Behind the LA Galaxy and LAFC Fight
By
Will Brown
Contributor Updated: 21 January 2025
Will Brown Contributor
William Brown is a Content Writer with strong expertise in US and global gambling industry trends. Having covered the local sports betting market since the repeal of PASPA in 2018, William approaches his gambling guides with passion and diligence. He is a keen player of online slots, blackjack, and a regular sports bettor.
Los Angeles FC vs Los Angeles Galaxy
As Major League Soccer (MLS) continues to explode in popularity and size, new fans may only be discovering the biggest rivalries that have underscored each season. The most storied of them all is the LA Galaxy and LAFC fight, which has pit two of Los Angeles’ biggest teams against each other in a battle of legacies. In this guide, we have covered the origins of the rivalry, some of its memorable moments, and details of both teams’ recent and historical performances.
Intro to the LAFC vs LA Galaxy Rivalry
Before we get into too much detail about the Los Angeles FC vs LA Galaxy rivalry, we’ve provided a brief overview of its key milestones with a timeline. We have then gone into further detail, covering the debut of both teams and how the drama began.
From there, we’ve looked at the historical pair-ups between the teams, as well as discussed some future prospects for both. To conclude, we’ve covered the recent form and statistics of both the Galaxy and LAFC, before sharing some of the most memorable moments in each team’s history.
- Oveview of the Rivalry Timeline
- The Rivalry in Detail
- The Future Prospects
- LA Galaxy Memorable Moments
- LAFC Memorable Moments
Overview of the LAFC vs LA Galaxy Timeline
Unlike many other sporting leagues, the rivalry between LAFC and the Galaxy is relatively short, beginning with their first meeting in March 2018. Since then, the rivalry has deepened, with the Galaxy emerging as the most successful franchise in the league’s history. However, Galaxy’s success has in no way meant domination over LAFC, with the meetings continuing to be tense and unpredictable.
Eventually, the rivalry was nicknamed “El Tráfico”. Below, we’ve shared a LAFC vs LA Galaxy timeline that covers the most consequential events in the rivalry’s history:
- March 31, 2018 – The teams meet for the first time. LAFC began with a 3-0 lead before Zlatan Ibrahimović scored twice to help LA Galaxy ultimately win 4-3. The rivalry begins.
- July 19, 2019 – LA Galaxy secures a 3-2 victory over LAFC at home after Zlatan Ibrahimović scores a hat-trick.
- August 25, 2019 – High-scoring El Tráfico match sees the match end in a 3-3 draw.
- October 24, 2019 – LAFC wins their first victory over LA Galaxy with a 5-3 win in the MLS Cup Western Conference semifinals.
- August 22, 2020 – El Tráfico played at LAFC’s BMO Stadium, seeing LA Galaxy win 2-0 in the first away win in the rivalry.
- May 8, 2021 – LA Galaxy’s 2-1 victory over LAFC is secured by Javier “Chicharito” Hernández’s goal and assist.
- April 9, 2022 – LA Galaxy win 2-1 at home, continuing their strong performance in the rivalry.
- July 8, 2022 – LAFC signs Giorgio Chiellini and Gareth Bale shortly before a 3-2 victory over Galaxy. This breaks a five-game winless streak for LAFC.
- July 4, 2023 – El Tráfico is played at the Rose Bowl in front of a record crowd. LAFC defeats Galaxy 2-1.
- September 16, 2023 – LA Galaxy earns a 4-2 win over LAFC at Dignity Health Sports Park, breaking a three-game loss streak in the team’s meetings.
- 2024 Season – LAFC Improves Performance Against Galaxy. LAFC won two of three games against their rival in 2024, though Galaxy ultimately won the MLS Cup.
As this timeline shows, the LAFC vs LA Galaxy rivalry is one that tends to produce games with plenty of goals. For this reason, El Tráfico games are considered to be some of the most exciting on the MLS calendar. In the next section, we’ve explored some key moments in more detail.
The Los Angeles FC vs. Los Angeles Galaxy Rivalry in Detail
The derby between the two Los Angeles soccer clubs, Los Angeles FC and Los Angeles Galaxy, began immediately after the LAFC debuted. The Los Angeles Galaxy debuted in the MLS in 1996 and has been the home to some of international soccer’s biggest stars, including David Beckham and Zlatan Ibrahimović.
