How The MLS's Biggest & Richest Club Collapsed

LA Galaxy are the highest earning, highest spending, and most successful team in the history of Major League Soccer.
Yet, since Bruce Arena's departure in 2016, the Galaxy are trophyless other than winning the MLS Wooden Spoon - and now the club appears to be in total crisis.
So, in light of their President being sacked, ongoing protests, and scandals surrounding some of their star players, HITC Sevens takes a look at what on Earth is going on at LA Galaxy.

[@remmidemmi496]

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.

[@1jordy11]

And if you didn’t know people wet your hair and put it in a Mohawk

[@MatoBateman]

Was massive. I still remember the Beckham cam when he was at LA. he was literally just sitting on the bench and the camera was on him the whole game and that's predominantly what you were watching.

[@keshawnstanford5336]

@@MatoBatemantbh I’m American I watched soccer just not mls literally until Beckham came here. Side note I think it’s pretty cool my kids are experiencing a similar not so similar situation with Messi as in they don’t watch MLS but watch everything else and now they are slightly intrigued.

[@MatoBateman]

@@keshawnstanford5336 but will there be a Messi cam?

[@I_Have_The_Most_Japanese_Music]

He's the reason why I stopped wearing pants.

[@Stringbean670]

As a Galaxy fan, THANK YOU FOR DOING THIS

[@andrewharrison7912]

Your football is like walking football it's so slow and the players that go to America to play its about one last pay day and its like watching tennis

[@kanekennedy8819]

​@@andrewharrison7912 why did u even feel the need to comment this shit lol.... all football fans are whining girls nowadays

[@mintywebb]

How do you get excited by a sport where failure has no consequence?

[@shawklan27]

​@Minty Webb THIS has been the MLS's problem from the day it's been envisioned no stakes at all when no one is at risk of being relegated.

[@DLDepoy]

@@mintywebb That part sucks, but we make up for it by not having 1/2 teams dominate their leagues over and over again (PSG, Bayern, etc)

[@sammcdaid2529]

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.

[@isaacs3413]

No relegation/promotion. Majority of the league is pointless, its all greed based and will never make north American football interesting unfortunately.

[@ec0928]

@@isaacs3413 Facts. The entire league is basically a preseason/qualifiers to a 3-4 game season... well now a few more due to the Playoffs format change.

[@user-dy4ij1mz9m]

@@isaacs3413 At least there is some parity in the league. No one team in the last 8 years has won the league twice. Always been a different team. Hard to say the same for Europe when all you have to do is buy the best players and call it a day.

[@isaacs3413]

@@user-dy4ij1mz9m Bro I'd rather watch a team win 4/8 times in the top league when my local can go up 5 leagues in that time and be around the top, far more important. No shit one team hasn't won it twice in the last 8 years its all theatrics to make everyone happy "YIPPEEE no one can be relegated YIPEEE we all win once" yawn 90% of ur season is redundant.

[@spongeaang98]

@@isaacs3413 Dude, this pipedream of "one day my 3rd tier club will be great one day" is dead and it's not happened in a long time. The only teams that this scenario has happened to in the last 40-50 years in England was Leicester City and Manchester City. Both were bought by billionaires and the latter had to have a brutal authoritative regime invest billions into their team as a sportswashing project with numerous financial scandals. PSG were another team with the same stench of City but they had no real history or culture to speak of and were thought of as a joke and still don't command that respect of their peers in Ligue 1 despite their domestic success. The same teams that dominated English football before the Premier League was founded are still winning today, and Barcelona Real Madrid have won half of all La Liga titles ever won since the Spanish league was founded over a century ago. Also the MLS does reward teams with the Supporters Shield for the most points, and the Playoffs ensure that any team making the playoff cuff can win. Not to mention teams are actually punished for financial scandals when they happen, not years or decades after. Predictability and the conservative attitudes of the sport in Europe are the reason big execs there are sounding the alarm about the sport's financial future at the moment.

