How The MLS's Biggest & Richest Club Collapsed 

I sometimes get the impression people nowadays don't realise what a huge deal Beckham was in his heyday. He was literally the biggest thing out there, not just in footbal, but in pop culture as well. Everyone in Europe was talking about his haircuts and was trying to copy them, all my mates wanted their hair dyed blonde with the mohawk cut. It was INSANE.

As a Galaxy fan, THANK YOU FOR DOING THIS

As a LA Galaxy fan, thank you. I think however you need to highlight the importance of the fan boycott. This was the first time in MLS history that fans boycotted a team for a decision and that decision happening. It was a giant lesson and history point in MLS

As an American who is really invested in the mls growing thank you for putting out some mls content. To any Europeans reading this we know it can be tough to watch at times but the league has grown so much in a short period of time and actually has some quality play now. That being said we have a very long way to go and can still be so much better. Again love the attention the mls is getting on this channel.

Donavan and Beckham such an odd duo but I miss that Galaxy team.

Was so happy to be able to see a spotlight on an MLS titan who has been experiencing a slow decline this past decade. But then you had to also highlight DC United's own tragic decline the past two decades and my wounds were ripped back open. DC got its stadium and we thought it would solve all our problems. But not even Rooney can fix bad ownership and take our team back to the top. Its a shame because I imagine his stint here will be done after this season now that he has his coaching license for abroad. Anywho, it's tough to see two Original MLS teams not able to compete with an LAFC or even a Cincinnati.

I was over in Orlando in April and, after taking an interest in Orlando City over the last 6 years or so, wanted to finally go and see a game. They were playing LA Galaxy at home, so that seemed the obvious game to get to. I hadn’t realised how far the Galaxy had sunk. They were utterly toothless up front, with Hernandez looking like he couldn’t hit a barn door from two paces, and were really sloppy in possession. If anything, the 2-0 scoreline didn’t do Orlando justice, and it could easily have been more. It was a great experience overall. The match day experience and environment was fantastic, and it was really pleasing to see the game rising in popularity. The comfort of the stadium was also a big thing for me. Wide open concourses, it’s own Pizza Hut and quality concessions, it was a far cry from some of our stadiums. If I lived that side of the Atlantic, I would happily frequent Exploria Stadium to watch Orlando City play.

Hey Alfie, I was wondering if in the future you could do a video on the Chicago Fire? They’ve been rotting in mediocrity much longer than the LA Galaxy and the fanbase has essentially turned apathetic.

when you have no regulations and you break the rules with a salary cap, the league can punish you significantly harder than say man city, PSG, or Juventus did this year. When you know that the team will not fall out of the league, the league doesn't care if you are in last place for a couple of years. That is probably one benefit of the American style system, is that big clubs don't dominate the league and all clubs have consequences for illegal activity.

Fun fact about the MLS, Inter Miami did almost the same thing the Galaxy did with miss representing/categorizing their designated players a couple years back and all they got was a fine with no transfer ban. As a Galaxy fan I hope that the mls is secretly punishing us more so that AEG will pay more attention to us. The transfer ban will hurt the bottom line for AEG as that’s how they have gotten money these past couple years by signing big name mostly over the hill players for the commercial value.

AS USUAL, your MLS content is absolutely excellent. Full Stop. Why can't other European based RU-vid football channels who plan to cover MLS, do what you do? Why can't they take two seconds to do their research on the league? Why can't they maintain some professionalism when it comes to covering it? Regardless, please keep up the good work. It's really great.

As an American and an MLS fan, I don't know if I'd count winning a Conference Championship as a proper trophy. SS and MLS Cup? Absolutely! USOC or Voyagers Cup? Yes. Leagues Cup or CCC? Of course! But not the Conference Championships.

So nice to hear MLS talked about with accuracy and even just marginal respect for once. I appreciate your videos!

