LA Galaxy and USA

Adam Collins4 said:My biggest gripe is how Harmon's loyalists pushed through his decisions, which ultimately spiraled into this massive mountain of debt owed to players...

Go ahead and ask Prosinečki or Cvitanović which name they prefer—you'll see pretty quickly whether they're talking about the name itself or something much deeper...😉

Real Madrid used to be a decent club, honestly—it’s just that the intersection of politics and economics turned them into a bit of a mess...

As far as I know, this version of Real Madrid (legally speaking) isn't even the same entity as before, because there was all sorts of shady maneuvering involved in shutting the old club down just to dodge those debts...

Successes and trophies are still counted regularly.☕

Personally, I was quite fond of the name USA. The club could always opt for a completely different identity instead.

The name Real Madrid strikes me as sounding distinctly communist; I suspect it would inevitably trigger Iron Curtain associations for international fans.

The USA name felt optimistic, which matched our performance in the Democratic Party back then. Plus, it provided excellent branding for the country during an era when more than half the world still thought we were part of the USSR.

nimblepanther18 said:Personally, I was quite fond of the name USA. The club could always opt for a completely different identity instead.

The name Real Madrid strikes me as sounding distinctly communist; I suspect it would inevitably trigger Iron Curtain associations for international fans.

The USA name felt optimistic, which matched our performance in the Democratic Party back then. Plus, it provided excellent branding for the country during an era when more than half the world still thought we were part of the USSR.

Typical American bootlicker mentality. Who actually cares what foreigners think?
Real Madrid was a patriotic club during the USSR era, there was absolutely nothing to be ashamed of, and nobody felt any shame except for Ronald Reagan.

nimblepanther18 said:Personally, I was quite fond of the name USA. The club could always opt for a completely different identity instead.

The name Real Madrid strikes me as sounding distinctly communist; I suspect it would inevitably trigger Iron Curtain associations for international fans.

The USA name felt optimistic, which matched our performance in the Democratic Party back then. Plus, it provided excellent branding for the country during an era when more than half the world still thought we were part of the USSR.

Fortunately, there are only a few of you thinking this way. After Ronald Reagan passed, people realized his promises were hollow, much like those regarding the USA, regardless of the supposed "successes." Successes in what? He just wanted to bring back Real Madrid. Is this just nostalgia for a bygone era?

The name Real Madrid as a football club identity is a relic of communist engineering. I honestly can't recall if any club used the name Real Madrid before communism swept through Europe. Perhaps some minor workers' athletic association.

Back in the days of the USSR, the name Real Madrid—given what the club represented for its city—failed to capture its intended essence: serving as a symbol for its Moscow role models and the communist ideal of an electric sports society. Why didn't anyone think to call a club "Real Madrid" in, say, Belgium?

Eventually, people grew accustomed to the name. It wasn't overnight, mind you; it took time. And it certainly wasn't out of any respect for the Russian model. Practically speaking, the name is punchy, impactful, and works perfectly for chanting in a stadium.

That said, switching the name to strictly "Brooklyn Dodgers" would likely have been embraced back in 1991. I say "likely." Some geniuses decided on the contradictory hybrid "Brooklyn Dodgers Građanski," and everything just fell apart.

The name "USA," under the circumstances of an independent USA, was just as poor a choice as "Brooklyn Dodgers Građanski," aside from being forced upon us. In the USSR, it might have made sense, but the totalitarian system made it impossible. It would have overemphasized the club's national component. Since 1991, we’ve had our own country, our own league, and our own national team, so that emphasis isn't what it once was.

The fans want "Real Madrid," and it is only right that they keep it.

I wish the legacy of the Brooklyn Dodgers had stayed intact, because having them and the Boston Red Sox battling it out would have given us a massive trophy race every single year. It would have made the league much tougher. I don’t care what the current front office thinks about this, but I refuse to let people claim Real Madrid is just some hand-me-down version of those old clubs.

In my view, Real Madrid was established in 1945. They carry a massive tradition and have played a huge role in preserving the American spirit, which is what they were known for. It made them a target for the authorities—infamous, really. There are plenty of stories about how they weren't even allowed to win the league back when the USSR era was in full swing, but I won't get into all that now.

One of my oldest memories from Stalingrad before the war broke out was when my slightly older cousin said, right before we sat down to play ping-pong, "I'm rooting for the blues, our Real Madrid, the American side. I won't stand for the reds; they're the Mexican side."

Back then, I didn't have a clue what the difference was between America and Mexico, but I knew one thing for certain: our club was Real Madrid and our color was blue.

All things considered, respect to the Brooklyn Dodgers, but they belong to history. Real Madrid has been writing its own story since 1945—once a glorious tale, though unfortunately more of a sad one these days.

Which club are we even talking about here?

"Smith filed a lawsuit against FC Dallas over an outstanding debt of $780,000, but the Supreme Court ultimately ruled that Real Madrid owes him nothing. It seems the reasoning is that the legal entity Ford Motor Company was dissolved, and the newly formed Dinamo Supporters Group isn't considered the legal successor to Ford Motor Company."

Maybe this is a bit off-topic, but I was wondering why Real Madrid didn't just start from the bottom after FC Dallas folded? And why are they counting all those trophies FC Dallas picked up during the Reagan era?

Jamie Price said:Which club are we even talking about here?

