The on-again, off-again potential relationship between the Galaxy and Zlatan Ibrahimovic has picked up steam again.

On Sunday, ESPN’s Taylor Twellman reported the latest link between the two sides, and in recent days, Jeff Carlisle reported that the sides were “inching closer.”

This isn’t the first time the sides have been linked. Last April was the first time, but then Ibrahimovic, 36, suffered a knee injury. He then re-signed with Manchester United on a one-year deal in August, but another injury has slowed him recently, along with Manchester United’s recent signing of Alexis Sanchez.

Last year, Galaxy president Chris Klein acknowledged interest in signing Ibrahimovic.

“We have an incredible relationship with Zlatan and his agent,” Klein said. “He loves our club, and he loves L.A. We have an interest in him. I think, for now, he wants to stay in Europe. Our doors are open for a player like that.”

Manchester United’s Jose Mourinho told reporters this week that he wouldn’t stand in the way if Ibrahimovic wanted to leave.

“Zlatan is in the last year of his contract,” Mourinho told reporters. “If that is true and Zlatan wants a future in another club in another country, we are here to help and to create conditions for that to happen, not to make his life difficult.”

The Galaxy is currently in Arizona for preseason training. Coach Sigi Schmid classified any talk as rumors.

“There’s been a lot of talk about it in the past, and it’s something that maybe gets opened up again,” Schmid told L.A. Galaxy Insider. “I don’t know what’s there. If there was something there, I’m sure we’d all know.”

Although the January transfer window closes for the Premier League on Wednesday, the MLS window opens Feb. 7 and closes in May.

LAFC GETS JERSEY AND STREAMING PARTNER

Los Angeles Football Club announced a unique agreement with YouTube TV, a $35-per-month month streaming service. YouTube TV will have its logo displayed on the LAFC jersey and will also serve as the video partner and air 30 of the club’s 34 games this season in English.

LAFC is expected to announce an over-the-air Spanish language broadcast partner before the start of the season.

“This truly is a historic day for our club,” LAFC Owner and President Tom Penn said. “YouTube TV is an ambitious and innovative brand that we are proud to showcase on the front of our jersey and in our community.

In the deal, all of the locally televised games on YouTube TV will feature additional content, including a 30-minute pre- and post-game show from the Banc of California Stadium.

This is believed to be the first deal between a North American professional sports team and a live TV streaming provider. YouTube TV launched last April.

“We are at the forefront in engaging our fans on a digital, cable-free platform such as YouTube,” Penn said. “We are also committed to making our matches accessible to everyone throughout Los Angeles, and our upcoming broadcast announcements will provide comprehensive coverage of our club all over Southern California.”

ODDS AND ENDS

LAFC announced the signing of defender Dejan Jakovic. Jakovic, 32, played last year with the New York Cosmos of the NASL. Jakovic has made 38 appearances for the Canadian national team, most recently at last year’s CONCACAF Gold Cup. … The Galaxy announced that Ezra Hendrickson has joined the club as an assistant coach. Hendrickson played with the Galaxy from 1997-2003 and coached on Sigi Schmid’s staffs in Seattle.

CARSON — After spending the first five years of his professional career with D.C. United, Perry Kitchen packed up and left the U.S.

“It was a tough decision,” he said of leaving after his contract expired following the 2015 season. “I had a great time at D.C., everybody was great there. It was just something that my wife and I wanted to do. Experience new things and experience new things on the field. We had a great time. It was a great two years.”

Kitchen spent two years with Heart of Midlothian Football Club in the Scottish Premiership and one with Randers FC in the Danish Superliga.

Last month, Kitchen made his return to the U.S. and Major League Soccer, joining the Galaxy.

“To be honest, I wasn’t really planning on coming back this soon,” he said. “But when a club like L.A., a big club like them, wants you and they come after you, it is tough to say no.

“I think that’s kind of the situation that I was put in. It is a great opportunity for me, not only to get back to the states, but to be at a big club like L.A.”

Kitchen will make his home preseason debut with the Galaxy at 7 p.m. Saturday at StubHub Center against New York City FC.

Kitchen made his MLS debut at 21. Now at 25, he believes the time in Europe served him well.

“Better player, better person, just experiencing new things, seeing different things and being a foreigner in a different land, gives you a different perspective on things,” Kitchen said.

Kitchen joins a crowded midfield with the Galaxy, but he hangs his hat on doing the dirty work.

“He’s a competitor, he loves sitting in the hole, he likes winning tackles,” Galaxy coach Sigi Schmid said. “Jonathan (dos Santos) can play there, but that’s not his best position, (Joao) Pedro can play there, but that’s not his best position. He (Kitchen) gives us that guy and he’s also a guy that talks during a game.”

The Galaxy midfield fell apart last year without having someone capable doing what Kitchen is willing to do.

“I understand that it was a difficult season,” Kitchen said of the Galaxy’s 2017. “A lot of injuries, obviously couldn’t pick up results, but that’s the game sometimes. I still think there’s a ton of quality here, obviously, a lot of new guys are in, so it’s our goal to not let that (2017) repeat itself.”

Preseason goals

This is the second preseason game for the Galaxy. Last week, Schmid played three groups of players for 30 minutes against Real Salt Lake.

In all, 33 players played last week.

“The first group is going to go 45 minutes, maybe a little bit more, we’ll see,” he said. “I want to see a good 30 and maybe fitness will fail them a little bit. I thought against RSL, we created some opportunities, but we just didn’t have the freshness in our legs to finish some of those. I think that will come.”

The game will available via livestream at LAGalaxy.com

LOS ANGELES — The march toward the regular-season debut of the Los Angeles Football Club continued Friday, with a 1-1 preseason draw against New York City FC at UCLA.

This was the second exhibition game for the expansion club.

“It was a good game for us,” Coach Bob Bradley said. “Very different than Toronto (Feb. 2), more physical and I think for our players to get adjusted to the fact that sometimes in the league, that’s the way games are.

“There were stretches where I think the football (soccer) is OK and other stretches where, when things are going fast and hard, we’re not always confident enough to play at the speed we need and we lose control a little bit, but for us, it was an important day.”

Marco Urena, acquired in the expansion draft from San Jose, scored in the 16th minute for LAFC.

“Every game is different,” Bradley said. “What you take away today is being able to tell guys that on certain days, when the game is very hard and fast, can we find ways to be in control and to be able to do that, we have to be better with the ball, be able to make better decisions.

“We were dangerous on some counters, but in other moments, I think we gave the ball away too easy.”