[@DarthVader964]

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

[@nickwilsonbowling]

as a season ticket holder, it was weird to say the least with the support groups not showing up.

[@josetobon6461]

Why did this happen? If I may ask?

[@DarthVader964]

@@josetobon6461 LA Galaxy was the Pinnacle of MLS. Most trophies won, most brand recognition, best players, luring talent from across the globe. Then in 2014, our president changed to Chris Klein. He ran the club into the ground by only signing marketing signings, players that would sell tickets and merch. Not on field performance. This continued throughout his entire tenure. Sure we got zlatan but for every good signing there was 4-5 terrible ones. We went from dominating MLS to not even making the playoffs for 7/10 seasons when he was in charge. Never made a final either. Fans had enough when the company that owns la Galaxy renewed kleins contract in 2023. Fans boycotted until Klein was out. Still work to to as the hierarchy is terrible but the fans made themselves heard that enough was enough.

[@nickwilsonbowling]

@@josetobon6461 To boycott because of the ownership

[@ihatethewind]

If I owned that club I’d move it somewhere else, you’re obviously delusional

[@asimplenoob6798]

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

[@declangaming24]

Beckham was doing good AC Milan and PSG

[@william51728]

2013-14 team still is my favorite galaxy squad

[@xdeevex428]

That team was killer. Back to front, we had players contributing everywhere on the pitch. Bruce Arena propped us up and his absence was felt immediately. We've been dogshit ever since.

[@JaviFuego93]

Keane too

[@chrisfrank2664]

I didn't watch many of their games, but went to see them (them meaning Beckham like everyone else. Like Messi is now) in person when they came to DC each year, and seeing them on field togther they never seemed to mesh well. I know they won Championships at LA, but I just thought they never looked in sync with each other. I think there was some story they didn't get along, or maybe just stupid rumors? Landon had similar stories/rumors about him and multiple players.And then cut from 2014 World Cup team & then doing commericals for Mexico for 2018 WC, he was always tough to figure out. Also turned down offers of 1-3 years to play in PL after doing well during loans at Everton.

[@chrissao_502]

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.

[@thecosmicmoth3117]

I don't count the Conference Championships either. My Revs have won five Eastern Conference Championships, and all five mean nothing to me as a supporter. But, the league gives out trophies to the Conference Champions and they're counted on team Wikipedia pages... for whatever any of that is worth.

[@chrissao_502]

@thecosmicmoth3117 All the other major leagues in the US have conferences and count those as trophies, albeit nobody care if they don't win the big one like MLS, but those leagues also don't have continental or cup competitions. I guess this is just another example of MLS being a weird, combined oddity of the American sports landscape and the wider footballing landscape.

[@thepeopleslibrary9345]

I consider the winner of the season for each conference much more important. At least that comes with a berth to CCL. Winning the semis in the cup is pointless compared to that.

[@Not_Sal]

@@chrissao_502 only hockey does that

[@chrissao_502]

@Not_Sal NBA has the Larry Bird (Eastern) and Oscar Robinson (Western) trophies. MLB has the Warren C. Giles (National) and William Harridge (American) trophies. NFL has the George Halas (NFC) and Lamar Hunt (AFC) trophies. The other major sports do have trophies for winning your conferences. In the NFL and NBA, it means basically nothing, and in the MLB only do to the history does it mean something minor.

[@dougnapier6441]

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.

