Los Angeles is a city of dreams come true (some), broken dreams (many) and dreams under construction (the vast majority). Of the twelve and a half million inhabitants of its metropolitan area, there are few who do not feel they are stars, who should be, or who could be. It is the epitome of the great American fantasy – to be what you want to be if you try hard enough – but also the cruelest of scenarios, the dunghill of all those illusions that fall by the wayside.
In all the corners there are murals with the image of Kobe Bryant; it has been the theater of performances by Magic Johnson; the Dodgers are perennial World Series contenders; the Angels have Shohei Ohtani, the great baseball star; the Kings have had Wayne Gretzky, the greatest player in ice hockey history; and now the entire planet is waiting for LeBron James to surpass Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s points record. The Rams will have the NFL crown until the Super Bowl, the Galaxy is the great benchmark of North American soccer, and LAFC is the current champion.
Angel City FC women’s soccer hasn’t won anything yet, but they haven’t had time either. She will soon begin her second run in the NWSL (National Women Soccer League), after a discreet debut in which she finished in eighth position in the standings with eight wins, five draws and nine losses. But the ambition is great, in keeping with the dreams of the Angelenos: to become the first women’s franchise, in any sport, with a market valuation of more than a billion dollars. Because in Los Angeles dreams are important, but money is even more.
At the moment their stars are not the goalkeeper Brittany Isenhour, the New Zealand defender and captain Ali Riley, the French midfielder Clarisse Le Bihan, the Scottish striker Claire Emsley or the Japanese Jun Endo. Everything will come. The focus is on its consortium of owners, led by Natalie Portman, with fellow actresses Jessica Chastain, Eva Longoria and Jennifer Garner, tennis player Billy Jean King and actor and comedian James Corden. To which must be added youtubers, influencers, businessmen and personalities from society in southern California.
All of them are passionate about soccer and have a greater or lesser interest in being seen in the box at the BMO Stadium in the south of the city, which Angel City shares with LAFC, next to the historic Coliseum that in 2028 will house its Third Olympic Games. And they are convinced of making money thanks to the growing popularity of women’s soccer, in one of the main television markets in the world (it is not the same to have a team in Kansas City or Portland than to have a team around the corner from Hollywood).
Despite the enormous emphasis that its managers place on marketing, the sale of television rights, the 40 million dollars a year in endorsements, the sale of subscriptions in 46 of the 50 states (and even abroad) and the acquisition of followers in all communities, it is a medium-term investment from which benefits are not expected for four or five years. Angel City has a very diverse ethnic and sociological fanbase, with families, young girls, retirees, civil servants, factory workers, and not just wealthy moms from Beverly Hills and Malibu. The dream is to eventually become the Yankees of women’s soccer. Although to get there they will need the equivalent of Babe Ruth, Joe DiMaggio, Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, Lou Gehrig, Yogi Berra and Mickey Mantle.
