AN AFTERNOON WITH THE SPECIAL OLYMPICS: Checking Out A Special Event

Tags

Asperger's Syndrome, athletes, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Down's Syndrome, ESPN, L.A. Coliseum, Los Angeles, Mexico, MLB, Opening Ceremonies, softball, Special Olympics, Special Olympics World Games, U.S.A., UCLA

 

Special Olympics’ opening Ceremonies at the Coliseum

 

SOAKING UP THE ATMOSPHERE OF THESE GAMES AND WATCHING AN INSTANT CLASSIC OF A SOFTBALL GAME

 

Being that I have a cousin with Down’s Syndrome whose sunny disposition brightens everyone’s day,

Being that I have Asperger’s Syndrome, a part of the Autism Spectrum Disorder,

And being that I had never seen a Special Olympics event before,

It would have been just plain wrong to not go, observe, and experience what in my view is the biggest sports event in Los Angeles and Southern California this year.

So on Wednesday I traveled to my collegiate alma mater, UCLA, to check out the atmosphere at a place where more sports, including soccer, softball, gymnastics, tennis and volleyball, were having their events than anywhere else in SoCal.

It was a typically sunny afternoon on L.A’s Westside – not too hot or muggy, thank goodness – as I arrived at Wilson Plaza on the UCLA campus where a Special Olympics festival was going on, complete with booths, a stage where a lady was singing a rather soulful tune, and plenty of people milling around who were obviously happy to be there, taking part in the various activities and supporting a large fraction of the 7,000 athletes that descended upon the Southland to compete in the home of Bruin Nation.

The folks who I noticed were especially happy to be there, who looked like they loved their jobs in a most obvious way, were the volunteers who did things like manning booths, helping with different events, and answering questions and giving directions to all the visitors.

A Special Olympian preparing to deliver a pitch

 

I spent a little time talking to some of those pastel-colored shirt-wearing people, which gave me the impression that they really loved what they were doing as they greeted me in a shiny and happy way.

They were of all ages, but I particularly noticed that quite a few of those volunteers were of college age, young kids building up their resume; what employer wouldn’t be impressed by a stint volunteering at the Special Olympics?

After about a half hour at Wilson Plaza, I made my way up the hill to Easton Stadium, UCLA’s softball facility on the northwestern corner of the campus, to check out those games being held there; the walk certainly made for a good workout, I must say.

As my background in sports was/is baseball and softball, spending roughly 90% of my sports life playing those two games and working with young people and coaching those two sports, I wanted to observe the atmosphere and learn how different the rules and level of play were in the Special Olympics aspect of America’s pastime.

I got to Easton just in time to see the Puerto Rican team finish their win against one of the three U.S. teams, getting there in the last inning. I then stayed for the next contest, Mexico against another U.S. team, one hailing from Missouri.

I took the time to talk to several of the volunteers who were there, asking them things such as whether there were any rule differences in Special Olympics softball as opposed to regular softball. They all proved to be friendly and pleasant to talk to, one of them having played college softball while another one was a longtime Dodger fan.

Not that experience in the game mattered as even those who had little or no experience in the sport they were working at were enthusiastic, giving off an aura of being happy to be there and willing to do anything to ensure that the fans enjoyed themselves.

As for the atmosphere, though I admittedly had never been there it had a feel akin to the Little League World Series in Williamsport, PA, what with the different countries being represented in that ten-team pool play tournament and the enthusiasm that the fans exuded.

I particularly felt that vibe when I chatted a bit with the American team from Arizona (the third U.S. team was a local SoCal one) right after they lost to Puerto Rico; they seemed a bit tired after playing in the warm sun, but their attitude remained positive as everyone, me included, congratulated them for their efforts.

When I inquired how one player did, I was told that he had two hits and drove in two runs, which I replied, “That’s better than how I did in my last game (No lie, as I flat-out stunk in going 1-for-5 in my most recent Saturday pick-up softball game and hitting the ball out of the infield just once)!”

As for how the game between Mexico and the U.S.-Missouri teams unfolded, I can safely say that it was – to borrow a phrase from ESPN – an Instant Classic.

