattle, the first ever MLS match but no way I could ever miss their first ever International match as LAFC faces Leon in the first round of the CONCACAF Champions League.

The 3252 and LAFC has really brought me so much "joy" new friends and passion to my soccer world and I can't be more excited to see what's come for us in the future. I can't wait to tell you guys more....