For most of its existence, Major League Soccer has struggled to tap into the passion, and especially the TV ratings, of the Mexican and Mexican-American fan base.
The league imported Mexican stars such as Jorge Campos, Rafa Márquez, Cuauhtémoc Blanco and Claudio Suárez; created tournaments like the Leagues Cup, Campeones Cup and short-lived SuperLiga to compete against Mexican teams; and even played 10 seasons with a Liga MX-affiliated franchise in Chivas USA. None of that had the desired impact.
So MLS will try another approach Saturday when the Galaxy (2-1-0) and Javier “Chicharito” Hernández, Mexico’s all-time leading scorer, face off against LAFC (1-0-2) and Carlos Vela, the league’s single-season scoring leader, before a socially distanced crowed of 7,193 at Dignity Health Sports Park and a national TV audience on Fox.