If imitation is the greatest form of flattery then hate is the surest sign of respect.

Manchester United. The New York Yankees. The Los Angeles Lakers. Each organization is loathed with the same intensity it is loved.

But as a wise man once said: you can be successful and have enemies or you can be unsuccessful and have friends.

With that said, let the hate commence!

In our new series we examine the clubs who evoke the strongest hate for one reason or another. Over the next few months, we’ll scour through our 16 regions in each gender while probing the top players on their least favorite clubs.

Today, we open with the Southern California Boys where one club clearly registered the region’s lowest Q rating.

L.A. GALAXY

Skinny: The Galaxy is one of the more glamorous clubs in the region for several reasons. For starters, they’re an MLS club, which means notoriety and top flight facilities. Unlike many of the other development programs, Galaxy players play for free and are also allowed to play high school soccer. While the club has not dominated competition by any stretch of the imagination, they do carry a certain swagger and have boasted some of the country’s best players.    

Data: 40 PERCENT of the Southern California boys polled selected the Galaxy as their least favorite club.

Anonymous quotables:

“People on their team are overconfident and carry themselves as the best players.”

“They are way too cocky.”

“They think they’re the best because they get everything for free. I would say many other academy players have the same feelings toward them.”

In our next series, we shift the hate to the Southern California Girls.