Owners For L.A.'s MLS Expansion Club Talk Team Name, New Stadium, Fan Connections

LAFC Principal Owner Henry Nguyen said there is a "reasonably good chance" the MLS club's current name will end up becoming permanent, according to Grant Wahl of SI.com. Principal Owner Tom Penn added, "It's timeless, right? This is something that could really evolve when you have this vision of a global brand." Nguyen said that private funding for building a stadium is "already in place, and they want it to be ready in time" for the team's first game in '17. Wahl noted the stadium will be "rather intimate at first," and will have a "natural grass field." Nguyen said, "Around 22,000 to 25,000 (seats), that's where we're going to start." As for where the stadium will be located, Nguyen said possibilities include "everything from the top of the Valley all the way down to the tip of Orange County." Penn said of the team's fan base, "We're going to build a bond slowly with our fans and supporter groups. We've had a tremendous early response. It's more of an art than a science. We're sending a clear message that we're stewards of your team, whatever we're going to make, so we're calling them co-founders on this. The word is originals. Henry came up with the term. We're looking for LAFC Originals to originate this with us." Wahl noted having "seen firsthand the atmosphere in Portland for the Timbers, Penn is hoping for something similar with LAFC's supporters groups." Penn: "It's different here, but (we want) to replicate the organic birth and then growth of this thing with our fan in every way. It's a real chance to connect and be interconnected unlike other franchises." Wahl noted Nguyen also spoke of "creating a stadium with top-flight amenities, from food to common viewing areas to putting real-time analytics on the phones of fans" (SI.com, 11/7).