Alexander Ring scored the tying goal for NYCFC in the second half.

ATTACK TAKING SHAPE

Urena has now scored three goals in two preseason games. He had both of the goals in last week’s 2-2 draw against Toronto FC.

“He’s a striker and a striker’s job is to score goals,” Bradley said. “There’s also more to the job, can you in the right moment come away from defenders, can you make the right passes, but he’s been a threat in the box.”

His on-field camaraderie with Carlos Vela and Diego Rossi took another positive step on Friday.

“We still don’t have the level that we want right now, but we’ve only played two games,” Vela said. “It hasn’t been easy, but we’re on a good path.”

Vela spent the first half in an attacking midfield role and was moved to forward in the second.

“It is very good,” Vela said of his relationship on the field with Urena. “With him and Diego Rossi, we understand each other on the field.”

MOUTINHO LOOKS STEADY

Joao Moutinho, LAFC’s first overall draft pick, didn’t come off of the field Friday, playing the full 90 minutes.

He was slotted at an outside back position in the first half and moved to center back in the second half.

“I feel great,” he said. “I think I prefer left back, but whatever the coach wants me to play, that’s where I’ll play and I’ll give my best for the team.”

Moutinho, 20, has looked steady in both preseason games.

“My first two weeks as a pro and things have been going well,” he said. “We’re getting to know each other very well and starting to play more as a team, so it has been awesome.”

LAFC’s next preseason contest is set for Feb. 18 against the Vancouver Whitecaps.

CARSON – Jorgen Skjelvik is a long way from home, but he’s fitting in just comfortably on the Galaxy defensive backline.

Skjelvik, 26, spent the past five years at Rosenborg in Norway.

Looking for a new challenge, he decided to head the U.S., joining the Galaxy this season and was signed on a free transfer last month.

“I’ve adjusted to the weather, time difference,” he said. “I’ve been to the U.S. before this is my first time to L.A.

“I didn’t much about MLS, it doesn’t have the best reputation in Norway, but it is starting to turn now and you can see the league is picking up and there are more Scandinavian players in MLS now.”

Skjelvik said he had several offers in Europe before coming to the U.S.

“The Galaxy showed a lot of interest, I had a meeting with (coach) Sigi (Schmid) and (technical director) Jovan (Kirovski), it was a good meeting,” he said. “I wanted to try something new. I’ve been playing in Scandinavia for that many years and in Europe with Rosenborg, so I just wanted to try something completely new.

“The Galaxy has been the biggest club here and everybody knows about it around the world because of the star players that have been here, so it felt like a good move.”

Skjelvik went 30 minutes in last week’s preseason opener against Real Salt Lake. In Saturday’s home preseason opener he played the first 45 minutes in the Galaxy’s 3-0 win over New York City FC at StubHub Center.

“We were looking for a center back with pace, somebody that’s good with playing the ball out of the back,” Schmid said. “He got recommended to us and we followed up, flew over to watch him play, met with him, watched him play again and came to a decision.”

The Galaxy remade its backline during the offseason, signing Skjelvik and Rolf Feltscher. Feltscher, 27, has played in Italy, Spain, Germany and England.

“This is a club that’s supposed to win, everyone expects them to win,” Skjelvik said. “That’s what I want to be a part of. I want to win trophies, fight for trophies. I love to win, hate to lose, so to come here and have that mentality is perfect for me.”

Potential season opener lineup goes first 45

The starting 11 that Schmid sent out for Saturday’s game resembled one that he could pencil in for the March 4 season opener.

David Bingham started in goal, with Feltscher, Michael Ciani, Skjelvik and Ashley Cole across the backline, from right to left.

Perry Kitchen, Jonathan and Giovani dos Santos, along with Emmanuel Boateng manned the midfield with Ola Kamara up front.

Kamara opened the scoring with a goal in the ninth minute.

Notes

First-round draft pick Tomas Hilliard-Arce scored the second goal in the 70th minute and Baggio Husidic added a goal in the 90th. …The Galaxy’s next preseason contest is set for Saturday against San Jose at 2 p.m. at the Great Park in Irvine.

CARSON — Galaxy coach Sigi Schmid is hoping what happens in the preseason, especially if it is trending on the bad side, stays in the preseason.

In this case, the worrisome aspect of the Galaxy’s preseason form has been keeping goals out the net.

The Galaxy suffered a 4-2 loss to San Jose last Saturday and allowed two more goals in closed-door scrimmage against Vancouver on Wednesday.

Saturday night is the final dress rehearsal for Schmid and the Galaxy as the club faces Vancouver again, this time in a regular preseason meeting at 7 p.m. at the StubHub Center. The game will be available via livestream at LAGalaxy.com

“We need to clean some things up defensively,” Schmid said. “Defending is 70 percent attitude sometimes and we want to make sure we do better on that end of the field.

“I’m never happy when we take (in) goals, but I think we’ve given up soft goals. Goals that are correctable. It is rare in preseason when the offense is ahead of the defense, and in our case I think our offense is ahead of our defense a little bit. Even though we didn’t score any goals the last game, we should have.”

The Galaxy defense was porous last season, allowing 67 goals, the second-most in the league.

To correct that, the club overhauled the back, trading away all three goalkeepers, bringing in two new defenders (Rolf Feltscher and Jorgen Skjelvik), drafting Tomas Hilliard-Arce with the second overall pick in the MLS SuperDraft and adding several midfielders not afraid to get their hands dirty (Perry Kitchen, Servando Carrasco, Emrah Klimenta).

Another 90 minutes Saturday night and a full week of training ahead of next Sunday’s season opener against the Portland Timbers will be vital as the club starts to build chemistry.

“I want to continue to establish our connections with each other because guys are still getting to know each other,” Schmid said. “We want to continue to establish our rhythm and understanding with each other. We’ve been training through every game. This is the first weekend that we’re not training through, so we expect a little more sharpness and freshness.”

Schmid started Wednesday’s scrimmage with more of a reserve lineup. He brought on what could be considered a starting lineup for the final 30 minutes.

“We’ve played different combinations together in the back,” Schmid said. “I think that plays a role in it and them understanding each other and how they’re going to work together as a back four, and that will come as we move forward as we make our decisions. The goals (allowed) have been different, sometimes they’ve been mistakes and sometimes it has come from just coughing up a ball.”

Injury concerns

Aside from Bradford Jamieson (concussion), Schmid said they’re concerned about Jonathan dos Santos.

