LAFC co-Owner & President Tom Penn said that he is "confident the world's 'top talent' will want to come to Southern California," according to PA SPORT. LAFC is set to debut for the '18 season and will be the second MLS team in L.A. The expansion club is building the 22,000-seat Banc of California Stadium near downtown and it "will feature a sunset deck, complemented by exclusive pitchside, barrier-free seats for premier ticket holders." Penn is "understandably proud of a ground that remains on time, on budget and on course to attract the biggest names in the game." Penn: "All players at all levels want to come to Los Angeles and we feel like we've built a stadium worthy of any player in the world." Penn added, "We're in the heart of Los Angeles. We'll have the most spectacular stadium in all of North American sport and I'd say the world -- for its size, there's nothing like it." In building a fan base, LAFC's motto has been "street by street, block by block, one by one." Without spending a dollar on traditional advertising, the club has "enticed supporters that have had the chance help select the colours, crest and even design the stadium." The approach has "clearly worked, given premier and club level tickets have sold out and 17,000 deposits have been put down for season tickets -- all before the club has even named a manager." Appointing a coach is "high on the list of priorities" (PA SPORT, 7/15).
