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.

In October, the two sides met in the MLS Cup Playoffs for just the second time as they clashed in the Western Conference semifinals at Banc of California Stadium. The rivalry again delivered top-drawer action, as the match went back and forth the entire 90 minutes, with Cristian Arango delivering a 93rd minute winner in true El Trafico fashion.

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.

Following the 17th all-time meeting in the MLS Cup Playoffs in October 2022, the rivalry is now nearly level, with LAFC on five wins to the Galaxy's seven, plus five draws. The home team has dominated this matchup, with just one win by a road team in the 17 all-time meetings.

SERIES RECORD: LA Galaxy 10 wins, LAFC 9 wins, 5 draws

* Match took place at a neutral venue (Rose Bowl)

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.

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.”

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.

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.

LAFC wins epic 2022 Western Conference semifinal

The two sides met for the second-ever time in the MLS Cup playoffs and once again the rivalry delivered, with an incredibly memorable 90 minutes.

LAFC opened the scoring as Denis Bouanga tapped in a cross from Carlos Vela on 23 minutes, and the two teams traded blows from there. Samuel Grandsir's 44th minute equalizer saw the teams deservedly level at the break. The Galaxy came out of halftime the more incisive side, but couldn't find the end product as the hosts scrambled defensively on numerous occasions. The game went back-and-forth until Bouanga would grab LAFC's second in the 80th minute, setting the match up for a thrilling finish.

The goal seemed to dim the Galaxy's hopes, but they threw the kitchen sink at the home net and profited almost immediately as Dejan Jovelic, just moments after coming into the match off the bench, brought the Galaxy level again at 2-2 with a stunning curler. With the match surely headed to extra-time, off a corner Cristian Arango sent LAFC through to the Western Conference finals as he roofed a bouncing ball in the box that fell to his feet in the 93rd minute.

Both sides should have seen players sent off, with Riqui Puig lucky to get away with a yellow after head-butting Jesus Murillo in the opening stages of the game. In the second half, Murillo could have been sent off for a second yellow after hauling down Chicharito, but the referee kept his card in his pocket. That was to everyone's benefit, as the game produced a fabulous flow but maintained some needle.

LA Galaxy comeback for the ages in 2024 Western Conference title push

With just six matches left in the 2024 regular season, the LA Galaxy welcomed their heated rivals to Dignity Health Sports Park holding a four-point lead atop the Western Conference table, but it wasn't theirs to win. LAFC, who had already won the previous two meetings between these sides earlier that year, held two games in hand, meaning they controlled their own destiny in the race for the No. 1 seed.

Right out of the gates LAFC established a two-goal lead, with Mateusz Bogusz scoring four minutes in and Denis Bouanga doubling the lead by the 15th minute. With the score 2-0 by halftime, the Galaxy seemed sunk, especially with star forward Joseph Paintsil suspended for the match due to yellow-card accumulation.

That's when the Galaxy exploded to life. The hosts were on the scoreboard in the 53rd minute through Dejan Joveljic, and they'd equalized two minutes later on a goal by Edwin Cerrillo. Jovelic put the Galaxy ahead in the 67th minute, and then Riqui Puig, who assisted the previous two goals, grabbed one himself to finish off a 4-2 win in the 86th minute.