“We held him out today and see about him tomorrow (Saturday),” he said.

Ashley Cole, who was held out of the midweek game, will be ready.

LOS ANGELES – The final days of training this week had a different feel than the others for Bob Bradley and the Los Angeles Football Club.

After the first three preseason games behind the fences at their makeshift preseason home at UCLA, today’s final tune-up is on the road against USL-club Sacramento Republic at 2 p.m.

LAFC opens the season March 4 on the road against the Seattle Sounders.

“We’re making progress,” Bradley said. “We’re excited as we get closer to the start of the season. Often times, you need real games and when they add up over the first four, five, six weeks of the season, then you feel as if you’re finally getting to where you want to go.

“I think the preseason has gone well, but now we’re looking forward to this last preseason match and then get ready to start against Seattle. There will be some guys that will play 90 (minutes) and in other cases, we’re still looking at different combinations so that when we have a full set of options as we make decisions for the opening week of the season.”

LAFC has been a bit shorthanded in training camp with Laurent Ciman (knee) and Omar Gaber (groin) sidelined.

“We’ve been without them for many weeks of preseason,” Bradley said. “Both were in the beginning part of training (Thursday) which is positive. We have this weird schedule, where we play two weeks, then have three weeks off. We want them back as quickly as possible, but we also know that when we have all of that time before the third game (March 31) then we want to make sure we’re doing it in the right way.”

Rookie defenders Joao Moutinho (first pick) and Tristan Blackmon (third) have more than held their own in camp.

“Both have done really well,” Bradley said. “What I like is that they show every day, they compete, they try to play (soccer) and they’re not afraid and on the back foot.

“There are things, of course, that need time and experience, but when you start with confidence and how you want to play, that really speeds up the process. For me, both are doing really well and they are guys we are confident we can put on the field early in the year.”

Inaugural jerseys released

Another sign that LAFC’s first season is rapidly approaching, the club officially released the primary and secondary kits Saturday morning.

The primary kit is black and gold and the secondary is white and gold. The inside neck tap of both has the words “Shoulder to Shoulder” referring to the club and supporters working together as the club begins its first season.

“Los Angeles is a global city and we wanted to create a jersey that embraced the global game while also paying homage to the design and culture of our great city.” president & owner Tom Penn said.

The YouTube TV logo is prominently displayed across the front, with the club’s crest on the left side above the logo.

Authentic and replica jerseys are available for purchase at www.lafc.com.

Los Angeles Football Club continues to add to its roster ahead of Sunday’s debut with the acquisition of Eduardo Atuesta on loan from Independiente Medellin.

Atuesta, 20, has made 44 appearances with Independiente Medillin since his debut in 2016. He was also the captain of Colombia’s U-20 team in the South American Championship.

LAFC coach Bob Bradley said last week that the club was in the process of adding a “midfielder or two.”

Atuesta will occupy an international slot.

“As our team started to take shape and we recognized the need for a balance in the midfield, he rose to the top of the list,” General Manager John Thorrington said. “His age is a huge plus for us. He’s a player with a lot of experience, and his technical ability fits perfectly with how we want to play in the middle of the field.”

Another addition is also on the horizon as the LAFC has been heavily linked to Andre Horta, who is currently on loan at Sporting Braga, from Benfica.

LAFC opens its inaugural season Sunday on the road against the Seattle Sounders.

CARSON – Coming off of the worst season in franchise history, change was a necessity for the Galaxy.

The Galaxy managed just 32 points and failed to make the playoffs for the first time since 2008.

“Hopefully this season will be better than last season,” defender Ashley Cole said. “New team, new season and hopefully we have a new start and put the Galaxy where they should be.

“After a difficult season last season, maybe some of the faces here … maybe it was time for them to move on. Whether it was the Galaxy’s idea or the players’ idea, they wanted to move on. It happens. I think every team goes through a patch like that and you know we had a lot of young players last year, now we’ve brought in kind a little bit more experience, older players, so hopefully in the long run, this season we will come together as a team.”

The Galaxy opens the new season Sunday at home against the Portland Timbers.

With all of the changes in the locker room, having Cole back and this year wearing the captain’s armband from the start of the season, is a good foundation for the Galaxy.

“He was an important guy for us to bring back this year,” Galaxy coach Sigi Schmid said. “His spirit is infectious and his willingness to communicate with guys in the locker room and what he brings, he just loves to play the game.

“Last year he was a little hesitant (about being captain), this year it was something he really wanted to be part of, so I always think it is best when players want it for one, but also, I can tell within the group how much respect he has.”

Cole’s contract with the Galaxy expired after last season and as the disappointing year came to an end, rumors started circulating of interest of several English clubs vying for his services.

“I think I kind of owe the Galaxy,” Cole said. “Of course, who doesn’t love to be here and play. Again this is a chance for me to keep going and keep playing and not a bad city to leave.”

This will be Cole’s third year with the Galaxy after joining the club in 2016.

As he was unfamiliar with the ins and outs of MLS, the same can be said about two of the club’s new acquisitions surrounding Cole on the back line. In an effort to shore up its defense, the Galaxy went out and signed a pair of international defenders (Rolf Feltscher and Jorgen Skjelvik).

“There are players that don’t know it (the league), like I did when I first came,” Cole said. “It will be down to me and the other guys who understand MLS to educate these guys that it is a difficult league, you’re traveling a lot, just be prepared to be ready for a fight. Of course we have to tell them what happened last season, they have to understand that this club shouldn’t be doing that, shouldn’t be where we were and hopefully this season is a chance for us to make up for last season.”

Enter forward Ola Kamara. The Galaxy traded local favorite Gyasi Zardes to the Columbus Crew for Kamara. In just two years, Kamara has scored 34 goals in 59 league games.

Having a proven goal scorer up top gives the Galaxy a dynamic attacking core with Alessandrin, Giovani dos Santos, Emmanuel Boateng and eventually Sebastian Lletget going forward.

“I think we’re stronger than last year,” Alessandrini said. “Hopefully we can have a better season … we can’t do worse.

