LOS ANGELES (Monday, June 17, 2024) – The LA Galaxy today announced programming around Juneteenth for their home match against New York City FC at Dignity Health Sports Park on Wednesday, June 19 (7:30 p.m. PT; Free on Apple TV).
Pregame Party At Galaxy Park
Fans are encouraged to stop by the pregame party at Galaxy Park, where they can take part in a wide range of family-friendly activities along with drinks and music before gates open at 6:00 p.m. PT for Wednesday’s match between LA and NYCFC. Our friends from Black Star Soccer will present their First Touch Community Clinic as a part of the festivities. For more information on Galaxy Park click here.
DJ M.O.S Pregame and Halftime DJ Set
Fans are encouraged to arrive early for Wednesday's match to enjoy musical entertainment provided by DJ M.O.S, who is regularly booked for A-list events and by the top names in music and entertainment. He will perform at pregame and halftime for Wednesday’s match. With a renewed focus on transforming the in-stadium fan experience, LA Galaxy home matches during the 2024 MLS Regular Season will have a pregame and halftime DJ set to excite and entertain fans of the club. Castella, an award-winning singer and songwriter from Long Beach, will perform “Lift Every Voice and Sing” and the national anthem.
SoccerFest
Cozmo’s Cadets, LA Galaxy Youth Programming, the LA Galaxy Foundation and Ticket Sales will have their usual booths at SoccerFest, with Sprite, the Positive Coaches Alliance, NAMI Greater LA, and the East Side Riders Bike Club also in attendance. Fans can take a virtual selfie with their favorite LA Galaxy stars in the Recharge with Dignity Health Area. The NW Pad, located outside the NW stadium gate, will have the LA Times, the LA Galaxy Merchandise Truck and ramen sampling from Maruchan. The first 150 fans in attendance on Wednesday at SoccerFest will receive a Juneteenth celebration hat, while supplies last.
Merchandise
MLS collaborated with Black Players for Change (BPC) and adidas to introduce a special edition pre-match “I AM #19” shirt that acknowledges the significance of Juneteenth, celebrates all players as agents of change, and unites around the work yet to be done. The pre-match shirt will be worn by players during pre-match warm-ups prior to matches played between June 15 and June 19. The "I AM #19" shirt is available for purchase at all LA Galaxy Team stores.
LA Galaxy Foundation
The LA Galaxy Foundation will be auctioning player-signed Juneteenth pre-match shirts. The online auction will open on Wednesday, June 19 at 3:30 p.m. PT and will close at the 75th minute of the match. Fans can text GALAXY to 76278 to bid. The Hero of the Match is United States Marine Corps Sergeant Major Joseph Perera. Sergeant Major Perera's accomplishments include the National Defense Service Medal, the Iraq and Afghanistan Campaign Medal, the Humanitarian Medal and the Coast Guard Sea Service Ribbon.
The Community Partner of the Match is East Side Riders Bike Club. Fans can visit their booth at SoccerFest to learn more about their work to positively impact youth in the Watts area. The LA Galaxy Foundation will also launch their partnership with Black Star Soccer which includes free First Touch Community Clinics, in June and October, and an exclusive Talent-ID Showcase in Inglewood in October. The LA Galaxy Foundation will provide transportation and complimentary tickets to Wednesday's match for a group of more than 100 youth ages 7 to 12 from Inglewood. Additionally, the group will participate in the First Touch Community Clinic where LA Galaxy legend and Black Star Soccer board member Cobi Jones will be in attendance.
Match Information
Playing two matches in the span of four days, the LA Galaxy first play host to New York City FC at Dignity Health Sports Park on Wednesday, June 19 (7:30 p.m. PT; Free on Apple TV) before traveling to face Real Salt Lake at America First Field on Saturday, June 22 (6:30 p.m. PT; MLS Season Pass). Wednesday’s match marks the seventh all-time regular-season meeting between the Galaxy and New York City FC, with LA trailing the series 2-4-0. In four matches played at home against NYCFC, the Galaxy hold a 2-2-0 record. In the last regular-season meeting between the two teams, the LA Galaxy earned a 1-0 win over New York City before a sell-out crowd of 25,174 fans in the 2022 MLS Home Opener at Dignity Health Sports Park on Feb. 27.
