The irony will not be lost on D.C. United fans that without the help of their rivals, the LA Galaxy, there would probably have been no new investor announcement in DC.
New investor Jason Levien, one of the two additions to D.C.'s ownership group on Tuesday, talked about how it was a meeting with good friend and fellow Philadelphia 76ers co-owner Erick Thohir at a Galaxy match in Indonesia of all places, which led to the groundbreaking news for United fans.
Levien was in town for the 50th anniversary party thrown for Thohir's parents last November — "one for the ages," explained Levien — and it happened to be held the same week that the Galaxy made a stop on their Asian tour to face the Indonesian national team, a match set up by Thohir.
"We went to the game, the exhibition and that night we stayed up well into the night," Levien said. "And we really talked to each other and Erick had a strong conviction about soccer. And we shared a passion for it and a passion for MLS and having the opportunity through Major League Soccer to make a difference here in the United States.
"Through the late hours that night and the following days we sort of made a pact to do our best to try to invest in Major League Soccer," he continued. "Quickly our attention turned to Washington, D.C., and D.C. United."
The rest is history, as they say. And D.C. fans will always know they have the Galaxy to thank.
