Stepping out on untrodden turf for the very first time in the trademark southern California sun, our next 'Framed' instalment comes with a milestone moment as LAFC opened their $350 million Banc of California stadium for their first ever home fixture against Seattle Sounders.
For LAFC, this was a moment that so many people inside and outside of the club have been working towards. Nearly four years in the making, the club now finds itself very much a brick and mortar reality. This was only the seventh MLS fixture in the short history of LAFC, so you could be forgiven if you were expecting them to be in a phase of finding their feet. Instead, the club are moving forward with serious direction. Already they've experienced a baptism of away day fixtures that have included big wins and heavy defeats. It genuinely is Hollywood football with a heavy heart.
There's a unique culture being created both on and off the pitch at LAFC. Facing an experienced Seattle Sounders side, it was a fitting Hollywood ending witnessed by the sold-out 22,00 crowd dressed in black and gold, as Laurent Ciman’s injury-time free-kick winner ensured they christened their new stadium with three points. The victory also lifted the team to second place in the Western Conference. Major League Soccer’s newest franchise has truly arrived.
Photography by Alex Penfornis for SoccerBible