[@redboyjan]

This is what they want with the ESL (European super league) destroying the football pyramids in countries and wiping away the history of football

[@mattduell3]

It’s exactly why I love following the league. I still watch the premier league, bundesliga, UCL, etc. but it’s nice to know my team actually has a chance to win something every year. It isn’t just an arms race of who spends the most money

[@redboyjan]

@@mattduell3 after 45 years on a big stand, we gave up and go to local community football on Saturdays, same buzz, same great laugh, and better (award winning) pies and ale too

[@coffeyallday]

Well run teams will still remain good even with the salary cap, but it usually prevents outright domination by one team. The exception is the Golden State Warriors run in the NBA from 2015-19 where they made the NBA Finals every year and won 3 titles. That happened in part because Steph Curry had an injury plagued first few years and was on a very team-friendly contract, which allowed them to go out and sign Kevin Durant

[@hawkinsstern5356]

Thats one aspect. The stability also helps long term planning and some teams have used that to make their academies cornerstones in their strategy. One of the traditionally cheap teams, Philadelphia, decided that if they were going to be cheap might as well focus on spending what little money they had on creating value in local players and they eventually became a top team through their internal development of players whether they were academy or bought. They even developed their coach on the job after promoting him from the academy. Initially he was out of his depth 9 years ago and over time has become a top manager within MLS

[@202ultra]

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.

[@ZEVM2]

Tears my heart apart as a fan who grew up on DC but spot on

[@willlemond5007]

Then there's Chicago Fire 🤮

[@roberttyner5809]

I hate what DC United have become as a club. I still support them every week, but it is gut wrenching to endure it. Only a change in ownership will alter their trajectory. This is utterly heartbreaking for a once proud club.

[@hitthurdeaux]

Don’t worry, DC United is a proud ally of the LGBT community

[@detroitfusion779]

​@@willlemond5007one day we'll turn it around

[@Sempuukyaku]

AS USUAL, your MLS content is absolutely excellent. Full Stop. Why can't other European based KZbin 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.

[@jameslau5497]

The same reason no one covers the Harlem Globetrotters...its a joke to the Football World. No hate just no point

[@Sempuukyaku]

@jameslau5497 A really, REALLY idiotic point, sure. The greatest player of all time doesn't think it's a joke, btw 😝

[@jameslau5497]

@@Sempuukyaku it's called retirement

[@Sempuukyaku]

@jameslau5497 Which he would have done at Barcelona if their finances were in order. Is LA Liga now a retirement league? Is Serie A now a retirement league because Zlatan finished up there? Is Ligue 1 a retirement league because Beckham retired there? Pretty interesting hypocrisy there. MLS haters are funny.

[@jameslau5497]

@@Sempuukyaku all players on the last runs of their career. If u can name 10 up and coming World Class football talent that is emerging from MLS then we might..just might have something to hate MLS for. Until then, it's a gimmick like Harlem Globetrotters. Dream on Septics, u know nothing about this game

[@marshallandrzejewski]

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.

[@Jesus_Iced]

I don't mean to be rude at all, but MLS has very little interest outside of the US. Possibly with the single exception being LA Galaxy, since Beckham and others went there.

[@SebrystianVettel]

@@Jesus_Iced and inter miami now

[@rawiri8]

D.C. United following its steps to mediocrity. Unfortunately, franchise football is unbelievably unstable and there's little to do about it. Each decade new teams spring and the old teams fall apart.

[@brentdavis555]

DannyTRadio has a great video on the Fire. About 50 minutes long.

[@SebastianGomez-uj8iu]

​@@brentdavis555wish his mic was better

[@Endoplasmic]

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

[@MJScrivens89]

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.

[@ryanh2479]

I live near Orlando and go to as many matches as possible. I always have a good time there.

[@Stephen_Platt]

What the fuck is a Pizza Hut doing in a footy stadium? Pies, burgers, chips and hot dogs the only acceptable meal food

[@baikhous]

@@Stephen_Platt Hot Dogs aye? That famous English staple...? 🤡

[@griffinmaxwell789]

​@Stephen_Platt a slice of pizza is one of the most easily portable foods. What are you on about?

[@Maximus7th]

Orlando City hasn't been the most successful club since they got promoted to the MLS but they've always tried to make the fan experience as great as possible. Glad to hear it's at least close enough to good standards for those more used to better football lmao

[@Axeldiedtimeago]

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.

