In the latest episode of the Urban Pitch Podcast, Ramsey, Julio, and Brigitte discuss where the El Trafico rivalry is currently situated, in addition to upcoming matchups for both the United States men’s and women’s national teams.
El Trafico. Arguably this country’s most significant domestic club rivalry, it’s always an exciting time when LAFC and LA Galaxy square off. Last Sunday was no different, and the black and gold half of Los Angeles was able to hold off its rivals 3-2 for its first road victory in the history of the rivalry.
Heading into the match, both clubs couldn’t have been in more opposite places. LAFC had carried over the success from last year’s title-winning campaign, going undefeated through its first six matches behind a torrid scoring run by Denis Bouanga. The Gabon international has cemented himself as an early favorite for league MVP, while usual stalwarts Carlos Vela and Kellyn Acosta have turned in solid starts to the year as well.
Twenty minutes down the 110 freeway, things were looking a bit more grim. With no wins through six matches, the Galaxy had flushed all of the positive momentum from the second half of the 2022 season down the drain. Chicharito going down with an early injury, shaky performances from the back line, and an inability to convert chances into goals marred the Galaxy’s start to 2023. Making matters worse, an attendance boycott from the supporters’ groups, who are calling for club president Chris Klein to resign, has added distractions off the pitch in addition to a noticeably quieter home atmosphere.
The polar opposite statuses of both LA clubs made for a perfect storm heading into Sunday’s match. A win for LAFC would continue the team’s journey to a repeat, while one for LA Galaxy could potentially rescue a foundering ship.
On the latest episode of the Urban Pitch Podcast, the crew sits down to discuss these circumstances going into the match, while also touching on the United States men’s and women’s national teams’ recent and upcoming friendlies.
You can watch the entire podcast on YouTube, or listen to the audio on streaming services including Apple and Spotify.
