The World Cup may have ended in disappointment for the U.S. Men’s National Team, but the soccer spirit remains very much alive in Los Angeles and was in full force on Friday, March 3 at a celebration for the newly renamed BMO Stadium in Exposition Park.
The former Banc of California Stadium was rebranded under a naming rights deal with Bank of Montreal and is the home turf of the 2022 Major League Soccer Cup’s winning Los Angeles Football Club. The club seeks to replicate the success of the 2022 season Saturday when players take to the field for their home opening game against the Portland Timbers.
But first, renaming celebrations were in order. Los Angeles Football Club owners — including U.S. soccer icon Mia Hamm and Lakers legend Magic Johnson — were joined by BMO executives and NWSL Angel City Football Club (Angel City FC) owners to commemorate the new name during a Friday morning ceremony.
“Of course we want to win and I’m proud to say we have done that and we will continue to win more trophies across the history of this club,” said LAFC Lead Managing Owner Bennett Rosenthal. “But for us it was always about more than just winning on the field, we also wanted this club to raise the bar, to make a difference and to represent the people of this city in a way that is top-level, professional and best in class.”
The Los Angeles Football Club has an associated non-profit organization called the LAFC Foundation, whose mission is to help young Angelenos succeed both on and off of the soccer pitch. After the renaming dedication about 50 students from the Los Angeles Unified School District participated in a free youth soccer clinic.
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