GALAXY AT A GLANCE

Coach: Sigi Schmid (first full year, replaced Curt Onalfo in July); Last season: 8-18-8, 32 points; last in MLS)

Postseason: None

Key players lost: Gyasi Zardes, Brian Rowe, Jermaine Jones, Jack McBean, Clement Diop

Top returners: Romain Alessandrini, Emmanuel Boateng, Ashley Cole, Jonathan dos Santos, Giovani dos Santos, Sebastian Lletget, Dave Romney, Daniel Steres, Baggio Husidic, Bradford Jamieson IV

Top newcomers: David Bingham, Servando Carrasco, Rolf Feltscher, Tomas Hilliard-Arce, Ola Kamara, Perry Kitchen, Emrah Klimenta, Chris Pontius, Jorgen Skjelvik

Outlook: Things didn’t go according to any script that the Galaxy might have had entering 2017, their first year after the departure of Bruce Arena. New coach Curt Onalfo was out by the summer and the club never recovered, eventually spiraling to the bottom of the league. After an off-season of change, things can only get better. Right? The Galaxy finally has a proven goal scorer (Ola Kamara) but not much proven depth around at the position. Schmid addressed that earlier this week. “We’re a little thin up top,” he said. “We’ve got some options, obviously Bradford Jamieson (concussion) having been out hurts us there. (Ariel) Lassiter maybe an option there, (Chris) Pontius is an option and at times last year, we played Gio (Giovani dos Santos) there, so we’ll see.” Overall, the club is deeper than last year’s with the acquisition of players like Chris Pontius, Perry Kitchen and the return from injury of Sebastian Lletget. New goalkeeper David Bingham steps into the position, hoping to bring some stability to what was an inconsistent spot last season.

LOS ANGELES – The journey began nearly five years ago for Los Angeles Football Club when Major League Soccer announced a new Los Angeles-based team would replace previously disbanded Chivas USA.

In 2015, the club announced the name, and the following year, came the colors and official crest. The long process now has brought LAFC to this week, on the cusp of its Major League Soccer debut.

“When we first started, (executive chairman and owner) Peter Guber said that this was the beginning of the beginning,” LAFC Senior Vice President and co-owner Tom Penn said. “Now, this is the end of the beginning.

“This is really an important moment for the team and the soccer operation. John Thorrington and Bob Bradley have done a great job of building from scratch and I believe we have the foundation for a strong future and sustainable success.”

LAFC opens its first season Sunday on the road against the Seattle Sounders. Penn still remembers that initial moment in 2014 when their dream became a reality.

“I remember how excited and hopeful we were,” he said. “I remember making bold promises as a group of building a stadium in the heart of Los Angeles, building a club that was supporter driven and building a brand and a bond with the city that would make the city proud.”

So far, those bold promises are looking good.

The new 22,000-seat soccer specific Banc of California Stadium will be ready in April and even all those days when they didn’t have a player or coach, there’s been a rising tide of support from the local community, eventually leading to the club announcing Wednesday that they’ve already sold out of their full season memberships (17,500) for the upcoming season.

“I’m happy and pleased and proud that we did what we said we would do,” Penn said. “I’m extremely grateful to our ownership partners.”

The ownership group is now up to 30, ranging from Magic Johnson to Tony Robbins to Mia Hamm to actor Will Ferrell.

“That family aspect has trickled down toward the club. Benny Feilhaber, who was traded to LAFC from Sporting Kansas City during the off-season, has noticed a difference in his short time with the club.

“The way we interact, it just feels a little bit different than what I’m used to,” he said. “I think that’s a real positive. We feel like we’re all in this together. We either succeed or fail together, so it is a good feeling. It makes you feel part of something and stronger and you’re not on your own. That’s something that might not make a big difference in the beginning stages of our history together, but I think it will, as early as later in this season.”

Aside from its continued presence in the community, including a newly-minted Merchandise truck, LAFC took another innovative step with kit partnership with YouTube TV. LAFC’s English language broadcast will be aired on YouTube TV.

“We always wanted a brand that was forward facing, creative and not just a logo slapped up across our chest,” Penn said. “YouTube TV…that red play button is one of the globally recognized symbols today as is Los Angeles and soccer. The chance to put those three together was super exciting and it was a grand slam home for us.”

LAFC has been swinging for the fences since the first day and that’s not going to stop.

The club has spent training camp at UCLA ahead of its move into its own training center at CS Los Angeles, which should be ready early April

“Our motto and mantra has always been, street by street, block by block, one by one,” Penn said. “From the beginning, we’ve embraced the challenge and the opportunity. We are a club.

“This weekend is the end of the beginning of the launch of the team. There’s a lot more to do.”

LAFC AT A GLANCE

Coach: Bob Bradley, returns to MLS after coaching in Egypt, Norway, France and Wales

New faces to watch: Eduard Atuesta, Omar Gaber, Joao Moutinho, Diego Rossi, Carlos Vela, Tristan Blackmon

New, yet familiar faces to MLS: Walker Zimmerman (acquired in trade with FC Dallas), Marco Urena (selected in Expansion Draft from San Jose), Tyler Miller (selected in Expansion Draft from Seattle), Benny Feilhaber (acquired in trade with Sporting Kansas City), Latif Blessing (selected in Expansion Draft from Sporting Kansas City), Laurent Ciman (acquired in trade with Montreal)

Outlook: Everything is new, but not totally uncommon to Bob Bradley. Bradley was the first coach of the Chicago Fire in its expansion season in 1998 and went on to win the MLS and U.S. Open Cups. The landscape of MLS has drastically changed since then. From the outset, LAFC has done a solid job in its player selection, bringing its first two Designated Players (Carlos Vela, Diego Rossi), drafting defenders Joao Mountinho and Tristan Blackmon, trading for steady midfielder Benny Feilhaber, defender Walker Zimmerman and Laurent Ciman. The club is still an unfinished product as they are still linked with Portuguese midfielder Andre Horta, who would be the club’s third Designated Player. The club has an odd schedule with three weeks off between their second and third game (March 31), so practice time during that stretch will be important especially as Gaber, Ciman make their way back to 100 percent fitness and Atuesta joins the club, as does, possibly, Horta. In the end, despite his success with the Chicago Fire, Bradley knows there’s no easy road to success in MLS, but as the year progresses, don’t be surprised if you see LAFC in playoff contention.

SANTA ANA — It was obvious early that the Rolling Hills Prep boys basketball team would be the team to beat in the CIF Southern Section Division 4A playoffs.

Even though everyone knew it, no one could do it and the top-seeded Huskies (22-6) carried their dominance into the final Saturday and cruised past Carnegie Schools of Riverside, 52-32 at Godinez High.

This is the second consecutive CIF title for the Huskies, who won the Division 5AA title last year.

“This one was tougher, the reason is that there were better teams,” RHP coach Harvey Kitani said. “To our credit, these guys have gotten better defensively and we’re a far better defensive team than we were back in December. When you can play defense, it makes it fun because you make it difficult for the other team to score.”