The fundamentals were excellent as it was evident that the coaches from both teams taught their charges well; the players hustled after the ball, their throws were strong, and the vast majority of them hit the ball with authority.

One player that I particularly noticed was the shortstop from Mexico, as he made two plays that made him look like Hall-of-Famer and St. Louis Cardinal legend Ozzie Smith, going into the hole to his right twice to stop grounders and throwing the runner out both times.

Which led me to turn to a group of Mexican fans and state, “!Tu shortstop es muy bueno!”

But it was another player, the center fielder on the U.S-Missouri team, that I won’t soon forget.

It was the next-to-last inning and the Mexican team, after trailing 14-7 at one point, had rallied to come to within one run at 14-13, with the tying run 60 feet away on third base.

With two outs, the Mexican batter proceeded to whack a long shot to deep center field that had extra base hit and a lead for Mexico written all over it when the center fielder, who I recall wore #15, went after it like he had played in the MLB All-Star Game in Cincinnati two weeks before and made an outstanding catch, essentially saving the game for the American-Missourians as they went on to score two insurance runs and win, that center fielder catching the last out – a line drive by Mexico’s second baseman – for good measure.

Looking at him celebrating with his hands in the air afterwards, he obviously knew the kind of impact he had on the game’s outcome as I enthusiastically told the folks around me that he deserved the game ball for his efforts.

The thing that impressed me the most about those ball players, however, was not the hard-fought efforts or the level of play that they displayed.

It was the sense of sportsmanship that they showed through the game as several of the U.S-Missouri players made it a point to shake the Mexican catcher’s hand before they settled in to face the pitcher.

One word described those gestures:

CLASS

Showing good form during an at-bat

 

Class that you wouldn’t see anywhere else in any sport; I can’t imagine a Dodger shaking hands with the Angels’ or Giants’ catchers before getting into the batter’s box, and I definitely can’t imagine a UCLA Bruin shaking hands with a USC Trojan before facing the ‘SC hurler.

To be blunt, that contest was the best game I witnessed in either baseball or softball this year.

And left me in quite the good mood as I left Easton, where (as an aside), I ran into Los Angeles Clipper coach Doc Rivers!

After shaking his hand and offering him pleasant wishes and good luck in his Clippers’ upcoming season, I boarded a shuttle to take me down the hill to a corner of Wilson Plaza, where I did some errands there and in Westwood Village before heading home, memories of that instant classic of a softball game freshly dancing in my head.

The only impression about the whole thing that didn’t give me a positive feeling was the fact that the game wasn’t televised, as a lot of fans – particularly on the Special Olympics’ Facebook page – lamented how ESPN’s Special Olympics coverage, outside of the Opening and Closing Ceremonies, consists of just one nightly half-hour show with features of different athletes.

I find it rather unfair that ESPN apparently cannot find it in their hearts to set aside, at minimum, a daily three-hour block to give proper coverage to these outstanding people who are fulfilling a dream by being in Los Angeles and competing in the sport they love on the world’s stage.

Having said that, I reckon that the athletes don’t really mind as these experiences they are having will undoubtedly be a highlight of their lives, if not the highlight.

More than anything else, watching those softball players reinforced my conviction of Special Olympics being the epitome of what sports should be all about.

Eunice Kennedy Shriver certainly had the right idea – a genius idea, really – when she started it all in 1962; she certainly knew what she was doing.

I hope I’m able to go back and watch some more events before it all ends on Sunday, but if I don’t…

Rest assured this will not be the last time I watch a Special Olympics.

I had the fortune to find a couple of videos featuring the two teams I watched, thanks to YouTube:

Here’s one featuring Mexico’s softball team at an earlier game played before their showdown with U.S-Missouri:

 

Mexico’s Special Olympics Softball Team, having a great time in L.A.

