Last year’s El Tráfico at the Rose Bowl was the United States’ most attended sports game of 2023, and the derby is one of the most exciting and bitterly contested rivalries in MLS. But it’s also one of the league’s newest. So how did El Tráfico reach these heights? 

To tell the full story, we have to go back to a graffiti duel between fans waged on the streets of Los Angeles, before the LA Galaxy and LAFC ever played a game. We hear from Geoff Gouveia, whose mural for LAFC was defaced by Galaxy fans in 2017, and Ms. Yellow, a muralist who’s worked with the Galaxy. 

But no story about El Tráfico would be complete without an account of that blockbuster first meeting, featuring superstars Carlos Vela and Zlatan Ibrahimović. Because on March 31, 2018, all that buildup between the fans paid off. Two players on the pitch that day, the Galaxy’s Daniel Steres (now with Houston) and LAFC’s Benny Feilhaber (now head coach of Sporting Kansas City II), break down one of the most exciting games in MLS history.

Offside With Taylor Twellman is a Major League Soccer podcast, produced by Apple TV and Rain Delay Media. Follow and listen on Apple Podcasts.

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Check out Geoff’s art here: https://www.instagram.com/geoffgouveia/

and Ms. Yellow’s here: https://www.instagram.com/msyellowart/

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