The Galaxy shared a rivalry with another LA-based team, Chivas USA, with both teams sharing the Home Depot Center Stadium, now known as the Dignity Health Sports Park. The old rivalry was dubbed the SuperClasico after the Mexican rivalry between Guadalajara and Club America.
When Chivas USA folded, LA was awarded another expansion team in the form of LAFC. After the team’s first pair-up saw the Galaxy front a surprising and humiliating comeback win over the LAFC, a new cross-town rivalry was born. The rivalry was quickly nicknamed “El Tráfico”, which refers to the infamously congested roads in Los Angeles.
There has been plenty of tension off the field too, with a 2021 pair-up resulting in violent incidents between the fans of both teams. These clashes have further flared up the rivalry, especially during the MLS Cup Playoffs, in which LAFC has defeated Galaxy twice. The results of their historical meetings can be found below:
| Competition/League | Matches | LAG Wins | LAFC Wins | Draws |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MLS Regular Season | 19 | 8 | 6 | 5 |
| MLS Cup Playoffs | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| MLS is Back | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| US Open Club | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 24 | 10 | 9 | 5 |
Across all competitions, these two rivals have clashed 24 times. Los Angeles Galaxy have won 10 of the previous pair-ups against LAFC’s nine wins, with five draws between them. This makes betting on the MLS games with Los Angeles Galaxy vs Los Angeles FC games both unpredictable and exciting.
The Future Prospects of the Teams
After the LA Galaxy’s MLS Cup win in 2024, the team will be riding high from their record sixth MLS Cup victory. That said, LAFC also performed extremely well in the recent season, making it to the semi-final before being expelled by the Seattle Sounders.
We expect the clashes to grow more intense as the league gains popularity, with the only comparable rivalry in the MLS being that between Toronto and Montreal FCs. The regular MLS season is set to commence on February 22, 2025, with the first meeting scheduled for May 18 at Dignity Health Sports Park.
Los Angeles Galaxy’s Most Memorable Moments
This LA Galaxy and LAFC fight has existed for just over six short years but has already garnered the reputation of an age-old rivalry. The pair’s first meeting in the 2018 season remains one of the most memorable for the Los Angeles Galaxy.
Los Angeles FC enjoyed a comfortable 3-0 lead up until the hour mark until Zlatan Ibrahimovic proved to be the super-sub for Galaxy, who came off the bench to score twice to level the score at 3-3. The team would score again to win 4-3, becoming the second team in MLS history to come back from a 3-0 deficit.
Another compelling match came in July 2019, which saw Carlos Vela score twice for LAFC in a dramatic opening. The team’s chances would be cut short though, as Galaxy forward Zlatan Ibrahimović scored a hat-trick and denied LAFC their first meet-up victory. It’s no wonder why the star has one of soccer’s biggest transfer fees.
After a 10-year drought of MLS Cup victories, the LA Galaxy performed a stellar year of football in the 2024 season. Interestingly, the year’s LAFC vs LA Galaxy rivalry saw the team come second to LAFC in the Western Conference, though they ultimately won in a 2-1 defeat of the New York Red Bulls. Their playoff campaign saw the team net a record 18 goals.
Los Angeles FC Memorable Moments
The LAFC vs LA Galaxy timeline is defined by many ups and downs for LAFC, though the LAFC has recently turned the tides in their favor. The top scorer in the El Trafico is Los Angeles FC’s Carlos Vela. Coincidentally, Vela was also the first player to score a goal in the inaugural meeting between these two teams.
The most memorable moment between the two was their first-ever playoff encounter in 2019. The LAFC not only won their first game against their rival but broke a six-match winless streak against Galaxy with an emphatic 5-3 victory. LAFC reached the conference finals though were downed by eventual MLS Cup champions, Seattle Sounders.
In July 2020, LAFC set the record for the largest margin of victory in the El Trafico with a 6-2 win over Galaxy. The match was a part of the MLS is Back Tournament after soccer tournaments resumed post the Covid-19 pandemic lockdown. Diego Rossi bagged four goals in that encounter.
Recent years have seen greater consistency with the team, with LAFC winning their first MLS Cup in 2022. The LA Galaxy and LAFC fight was especially interesting in 2024, with LAFC winning the Western Conference over their arch-rivals. This indicates a thrilling upcoming season in Major League Soccer, so now is the time to pick a side.