 

This clip features the U.S-Missouri team preparing for their big moment in the World Games:

 

U.S. – Missouri Special Olympics Softball Team

 

And to top everything off, here’s a video clip of the U.S. delegation triumphantly marching into the L.A. Coliseum during the Opening Ceremonies to huge applause:

 

Special Olympics Opening Ceremonies – The U.S. Team Entering The Coliseum

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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SPECIAL OLYMPICS WORLD GAMES: Some Incredible People Coming To SoCal

Tags

Asperger's Syndrome, athletes, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Coliseum, Down's Syndrome, Los Angeles, Special Olympians, Special Olympics, Special Olympics World Games, sports

A FEW THOUGHTS ON THIS INTERNATIONAL SPORTS EVENT STARTING JULY 25, WITH THE OPENING CEREMONIES AT THE COLISEUM

 

“Let me win.

But if I cannot win,

let me be brave in the attempt.”

– the Special Olympics oath

 

It’s been hard to avoid, as it’s been all over the local news.

Not that anyone in their right mind would want to avoid it, as a sporting event that is just as important as any Super Bowl or World Cup will be in the Los Angeles area starting this Saturday at the Coliseum when a crowd bigger than what the place gets for USC football games much of the time will be welcoming 7,000 athletes from over 170 countries.

Through August 2, those athletes will be performing in 25 different sports in front of crowds whose enthusiasm will rival those at any NBA, NFL, or college football contest.

But this general info was not what I wanted to emphasize, as the Special Olympics has always induced a sense of support in me, and not just for the common reasons such as the athletes getting to do things that, once upon a time, not one would even think of allowing them to do.

You see, I have a cousin with a condition that many of these Special Olympians have, Down’s Syndrome, who is an absolute delight with a sunny disposition and outlook on life that’s so pronounced, one can’t help but feel good after encounters with him.

And it’s been that way throughout his life, as he recently turned thirty.

Has he ever been involved in the Special Olympics? Honestly and sadly, I don’t know; I must remember to ask him and his mother the next time I see them.

My cousin is not the only reason I support these Games and feel a sense of solidarity with the athletes as I have Asperger’s Syndrome, a part of the Autism Spectrum Disorder that at times negatively affects social interaction.

Celebrating on the podium after a soccer event

 

My particular form of Asperger’s is of the high-functioning kind, meaning that I was and am too high-functioning to be eligible for any Special Olympics program, but as I was subsequently mainstreamed throughout my school career – from first grade on (I was in a special education class in kindergarten) – I suffered socially in those days and into my adult life due to the various inappropriate things I would do or say, that would cause many if not most of my peers to, as best, think of me as a “little strange” and either bully me or shun me.

I reckon there was a time when those 7,000 Special Olympians have felt a similar ostracism and exclusion, which was one reason why Eunice Kennedy Shriver founded the program in 1968.

And which is why I feel a sense of pride in them as for the next nine days, they will be treated like absolute celebrities; lionized, celebrated and looked at the same way as guys like Mike Trout are looked at.

To say that the Special Olympics is something wonderful and a golden chance for them to shine would be an understatement.

In fact, I have often regretted that I never seriously considered joining the program as a coach, having been a P.E. teacher and having worked with young people in sports like volleyball, basketball, and especially baseball and softball.

Having the developmental condition that I have, I would fit in perfectly but alas, I simply haven’t found the time to do so over the years.

Perhaps one day.

In the meantime, it should truly go without saying that I wish those 7,000 athletes not only the best of luck, but also all the happiness and fun as I’m sure there will be the widest smiles on every one of those faces.

More than anything else, these Special Olympics are the epitome of what sports should be all about, and I am quite grateful that those athletes are there to remind all of us of that.

And I hope to be able to get out to an event!

 

The Coliseum, site of Saturday’s Opening Ceremonies

 

DODGERS & ANGELS: What Their Needs Are As The Trade Deadline Approaches

Tags

Albert Pujols, American League West, baseball, Chavez Ravine, Clayton Kershaw, Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles, Los Angeles Angels, Los Angeles Dodgers, Major League Baseball, Mike Trout, MLB, National League West, Orange County, Zack Greinke

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim vs Los Angeles Dodgers Thursday, March 27, 2014 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California. Photo by Jon SooHoo/©Los Angeles Dodgers,LLC 2014   A good shot of two stars: Albert Pujols (left) and Adrian Gonzalez (right)

 

A TALE OF THE TAPE AS BASEBALL’S SECOND HALF COMMENCES

 