That was the case in the second quarter as the Huskies help the Wolverines scoreless limited them to just two field goals on 21 attempts in the first half (9.5 percent).

Opponents scored an averaged of 27.6 points a game against the Huskies during the playoffs, and they won each game by an average of 29.8 points.

RHP led 29-8 at halftime and never looked back.

Vaughn Flowers, who finished with 13 points, got going early for the Huskies scoring nine points in the first quarter, continuing a stretch of solid performances from the sophomore.

“I kept driving and on defense, I was locking in on my guy,” Flowers said. “I was able to get steals and got into transition.”

Chris Koon led the way with 15 points and Alex Garcia also had 13. The Huskies won the rebound battle 39-26, with Koon leading the way with 11. The Huskies limited  the Wolverines to 22.2 percent shooting.

“Last year, was a lot of our first years at this school and it was kind of new,” Garcia said. “This year, we knew what we were expected to do and we really wanted to live up to that. We’ve been grinding since pretty much the end of last season for this moment and once we got here, we knew what we were going to do and we were going to work really hard.

“I’m going to enjoy this, but we have unfinished business that we want.”

The Huskies will turn their attention toward the CIF State Tournament. They captured the Division V state title last year.

Petar Panic and Stevan Krtinic led Carnegie with 10 points apiece.

CARSON >> One game in and the 2018 Galaxy season is already off to a better start than last year.

Last season, the Galaxy struggled to do anything at home except fail to come away wins, posting a 3-9-5 record.

Sunday, in its first chance to start the redemption process for last year’s dismal performance, the Galaxy thanks to a pair of first-half goals, the Galaxy broke the seal on the 2018 season with a 2-1 win over the Portland Timbers at StubHub Center in front of 25,462.

“I was happy with our team effort and our willingness to battle for each and play for each other, I thought was outstanding,” Galaxy coach Sigi Schmid.

Newly acquired Ola Kamara got things started for the Galaxy when he was able to fight defenders and chest in a ball that was headed toward goal by Rolf Feltscher.

“It was a fantastic feeling,” Kamara said of his goal. “It was a big build-up to this game and we needed the three points to show that here it is very difficult to beat us. I think we proved a statement and three points was very important.

“We had 5-6-7 big chances, so we could gone up maybe 3,4-0. I think we have to work on keeping the possession, but getting the first three points was a major key in this game for us.”

Two minutes later, Romain Alessandrini found himself in front of goal with a defender draped on him. His first attempt with his left foot hit the post and rolled back to him and he was able to slot the ball by Portland keeper Jake Gleeson with his right foot.

The Galaxy opened the second half with numerous chances to put the game away, but failed to convert.

Portland finally got on the board in the 65th minute with Sebastian Blanco beating David Bingham through the legs to cut the Galaxy’s lead in half.

“We played well in the first half, second half, a little bit sloppy, but again we fought and came away with the win,” defender and captain Ashley Cole said. “We’re not going to get too  carried away with a win, first game of the season, but three points on the board.”

That’s where it would stay as both teams tried desperately for the next the goal.

The 85th minute, the Timbers had a free kick atop the 18-yard box. David Guzman’s hit was push away and out by Bingham.

Later, the Galaxy thought it had Kamara free on a breakaway, but the fourth official ruled that he was offside and in the 89th minute, Sebastian Lletget appeared to have been pulled down in the box, but the Galaxy’s shouts for a penalty went ignored from the officials.

The game wasn’t all fun for the Galaxy. In the 61st minute, Alessandrini went down with an apparent hamstring injury and had to be subbed off for Chris Pontius.

Schmid said it was too early for an official diagnosis.

“I know it was sometimes a little perilous in the back,” Schmid said. “But that doesn’t matter to me, we also had enough opportunities on the other end to score four or five. It is still about finishing those chances and making good use of them.”

For the Los Angeles Football Club, the first of many firsts this season is finally out of the way.

After the long wait to become an official club, LAFC made a memorable first impression in its MLS debut, defeating the Seattle Sounders, 1-0, last Sunday.

Now the work really begins.

“It was good, we were waiting for that moment for a long time,” Carlos Vela said. “We were preparing and training hard every day to show the league that we were ready and I think we did well. Of course, we have a lot of things to improve, but when you win and you have points in your pocket, you are more confident and more ready to keep working.

“The first game is always the difficult one because sometimes you are nervous and I think we showed good things, but we are working and we have a lot to work on and I hope after this international break we can play better.”

When you’re an expansion club, there’s no time to sit back and enjoy past successes. This week, LAFC is on the road facing Real Salt Lake at 12:30 p.m. Saturday.

“You learn to not get too high or too low, that’s part of what you do as a manager,” Bob Bradley said. “I joked with the players that by the time I saw them on Tuesday, I had already watched the tape, thrown it around, screamed and yelled because there were a lot of things, for me that needed to get better.

“You try to set the standard for what the work for a normal week is like and you don’t let that get thrown off just by a result.”

LAFC had the perfect start, not only for an expansion club, but for any club opening the season.

Diego Rossi opened the scoring in the 11th minute and for the half of the first 45 minutes, LAFC’s attack was as dangerous and lethal as many expected.

Then after the excitement wore off, Seattle carried the majority of the game. If it wasn’t for some heroic goalkeeping by Tyler Miller, the tone around LAFC would be different.

“I thought as the game went on, too many long balls, we got stretched a little bit and it is hard in some moments to press when you lose the ball in those kinds of ways,” Bradley said. “But, I like the concentration and the commitment to defend.

“We said beforehand that you only get one first chance, we understood that. Of course we want the points, but more than anything you want to make sure that the first time out, the sense of identity, the sense of what you want to be about is there because there are a lot of people who have been at LAFC since Day 1, creating momentum. Obviously we see the supporters, The 3252, and some people who are really into LAFC, and we owe them that from the beginning they can see what we’re all about.”

The 3252, which represents the LAFC independent supporters union, stands for the number of seats in the supporters’ section at the Banc of California Stadium. That number — 3+2+5+2 — also adds up to 12, signifying the 12th man. Those fans will have to wait until March 31 to see their club play locally when it takes on the Galaxy at noon at StubHub Center.

LAFC’s first home game isn’t until April 29 when it hosts the Sounders in a 6 p.m. clash.

