A Quick History of the L.A. Galaxy

Created in 1995, Los Angeles based soccer team Galaxy was a founding franchise of Major League Soccer (MLS). Their name references all of the Hollywood movie stars of their hometown. Galaxy home matches are played in Carson, California, at The Home Depot Center, which is also the home field of arch-rivals Chivas USA.

Earning a berth in the very first MLS Cup in 1996, Galaxy lost the championship to D.C. United. The team finished first in the Western Conference with a record of 19-13 and 49 points. After a slow and disappointing start, the team managed to take second place in the Western Conference in 1997, with a record of 16-16, with 44 points. In 1998, the L.A. Galaxy again placed first in the Western Conference with a record of 24-8 and 68 points. This year marked them as having both the best scoring team in MLS history, but also the best defense, including seven shutouts.

1999 saw the Galaxy earn first place in the Western Conference yet again, with a record of 20-12, with 54 points. It also saw the team in the MLS Cup again, although without head coach Zambrano, who had been relieved earlier in the season. Unfortunately, the Galaxy lost out to their nemesis, D.C. United again, although they had the best defense in the league.

Although the club won the CONCACAF Champions' Cup in 2000, they fell one game short of their third chance at the MLS Cup. Still, the hard-charging team managed a 14-10-8 record with 50 points and a Western Division second place, despite the fact that it was their lowest scoring season in five years. That same year, a whopping 11 team players were recruited for the National Team.

2001 was full of landmark moments for the L.A. Galaxy. It was the fourth time they earned top spot in their conference, with a record of 14-7-5 and 47 points. They also made their 100th win, 300th goal and 1,000th point, as well as winning the U.S. Open Cup. Again, the club earned a chance at the MLS Cup, this time losing to San Jose.

The Galaxy had a great year in 2002, earning the top spot in the Western Conference as well as the Supporters Shield. They also finally won the MLS Cup, defeating the New England Revolution. In the end, the team finished up with an amazing 16-9-3 record with 51 points, even after the worst loss in the history of the franchise, giving up a 5-0 game against the Metro Stars.

Suffering their worst season to date, the Galaxy posted a 9-12-9 record in 2003, with only 36 points. This was due in part from playing their first eight games on the road because their stadium was under construction. For the first time, the club didn't take one of the top two spots in the conference, having to settle for fourth place.

With their stadium finally completed, the Galaxy finished up 2004 with an 11-9-10 record and 43 points. They also placed second in the Western Conference. The year's work did help goalkeeper Kevin Hartman earn the MLS top spot for career regular season wins. Also, club owners tapped Steve Sampson to be the new head coach.

2005 was a good year for the Galaxy, seeing them win the MLS Cup for the second time, with a 13-13-6 record. Playing a part in this victory was new member and former rival Landon Donovan, helping to edge out the New England Revolution yet again. This was the year expansion team, Chivas USA moved in to the now cramped The Home Depot Center. Keeper Hartman also reached a personal landmark of 100 victories, while the team won the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.

The year 2006 brought sorrow and tragedy to the club. Early in the season, their general manager died on the return trip from the CONCACAF Champions' Cup. Later in the season, the team fired newly hired head coach, Steve Sampson. All this amounted to an abysmal fifth place in the Western Conference, although they did manage to claim runner-up at the U.S. Open Cup. Their season ended with an 11-15-6 record and a mere 39 points, marking their worst season ever.

Despite the recruiting of English superstar, David Beckham, the team only managed to garner a depressing 9-14-7 record with a team low 34 points during 2007. This year also saw the retirement of veteran player Cobi Jones as well as the resignation of new head coach Frank Yallop, although Jones later returned as assistant coach.

During the post-season, the team took on former Newcastle United F.C. manager, Ruud Gullit, as their new head coach. Other lineup changes had been made in the post- season in the hopes of building a stronger club for the upcoming 2008 season. Other new members include the hard-hitting striker, Carlos Ruiz, formerly of F.C. Dallas as well as up-and-coming Steve Cronin, who will be next seasons' keeper. This new team has shown some promise during pre-season games. Hopefully, they'll have more success than the last few seasons and we'll once again be treated to some of the great playing we witnessed during their earlier years.