Los Angeles FC and LAFC SoCal Youth = same organization?

RandomSoccerFan

RandomSoccerFan

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Are these two organizations equivalent right now? It looks like they are showing up as #2 and #5 in California clubs within SR. Los Angeles FC has the MLS Next teams, while LAFC So Cal has the ECNL teams on down. But from this press release on this site, it sounds like they may be the same organization.

LAFC AND REAL SO CAL SOCCER CLUB TO FORM LAFC SO CAL YOUTH LAFC
So Cal Youth To Deliver Enhanced Player Development Opportunities And A Special Youth Soccer Experience The Los Angeles Football Club (LAFC) and Real So Cal Soccer Club announced today the formation of LAFC So Cal Youth, a partnership that extends LAFC’s player development expertise to the over 4,000 youth soccer players in the Real So Cal and West Valley Soccer League (WVSL) program.

cali clubs.jpgLos Angeles FC.jpgLAFC SoCal.jpg
 
RandomSoccerFan said:
Are these two organizations equivalent right now? It looks like they are showing up as #2 and #5 in California clubs within SR. Los Angeles FC has the MLS Next teams, while LAFC So Cal has the ECNL teams on down. But from this press release on this site, it sounds like they may be the same organization.
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They are not at all the same organization. LAFC is LAFC and LAFC SoCal is the club formerly known as Real SoCal, just rebranded. They have different leadership, both technical and administrative, and different goals.
 
focomoso said:
They are not at all the same organization. LAFC is LAFC and LAFC SoCal is the club formerly known as Real SoCal, just rebranded. They have different leadership, both technical and administrative, and different goals.
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The key give aways in the press release (that prevent any sort of claims they are being misleading) are "a partnership". If they would have been the same it would have read something like "a merger".

Technically LAFC is not just an "MLS Next" team but an "MLS Next Academy" team, which comes with different privileges, responsibilities and perogatives, including at the olders levels playing other MLS Next Academy teams in league. For the most part (at least the established most respected ones, and the more newer ones mandated by the MLS), they are quite a different animal than other MLS Next Teams (maybe Barsca and IMG residential excepted) including in the level of training received.
 
Got it. LAFC and Real SoCal formed LAFC So Cal - but LAFC So Cal is still its own, new entity, while LAFC remains its own organization. I'm less curious about the corporate machinations, and more just wondering if it made sense in SR to be different - it clearly seems like it's appropriate for them to remain different in the app, as they are now.

Similar issue in Chicago. It appears that Chicago FC United may be the official name of the organization that makes up FC United (the MLS Next teams, as well as the MLS team), as well as Chicago FC United (the teams below MLS Next, except for the 2011B which is registered as Chicago FC United MLS Next). One shows up as #5, the other shows up as #10. FC United shows up as #10 as they have no 2011B or 2012B teams. But if they were combined, Chicago FC United would show as the #1 club in the area. It's up to someone closer to the teams/clubs to resolve it in a way that best represents their organizations.

fc united.jpg
 
RandomSoccerFan said:
Got it. LAFC and Real SoCal formed LAFC So Cal - but LAFC So Cal is still its own, new entity, while LAFC remains its own organization. I'm less curious about the corporate machinations, and more just wondering if it made sense in SR to be different - it clearly seems like it's appropriate for them to remain different in the app, as they are now.
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Sorry, but no. LAFC SoCal is not a new entity. It's Real SoCal with different branding. The coaches and directors and administration stayed exactly the same (aside from the normal turnover and the fact that they absorbed Pats LA at the same time) and I suspect that when the LAFC branding partnership runs out, they'll revert back to their original name - like LAUFA did with Espanyol - or pick a new one - like Crescenta Vally, now CASC did with Bayern.

Similar issue in Chicago. It appears that Chicago FC United may be the official name of the organization that makes up FC United (the MLS Next teams, as well as the MLS team), as well as Chicago FC United (the teams below MLS Next, except for the 2011B which is registered as Chicago FC United MLS Next). One shows up as #5, the other shows up as #10. FC United shows up as #10 as they have no 2011B or 2012B teams. But if they were combined, Chicago FC United would show as the #1 club in the area. It's up to someone closer to the teams/clubs to resolve it in a way that best represents their organizations.
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I can't speak to the ins and outs of the Chicago club system, but we watched the '07 FC United play at MLS Flex and they were great. My son is going to Poland this summer with 3 of their players.
 
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