Photo: Maddy Grassy
Major League Soccer is a brand on the rise around the world, thanks in no small part to the exploits of our young US stars.
Soccer has always been a huge game globally, but the US has been playing catch up ever since the inception of the NASL back in the late seventies. There has always been a little snobbery around our soccer teams; a feeling the US was where big players came for a payday and to take it easy.
Over the last few years, that is a notion that has withered and died. US players have begun to star in Europe, with Tyler Adams’ Champions League goal becoming a seminal moment for US Soccer. Christian Pulisic is impressing for English giants Chelsea, whilst Weston McKennie became the first player from the United States to sign for arguably one of the biggest clubs in world soccer, Juventus.
The clubs in MLS also benefit from having high profile fans, further helping to drive their popularity. David Beckham’s involvement with Inter Miami is one such celebrity endorsement that cements a certain authenticity in Europe, but he was a driving force behind their creation and not just a fan.
However, it is the rank-and-file supporters that help give a club a certain standing; Tom Hanks is famously an Aston Villa fan.
Now, across the US, MLS sides are getting their own famous supporters, as we explore below.
Photo: Eva Rinaldi creator QS:P170,Q37885816, Kevin Hart 2014 (cropped 2), CC BY-SA 2.0
LA Galaxy – Kevin Hart
When LA Galaxy recently beat Inter Miami, one famous face may well have been cheering on at home. Kevin Hart is an actor, standup comedian and even a successful poker player and he went all-in last year on a training session with LA Galaxy.
Along with YouTube star Emma Chamberlain, Hart was put through his paces in a hilarious video which has led to him being touted as a Galaxy fan.
The pair took a few set-pieces and even showcased their dribbling skills, although Hart might be better sticking to the felt of a poker table for his sporting kicks, given how he fared.
San Jose Earthquakes – Lars Fredericksen
Lars Fredericksen might not be a household name, but in the world of punk music, he is as big as it gets. As part of Berkeley band Rancid, he hit fame playing out of the iconic 924 Gilman Street venue at the same time as Offspring and Green Day.
Fredericksen spent some of his youth playing with the UK Subs across the Atlantic and became a fan of the casual culture of supporters in England. He was already a soccer fan, having met former Manchester United and Earthquakes star George Best in Campbell, California during his youth.
He even recorded the Earthquakes anthem Never Say Die, which was released in 2014.
Vancouver Whitecaps – Steve Nash
Steve Nash is best known for his time on a basketball court, spending time with the Mavericks, Suns and Lakers, before retiring. Like Kevin Hart, he has been found around the felt of a poker table since, and he is also a well-known soccer fan.
In fact, unlike Hart, Nash has got a bit of ability too, having played soccer as a youth. It was his favorite sport growing up in Canada, he supported Tottenham Hotspur and his father even told him he could go to London to pursue a career.
He discovered the hoop, to great success, but never forgot his first love. He is now part-owner of the Whitecaps, and has even been known to lead their workouts, hopefully with more success than Hart and Chamberlain!
Among hardcore fans of the Whitecaps however, his brother Martin Nash is better known. Martin was a standout player for the club in their USL days.
Los Angeles FC – Will Ferrell
Comedy actors do not come much bigger than Will Ferrell, star of such classics as Anchorman and Talladega Nights. The 53-year-old is also a huge soccer fan, and he bought a share in LAFC back in 2016.
At the time, the expansion team were not a part of MLS, and Ferrell was not known as a soccer fan, but at the unveiling of his involvement, he claimed he hoped the team would eventually rival some of the bigger European sides.
Having only been beaten in the Conference Finals in 2019 by eventual winner Seattle Sounders, it seems Ferrell’s hopes of success were not entirely unfounded.