LOS ANGELES FOOTBALL CLUB (1-0, 3 points) at REAL SALT LAKE (0-0-1, 1 point)

Kickoff: 12:30 p.m.; Rio Tinto Stadium

TV/Radio: Univision; KSPN/710; KFWB/980

Update: RSL played to a 1-1 draw with FC Dallas last week. Albert Rusnak, Joao Plata, Luis Silva and Yura Movsisyan all led RSL with seven goals last season. Rusnak is the engine that moves the offense with his 14 assists last season. Jefferson Savarino (six goals, five assists in 2017) is also a key to the RSL attack. Movsisyan, who attended Pasadena High and Pasadena City College, was surprisingly waived by RSL before the start of the season. Yet, the attack is still a formidable one for RSL. “Their four attack players are dynamic,” Bradley said. “There’s a good understanding, they interchange and those guys cause trouble.”

The Galaxy’s road trip to New York had to take an early detour Friday morning.

The club’s flight was diverted to Las Vegas after a passenger had a medical emergency. Galaxy training staff members Ivan Pierra and Cesar Roldan, along with the help of a doctor onboard the airplane, helped revive the woman.

The woman was taken to a local hospital in Las Vegas. The plane has now left Las Vegas.

The Galaxy will face New York City FC at 2 p.m. Sunday.

@DrJAshton was the doctor who worked alongside the team’s staff to help revive the woman

— Adam Serrano (@LAGalaxyInsider) March 9, 2018

The LA Galaxy’s flight to NYC is rerouted to Las Vegas after a passenger suffered a medical emergency on board.

Galaxy training staff and a doctor on board revived the woman with the assistance of flight attendants.

— Adam Serrano (@LAGalaxyInsider) March 9, 2018

Sebastian Lletget acknowledged to taking just a moment to himself before stepping onto the StubHub Center field last week.

For some, coming on as second-half substitute wouldn’t be anything special, just another day in the life of a soccer player.

For Lletget, it meant a little more since it was his first regular-season action since last March.

Lletget suffered a Lisfranc injury to his left foot during a U.S. men’s national team World Cup Qualifier, and eventually underwent three surgeries and then hours and months of rehab.

That’s why last week’s 18-minute appearance meant so much to him.

“I had been dreaming about it for a long time,” Lletget said. “It has been almost a year now. I’ve been working hard. I hadn’t stopped since the actual injury. It has been a long time, but it felt great to be out there.

“It was hard not to be wrapped up in all of the emotion. I think I just had to treat it like it another day, which is weird. … It was actually very difficult for me. Going up to the halfway line and (Galaxy coach) Sigi (Schmid) patting me on the back telling me that I was going in, it was a crazy feeling, but I also had to keep it together and go in and do my job.”

Today, when the Galaxy face New York City FC, Lletget’s job might be expanded beyond the 18 minutes he played last week. Romain Alessandrini (right hamstring strain) is out. Chris Pontius and Joao Pedro are also not on the trip.

Emmanuel Boateng was bothered by a little nagging injury during the week, but is on the trip.

“It is never easy to lose a player like that,” Lletget said. “If I have to fill in, even though it is probably ahead of our plan, they wanted to ease me in as far as minutes go, but if I’ve got to do, thankfully, I have prepared myself for this type of situation, so I definitely think I can do the job.”

Schmid said during the preseason the team didn’t want to rush Lletget into a full 90 minutes. He added this week that Lletget is “raring to go.”

“I think it depends on the game and how I feel that week,” Lletget said. “Honestly, everything has been super positive, it has been working. I think we just didn’t want to go away from our road and our set plan and schedule.

“Even though soccer isn’t black and white, sometimes these things are going to happen with Romain coming out injured, but this is my job. I’m super happy to be back and I can’t wait if I have to start.”

Lletget picked up his first minutes in preseason, Feb. 4 and played 20 minutes.

“It has been an unbelievable journey,” he said of his road back. “Just getting back. It is this ongoing emotional game that your mind and body is telling you but I’m happy right now.”

L.A. GALAXY (1-0, 3 points) at NEW YORK CITY FC (1-0, 3 points)

Kickoff: 2 p.m. at Yankee Stadium

TV/Radio: Spectrum SportsNet; KTMZ/1220, KWKW/1330 (Spanish radio)

Update: NYCFC opened the season last week with a 2-0 win over Sporting Kansas City. Maxi Moralez and Jesus Medina scored the goals. Maxime Chanot (red card) will be miss today’s game. David Villa is line for his 100th MLS appearance. NYCFC has won two consecutive meetings against the Galaxy, including last year’s 2-0 win at StubHub Center.

After the impressive start, the only thing that can slow Los Angeles Football Club is its schedule.

LAFC became just the third expansion club in MLS history to win its first two games thanks to Saturday’s 5-1 thrashing of Real Salt Lake, but now it has to wait to try to win its third.

Thanks to an early-season break, which includes an International FIFA date, LAFC will not play again until March 31.

“When the schedule first came out, I wasn’t very excited about it,” LAFC’s Bob Bradley said of the extended break. “I knew there was an international break, but then add in a bye week and it just felt long.

“Then you go through the process of building your team, the discussions in some cases take too long and so the idea that we can play two games, maybe get some more players in and use that to be more prepared as we jump back into the league.”

LAFC was back on the training field this week, but will be off for three days.

During the week, LAFC’s newest acquisition, Eduard Atuesta, finally joined the club. Atuesta, 20, was signed using Targeted Allocation Money from Independiente Medillin in Colombia.

“He’s a skillful midfielder, good passer,” Bradley said. “I think he’s an intelligent player, the kind of midfielder you’re excited to work with.”

Giovani dos Santos sidelined

When the Galaxy return to action March 24, Giovani dos Santos will likely be out.

Dos Santos left Sunday’s game against New York City FC with hamstring tightness.

Schmid said earlier this week it will be “somewhere between one and three weeks” for Dos Santos’ return. The injury knocks him out of the upcoming Mexican national team contests March 23 (vs. Iceland) and March 27 (vs. Croatia).

“Hopefully, we’ll get him back in time for the LAFC game,” Schmid said of the March 31 clash at StubHub Center.

The Galaxy’s Jonathan dos Santos joins LAFC’s Carlos Vela as players selected for the upcoming Mexico games. Jonathan Dos Santos will miss the Galaxy’s March 24 game against Vancouver.

More international call-ups

One aspect to watch throughout the season are the international call-ups affecting LAFC’s roster.

Fortunately for the club, with its break, none of the players will miss any league games this time around.

As of Thursday, Vela (Mexico), Marco Urena (Costa Rica), Mark Anthony Kaye and Dejan Jakovic (Canada) are scheduled to report to their national teams.

