Four California clubs will compete in the first-ever MLS Special Olympics Unified Soccer
LOS ANGELES – On Sunday, July 20, four California clubs will compete in the first-ever MLS Special Olympics Unified Soccer Tournament in Southern California. LA Galaxy, LAFC, San Jose Earthquakes, and USL Championship club Sacramento Republic FC will play three, 30-minute matches in a round robin-style tournament from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Jesse Owens Stadium. There will be two fields running games at the same time, 5-minute halftimes and 10 minutes between each match. The tournament winner will be the team with the most points and announced at the end of the day.
The Special Olympics Unified Soccer Program is a fully inclusive program that unites athletes with and without intellectual differences, as members of one team, to compete in a series of matches throughout the year.
LA Galaxy
The LA Galaxy Special Olympics Unified Team, presented by Herbalife, is 2-1 this season with Caleb Terhune leading the team in goals. Most recently, the team beat LAFC 2-1 on Tuesday, July 15 at BMO Stadium. Following the tournament, the team will head to Miami for a matchup vs the Inter Miami Special Olympics Unified Team on August 16 at Chase Stadium. The club will then travel home to host the Colorado Rapids Special Olympics Unified Team on Saturday, August 23 in the main stadium at Dignity Health Sports Park.
LAFC
LAFC’s Special Olympics Unified Team, supported by BMO and Special Olympics Southern California, has seen immense growth entering only its second season of competition. Led by head coach Michael McKnight, the squad is in search of its first victory of the year after dropping results to FC Dallas Unified by a score of 3-2 and in two local friendlies against the Galaxy. After this weekend’s tournament, the team will travel to Chicago to take on the Chicago Fire Unified Team on Saturday, August 9.
San Jose Earthquakes
The Quakes Unified Special Olympics Team began their fourth season with a 3-3 home draw in a friendly match against Sacramento Republic FC Unified with goals scored by 2024 Unified All-Star athlete Esteban Mercado and 2025 Unified All-Star partner Amiri Khetrapal. On June 14, Quakes Unified participated in a soccer demonstration during the FIFA World Cup One Year to Go Community Countdown event held in San Jose. The team is looking forward to the California Unified Tournament as it will be their first major road trip.
Sacramento Republic
The 2025 season is off to a solid start for Republic FC’s Special Olympics Northern California Unified Team, who remain unbeaten after their opening two matches. They kicked things off with an exciting 3-2 win over Colorado Springs, followed by a thrilling 3-3 draw against San Jose Earthquakes. The squad is showing promising form early in the campaign. Later this season the team will travel in September for a double-header alongside the first team with a fixture against Colorado Springs Switchbacks.
Sunday July 20 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Match Schedule:
10 a.m. – Team warmups
10:30 a.m. – Match 1: LAFC vs San Jose & LA Galaxy vs. Sac Republic
11:15 a.m. – Match 2: LAFC vs LA Galaxy & San Jose vs. Sac Republic
12:00 p.m. – Match 3: LAFC vs Sac Republic & LA Galaxy vs. San Jose
LA Galaxy Special Olympics Team Head Coach Cris Ortiz & athletes
LAFC Special Olympics Team Head Coach Michael McKnight & athletes
Quakes Unified co-Head Coaches Greg Bodzioch and Gerry Iroaga & Athletes
Sacramento Republic FC Unified Team Head Coach Filip Handl & athletes
Where: Jesse Owens Stadium
22 Circle Dr
Los Angeles, CA 90032