As a Juventus supporter, Douglas Costa was my favourite player when he was in Italy. He was kind of inconsistent, he was often injured and he did get a couple of red cards, but he also produced magic with the ball at his feet. Such a shame to see he ended up like that.

Beckham influence on MLS has been incredible, the level and profile of the league has dramatically improved since I last watched it in 2013. Now Messi there, his influence for the next 2 MLS generations can take the league next level. Especially when Football is on course with globalisation and capitalism, Club World Cup will have an insane level of prestige for any top player join any top team around the world A long money involved.

Great Video! I'm a Wednesday fan and my second team is the Portland Timbers so always taken a kean interest in the MLS.. doesn't get the attention it deserves so loved this!

It’s not often us Galaxy fans get this sorta attention… thank you so much. This is why you’re my favorite channel

I'm glad this was tackled. The Galaxy are the biggest name brand in MLS (a league I am passionate about as a Yank who cares about the domestic game) and what they've been in the last decade is nothing but a joke. I think it was written in The Athletic that when Vanney took over they just straight up didn't have an analytics staff at all (meanwhile Philadelphia has built a beast on a budget thanks to investing in them heavily). They simply never adapted to the new meta - the introduction of TAM, and the emphasis on academies. (One of these days I'll write on how 2015 was the most influential year in modern MLS with its establishment of TAM and Dallas/RB pioneering use of academy products...and the beginning of Galaxy's collapse by misreading the direction the league headed. I think it's worth noting that New York City's first three DPs were Villa, Lampard, and Pirlo...and their FO has basically publicly said "that's not what this league is anymore, don't expect those again"

I am so old that I remember the Tampa Bay Rowdies whom I think Rodney Marsh regularly demonstrated his incredible abilities. He was pretty good on the pitch too .

Villa fan in peace, Juan Pablo Angel was a Colombian international. Thanks for the content.👍

Honestly scary how the new team in LA jumped the Galaxy in support and value I can't imagine the Angels jumping the Dodgers the Chargers jumping the Rams the Clippers jumping the Lakers or the Ducks jumping the Kings for several decades if likely ever.

4:12 "In Short", you did him dirty😆

As an MLS fan (KC myself) thanks for making this. Watching Galaxy this year has been painful (though our early season was somehow worse).

This video as a whole was really well done and I appreciate covering our league with a thorough bit of research. My one note is no fanbase really cares about conference titles, celebrating them or counting them among silverware. Toronto achieved a historic domestic Treble in 2017 and that how it is referred to by all. If someone tried to say it was a quad they'd be laughed at. I've never met a New England fan that bragged about their stretch of four conference titles in the 00s.

I am a LAFC fan but has grown up supporting LA Galaxy. I was wondering why Galaxy wasn’t performing as other clubs. Thank you for explaining this. I did not know Carlos Vela and Denis Bouanga’s salary were so much less than other top salary players. 😮

I don't remember what video it was but you were talking about underrated transfers and you mentioned Klaus for St. Louis City, SC and I have to tell you watching him in person and watching all the games. You were absolutely right! Dude is absolutely awesome and the second best player on the team

This video is well needed. Galaxy is a mess and the supporter groups don’t make it better.

The G's are such an integral part of my family. My wife, kids, and I love standing in 121 (Angel City Brigade's section) and chanting for the 90+. Even with us disagreeing with them ending the boycott early, we love being there. But all these problems were the kind that would have seen us in lower divisions years ago if US Soccer had a relegation system in place. Thanks for the highlight, and hopefully someone sees it and realizes there needs to be something done soon

Really love to see you cover some MLS content. Would be cool if you did a video on the newest team in the league, St. Louis City, and their record-breaking start

It feels so surreal watching this as a galaxy fan, but like always, you've done an amazing job covering this top!!

I’d love to see more vids on the MLS!