Galaxy midfielder Jonathan dos Santos has been forced out of the upcoming Mexican national team friendlies due to a hamstring injury.

Dos Santos suffered the injury during the Galaxy’s closed-door scrimmage Friday.

Giovani dos Santos was ruled out of the upcoming games due to a hamstring injury suffered March 10 at New York City FC.

Mexico faces Iceland on Friday and Croatia on March 27.

The Galaxy returns to action Saturday at Vancouver.

More international call-ups

Galaxy forward Ola Kamara will join Norway for its games Friday against Australia and March 26 vs. Albania.

Teammate Emrah Klimenta will join Montenegro for upcoming games against Cyprus on Friday and Turkey on March 27.

LAFC’s Omar Gaber will join the Egyptian national team for Friday’s game against Portugal and on March 27 against Greece.

The long-rumored and anticipated connection between the Galaxy and Zlatan Ibrahimovic is finally nearing a completion.

For the past three years, the world-class forward has been rumored to be on his way to joining the Galaxy and according to SI.com’s Grant Wahl, the moment is here.

Wahl reported Thursday that the Galaxy had signed Ibrahimovic to a two-year, $3 million deal. The Galaxy is expected to make the acquisition official soon.

Ibrahimovic, 36, has played at Manchester United since July 2016. In 53 appearances, he has scored 29 goals.

The first time he was linked with a move to the Galaxy came when his contract with Paris Saint-Germain expired. Instead of making the leap then, he went to Manchester United on a free transfer.

After the first year, the Galaxy again came up in discussion, this time making a serious push, but again Ibrahimovic remained with the Red Devils.

Manchester United terminated Ibrahimovic’s contract Thursday, allowing him to pursue other opportunities.

Ibrahimovic posted on his Twitter account: “Great things also come to an end and it is time to move on after two fantastic seasons with Manchester United. Thank you to the club, the fans, the team, the coach, the staff and everybody who shared with me this part of my history. #foreverred. ”

The Galaxy will need to free up an international roster spot before he can be added to the roster. Under MLS rules, each team gets eight such spots and currently all of the Galaxy’s are full.

Ibrahimovic has been bothered by a knee injury at Manchester United. He has been sidelined since Dec. 26.

Aside from Manchester United and PSG, Ibrahimovic has played at Malmo, Ajax, Juventus, Inter Milan, AC Milan and Barcelona.

He’s one of 10 players to have made 100 or more appearances for the Swedish national team and is the country’s all-time leading goal scorer.

The Galaxy acquired forward Ola Kamara in a trade with Columbus during the off-season, but while the roster has depth at other positions, forward wasn’t one.

All eyes will be on how coach Sigi Schmid makes it work.

“When you add a big player like that, obviously it has a very positive effect on your team because of his quality,” he said. “We also have to look at how it all fits together, how the parts of the puzzle fit together.

“It is like getting a new puzzle piece to a puzzle, you have to figure out, ‘OK where does this piece go? How do we surround this piece and make it successful?’”

The Galaxy returns to action Saturday at Vancouver and hosts Los Angeles Football Club on March 31.

Ibrahimovic joins a long line of big-name European stars who have moved to the Galaxy, joining David Beckham, Robbie Keane, Steven Gerrard and Ashley Cole, the club’s current captain.

If those across Major League Soccer wondered if the Galaxy still had the drawing power to attract the global names, Friday’s move provided the answer.

After three years of rumors and near-misses, Zlatan Ibrahimovic is finally a member of the Galaxy.

The acquisition was officially announced Friday. The Galaxy signed Ibrahimovic using Targeted Allocation Money.

The deal has been reported to be two years in length, worth $3 million.

He will wear No. 9.

“I decided to sign with the Galaxy because I think it is the right place for me,” Ibrahimovic said in an introductory video. “I have a lot to give. I can help them a lot and it is the best team in the U.S., so there were no doubts.

“I have a lot of expectations. I put a lot of pressure on myself. I demand a lot in my game and I think I have a lot to bring and give, so with the experience I have, goes like I want and we can all share the happiness by winning.”

Ibrahimovic’s talent for scoring goals is unquestioned. He has scored 421 goals for his various clubs and 62 for the Swedish National Team.

He has won 33 trophies throughout his professional career that began as a 19-year-old with Malmo in Sweden.

He has dealt with injuries recently during his stay at Manchester United, his last game action the day after Christmas due to a knee injury.

“I want to accomplish as much as possible. Wherever I’ve went, I’ve won, so I’m coming with this objective I come to win, I want to win,” Ibrahimovic said.

Galaxy coach Sigi Schmid referred to the potential signing Thursday as “getting a new piece of a puzzle.”

Schmid also called it a “good problem.”

Ibrahimovic is expected to join the Galaxy next week.

Coincidentially, he joins a Galaxy club hampered by injuries during the early weeks of the new season.

Due to national team call-ups, injuries and suspensions, the Galaxy’s depth will be certainly tested Saturday night when the club visits Vancouver.

Giovani and Jonathan dos Santos were forced out of their Mexico national team games due to hamstring injuries. Romain Alessandrini (hamstring) suffered a hamstring injury in the season opener March 4. Perry Kitchen (knee), Chris Pontius (gluteal muscle) and Joao Pedro (hamstring) were slowed recently with injuries. Also, defender Michael Ciani (abdominal) has been sidelined.

“It is frustrating,” Schmid said of the injuries. “We’ve talked about it as a staff, we’ve looked at it. There are unique circumstances for some of them, but for any coaching staff when you have something that happens like this, you have to look at it

“We talked about it with Pierre (Barrieu, the Galaxy’s director of sports performance) and all that, and we check numbers all the time and whether we need to give guys a day off or not a day off. I think our fitness level is good.”

Ola Kamara (Norway) and Emrah Klimenta (Montenegro) will both be with their national teams.

“I only took a week off, I don’t think I lost a whole lot of fitness,” Pontius said. “We had a lot of good fitness work in preseason and I would like to think that stayed with me, so I think I can go 90 if needed, but if it is in another role, then I’m ready for that too.”

Schmid hopes to have all the players healthy and available for selection for the March 31 game against Los Angeles Football Club — and that includes Ibrahimovic.