LOS ANGELES DODGERS 

* 51-39, first place in the National League West, four and a half games ahead of the San Francisco Giants

Top Pitchers…

Zack Greinke: 8-2, 1.39 ERA (leads MLB), 106 strikeouts, currently on a 35-inning scoreless inning streak

Clayton Kershaw: 6-6, 2.85 ERA, 160 strikeouts (leads MLB)

Top Hitters…

Adrian Gonzalez: .283 average, 18 home runs, 55 RBI (leads team)

Justin Turner: .308 average (leads team), 11 home runs, 39 RBI

 

LOS ANGELES ANGELS OF ANAHEIM

* 48-40, first place in the American League West, half a game ahead of the Houston Astros

Top Pitchers…

Hector Santiago: 6-4, 2.33 ERA

Houston Street: 3-2, 2.27 ERA, 24 saves

Top Hitters…

Mike Trout: .312 average (leads team), 26 home runs (tied for league lead), 55 RBI, 68 runs scored (leads MLB)

Albert Pujols: ..255 average, 26 home runs (tied for league lead), 56 RBI

The now two-time All-Star Game Most Valuable Player showing his spoils from the July 14th contest in Cincinnati – and the 2015 Angels MVP (IMO) to date

 

Bill Shaikin, the baseball beat writer for the Los Angeles Times, hit the nail right on the head in his column today when he mentioned what L.A.’s two major league baseball teams needed for the last two and a half months of the season if they are to make a long run in October.

And possibly face each other in a Freeway World Series.

Let’s just get right to it, starting with what Orange County’s Angels desperately need:

Another hitter to add to Trout and Pujols who can play left field.

Sure, it’s quite exciting that Mike Scioscia’s red-clad Halos have ridden a hot streak to the top of the A.L. West standings, but when you consider the fact that two of their front line starters aren’t even hitting .200 – catcher Chris Ianetta (.191) and left fielder Matt Joyce (.190)…

You know it’s only a matter of time, very little time, before Trout and Pujols are pitched around and avoided like the plague.

Who wants to be hurt by a guy who in the vast majority of fans and pundits’ opinions is the best player in baseball, who just claimed his second consecutive All-Game MVP award to boot?

Or a guy who, as sure as I’m writing this, is more or less a lock for a first ballot induction to the Hall of Fame.

It’s pretty cut-and-dry; the Angels need a hitter. Period.

As for those blue-clad guys who play in Chavez Ravine north of downtown L.A., their need is likewise quite clear and just as desperate:

Starting pitching.

To put it bluntly, outside of Greinke and Kershaw – who although his strikeout numbers are still up there is not the same dominating MVP and CY Young Award-winning self he was in 2014 as his giving up two runs in the All-Star Game and taking the loss is an illustration of the hurler’s new-found vulnerability – the Dodgers don’t have much in their rotation.

Jun 7, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Zack Greinke (21) in the second inning of the game against the St. Louis Cardinals at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports  The starter for the National League in this season’s All-Star Game – and the 2015 Dodgers MVP (IMO) to date 

 

Let’s face it, Mike Bolsinger’s and Carlos Frias’s earned run averages since the beginning of june, both over 4.50, are not going to cut it if Don Mattingly’s team is to finally get past the division and league championship series (read: the St. Louis Cardinals) and meet World Series expectations.

They don’t even have to be big names like the Cincinnati Reds’ Johnny Cueto or the Philadelphia Phillies’ Cole Hamels, just people who are healthy, can eat up innings, and not give up too many runs; an ERA between 3.00 and 3.50 would do just fine.

In fact, it wouldn’t be a good idea for Dodger GM Farhan Zaidi to go after any stars who are toiling for teams going nowhere, because such teams will ask for Corey Seager and the other very highly touted prospects who are tearing it up in L.A’s minor league system right now and are expected to be at Dodger Stadium as soon as this September if not next year.

In other words, why should the Dodgers sacrifice their future for one or two big names who will be free agents and likely bail in three months?

The key for Zaidi is to get help in the rotation without giving up their prospects.

The trade deadline, where players can switch teams without having to clear waivers, is on July 31, two weeks from tomorrow as of this writing.