[@christaylor1913]

No

[@ThreeRunHomer]

Inter Miami is awful and their attendance is well below the league average. I’d say Beckham’s influence has been either negligible or negative.

[@Peacock__]

No one cares about playing in the MLS lol

[@Dagpar]

Lol lmao

[@Not_Sal]

This sounds dystopian, but at least that means the game will keep improving in the USA

[@nathanjm000]

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.

[@colek2470]

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.

[@MrBlazemaster525]

Aren't you also currently getting dragged bec your front office lied about the whole Pavon move undef investigation?

[@jldch26]

They didn't have a transfer ban but one of their signings had to play on the their 2nd team (I think it was a DP signing as well) as he couldn't play on the first team. That I remember.

[@shawngillogly6873]

Eh, they had to remove the DP from the 1st team roster and then let him leave at the end of the season. There was also a fine and pretty sure a suspension involved as well. And that was despite IM didn't aggravate things by lying to the investigation.

[@adzter96]

A fine and then MLS helping them bring in Messi and then likely Busquets and 1 more. The running of MLS is a joke.

[@FrankieBlueEyes]

I don't agree with everything they do but it seems like they are running the league pretty well. Since 2019, the average MLS team evaluation has grown by 85% and there is now a team worth a billion dollars. That means more money which means better facilities and better players. And now they are bringing in the biggest player to play in the US since Pele. To say the running of MLS is a joke is just plain dumb.

[@12thMandalorian]

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

[@oreos922]

No relegation no motivation

[@12thMandalorian]

@@oreos922 well that is simply not true, and I’d question any player or athlete who has that mindset

[@gianlucamorelli]

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.

[@user-xd9tq3yy7u]

What a baller but is that why he left Juventus?

[@pstratos7]

He’s enjoyed living in Los Angeles, football seems to be an afterthought

[@gianlucamorelli]

@@user-xd9tq3yy7u he left because at the end he was not around for the team. At one point the coach, Allegri at the time (yes, apparently he is the only freaking coach we can ever have) in answering a press conference question about him, he said that he didn't even remember how he looked like for how long he didn't see him on the training pitch, lol

[@user-xd9tq3yy7u]

Gianluca Morelli thanks for the info mate 👍

[@sp5072]

It’s likely usage. We’ve seen players misused and abused and turned into worse players by bad coaches/organizations

[@valpix7007]

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"

[@nirajsubedi567]

4:12 "In Short", you did him dirty😆

[@prestonhelfand1507]

I was looking for this comment🤣

[@Tom_Star]

I mean, 163cm/5ft4 isn't really big, so Alfie is (unfortunally) right😅

[@jaysmudger]

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

[@newforestpixie5297]

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 .

[@michaeldrabble2558]

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!

[@melanineyedoc]

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

[@hzzzzz1]

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

[@colek2470]

How aren’t the supporters groups not making it better?

[@newforestpixie5297]

Hull City supporters to the rescue 😁

[@JayWalkZ]

The supporters group is what made this possible. Except of course the ACB.

[@notvernon]

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

[@colinstern]

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

[@seanpace6501]

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.

[@jhines5713]

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

[@newdevilman1167]

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. 😮

[@karljonasson8429]

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

[@Cicero82]

Painful for you, Orgasmic for me(as a FC Dallas Supporter).

[@Playtoomuch123]

KC fan here too. LA’s season and our recent “turnaround” is the only thing keeping me slightly happy in terms of sports.

[@reintaler6355]

@@Playtoomuch123 Until early September then you become ecstatic

[@karljonasson8429]

@@reintaler6355 that is way way to true.

[@kuraee]

thank you for doing this Alfie!

[@jordanford9320]

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

[@angelrodriguez9830]

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

[@sithvsjedi9696]

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

[@805WagonGuy]

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

[@ChrWedege]

Very excellent. Great research 👍👏👏

[@patrickschattilly8877]

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

[@benniebarnett9944]

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.