L.A. GALAXY (1-1, three points) at VANCOUVER WHITECAPS (2-1, six points)

Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. at BC Field

TV/Radio: Spectrum SportsNet Alternate (ch. 691-1); KTMZ/1220

Update: The Whitecaps have recorded a pair of 2-1 victories this season, defeating Montreal and Houston. Last week, they suffered a 4-1 loss to Atlanta United. Their speed can cause problems, led by Alphonso Davies. “Last game, they came out in a 3-5-2. Are they going to come out in that or go back to a 4-2-3-1?” Galaxy coach Sigi Schmid said. “Canada was very kind to them and didn’t call anybody up from Vancouver, so they basically have all of their players, except for Kendall Waston, so we have to look at our numbers, see who is healthy and come up with our game plan.”

CARSON — There is a bit of the unknown regarding what the Galaxy will get from Zlatan Ibrahmovic.

Bovada has already put the over/under on his goals with the club at 21.5.

Before he left Manchester United, health was a concern as he was sidelined with a knee injury since Dec. 26. Another key question is where he will he play.

“I’m starting to look at things now,” Galaxy coach Sigi Schmid said. “I didn’t want to do any of that until we got through with Vancouver. I think he might a part in the LAFC game, but we really have to see where he’s at.

“We’re starting to think about how it could all fit together.”

Schmid said Ibrahimovic is scheduled to arrive Thursday night. The Galaxy hosts Los Angeles Football Club on Saturday.

“Any time you can put a great player in the lineup, it helps you,” Schmid said. “He’s played in different systems, he’s played as a solo striker, he’s played in combinations with another, he’s played in a three-man front, he’s played in a 4-3-2-1, he’s played in every system possible.

“He knows how to play football and when you know how to play football, you figure it out.”

The Galaxy acquired Ola Kamara as its much-needed scoring threat at forward before the start of the season. Now the club adds Ibrahimovic to the mix on a TAM deal.

If Ibrahimovic makes his debut this week or next, all eyes are again on the Galaxy to see how this will all work out.

“It is going to be crazy,” Galaxy midfielder Sebastian Lletget said of the upcoming Ibrahimovic storm that’s brewing. “We have to have a little bit of a tunnel vision and focus on what we have to do to win the game.

“It is exciting times. We should all embrace it, but it is all positive.”

Battle for Los Angeles begins

The first meeting between the Galaxy and LAFC two is set for noon Saturday at StubHub Center in Carson.

The Southern California clubs will meet two more times: July 26 (Banc of California Stadium) and Aug. 24 (StubHub Center).

LAFC hasn’t been quiet about its arrival into the Los Angeles market.

“I think it is fantastic,” Schmid said of L.A. being a two-team city again. “I think the rivalry is good. You’ve got some good rivalries in the league already, when you have New York Red Bulls and NYCFC, obviously Seattle-Portland, but when you’re in the same city and your stadiums are basically 10 miles apart, that takes it to a different realm, that’s more like a Liverpool-Everton, Arsenal-Tottenham.

“I know our fans still look with a very evil eye on San Jose (Earthquakes). I’m sure they’re still a rival, but I have to believe that over time this one is going to become the No. 1 rival just because of proximity.”

LAFC announces third Designated Player

Portuguese midfielder Andre Horta, 21, was announced as third Designated Player for LAFC.

Horta joins the club from Benfica in Portugal’s First Division, where he is on loan from SC Braga.

The loan deal doesn’t end until June. If Braga releases him from the loan, Horta could join LAFC before the transfer window closes May 1. If not, then the club will have to wait until the secondary transfer window July 10.

An LAFC team spokesman confirmed the club is actively attempting to get Horta out of his loan deal so he could join LAFC earlier.

He joins Carlos Vela and Diego Rossi as LAFC’s Designated Players.

Los Angeles Football Club hasn’t been quiet upon arriving on the area soccer scene.

From the signing of Bob Bradley as coach to player acquisitions to the building of its new training ground at Cal State Los Angeles and soon-to-open state-of-art Banc of California Stadium, LAFC has pushed all the right buttons for an expansion club.

As an added bonus, the club is also off to a 2-0 start, becoming just the third MLS expansion club to win its first two games.

Saturday, LAFC will take aim on its biggest target when it travels to StubHub Center to face the Galaxy in the first meeting between the clubs, who are now battling for the attention of the Southern California soccer fan.

“Our first game of the season (against Seattle) was massive,” LAFC defender and Southern California native Jordan Harvey said. “That was in Seattle, against all of their fans, that was the first hurdle. Now we go onto the second one (against RSL) and now this one against the Galaxy.

“It seems like each stage is something huge. And this one, I think more so from the fans, you can feel it, just because it is their city and they want to put a stamp on the city. As a player you want to help to help them do that and that what it means to us.”

Harvey, who signed with LAFC as a free agent during the off-season, isn’t a stranger to the confines of StubHub Center, but admits this time will have an added level of excitement.

“It always feels like a big game when you’re playing the LA Galaxy just because of their storied history,” he said. “Now it is our chance to make history. It is our chance to put our stamp on this city. It is a huge opportunity. The guys feel it. We feel it from the fans.

“I get goosebumps just thinking about what it means to these fans. Their passion and their commitment to us. And we have an opportunity to show them that on the field.”

This isn’t the first time the Galaxy has had to share the soccer spotlight with another team. The now-defunct Chivas USA played at StubHub Center with the Galaxy from 2005-2014.

Bradley coached the team for one season (2005-06).

Despite some modest success — four playoff appearances — the club never emerged from the shadows of the Galaxy.

“That year, as a coach, we understood that that game (against the Galaxy) carried extra weight,” Bradley said. “So we were excited for those games. That part of it is actually the same. Of course, in time, when Banc of California Stadium opens and we can also have them play in our stadium, then everything will take on new heights, but for now, it is still one city, two teams and chance on the day to stand taller.”

In 2009, the Galaxy and Chivas USA met in the Western Conference semifinals. The amount of hype throughout the city would be extraordinary if that was the case this season or in the near future.

Galaxy coach Sigi Schmid said it has the capabilities of reaching the status of Liverpool-Everton or Arsenal-Tottenham. That could be viewed as being a bit lofty, but with the respective home stadiums approximately 12 miles apart, the possibilities for how big this rivalry can become are great.

However, for Bradley, first things first, and that’s Saturday.

“Any time there’s two teams in one city, then you know it is going to be special, it is going to be a rivalry,” Bradley said. “From the announcement of LAFC, momentum has been created by the people on board at LAFC to create energy and excitement, so all of our supporters have been waiting for this game …they’re looking forward to it and on the team side, we still know that it is the first chance to step on the field in this derby and make a statement.”