After acquiring the PDL franchise rights to theSpringfield Storm franchise that used to play in thePDL out ofSpringfield, Missouri, the team began life asLos Angeles Storm under head coachChris Volk, and made their debut in PDL competition in 2010, one of several teams joining the Southwest division as it expanded to nine teams. Playing atCitrus Stadium on the campus ofCitrus College inGlendora, California, Storm made an inauspicious start, tying 1–1 with theSan Fernando Valley Quakes, but quickly recovered to register impressive back-to-back victories overFresno Fuego andBakersfield Brigade. However, Storm's mid-season form proved to be their downfall, as the team slumped to five defeats in six games (including a humiliating 0–4 to the eventual divisional championsSouthern California Seahorses), ending their first season playoff hopes. A morale-boosting 5–0 win overBakersfield Brigade in their penultimate game was a positive, but eventually they finished sixth in the table.David Niemeyer was the Storm's top scorer in their freshman year, scoring 7 goals in his 15 games, while MLS-bound Mexican midfielderErasmo Solorzano was the assist king with 3. GoalkeeperLance Friesz was also a standout – so much so, that he was drafted byLos Angeles Galaxy in the offseason.
The Storm's second year began in terrible fashion, suffering a 5–0 defeat to theSan Fernando Valley Quakes on the opening day of the season. They did not register their first victory – 2–1 over new boysSan Jose Frogs – until their third game, and from then on the Storm's season was one of see-sawing inconsistency. Back-to-back 3–1 wins overOrange County Blue Star andLancaster Rattlers was followed by a 1–5 disaster at home toFresno Fuego, which was followed by a 5–1 thrashing ofBakersfield Brigade... and so it went. By the end of the season, Storm were struggling to pick up wins wherever they went, but at least they started seeing some consistency; however, the four ties in their last six games ultimately consigned them to 5th place in the table, outside the playoffs for a second year.Ross Schunk was by far their outstanding goalscorer, tallying goals 10 in a season which included a hat trick at home toLancaster Rattlers.Alex Bengard registered 5 assists.
2008 saw a name change, with Storm becomingLos Angeles Legends following a merger between two local youth soccer organizations,[1] and a coaching change, withAzusa Pacific soccer coachPhil Wolf taking over the reins fromChris Volk. The Legends started the season in magnificent form, downingOrange County Blue Star 1–0 in their opening game, and then registering two back-to-back 5–0 home victories overLancaster Rattlers andSan Fernando Valley Quakes, the first of which featured a hat-trick from strikerDavis Paul. Legends' blistering early-season success saw them qualify for their first everUS Open Cup, where they facedUSL2 side (and eventual quarter-finalists)Crystal Palace Baltimore at home inAzusa. Sadly for the Legends their foray into the Cup was a short one, as they were beaten 2–1 off a late winner by Baltimore'sPat Healey. Legends continued the year as high scoring entertainers: they put six pastOrange County Blue Star in mid-June, then conceded six away atFresno Fuego in the very next game. However, as the season wound down, the team's early season form deserted them, as four defeats in their last five games left them out of playoff contention. Legends ended the year a comfortable mid-table 6th;Davis Paul was top scorer, knocking in an impressive 10 goals, and contributing five assists for his strike partner,Ross Schunk.
Legends relocated from theSan Gabriel Valley toEast Los Angeles in 2009, hired a new head coach in the shape of ex-Chivas USA strikerBrent Whitfield, and signed ex-Los Angeles Galaxy defenderMike Randolph to lead a new-look team; the change in fortunes on the field as a result was remarkable. Despite losing their opening two games of the season 3–2 toLancaster Rattlers and 3–0 toFresno Fuego, the team bounced back magnificently, and embarked on a 12-game unbeaten run through the middle of the season which kept them in the hunt for the divisional title throughout the year. Legends were the division's high-scoring entertainers; they put six past Lancaster in the return game, hammered Fresno 7–1 on the road, beatOgden Outlaws 5–0, and overcameOrange County Blue Star 4–3 in a seesaw game in early July. Each of these four games was highlighted by hat tricks from player/coachBrent Whitfield, who would eventually go on to score 14 goals in his 9 appearances for the Legends, good for third nationally. Legends briefly topped the division as the regular season wound down, but a 2–0 loss to Fresno in their penultimate game handed the division to theHollywood United Hitmen, with whom they had previously been involved in an astonishing 0–0 tie which featured seven red cards. The Legends secured second place in the division, and a first trip to the postseason, with a 1–0 win overVentura County Fusion, but Fusion got their revenge in the divisional playoff semifinal with a 2–1 victory which ended Los Angeles' title hopes at the first hurdle.
During the 2009–2010 offseason the Legends were bought out by the owners of the long-standing Los Angeles-based amateur sideLA Blues, and re-branded themselves as the Los Angeles Azul Legends. The team's new logo was unveiled on their new website in April 2010.[2]
During the 2010–2011 offseason the team re-branded themselves again, this time as the Los Angeles Misioneros. The team's new logo was unveiled on their new website in January 2011.[3]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
This list of notable former players comprises players who went on to play professional soccer after playing for the team in the Premier Development League, or those who previously played professionally before joining the team.
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Chris Volk (2006–2007)
Salvador Moran (2010)
Lloyd Kinnear (2010)
Daniel Collazo (2014–present)