I've been waiting for this..... first club I fell in love with when I was 4..I am 29 now. Thank you.

yesss ! more MLS content hell yeah! i’m proud to say the sounders are the new face of MLS. you should do a video on the standard and otecidnetns they set for MLS when coming into the league, atlanta, lafc, new york city fc, nashville, cincinnati, austin and st lous. wouldn’t have been so great if it wasn’t for seattle paving the way in america. for the better part of the last decade we consistently drew crowded twice the size of anyone else in the league untill the arrival of atlanta.

Your videos are so informative, mate. Keep it up.

Love this video. I am a galaxy fan. explains well our situation. Would love to see more MLS content!

Hey Allie quick heads up you made an error at 8:06 saying Toronto FC signed Shaqiri. The fire signed shaqiri. Toronto signed Insigne. Thanks for another great video though!

Thank you as many appreciate how you cover a wide subject matter. In my experience you are unique on RU-vid to the extent you do this on football 🙏🏼

Glad to see you doing more MLS coverage Alfie! Hopefully getting a (positive) video on my Philadelphia Union someday 😄

thank you for doing this Alfie!

Very excellent. Great research 👍👏👏

As a LA Galaxy fan from the beginning thanks for covering this

Interesting seeing one of these "What On Earth...?" videos about a MLS team, but I suppose if it were ever going to happen it would be for LA Galaxy. Also, just a correction: Shaqiri plays for Chicago Fire, not Toronto FC.

Strangely, been waiting for this despite never having thought about it.

As a Galaxy supporter in one of the SG’s that was part of the boycott, their was a few things that were not mentioned or discussed. The club made the announcement of Chris Klein contract extension during the World Cup Final as to lessen the backlash, but it back fired on them. ACB jumped the line after they went behind everyone’s back to negotiate with the Front Office for their return almost killing the boycott entirely! If it wasn’t for the four SG’s continuing to hold the line, Chris Klein would have stayed.

The structure of the MLS is genuinely perfect, any team can win the MLS each season

It is absolutely sad the way the LA Galaxy have been heading. Hoping for better times to come!

Absolutely needed to be said, what I will add about their situation is that they’re the biggest victims of the expansion of the MLS so in a completely roundabout way they’re probably the first club in this series to be a victim of their own success, because where would MLS be now without LA Galaxy? without Beckham? They revolutionised MLS, the first designated player, the second team to build a soccer specific stadium and the first to do it properly then they went on to win everything going but at the same time laid the precedent of how to… well… MLS which has been repeated many times over to varying degrees of success. There’s no doubt whatsoever that MLS as a whole has completely surpassed the LA Galaxy.

I'd like to put in another request for a video about the hypothetical First XI for the East African Federation if every theoretically-eligible player declared for them. The proposed nations for the Federation - it's a real project that's been rumbling towards completion for years - would comprise Burundi, the DR Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda. None of them are footballing powerhouses on their own, or even arguably together, but there are a unexpected gems and we can dredge up a surprising amount of really good players who *aren't* Congolese, in addition to the vast swathes of the French and Belgian national team who'd be eligible through their parentage. Burundi, for instance, can offer Genk's Pro League assists leader Mike Tresor and OGC Nice's breakout left-back Youssouf Ndayishimiye. The point is, they're more than just hangers-on, and I think it would be interesting to see Alfie's take on it. This is request number 52. I think RU-vid might be deleting the comments that are streaks, maybe it's just triggering the spam filter or something, so I've had to hand-write this one out for the first time in a while. Hopefully this one stays. I have done a team sheet (complete with subs bench and even a stab at a kit design) and sent it to Alfie a while back via his Twitter DMs. I don't expect this to garner much of a response, but I have to keep asking on the off-chance he sees it here too. =]

Sad to see how badly this team has fallen. But as a San Diego Galaxy fan, when the MLS comes to San Diego in 2 years, in the words of Magic Johnson: "I'm not gonna be here," 😅

I’m a casual MLS watcher I go to games sometimes thank you for making this one. Another W Vid

As long as the Sounders are doing considerably well everything is going fine.

They got out LA Galaxy’d, by their own player as well, laid the US Superclub blueprint.

