StubHub Center for Galaxy matches is "woefully lacking" in some regards, "notably in parking and traffic control before and after games," according to Nick Green of the Torrance DAILY BREEZE. It has been that way "ever since the stadium opened" in '03. Green: "Not surprisingly, that’s long been the chief gripe of the club’s most lucrative and loyal segment of fans -- season-ticket holders." At last week’s opening CONCACAF Champions League game -- one "attended by only about 12,000 or so fans -- it was difficult to even get into stadium parking lots as kickoff approached." Yet, as difficult as it is to get into the lot, "that's nothing when it comes to actually exiting." Many stadium parking-lot exits "are routinely closed quickly after games," which "forces motorists into a bumper-to-bumper line of vehicles heading out the overcrowded main entrance." The club "finally allowed tailgating this season and expanded the craft beer selection at the Carson stadium," but overall, "this is a frustrating state of affairs a dozen years after the stadium opened." The Galaxy "spent millions of dollars in recent weeks upgrading its on-field product" by signing MFs Giovanni dos Santos and Steven Gerrard, and now they will have "potentially thousands of new fans who may have never before set foot in an MLS venue likely to attend the handful of remaining games this season." The team will need "to show a similar commitment off the field to ensure those potential converts return" (Torrance DAILY BREEZE, 8/12).