[@des3919]

Robbie Keane best signing from Europe ever in the MLS

[@joblaaa]

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

[@sb6955]

I’d love to see more vids on the MLS!

[@gj1234567899999]

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.

[@skafiend167]

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

[@mattheendpod2659]

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

[@OrlandosWRLD_]

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

[@Adam-lz7sr]

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

[@PiratedBooty]

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," 😅

[@XaloGunner]

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.

[@ZeBoy85]

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.

[@gculligan55]

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!

[@seanisa7564]

love when you cover MLS!

[@aarontully17]

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

[@leaguesmanoframsgate]

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 KZbin 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. =]

[@PhilWhelanNow]

You’ve included the majority of Central Africa in your hypothetical East African federation.. wherever the idea originates, it’s fatally flawed

[@leaguesmanoframsgate]

@@PhilWhelanNow en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_African_Federation Google continues to be free.

[@benskickoff5624]

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

[@loryhell6982]

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.

[@danielcunningham6727]

Hating on another team because they're more successful than your own rubbish team ? 🤣

[@declangaming24]

A Montreal impact fan cool

[@jacksonbeckmann9444]

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

[@hawkinsstern5356]

Its not sad at all. In San Jose these are good times. What good did LA galaxy do for US soccer when they were successful? Bruce Arena does not want to develop young players, he is only interested in playing experienced players

[@jacksonbeckmann9444]

@@hawkinsstern5356 The development of young players is an issue that stems far beyond the top league in the US.

[@M2Comp20]

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.

[@BrendanP]

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.

[@jacobjensen3386]

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

[@ozzyssound]

Lafc is trash

[@adamwilliams2874]

They’re going take over if fans are only going when the likes are Zlatan are there

[@ozzyssound]

@@adamwilliams2874 wrong, LA Galaxy is been around winning championships for too long. The difference between Galaxy and lafc is like the difference between Lakers and clippers

[@KempeIzGud]

@@ozzyssound not even close buddy, lafc has gained relevancy shockingly fast in less than 6 years, the galaxy have been stagnant for a decade

[@ozzyssound]

@@KempeIzGud many people in Los Angeles don’t even know lafc lol 😂

[@ElstonGunnII]

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

[@sbmcmull]

Rookie mistake, Alfie!

[@ElstonGunnII]

@@sbmcmull even funnier since the chart with the transfers was on screen 😂 it's ok though Alfie does fantastic work, not trying to bash him at all

[@heretustay]

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

[@oj397]

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

[@voligeo]

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

[@powerviolentnightmare5026]

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

[@3dsaulgoodman43]

Sounders are a perfect club. Vibrant fanbase in a young city, and being incredibly, incredibly successful despite no superstar players

[@Cirris]

@@3dsaulgoodman43 Sounders are like the Liverpool of EPL.

[@de132]

​​​​@@3dsaulgoodman43 Seattle always has some players from the area. Currently, Seattle has Jordan Morris, Josh Atencio, Kelyn Rowe, and Reed Baker-Whiting along with a few others who are from the local area. The fact Seattle is able to cycle local players and eventually have some of them sold in transfers is huge. Seattle's academy is impressive imo (although Rowe wasn't in there 😂)

[@MrBlazemaster525]

@@Cirris lolno Sounders fans haven't murdered anyone in the stands yet

[@alexandrescu2000]

​@@3dsaulgoodman43 man said "vibrant fanbase"

[@nosleeptillhumboldt]

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

[@matthewplunk4928]

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

[@mattsernax]

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

[@colinjohnson8511]

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

[@Zaman675]

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

[@sethparker3381]

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.

[@kozukizaki8675]

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. 🍿

[@asimplenoob6798]

Downfall of Mexican football wtf the national team is horrible rn but the Mexican league is not in a downfall yes it has problems and big ones but it’s teams are still ahead of the MLS teams.

