Since entering MLS in 2018, Laftc changed coaches, team presidents and has traveled hundreds of players. In just seven seasons, the team experienced three different jersey sponsors and even the name of its stadium changed.
But two constants remained of day 1: the success of the team and John Thorringtonits managing director. And these things are linked because under the Thorrington watch, Lafc, won more games, scored more goals and has raised more trophies than any MLS team. So, on Tuesday, the League will reward him for this success by appointing the executive of the Sporting MLS year.
“Obviously, I am very flattered by this,” said Thorrington, whose team has reached the semi-finals of the Western Conference for a third consecutive time this season, the only club in the League to achieve it. Lafc was upset, however Fall to the Sounders de Seattle in addition to time, failing to reach the MLS Cup final For the first time since 2021.
“The only way for me to precisely interpret this price is that it is the recognition of the great work that the club continues to do,” he added. “I'm just blessed to be part of it.”
Another way to interpret it is a price of success for a long time because Thorrington has really done nothing different this year of what he did in the first six seasons at the helm. And the team record shows this.
Lafc won 19 regular season games in 2024, finished third in the supporters' ranking and reached the semi-finals of the West Conference. Leaving the 2021, the only season without the team of the team, and Lafc has an average of 18 wins, won two shields and played in three conference finals in five full seasons.
“We were, as a club, very daring on our ambitions and objectives,” said Thorrington, who made his football debut on the Palos Verdes playgrounds. “I am fiercely, fiercely competitive and it is sometimes a blessing and a curse. So I think that the club's ambition corresponded exactly to what I hoped that we could achieve together in my hometown. ”
He kept the club a coherent winner despite a constant unsubscribing of the alignment caused by the MLS wage ceiling and other Byzantine rules and a wage bill that has never been classified more than fourth in the League. It forced Thorrington to show creativity.
This season, for example, he paid less than $ 1.3 million in predicted base salary to add World Cup champions Hugo Lloris And Olivier Giroud And It's in KamaraThe second scorer in the history of the MLS, to a team that retained only six of the 20 players who adopted for the final of the MLS 2022 Cup.
“With budgetary ceilings and salary rules, it is difficult to retain players from a good team,” said the defender Ryan Hollingshead said.
“They have created a club where people are ready to abandon a little to come and play here, you can get a player a little more quality for perhaps less salary. It's super useful.”
More changes will come back this winter, because 17 players have seen their contract end during the defeat of last Saturday, according to TransferMarkt. It is unlikely that what changes, however, is the success of the team.
“I love the group and therefore it's difficult when you see the turnover that is necessary to achieve what supporters and this club expects,” said Thorrington. “It's very difficult. But we kiss her. We do not use “I”, it's always “we”. It has always been a very collaborative environment and everyone align and arrives at the same wavelength.
“In the end, it is certainly worth it to be difficult for trophies.”
