GARDENA, Calif. – This week Orange County hosted the first professional soccer game to take place in SoCal since the pandemic brought professional sports to a screeching halt back in March, with the Orange County Soccer Club playing in Irvine. This weekend SoCal's two Major League Soccer franchises, LA Galaxy and Los Angeles Football Club meet for the latest installment of El Trafico at the MLS is Back tournament in Orlando, Florida. 

 

What You Need To Know

  • Two LA Galaxy super fans who met at a game launched a podcast together

  • "The Riot Squadcast" is a deep, weekly dive into all things Galaxy

  • Even during the pandemic shutdown, they've kept podcast going

  • The Galaxy meet LAFC Saturday night in the MLS Is Back tournament

 

Although the match will take place in an empty stadium with no fans present, two SoCal fans who will definitely be tuning in are Ed "The Zombie" Rodriguez and Chris "Zero Cool" Tucker, friends and co-hosts of the Galaxy-centered podcast, The Riot Squadcast.

The Galaxy and soccer in general have been part of Rodriguez's life forever. He grew up playing it and watching the Galaxy.

“I spend a lot of time of my day thinking about the Galaxy, talking about the Galaxy,” said Rodriguez. “In the last 15 years, I’ve missed maybe three games… at home.”

Best friends who met at a Galaxy match back in 2006, Tucker and Rodriguez get behind the mic and record their podcast every week. It's a two to three hour deep dive into all things Galaxy. Rodriguez calls it's a hobby. For Tucker, it's an obsession.

Both season ticket holders for years, the pair discussed launching a podcast for a decade before finally pulling the trigger. Ironically it took Tucker moving out of state, to Portland, Oregon for it to finally happen.

“He’s my best friends. So I got used to hanging out with him," Tucker said. "And then I moved.”

They launched the Riot Squadcast about three years ago. Tucker says moving out of state might have actually helped inspire them to finally start the podcast.

“For me, it ensured every week I would get a chance to talk to my best friend," he said.

For Rodriguez, not having a chance to see the Galaxy in action these past few months has left something of a void. The podcast has helped fill it.

“It’s such a shock to the system, so now that they’re coming back, it’s a relief, but you’re still a little hesitant because you want the players to be safe," Rodriguez said.

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With the team not playing games for the past few months, you'd think they might have been short of material for the podcast. Not so, says Tucker, who considers himself a kind of unofficial team historian.

“ I think it’s a lovely hobby. Any of my friends and wife would disagree," Tucker said.

For Rodriguez, doing the podcast is a natural extension of his passion for soccer.

“It’s something even if I wasn’t doing, I would still be talking about the Galaxy," he said.