It safe to say – should go without saying, really – that these next two weeks will be very important ones for both of these MLB teams that call the Los Angeles area home.

That is, if they are serious about achieving playoff glory.

Which I’m sure they are.

 

 

 

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim vs Los Angeles Dodgers Thursday, March 27, 2014 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California. Photo by Jon SooHoo/©Los Angeles Dodgers,LLC 2014  Yasiel Puig (left) and Mike Trout (right) posing with a fan before a game 

 

 

 

A SOCAL SPORTS POLL: Which NFL Team Would You Like To See Return To L.A.?

Tags

Chargers, Los Angeles, Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, National Football League, NFL, pro football, Raiders, Rams, Rose Bowl, StubHub Center

 

Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and Olympic Gateway by Robert Graham. Los Angeles, California, USA. Possible future (and temporary) home for a relocated NFL team

 

In today’s Los Angeles Times, NFL beat writer Sam Farmer posted in his column some predictions regarding the National Football League’s possible return to L.A. within a couple of years.

Rose Bowl officials have already turned down the NFL’s proposal to have that iconic Pasadena landmark serve as a temporary home to whichever team relocates to Los Angeles; NFL officials are planning to appeal to places like the Coliseum, Dodger Stadium, Angel Stadium and Carson’s StubHub Center.

Chargers quarterback Phillip Rivers (left) and Raiders quarterback Derek Carr (right), who may eventually share a stadium in Carson if their teams get their way

 

I don’t want to get into the predictions that Farmer made in his article, but the possibility of pro football returning to L.A. (and no, the Arena Football League’s L.A. Kiss doesn’t count! Neither does the Legends Football League’s – the women’s league whose players wear skimpy shorts and tops – L.A. Temptation) has piqued my curiosity to the point of wanting to find out sentiments as to which team they would want back in the Southland…

The St. Louis Rams, the San Diego Chargers, or the Oakland Raiders, three franchises that have called America’s largest city west of the Mississippi River home at one time or another.

As fans most likely know, Rams owner Stan Kroenke wants his team at the former Hollywood Park site in Inglewood; the race track has already been torn down for the purpose of building a new stadium.

A group of Rams celebrating after a play; could they be doing this in Inglewood sometime in the near future?

 

Meanwhile, Chargers owner Dean Spanos and his Raider counterpart, Mark Davis (son of Al), have big plans to build a state of the art place in Carson and have their teams, who happen to be division rivals, share it.

I won’t waste any more time; here’s the poll:

 

 

CLIPPERS NOT SCREWED! DeAndre Jordan Resigns With L.A.

Tags

basketball, Clipper Nation, Clippers, DeAndre Jordan, Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Times, NBA, Staples Center

 

LOOKS LIKE THE CLIPPERS ARE NOT SO SCREWED AFTER ALL!

According to reports from the Los Angeles Times and other sources, DeAndre Jordan, the NBA’s reigning rebounding and shot percentage champion, will remain a Clipper as he apparently had a change of heart after verbally agreeing to a four-year contract with the Dallas Mavericks.

Clippers owner Steve Ballmer, coach Doc Rivers, and stars Blake Griffin and Chris Paul  as well as new Clipper (and longtime veteran star & L.A. native) Paul Pierce went to Jordan’s home in Houston, TX on Wednesday to convince him to continue playing his home games at Staples Center, and stayed through midnight, the NBA’s designated time that free agents can officially sign with teams, to stave of attempts by Dallas owner Mark Cuban to bring Jordan to his team.

Apparently it didn’t take that much convincing for Jordan to remain in SoCal as he reportedly had second thoughts after his verbal agreement to a four-year contract for $80 million to become one of Cuban’s Mavericks, as he resigned with L.A. to the tune of four years and $87.6 million.

Bill Plaschke, the L.A. Times’ sports columnist, had this to say about these developments in today’s edition:

“One moment, (the Clippers) are without a center and without hope, the NBA’s biggest off-season disappointment. Now they are among the NBA’s biggest off-season winners, retaining their rim protector and rebounder while adding potential star Lance Stevenson and ring-bearing veteran Pierce.”

I couldn’t agree more with Plaschke as he nailed it directly on the head.

