
Why is LA Galaxy vs. LAFC called El Trafico? Name, history, and results from MLS rivalry

One of the newest and most intense rivalries in Major League Soccer has fast grown into one of the league’s most attractive showpieces.
The LA Galaxy are arguably MLS’s most established and recognizable brand worldwide, while LAFC only recently launched in 2018. Regardless of their respective history, the two have already developed a fierce rivalry, with both sides delivering memorable moments throughout their meetings.
What’s caught on just as fast as the rivalry on the field is the unique moniker with which the intra-city showdown has been blessed. Known as “El Trafico” throughout the soccer community, the catchy name has made it easily identifiable, standing out from other soccer derbies in the United States and abroad.
Sporting News brings you all you need to know about the heated matchup between bitter Southern California rivals.
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Why is LA Galaxy vs. LAFC called El Trafico?
It appears that the most reliable origination story of the name “El Trafico” starts with the SB Nation LAFC and LA Galaxy blogs publishing a poll asking fans what the first matchup should be called.
One of the four available selections was “El Trafico”, a reconfiguration of “El Clasico” which is the Spanish-language reference for some of the fierce historic soccer rivalries in the world. The Real Madrid vs. Barcelona match in Spain’s La Liga and the Chivas Guadalajara vs. Club America matchup in Mexico are both popularly called a Clasico.
For purposes of the poll, “El Clasico” was tweaked in a nod to the traffic congestion for which Los Angeles is well-known. With 51 percent of the fan vote, “El Trafico” won in a landslide, and the catchy nature of the name saw it quickly spread throughout traditional and social media. But one of the clubs never thought it would stick.
“El Trafico, the name… El Trafico was a joke. It’s just a joke,” Rich Orosco, LAFC’s executive vice president of brand & community, told The Athletic in July 2020. “Here’s my prediction: It will not be El Trafico for much longer. I guarantee you.”
So far, that guarantee hasn’t come to fruition and the name brand is stronger than ever.
LA Galaxy vs LAFC all-time results
The LA Galaxy has ridden its early positive results to a lead in the all-time series between the two clubs, but LAFC has also had its moments, claiming both the only playoff meeting and the most lopsided result between the two sides.
There have also been a series of high-scoring draws between the two sides, as each side has bagged bunches of goals across the short series history.
SERIES RECORD (W-L-D): LA Galaxy leads 5-3-5
Date | Competition | Result |
---|---|---|
March 31, 2018 | Reg. season | LA Galaxy 4-3 LAFC |
July 26, 2018 | Reg. season | LAFC 2-2 LA Galaxy |
August 24, 2018 | Reg. season | LA Galaxy 1-1 LAFC |
July 19, 2019 | Reg. season | LA Galaxy 3-2 LAFC |
August 25, 2019 | Reg. season | LAFC 3-3 LA Galaxy |
October 24, 2019 | Playoffs | LAFC 5-3 LA Galaxy |
July 18, 2020 | MLS Is Back Tournament |
LAFC 6-2 LA Galaxy |
August 22, 2020 | Reg. season | LAFC 0-2 LA Galaxy |
September 6, 2020 | Reg. season | LA Galaxy 3-0 LAFC |
October 25, 2020 | Reg. season | LAFC 2-0 LA Galaxy |
May 8, 2021 | Reg. season | LA Galaxy 2-1 LAFC |
August 28, 2021 | Reg. season | LAFC 3-3 LA Galaxy |
October 3, 2021 | Reg. season | LA Galaxy 1-1 LAFC |
April 9, 2022 | Reg. season | TBD |
July 8, 2022 | Reg. season | TBD |
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Notable performances in El Trafico
Despite the short history of the rivalry, it has already seen a number of notable performances.
This is partly due to the high-scoring nature of the rivalry, with only three clean sheets by either side during the entire 13-game history of the matchup.
Matches between these two teams have averaged a combined 4.46 goals throughout the rivalry’s short history prior to the 2022 season.
Zlatan shines in first El Trafico
Who better to christen a famous rivalry than one of the world’s flashiest players, Zlatan Ibrahimovic? The two teams met for the first time on March 31, 2018 and Zlatan was the hero.
With LAFC leading 3-0 at one point and ahead 3-1 at the hour mark, the Swedish superstar came off the bench for the LA Galaxy and engineered a famous comeback. The most memorable moment was the equalizer, which Zlatan scored from an outlandish distance with an incredible volley, that produced the famous call, “Oh come on! Come on!” from broadcaster John Strong. Zlatan then scored the winner in the 91st minute with a header.
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Zlatan hat trick tops Vela brace
When the two teams met for the first time in 2019, Zlatan produced yet another memorable performance.
With LAFC’s Carlos Vela scoring a pair, Zlatan did one better, scoring not just any hat trick but a perfect hat-trick — one goal each with his left foot, his right foot, and his head — again willing the LA Galaxy to victory.
I come with a lot of confidence, a lot of belief and a lot of responsibility,” Zlatan said after the match. “It depends on me how the atmosphere will become. And I made it good today, I think.”
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LAFC wins playoff El Trafico
With Zlatan’s stamp on the rivalry, it was time for Vela to make his mark, and he did so in the Western Conference semifinal matchup of 2019.
In the first — and so far, only — playoff meeting between the two clubs, Vela scored a pair of goals to put LAFC ahead 2-0. While the Galaxy leveled things before the hour mark, Vela assisted Diego Rossi’s go-ahead goal as LAFC picked up its first win in the series with a critical 5-3 playoff victory, sending the club to the conference final.
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LAFC scores six vs. humbled Galaxy
In the most lopsided result of the short series history, Diego Rossi scored four as LAFC clobbered its crosstown rivals in the MLS Is Back Tournament.
Two goals in each half for Rossi combined with one from Bradley Wright-Phillips and one from Mohamed El Monir sent the Galaxy squad home hanging their heads.
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