Thank you for doing this video as a galaxy fan we are getting left behind by a league we helped create

I'll just say as a Real Salt Lake supporter (frequent past punching bag for LA), it's sort of nice to see Galaxy struggle. Obviously it likely won't last for long, but it helps promote some parity in the Western-half of the MLS to have some other names on the top perch.

As a CF Montréal Fan I think I speak for everyone in the room. About time LA Galaxy it rock bottom. Everyone was pretty much fed up with them at the top.

Even as a Galaxy fan, I haven’t been to a game since Zlatan was playing. I used to love going to games because the Galaxy would score 3, 4, or 5 goals every time I went. It’s pretty insane how quickly LAFC have taken over LA in just five years

Since Klein is fired, now the only way is success for us. We gonna back as soon as possible from now on. But yes we lost so many times under terrible management. That hurts so much but also knowing that future is bright gives you hope. VAMOS GALAXY!!!

4:12 "in short" [shows picture of Insigne] 😂 pure class lol

Love love love the MLS content, Alfie!! Any chance you could do that sub-Saharan African club-based Best XI??

Great seeing the MLS covered. And LA Galaxy...man, how the mighty are fallen. It's a very interesting topic to talk about, and I'm glad you covered it.

love when you cover MLS!

Shaqiri was signed by Chicago Fire, my hometown team who have been mired in mediocrity for years, not Toronto FC

Robbie Keane best signing from Europe ever in the MLS

Great stuff mate, but PSA for everyone that it’s just “MLS” not “The MLS”. The MLS would mean “The Major League Soccer”

My club🥲looking forward to this video (even though I don’t like why it’s being done).

Hey Alfie, maybe do a video on Gazelec Ajacco, a side who were in ligue 1 back in the 15/16 season for the first time ever, yet were wound up just recently

After watching the league bend to every whim of the galaxy over the years and watching them succeed . I'm sure i speak for many fans of other mls teams here , BUT YOU JUST LOVE TO SEE IT !!!! and long may it continue

The problem with soccer in the US is it is still not as established a sport as the “big three”: American football, basketball, and baseball. All these sports have a relatively high floor and high ceiling for fans. Meaning even if the team does poorly, there are still a core of fans willing to support the local baseball team, American football team or basketball team. The ceiling is also high. When the team does well, the city becomes united and even those that don’t actively follow the sport become bandwagon fans. The problem with soccer in the US is it has a low floor and low ceiling. When the local soccer team does badly almost nobody is watching. But even when the local team does well, most of the city is still unaware.

Good video. Curious as to how you're able to use getty images in your videos? Do you purchase all of these?

I am from Malaysia. I love following MLS and NASL history. For me, the decline of LA Galaxy is due to the presence of new soccer teams in the USA. In fact, these new franchises feature an interesting and fresh identity..

I went to watch them at home to LAFC in the Cup in 2022 and it was brilliant, barnstorming atmosphere from both sides, the closest thing to a European atmosphere I've experienced in the US by far.

Crazy that Costa and the Galaxy have definitely picked it up after this was posted

I knew that a LA Galaxy video was coming

I remembered when LA Galaxy was one or not the best team in MLS, even way back before Beckham arrived

Babe, wake up! New HITC Sevens What on Earth video dropped!

Very refreshing to come back to this video now that we ousted our leadership and are now undefeated to start this season and have maybe the best attack in the league

Hey Alfie, I was informed that Loris Karius turns 30 today, and that gave me a good video idea for you. Do you think you can make a video on 7 players whose career got destroyed by one moment or one game? For example, Maicon vs. Tottenham Hotspur.

Ooo this should be exciting. I will say Alfie, following the recent events last week, now feels like an excellent time on the downfall of Mexican football. 🍿

I'm a former LA Galaxy ticket holder for multiple seasons, I can't believe how far this club has fallen. Ownership should have cleaned house a long time ago, especially when LA Formerly Chivas won the MLS Cup

I would love to see you do a video about another one of MLS' founding clubs: DC United.

