LAFC Clinches Major League Soccer Championship, Big Win For Diversity And Inclusion

Los Angeles Football Club defeated Philadelphia Union on Saturday, securing the team’s first Major League Soccer championship in its five-season existence.

The final score was 3-3; LAFC won a tie-breaking penalty-kick shootout after an extended overtime. The MLS Cup contest was held at Banc of California Stadium, which gave LAFC a home-field advantage. In addition to its exceptionally talented players and athletic dominance, the team’s diversity and the inclusiveness of its home games make this year’s MLS champ special.

In comparison to other American professional sports organizations, MLS player rosters are considerably more international and therefore more ethnically diverse. “Due to the global nature of the game, our league increasingly features representation across the African diaspora, plus there’s the large influence of African players on our league’s history. Afro-Latinos, Caribbeans, and Europeans are pillars on MLS rosters,” says Justin Morrow, who played 12 seasons on two MLS teams, including Toronto FC, winners of the 2017 MLS Cup.

While ethnic diversity is a distinctive feature throughout the league, it’s especially pronounced within the second team to call Los Angeles home, also affectionately known as ‘The Black & Gold.’ Watching them play, it’s obvious that diversity enhances chemistry among teammates.

“It’s a locker room where the guy from Philly and the guy from South Jersey argue about where the best cheesesteak is, next to the guy from Accra who is arguing with the guy from Warri about whether Ghanaian or Nigerian jollof rice is better,” are examples of how diversity plays itself out among teammates, notes Will Kuntz, LAFC’s Senior Vice President and Assistant General Manager. He adds that theirs is a culture “where the guy from Wales can talk best restaurants in Spain with the guys from Catalonia in Spanish, and the guy from Cancun translates for the guy from Medellin during film sessions.”

A signature line of LAFC shirts have IMMIGRANTS boldly displayed on the front. This capsule collection is a collaboration between the club and Kids of Immigrants, an L.A. streetwear brand. Within moments of approaching Banc of California Stadium for a home game, the ethnic diversity of match goers becomes apparent. Though heavily Latino, an array of ethnic groups and Latinos from numerous countries of origin are always present. Relatively speaking, it’s likely the least-white fan base of any pro sporting event anywhere in America. For the record, LAFC does indeed have loyal white, Black, Indigenous, Asian American, and Pacific Islander fans who show up for its games.

“In addition to our players, we’re now seeing diverse representation increasingly reflected in the fan base, too.” Morrow observes. “LAFC is one of the clubs who’ve put diversity at the center of everything they do, and the results speak for themselves.”

The Black & Gold played and won its first MLS match in March 2018. A month later, the squad took to the field at Banc of California Stadium for its first home game. Later that year, it became only the fifth expansion team in MLS history to reach the playoffs in its inaugural season.

‘We Are LAFC’ is a 10-part ESPN docuseries that chronicles the birth of the club and follows its opening season through the MLS Cup Playoffs. All episodes are available in English and Spanish, which makes the series inclusive and accessible to audiences that reflect the diversity of LAFC players and fans.

In 2019, LAFC earned the coveted MLS Supporters’ Shield, which is presented to the club with the best regular season record. Last month, a second Supporters’ Shield went to the Black & Gold.

LAFC’s cross-town rival, LA Galaxy, has won four Supporters’ Shields, played in nine MLS Cups, and won five league championships since 1996. The Galaxy is one of ten MLS founding members. Its rivalry with LAFC is called El Tráfico, a playful nod to the city’s infamous traffic problems. Despite being much older and having more championships to boast, LA Galaxy is a far distant-second in Southern California’s pro soccer competition for the most diverse fandom.

Fans of the Black & Gold aren’t only diverse. They are also decidedly inclusive. The 3252 is LAFC’s Independent Supporter's Union. Drums, jumping, stomping, and nonstop chanting make the 3,252 fans in this section a rowdy bunch – an intoxicating force to be reckoned with for the visiting squad, and an inspiring chorus of hype people for the home team. While their energy is seemingly unmatched, it’s their commitment to inclusion that’s even more praiseworthy. The 3252 is LAFC’s not-so-secret sauce.

Kuntz praises the inclusiveness and impact of The 3252. “We go out and play in front of a packed stadium highlighted by a north end filled with aggressively inclusive loyalists of all shapes, sizes, and colors who bang drums for 90 minutes, screaming and chanting with lungs full of love,” he adds.

As is the case in other arenas where MLS teams play, the section in which The 3252 stands (they don’t sit) has fans who bring flags to games. But it’s different at Banc of California Stadium. The 3252 has lots of flags from various countries, an LGBTQ Pride flag, a Transgender Pride flag, and other flags that represent diverse fan groups. Uniting fans across race, ethnicity, creed, and sexual orientation is what The 3252 explicitly espouses on its website. It also has rules and consequences.

Research from Out on the Fields, the largest and first international study of homophobia and transphobia in sports, shows that more than 43% of fans surveyed said they’d witnessed homophobic comments at football games. Also, among players, 82% of lesbians and 84% of gay men said they’d received verbal slurs like “faggot” and “dyke.” This occurs too often in locker rooms, but even more so at sporting events. In most instances, nothing is done about it. This is another thing that makes the north end of Banc of California Stadium very different from other arenas.

“Inappropriate touching or unwanted advances, discrimination, prejudice, or harassment is never tolerated by The 3252,” its website notes. Two years ago, a 3252 member referred to a rival supporter group member as a “faggot” and a “bitch.” Others held him accountable by posting audio of the homophobic remarks to Twitter, insisting he be banned from the section during future matches. According to Outsports, this also caused problems at his workplace, as colleagues were calling for his firing. “It was one of the lowest points of my life,” the fan told Outsports. Instead of canceling him, The 3252 balanced accountability with affording him opportunities for dialogue, learning, and the reparation of harm.

This wasn’t the organization’s first time taking action against homophobia. Former LAFC President Tom Penn and Josef Zacher, then-president of The 3252, released a joint statement denouncing homophobic chanting that occurred at a November 2018 home game. They posted the statement and these words to social media: “Zero tolerance. This is not who we are.”

And then there’s this message, which is displayed on jumbotrons and screens throughout Banc of California Stadium for the entirety of every LAFC home match:

“LAFC promotes good sportsmanship between athletes, coaches, and fans. We ask for your cooperation in supporting the teams in a positive manner. Insults, racist or sexist comments, intimidating remarks, or profane language towards referees, players, coaches, team staff, or fellow fans will not be tolerated. Those who commit such acts will be ejected from the stadium.”

There’s at least one other noteworthy mentionable about LAFC’s extraordinary diversity and inclusion: Earvin ‘Magic’ Johnson, one of the team’s owners. Ciara and Russell Wilson, Ken Griffey Jr., James Harden, Kevin Durant, and Yo Gotti are among the other Black owners of various MLS teams. Kuntz is one of two Black team executives in the league.

“MLS and its individual owners’ commitment to identify and amplify diversity efforts has pushed for progress,” says 11-year MLS veteran Quincy Amarikwa. “Credibility for diversity comes as a result of long-term investment. Events like today showcase the value diversity will play in the league’s path to fulfill its full potential.” Amarikwa currently serves as executive director of Black Players for Change, an independent organization consisting of more than 170 MLS players, coaches, and staff working together in pursuit of racial justice. Morrow is one of BPC’s founders.