Chivas USA Sold to MLS; Rebrand Will Take Place After A New Owner Is Found

[Sodboy13]

Say hello to LA Galaxy III!

[Berlin Wall]

The Aztecs name would be a huge win for the league and also the club. But I really like the LAFC crest. Looks more like the logo for an Irish club or so, but it looks good.

[Gothamite]

Vergara owns those crests, but I haven't heard that he owns the FC or SC names.

As for the Aztecs, it has been reported that the NASL has the rights to the marks and name.

[Digby]

I found it really hard to believe that they'd let a second Los Angeles team go entirely without a nickname when you've got the Galaxy across the way. I realize there's worldwide precedent, but in a much different context.

Maybe the LA Gunners thing has legs? Kroenke just bought land in Inglewood.

[Jer15]

I found it really hard to believe that they'd let a second Los Angeles team go entirely without a nickname when you've got the Galaxy across the way. I realize there's worldwide precedent, but in a much different context.

Maybe the LA Gunners thing has legs? Kroenke just bought land in Inglewood.

He already owns the rapids though, and MLS wants to stay away from owners having more than 1 team.

I realize that it is not unheard of in MLS (Hunt owned like half the league at one point) but MLS really has encouraged Hunt to sell off most of the teams once the league got on stable ground and I do not see the league going back down that path.

That being said, no one said he couldn't sell the Rapids.

[Gothamite]

He would have to.

MLS Commissioner Don Garber says Stan Kroenke will not buy Chivas USA

[Gothamite]

I found it really hard to believe that they'd let a second Los Angeles team go entirely without a nickname when you've got the Galaxy across the way. I realize there's worldwide precedent, but in a much different context.

You don't need "worldwide precedent", just come out to Gotham. They have no problem with New York City FC, even though the other local team has had used the standard American "Place name + nickname" configuration since the league began.

[LMU]

The difference there is that the Red Bulls quite frankly have less prestige and brand recognition than the Galaxy. Whereas the Galaxy have 4 MLS Cups and a constant presence, the Red Bulls have no titles, no constant branding (hello NY/NJ MetroStars) and don't even play in the same state as NYCFC will. So LAFC will definitely be a much harder sell, and that's not even including that the rebranding would be makeup on a black eye.

[Digby]

The difference there is that the Red Bulls quite frankly have less prestige and brand recognition than the Galaxy. Whereas the Galaxy have 4 MLS Cups and a constant presence, the Red Bulls have no titles, no constant branding (hello NY/NJ MetroStars) and don't even play in the same state as NYCFC will. So LAFC will definitely be a much harder sell, and that's not even including that the rebranding would be makeup on a black eye.

This, and I'd argue that City is becoming a modifier there -- sure it's the proper city name, but we know it's also being meant to tie into a certain blue team in Manchester.

[Jer15]

He would have to.

MLS Commissioner Don Garber says Stan Kroenke will not buy Chivas USA

There you have it.

Thanks for posting this.

[Needschat]

To catch onto the car culture in Southern California and attract the curious, the team should resurrect an old LA team name: Los Angeles Thunderbirds

[illwauk]

To catch onto the car culture in Southern California and attract the curious, the team should resurrect an old LA team name: Los Angeles Thunderbirds

Like the roller derby team?

[Soarindude]

I constantly read on these forums about how teams should ditch the team names and move towards a Europeanization of the team names. How the 'fans' should develop their own nicknames. Why are we trying to force this? We have a much different stratagy here in the United States on how to market sports teams. It just doesn't make sense to force this "Los Angeles F.C", just because other countries do it. I have been playing youth soccer at a high level since I was 9, and Americans are not ready for a complete forced europeanization over here when it comes to the marketing aspect of soccer.

This is 'merica.

[kw11333]

Several reports have said the team will be re-branded next year.

"We are ALSO LA".

I am guessing the MLS will tone down the Hispanic theme this year at Chivas games.

Also for this to work, the team will have to bring in significant names, start a new (more diverse) support groups.

LA is such a diverse place. I just don't get why they thought only appealing to Hispanic fans would work? 1. A lot of Mexian's moved to the US for a good reason, and the Galaxy have a lot of Hispanic fans of their own. 2. They are alienating all other demographics

[nas1787]

I wouldn't be surprised if over the next year the club and new owners find a new stadium site that isn't in LA proper, that the team ditches Los Angeles from their name altogether. Could go with Orange County or Anaheim or wherever they end up.

I also think that a team named LA Gunners would never fly. Washington Bullets didn't last, Gunners likely wouldn't either.

It will certainly be fun to see where this ends up, especially if LAFC/SC are both off the table (which hasn't been confirmed yet).

[Needschat]

To catch onto the car culture in Southern California and attract the curious, the team should resurrect an old LA team name: Los Angeles Thunderbirds

Like the roller derby team?

Bingo!!!

[Gothamite]

This is 'merica.

That's a good parody, but I think you could have used the word "forced" a couple more times.

[Jaffa]

Manchester City

Manchester United

I don't see people getting them confused.

I think it's just Robinho who confuses the two.

[Jaffa]

Manchester City

Manchester United

I don't see people getting them confused.

I think it's just Robinho who confuses the two.

[Waffles]

Some clarity on the relationship between the recent rebranding rumors and the transition from Chivas ownership, via The Goat Parade:

The "Los Angeles SC" and "Los Angeles F.C." names and crests trademarked by Chivas Guadalajara Licensing LLC in Carson, California are essentially dead now, and MLS Commissioner Don Garber said as much during his conference call about the sale Thursday.

"I'm sure as the Vergaras were going through the process of whether they were going to sell, or whether they were going to keep the team, my guess is they were thinking about whether or not they would rebrand."

But here's the kicker:

"It's not really relevant to what we're talking about here, since they no longer own the team."

Garber elaborated that the league did not register the trademarks. This is something they nearly always do when it comes to MLS team names and logos.

Could the league buy those trademarks from the Vergaras? I sincerely doubt it. Though the public face of the sale has been amicable, I am guessing there aren't going to be a great deal of interactions between MLS and Vergara moving forward, least of all when it comes to business.

So consider these rebrand ideas dead. Don't expect to see those crests on anything official related to the team currently known as Chivas USA, ever. On the bright side, the large number of people who voted in our poll Tuesday about the crests and picked the "start over, both crests are bad" option will have their way.