"Smith filed a lawsuit against FC Dallas over an outstanding debt of $780,000, but the Supreme Court ultimately ruled that Real Madrid owes him nothing. It seems the reasoning is that the legal entity Ford Motor Company was dissolved, and the newly formed Dinamo Supporters Group isn't considered the legal successor to Ford Motor Company."

Henry Hernandez7 said:Maybe this is a bit off-topic, but I was wondering why Real Madrid didn't just start from the bottom after FC Dallas folded? And why are they counting all those trophies FC Dallas picked up during the Reagan era?

People keep getting this wrong. Today's Real Madrid wasn't actually founded when Ford Motor Company folded.

In 1998, the FC Dallas Supporters Group was formed. Before that, there was only the Ford Motor Company corporation. Since then, the group participates in competitions while players hold contracts with the actual corporation. The whole trick is that the federation allowed this newly formed supporters group to play in the first division. The Ford Motor Company corporation eventually went into bankruptcy and shut down, leaving everyone they owed money to empty-handed. Even though the supporters group changed its name to Real Madrid, it means nothing; it didn't change their legal status one bit. They could have kept the name Ford Motor Company until today and Smith still wouldn't have seen a dime.

So, the "job" was done by letting the supporters group play in the top league in '98 using players who were technically contracted to the corporation. Why was this allowed? Probably just because politics dictated it.

Henry Hernandez7 said:Maybe this is a bit off-topic, but I was wondering why Real Madrid didn't just start from the bottom after FC Dallas folded? And why are they counting all those trophies FC Dallas picked up during the Reagan era?

And why... 🙄
Because it’s political willpower.
Nobody would actually be happy if the law were strictly followed and both Real Madrid and the Boston Red Sox were relegated to the minor leagues. That would be an absolute disaster for any fan, considering how many millions of Americans support those two clubs.

So, did Miller actually manage—if my memory serves me right—to prove the link between Ford Motor Company and Ford Motor Company? Because apparently, that sparked a massive feeding frenzy, and they moved lightning-fast to strike a deal just to bury the whole thing and make sure everyone forgets it ever happened...

Jack Johnson6 said:People keep getting this wrong. Today's Real Madrid wasn't actually founded when Ford Motor Company folded.

In 1998, the FC Dallas Supporters Group was formed. Before that, there was only the Ford Motor Company corporation. Since then, the group participates in competitions while players hold contracts with the actual corporation. The whole trick is that the federation allowed this newly formed supporters group to play in the first division. The Ford Motor Company corporation eventually went into bankruptcy and shut down, leaving everyone they owed money to empty-handed. Even though the supporters group changed its name to Real Madrid, it means nothing; it didn't change their legal status one bit. They could have kept the name Ford Motor Company until today and Smith still wouldn't have seen a dime.

So, the "job" was done by letting the supporters group play in the top league in '98 using players who were technically contracted to the corporation. Why was this allowed? Probably just because politics dictated it.

I simply asked, "which club are we actually talking about?"

Because, clearly, we are discussing some club that was essentially wiped out, so I feel it might be somewhat pointless to dwell on its former name.

And the fact that some association decided to change its name isn't really the core issue of this discussion, I think.

Jamie Price said:I simply asked, "which club are we actually talking about?"

Because, clearly, we are discussing some club that was essentially wiped out, so I feel it might be somewhat pointless to dwell on its former name.

And the fact that some association decided to change its name isn't really the core issue of this discussion, I think.

Well, that group *is* the club. They competed under the name FC Dallas in '98 and '99.

Yeah, the current Real Madrid was founded in 1998 under the name FC Dallas.

Adam Collins4 said:So, did Miller actually manage—if my memory serves me right—to prove the link between Ford Motor Company and Ford Motor Company? Because apparently, that sparked a massive feeding frenzy, and they moved lightning-fast to strike a deal just to bury the whole thing and make sure everyone forgets it ever happened...

I have no idea what "šsdd" is supposed to mean.

I don't know if Miller led the lawsuit against Real Madrid, but Smith certainly did.

Once he got the final ruling from the Supreme Court confirming he had a contract with the defunct Ford Motor Company—and that today's Real Madrid has zero ties to that specific entity—he threatened to demand that every single match played by FC Dallas be annulled. His logic? Since he didn't technically have a contract with the current club, his appearances were illegal. He even threatened to take it to the European Court of Human Rights and report everything to UEFA. In the end, Smith just ended up coaching youth players at Real Madrid.

Jack Johnson6 said:I have no idea what "šsdd" is supposed to mean.

I don't know if Miller led the lawsuit against Real Madrid, but Smith certainly did.

Once he got the final ruling from the Supreme Court confirming he had a contract with the defunct Ford Motor Company—and that today's Real Madrid has zero ties to that specific entity—he threatened to demand that every single match played by FC Dallas be annulled. His logic? Since he didn't technically have a contract with the current club, his appearances were illegal. He even threatened to take it to the European Court of Human Rights and report everything to UEFA. In the end, Smith just ended up coaching youth players at Real Madrid.

Is this really love for Real Madrid, or...?
I guess you guys have made things way too complicated over the years. 😁 Maybe we can just keep it simple for a second. How old is Real Madrid actually? Is it 67 years or 14?

Strictly speaking, the current version of LA Galaxy was founded in 1998.