LA Galaxy will be the guests for an expansion team’s inaugural home match for the first time in club history. The Galaxy were the first visitors in D.C. United’s first-ever home match, a 2-1 LA win in April 1996.
Charlotte FC became the fifth straight expansion side to lose their inaugural MLS match, falling 3-0 at D.C. United on Saturday. Since 2018, newcomers have done better in their first home match, winning three times and drawing one of the last five inaugural home matches (L1).
The Galaxy opened the season with a win for the fourth time in the last five seasons (D1) after a 1-0 victory over New York City FC on Sunday. LA is looking for consecutive wins to open the season for the second straight year after doing so just once between 2003 and 2020 (W2 to start 2010 season).
The last expansion team to fail to score in each of its first two MLS games was Toronto FC in 2007. Austin FC last season, meanwhile, is the only expansion side since Toronto in 2007 to fail to score in its first home match in MLS.
Chicharito scored the only goal in the Galaxy’s win over NYCFC on Sunday, the second straight year he’s scored the Galaxy’s first goal of the season. The only other player in Galaxy history to score the opening goal in consecutive seasons was Carlos Ruiz, who did so in 2002, 2003 and 2004.
