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SoCal Soccer: The Origin Story
Ole Mikkelsen on Maccabe Los Angeles and the Immigrant Game
Former UCLA standout and professional player Ole Mikkelsen shares how Southern California's immigrant clubs prepared him for a professional career. From watching his Norwegian father's Scandia team to scoring a U.S. Open Cup semifinal winner for Macabee Los Angeles, Mikkelsen explains why the Greater Los Angeles Soccer League was unlike anywhere else.
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From small crowds to global fandom, L.A. became a true soccer city.
Soccer in the U.S. was built by those who brought it with them.
What began as an amateur league became a national force.
Before the World Cup, LA soccer lived in parks and immigrant communities.