Now those Clippers, instead of staring at a 2015-16 season fraught with potential frustration, will – along with San Antonio and newly crowned champion Golden State – be considered extremely strong favorites to represent the Western Conference in next year’s NBA Finals.

It certainly promises to be an all-out war with Golden State’s Warriors, who happen to be in the same division.

So much so that I plan to make note of when the four scheduled regular season games between those two in-state rivals will be, and at the very least keep track of those contests if not watch as it’s been a long time since I’ve watched an entire basketball game – from opening tipoff to final buzzer – on TV; too many commercials.

One of the NBA’s leading trifectas, which will remain in place for the next four seasons

 

And along with everything else, resigning Jordan secures and reinforces the Clippers’ standing as the rulers of SoCal pro basketball over their across-the-hall rival Lakers.

Having won 11 of the last 12 games between the two clubs, including a 4-0 series sweep last season (and in 2012-13), this all but assures that the recent one-sided Clipper dominance will continue.

Now all the Clippers have to do is to make sure that Paul and Jordan come to an understanding and get along on the court, for that will be among the essential keys to the team’s potential.

And do something about those new red and black alternative jerseys.

Here’s a preview of what Clipper Nation will see for the next four years, thanks to YouTube:

 

DeAndre Jordan 2014-15 highlights

 

 

 

LAKERS OR CLIPPERS: Which Team Is The Most Screwed?

Tags

basketball, Blake Griffin, Chris Paul, Clippers, DeAndre Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Lakers, National Basketball Association, NBA, Staples Center

Clipper point guard Chris Paul going by a Laker defender

 

A VIEW OF WHICH ONE OF SOCAL’S NBA TEAMS HAS HAD THE WORSE OFFSEASON TO DATE

I reckon it’s not easy being a fan of the two teams in the National Basketball Association that call Staples Center home and have their locker rooms right across from each other these days.

One team, after surprising everyone by spending their #2 overall draft pick not on a big man who had a stellar college career (even though it was only one year) but on a point guard, had another big man who was very badly coveted spurn them by signing with San Antonio.

The other one of SoCal’s NBA teams lost a center who happened to have led the league in rebounding and field goal percentage to Dallas in free agency, choosing to return to his home state of Texas because according to reports, his relationship with the team’s all-star point guard had hit rock bottom to the point where he no longer wanted to play with him.

Leaving those Los Angeles Clippers with a gaping hole to fill in the middle and very few options to fill that hole, which essentially makes them a “donut” team.

As for the Los Angeles Lakers, after having LaMarcus Aldrige say a resounding “no” to them because they ultimately failed to impress the former Portland all-star in their two meetings with him, they managed to sign Roy Hibbert, a 7’2″ center, and forward Brandon Bass.

Along with Lou Williams, a guard from Toronto who was named the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year this season.

But…

Nothing spells “Consolation Prize” more than this development as while Williams is a solid player, Hibbert and Bass are not exactly Shaquille O’Neal in his prime or even DeAndre Jordan.

And speaking of DeAndre Jordan, the fact that the Clippers have few viable options to pick up another big man in the wake of his departure – names like former UCLA center Ryan Hollins and veteran Amare Stoudemire are being thrown around, but like the Lakers’ moves they don’t strike any excitement from me – earns them my vote for the most screwed L.A. hoops team of this offseason.

The fact that the Clippers’ chances at an NBA title, or even the Finals, took an arguably fatal hit should go without saying.

At least with the duo of Blake Griffin and Chris Paul still wearing the Clipper red and blue (along with black, going by their new uniforms), they are still ahead of their Laker rivals – for now.

If that Lake Show does things right and nurtures their young players along, particularly after Kobe Bryant is officially retired from the game at this time next year (I hope), their status as second fiddle to the Clips may very well change starting in 2016-17 and beyond.

For the moment, however, it looks like another long season for one SoCal basketball squad and a potentially frustrating year for the other.

