STORIES: El Trafico
Still got that tingly feeling thinking about Saturday.
Opening the car door, I was greeted by the tantalizing aroma of carne asada floating across Lot 12. The parking lot was bustling with activity, including the welcome sight of LA Galaxy and LAFC fans tailgating together. The rivalry has somewhat matured from the chaotic early days when fights and other kinds of mischief between the fan bases were a normal occurrence. Somewhat.
We could write an entire piece on El Trafico graffiti art. Taken earlier this year.
The tailgating scene was vibrant as always, but a tense mood hung around the building. Whoever takes all three points probably wins the West and the coveted home field advantage along with it. It was a long two weeks waiting for this day to arrive, and everyone just wanted the match to kick off.
That included the press box where we were all packed in like sardines. Usually I say hi to GM Will Kuntz for a bit, but all I could do that day was slap him five.
"I hate the way you talk, the way you walk. I hate the way that you dress, the way that you cosplay. How you gentrify and transplant. We don't want to hear you claim LA anymore," read the Kendrick Lamar “Euphoria” inspired tifo unfurled by the LA Riot Squad supporters group. Across the stadium in the upper deck were the 3252 doing what they do best, making a serious racket with the intent of stealing the show in the stands.
Game on.
photo courtesy LA Galaxy
The Galaxy couldn’t have gotten off to a worse start. The team shape wasn’t right, Denis Bouanga found himself isolated against center back Jalen Neal multiple times and before you knew it LAFC had a two goal lead 15 minutes in.
LA were on the ropes. Olivier Giroud’s half-volley smashed the inside of the post but mercifully stayed outside John McCarthy’s goal, who nonetheless had to make a fine stop to keep out a Denis Bouanga blast from close range.
In any other scenario imaginable, LAFC wins this game. The Black and Gold are 11-0-0 when scoring first in 2024. But…this is El Trafico we’re talking about.
The second half was something to behold for the Apple TV global audience. Greg Vanney tasked right back Miki Yamane with man marking Denis Bouanga and the move blunted LAFC’s deadly transition game.
The Galaxy never looked back. Back to back bangers by Dejan Joveljic and Edwin Cerrillo two minutes apart led a furious comeback as LA crushed their rivals 4-2 and extended their lead in the West. To add insult to injury, olés rang out from the crowd during stoppage time.
“There’s no worse sound, no worse word that you can hear, as a player…from a fanbase signing in unison…than olé” Maurice Edu confessed on the broadcast.
At the center of it all was Riqui Puig, who recovered from a poor start to orchestrate the Galaxy attack with two assists and the final goal from his favored spot centrally outside the 18-yard box, executing a give-and-go with Marco Reus before curving a finish around Kei Kamara and past the helpless Hugo Lloris. Puig went full matador with his celebration before counting off LA’s five MLS Cups and finally hugging longtime kit man Raul Vargas as “Not Like Us” blared.
Like many great athletes, Riqui Puig is a fiercely competitive personality who never passes up an opportunity to use criticism of any kind as a motivational tool. Before heading to the presser, Riqui had taken to social media to quote tweet a journalist who mentioned Riqui hasn’t created a chance in three previous meetings vs. LAFC.
When another colleague suggested during the postgame presser that Riqui hadn’t performed at his best during the past few Traficos, the Spaniard made that face you make when your ex says something outside the city limits of Reality Land.
"Well, it's difficult because sometimes maybe the people say that you don't play a good game, you don't make chances, but there are more things in the soccer than not to make chances and to make goals,” Puig explained.
“The last two games against LAFC, I think that they kill us in the counterattack. We don't have the opportunities that we have always. And today, I think that in the first half, we have really good, two, three chances, one with Diego (Fagundez), I remember and the second half, we kill LAFC with (Gabriel) Pec, (Joseph) Paintsil, Marco (Reus) and me, and also with Dejan Joveljić, it was really good today.”
Miki Yamane bows to Riqui Puig in celebration
It seems like only yesterday Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored The Goal Heard Around the World in the first ever El Trafico, and now the matchup has been solidified as the marquee rivalry in Major League Soccer.
What is it that makes El Trafico a thing? The world-famous name, for one. A bilingual reference to LA traffic and El Clasico is quintessentially Californian and uniquely American if you ask me.
There’s the geography. Without being snooty about it, El Trafico is the one and only city derby which elevates it above some of the top rivalries like Hell is Real and the Cascadia Cup. (Yes LAFC fans, I know Carson isn’t LA and I don’t care)
America’s a big place, and two successful MLS teams operating in the same city is a testament to the popularity of soccer in Los Angeles.
Marco Reus' former Dortmund teammates Mats Hummels and Manuel Akanji sharing a laugh about El Trafico
The action on the field speaks for itself: El Trafico always delivers. 4.3 goals a game on average is an absurd number for a derby that consistently provides star power, electric atmospheres, golazos galore and crazy fun entertainment.
There’s so much raw emotion packed into these games, creating a powder keg that explodes over and over again. At one point Riqui Puig and Olivier Giroud were barking at each other causing a temporarily halt in play.
When Jalen Neal thought Denis Bouanga dove after a coming together in the box, he wasn’t having any of it.
”Get your b***h ass up” snarled Neal. Bouanga did just that, storming to his feet and grabbing the front of Neal’s jersey with two hands until teammates broke them up.
Dejan Joveljic was so fired up, when he exited the match on the far side of the pitch he sprinted around the field like he hit a home run at Dodger Stadium, smacking the corner flag and gesturing at the fans for good measure.
I suppose It’s fitting the entertainment capital of the world hosts such an entertaining rivalry right?
Long live El Trafico.