[@BroadwayJoe99]

@@asimplenoob6798 Never mind an insular culture that tends to keep young talent at home rather than having them play against the world's best in Europe. Never mind LigaMX's overwhelming popularity suffocating domestic grassroots soccer to the point where their Second Division (AscensoMX) basically collapsed, and that LigaMX forced their "stabilization project" on the FMF (made under threat of breaking away from the FMF altogether), which turned AscensoMX into a glorified U23/reserve league while killing off - sorry, "establishing a temporary moratorium" - their own pro/rel system. Never mind that enough people in Mexico were so pissed off about the "stabilization project" they chose to form a breakaway league (Liga Balompie Mexicano) and FA (Asociacion Nacional be Balompie Mexicano) in protest. Never mind that LigaMX has been widely rumored to be considering merging with MLS. Oh, Alfie would have a field day.

[@edsal5528]

​@A Simple Noob mexican league for sure is getting worse its a miracle that leon beat LAFC not to mention after the top 5 clubs the rest of the mexican teams are the equivalent to 2nd division US teams

[@kozukizaki8675]

​@@BroadwayJoe99 very well said! + Thanks for saving me the time to inform that dummy lol

[@hawkinsstern5356]

@@asimplenoob6798 Liga MX seemed better 5 years ago today but overall still in a really good place and grew alot compared to 15 years ago

[@gracielynn9623]

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.

[@zilzainol]

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..

[@konstantinpobedonotsev5589]

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

[@TuncOzturk]

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!!!

[@SortOfEggish]

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

[@WrexhamToThePrem]

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.

[@emdotrod]

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

[@mcwildo2617]

Toronto didn't sign Shaqiri!! Chicago fire did

[@HITCSevens]

My apologies, I meant to reference Insigne joining Toronto and Shaqiri joining Chicago Fire - but for some reason I just said Shaqiri and Toronto!* *The reason is that I'm an idiot.

[@philipeanatsui6821]

Legendary. I respect this

[@MjolnirMarks]

@@HITCSevens Delete it all, clear the slate, and start again. Unforgivable

[@fantasyEXX]

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

[@Stringbean670]

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

[@jorgehurtado3862]

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

[@franciscoreyes9522]

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.

[@Lisvonian]

TLDR, the club was basically only Bruce Arena and when he left, his cronies were universally incompetent

[@adamdickinson2894]

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.

[@senor_ghost0]

I knew that a LA Galaxy video was coming

[@CherchezLeEd]

HITC is my favorite soccer account for sure

[@isaiahl.carter1682]

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

[@edgardoescobar1393]

The newest franchises are having more success than the older ones I’ve believe older ones haven’t adapted to new style

[@abelherrera807]

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.

[@colesand3802]

You'll see a couple Vanney Out comments on LA Galaxy posts but most fans do see him as a quality manager and realize the situation he's in.

[@christianrinaldi309]

Alfie making an MLS documentary is beautiful.

[@1minutehighlights]

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.

[@MountainEDM]

Alfie it drives me mad when you say "the MLS" instead of "MLS". Great content like always though

[@t.robinson4774]

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

[@toemoss5]

Do Colorado Rapids next please!

[@entinderzerberster5107]

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

[@thomasthetank1919]

What

[@depekthegreat359]

I have been thinking about Los Angeles Galaxy's situations for like around five years when they were like a mediocre side till recent downfall to be having a not so good season with just a win so far,good friends!!!The management team must sort their problems up to improve the team's recruitment properly and not being hassle about this by the way and I think a change of a manger is needed,good friends!!!LONG LIVE LOS ANGELES GALAXY!!!🏋️‍♂️🏋️‍♂️🏋️‍♂️🏋️‍♂️🏋️‍♂️🏋️‍♂️🏋️‍♂️🏋️‍♂️🏋️‍♂️🏋️‍♂️🏋️‍♂️🏋️‍♂️🏋️‍♂️

[@Vibemen]

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

[@89jersy]

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.