The microphone echoes added to the drama in this one Alfie.

"the MLS" is tough, but the content is great!

Do Colorado Rapids next please!

As a LA GALAXY fan, I sure so our team come back for the next season more strong. I love my G's. I always be whit them. It doesn't metter how they are playing. THIS IS LA GALAXY SINCE #96.

HITC is my favorite soccer account for sure

1:39 They did finish 4th in 2022 on 50 ahead of Nashville on goal difference. Great content tho

Alfie making an MLS documentary is beautiful.

Such a big club actually. Hopefully they don't get relegated

I just can't believe my beloved Galaxy is not a major participant in the MLS when they use to be the face of the league and still with the most Championships in the MLS it hurts to see this version as a former season ticket holder and Galaxy fan since the beginning

Great video! Please please PLEASE do a similar video on the downfall of Atlanta United due to our roster building issues with our technical director, Carlos Bocanegra. It would be a great time to do it considering we just got destroyed by Inter Miami, and Messi fans would watch the video to find out more about us.

I haven’t watched the video yet… I’m 20 seconds into it… But I can make this project pretty simple for you. The LA Galaxy fell apart because while the rest of the league switch from retiring past their prime superstars and washed up celebrities and started investing in young exciting talent domestically and from abroad, the LA Galaxy have continued to treat the league like it is 2007. They continuously search for the next publicity stunt rather than the next young superstar.

Wow how spooky is this I was wondering about this LITERALLY when this video was released

Toronto didn't sign Shaqiri!! Chicago fire did

What is that extra top part of an ear on Chris Klein's head at 2:38?😁😁

I would love for you to do this to my hometown club DC United or the Washington Spirit! DCU being the all around most decorated US Soccer team and consistently in the gutter despite bringing in Rooney, Benteke, and one pf the leagues most loyal fanbases.

As a Galaxy fan, thanks for making this. One interesting thing about the boycott (which I took part in; I’m headed to my first home game this afternoon) has been seeing even outsiders notice what a train wreck we’ve become. In my opinion, it played a huge role in removing Klein. It might take a little time, but we’ll be back on top because our fans CARE. We’re not gonna become one of those MLS 1.0 cautionary tales. We’ll be back.

i hope this video mentions us winning the 2022 Footy Scran World Cup

You should do a video on the newly reported links between hull and Roma

Alfie just said their two weak spots are in the 1. middle and 2. out wide 😂That’s pretty much everything 🤣🤣🤣

I would love to see you do a video on the Chicago Fire. As an expansion team in 1997, we were and still are, the only expansion team in MLS to win the MLS Cup in their inaugural season. We were also a dominate force in the early to mid 2000s and picked up 4 open cup titles in the process. In the modern era however, we've only been in the playoffs once since 2011 and we've been on countless re-builds since. We've had the honor of having one of the best midfielders to have ever played the game, Bastian Schweinsteiger, grace the pitch of Toyota Park (Seatgeek stadium), but even he had to retire to escape the hell hole that was known at the time as Chicago Fire SC back in 2019. In 2020 after a (not so) massive rebrand, we've gotten a new name (Chicago Fire "FC"), a new owner, a new GM/President, and we've moved back into Soldier Field from Bridgeview, IL to be closer to the city in which the Club is based on. Despite the excitement of finally having a new front office, we're still shit unfortunately... We've recently fired our second coach after the 2020 rebrand and to add more salt to the wound, we have the league's highest earning player, Xherdan Shaqiri, and he really hasn't done much for us since joining us last season. In 13 matches so far this season, Shaq is on 1G/2A. We are looking for a DP striker (despite being promised one over the winter break) and we are just 6 points off a playoff spot, we still have hope of at least featuring in the post season in some way. Before the Galaxy, we were the real biggest losers in the MLS, but they've quickly taken that title away from so far this season.