 

 

 

 

The Clippers and the Lakers tipping off at a game on the Clippers’ floor

 

 

 

 

 

 

LOS ANGELES GALAXY: SoCal’s Most Successful Team (This Decade)

Tags

English Premier League, FC Barcelona, Galaxy, Liverpool FC, Los Angeles, Los Angeles Galaxy, Major League Soccer, Manchester United, MLS, MLS Cup, Rose Bowl, soccer, Southern California, StubHub Center, World Cup

 

Celebrating last year’s MLS championship, beating the New England Revolution 2-1 in overtime to claim their 5th Cup

 

OVERALL 2015 RECORD:

* 7 wins, 6 losses, and 7 ties, for a total of 28 points

* 4th place in the MLS’s Western Conference, four points behind the Vancouver Whitecaps

* Currently leads Major League Soccer with 27 goals

TEAM LEADERS:

* Robbie Keane – 3 goals, 4 assists

* Vitor Gomes,  Gyasi Zardes, and Alan Gordon – 4 goals each (tied for team lead)

* Jaime Penedo (goalie) – 50 saves out of 69 shots on goal, five shutouts

After six months of SoCalSportsAnnals.com being in existence, it occurred to me that there wasn’t one article on this site covering the world’s most popular sport.

Nor was there anything that focused on the team that has had the most success of any of the teams that call Los Angeles and Southern California home since the beginning of this decade.

Please allow me to remedy that here and now, as I give props to the Los Angeles Galaxy, Major League Soccer’s representative in SoCal since the team was founded in 1995 – that’s right, it’s the franchise’s 20th anniversary!

Any team that has won their league championship three times in the past four years, as this Galaxy squad has, more than deserves to be called a dynasty.

 

StubHub Center in Carson, the Galaxy’s home since 2003

 

It’s only regrettable that despite the team drawing more or less capacity crowds on a regular basis in their stadium, StubHub Center in nearby Carson, more attention is not paid to these athletes.

That, I reckon, is probably due to the fact that despite soccer’s popularity being at an all-time high and continuing to grow in this country, it’s still seen by too many fans as a foreign sport and forced to take a back seat to baseball, basketball, (particularly) football, and in quite a few fans’ hearts hockey as in SoCal’s case, more attention was given to the Kings’ two recent Stanley Cups in a three-year span.

Even though the Galaxy’s three MLS titles in a four-year span outdoes that feat.

Over the years some of soccer’s biggest names have worn the navy blue and gold logo, including David Beckham – no, I won’t call him Mr. Posh Spice, but along with his prowess on the pitch, that’s a big part of what he’s known for – and Landon Donovan, who retired at the end of last season as MLS’s all-time leading goals scorer (144) and assist leader (136) along with being the all-time leading goal scorer for the U.S. National Team and playing in three World Cups.

On top of all that, another one of England’s superstars has just joined the Galaxy as Steven Gerrard, a midfielder who scored 120 goals in 17 seasons for the English Premier League’s Liverpool (yes, the same town where the Beatles came from!) FC, will be trying to help the Galaxy win their fourth MLS Cup in five seasons and their sixth overall.

Those five MLS titles are more than any other team, which qualifies them as being compared to the New York Yankees in that context.

There’s not much else to say about this Galaxy team, except that people really should check them out and support them, precisely because of their recent success and the fact that they are right in the thick of things in the Western Conference race this year as the season has passed its halfway point, with 14 games regular season matches remaining.

Galaxy Captain Robbie Keane (#7), celebrating with a few of his teammates

 

Two upcoming Galaxy games stand out that I would recommend seeing:

1. Their next match on the 4th of July against Toronto FC at StubHub Center; the Galaxy has regularly played at home on Independence Day, complete with a fireworks show afterwards.

and…

2. The Los Angeles Galaxy against one of the world’s elite soccer clubs, FC Barcelona, at the Rose Bowl on Tuesday, July 21st; last season the Galaxy hosted all-time English power Manchester United in Pasadena, and although they were blown out 7-0 drew a crowd comparable to what you would see at the annual January 1st football contest or at a UCLA vs USC Crosstown Rivalry clash.

For more information on these upcoming dates, please feel free to go to their website:

lagalaxy.com

In the meantime, to further expose you to how entertaining this SoCal team is, here’s a highlight clip of a recent match against the Philadelphia Union, won by the Galaxy 5-1:

 

L.A. Galaxy vs Philadelphia – June 20, 2015