LOS ANGELES (Tuesday, June 20, 2023) – The LA Galaxy today announced programming details for Dignity Health Sports Park’s 20th anniversary for the Juneteenth home match against Sporting Kansas City on Wednesday, June 21 (7:30 p.m. PT; MLS Season Pass on Apple TV, LA Galaxy Radio, LA Galaxy Spanish Radio).
Galaxy Park Grand Opening
Galaxy Park will open to the public at 5:00 p.m. PT and all fans are welcome to attend the grand opening. The ribbon cutting ceremony for Galaxy Park will take place from 5:30 – 6:00 p.m. PT, and the venue will be open for all to enjoy until 7:00 p.m. PT when fans will be encouraged to head over to the stadium to catch the match between the LA Galaxy and Sporting KC. Set to address the invited guests at Galaxy Park’s ribbon cutting are Carson Mayor Lula Davis-Holmes, Los Angeles County Supervisor Holly Mitchell, LA Galaxy and U.S. Soccer legend Cobi Jones, California State University, Dominguez Hills Vice President, Administration & Finance/CFO Deborah Wallace, Gabriel Perez Krieb, Chairman of the Board at Taktika Padel and Dignity Health Sports Park General Manager Katie Pandolfo. Sounds by Southern California hip-hop violinist, recording artist and composer Josh Vietti will open the event before the Ribbon Cutting Ceremony begins. The LA Galaxy and Bam Marley are hosting a soccer clinic for children of the City of Carson Parks & Recreation. All children involved in the clinic will receive a commemorative Galaxy Park Grand Opening t-shirt.
The Futboleros, a group of professional freestyle athletes, will be on site performing soccer tricks and putting on a show. The Futboleros, also known as the “Harlem Globetrotters” of soccer, touch the lives of thousands of sports fans across the country and beyond as professional freestyle athletes who perform amazing soccer tricks at premier stadiums and high profile events. Two-time Superball World Panna Champion Jack Downer will be at Galaxy Park for fans to challenge and try different skills against. If fans are able to nutmeg Downer, they will receive a pair of adidas shoes. Dignity Health Sports Park collaborated with local Torrance neighbors Smog City Brewing on a special 20th anniversary beer, the Quasar Blonde Ale. The Quasar Blonde Ale will be available at Dignity Health Sports Park while supplies last. The pickleball and padel courts will be used throughout the event by pre-registered groups, and a pickleball pro will be on site to provide tips to those in attendance. Following the ribbon-cutting ceremony, a field at Galaxy Park will be open for fans to use before the Galaxy match against Sporting KC begins.
LA Galaxy x Bam Marley
The LA Galaxy joined forces with singer, songwriter and artist Bam Marley on a unique collaboration for the Juneteenth match. The first 10,000 fans inside the stadium will receive a limited-edition LA Galaxy x Bam Marley poster. The LA Galaxy x Bam Marley Tee, a black t-shirt with art designed by Bam Marley and artist S(i)nalo, is available at the LA Galaxy Team Store. Fans can still purchase the special Juneteenth offer while supplies last, which offers a ticket and Bam Marley designed tote bag, with a portion of each ticket benefitting East Side Riders Bike Club.
Game Presentation
“Lift Every Voice and Sing” and “The Star-Spangled Banner” will be performed by the Faithful Central Bible Church Choir under the direction of Chris Cave.
Merchandise
In addition to the LA Galaxy x Bam Marley Tee, the Pride Collection is still in the LA Galaxy Team Store for fans to purchase.
SoccerFest
The LA Galaxy Foundation will be highlighting LA28 and Juglife Foundation at SoccerFest. Join the LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games to celebrate the journey to 2028 with sport, athletes, community and culture across Los Angeles. Paralympian Blake Leeper and Olympian Jason Richardson will be at the LA28 booth to sign autographs and interact with fans. Juglife Foundation is committed to bringing awareness to the lifestyle that drinking water can provide and emphasize the need to appreciate, conserve, and promote water for a successful life. Cozmo’s Cadets, LA Galaxy Programming and the LA Galaxy Foundation will be in SoccerFest. This match will also see the introduction of Herbalife, LA County and an Indiana Jones booth.
LA Galaxy Foundation
The LA Galaxy will wear special Juneteenth numbers during the match designed by Aaron The Artist, a local Carson-based designer. Aaron The Artist designed the set in recognition and celebration of Juneteenth, with each individual digit representing a component of a full story. Each player will sign his special Juneteenth numbered jersey, and all jerseys will be auctioned off by the LA Galaxy Foundation. The online auction will open at 3:30 p.m. PT on Wednesday, June 21 and will close at the 75th minute of the match. Fans can text GALAXY to 76278 to bid. The LA Galaxy are honoring East Side Riders Bike Club as their Community Partner of the Match. East Side Riders seeks to prevent kids from being in gangs and doing drugs, to help those in need and to educate all who want to enrich the community. The Hero of the Match is Captain Jourdan Looney of the U.S. Marine Corps. Some of his honors include the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal and the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal.
Match Information
Tickets for the June 21 match are available at www.lagalaxy.com/tickets. Wednesday’s match marks the 79th meeting across all competitions between the LA Galaxy and Sporting Kansas City, with the Galaxy leading the all-time series 31-29-18. Against Sporting KC, LA holds a 26-26-17 record in league play and a 5-3-1 record in the MLS Cup Playoffs. In the last meeting between the two sides, the Galaxy earned a 0-0 draw on the road against Sporting KC at Children’s Mercy Park on March 11, 2023. In 33 regular-season matches played at home against Kansas City, LA holds a 17-8-8 record. The Galaxy’s last home win against Sporting KC was a 7-2 victory at Dignity Health Sports Park on Sept. 15, 2019.
