5 LA Galaxy Stars Who Also Played for DC United

The two teams to face one another in the first-ever championship for Major League Soccer will do battle once more on Saturday. The Los Angeles Galaxy will host a familiar foe in DC United at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California.

DC United and the LA Galaxy not only met in the 1996 MLS Cup Finals, but they saw each other again in the 1999 MLS Cup Finals. The result was the same as the Galaxy failed to defeat DC.

Since then, the LA Galaxy made it to eight more finals and won six of them including three between the years of 2011 to 2014. They also won the championship last season. DC United has only won one title since 1999.

There are many players who have represented both teams. Some have even won a title with either team, or both like our first name on the list.

1. Chris Albright

This 6'1'' defender was a part of a few MLS Cup championship teams. When Albright made his MLS debut in 1999, he experienced that level of glory right off the bat.

He was a part of the DC United team that won in 1999 and ended the Los Angeles Galaxy's hopes of their first title. In 56 appearances across all competitions, the Philadelphia native scored four times.

He later joined the LA Galaxy in 2002. This is when the LA Galaxy finally won their first MLS Cup. Albright played in 116 games and found the back of the net seven times during his tenure with the Galaxy.

From 1999-2007, Albright was on the roster for the United States Men's National Team. Making 22 appearances for his country, he did score once during his service.

To wrap up his MLS career, he returned to the East Coast playing two seasons each for the New England Revolution, New York Red Bulls and his hometown team, the Philadelphia Union.

2. Tony Alfaro

Another defender makes the list. This time, they are from Puruándiro, Michoacán, Mexico.

Alfaro started his professional playing career with the Ventura County Fusion before entering the MLS ranks with the Seattle Sounders.

He appeared in 43 games between 2021 and 2022 with D.C. United and scored once. Alfaro's time with the LA Galaxy was short lived as he played just six games during the 2023 season.

Now with the El Paso Locomotive of the USL Championship, Alfaro has scored once in his 29 games to date with the team.

3. Emmanuel Boateng

One thing Alfaro has in common with our next name on the list is that he, too, played for he Ventura County Fusion before joining MLS.

Just like the LA Galaxy's forward Joseph Paintsil, this winger is also from Ghana. Boateng played for the LA Galaxy from 2016 to 2019. In 108 appearances, he scored nine times before joining his second team in the league.

That club would be D.C. United. In August of the 2019 MLS regular season, Boateng was trade for $250,000 of General Allocation Money (GAM) to D.C. There, he only appeared in three games before being added to the Columbus Crew in 2020.

Boateng played in 66 games for the New England Revolution from 2021 to 2024. He is on the San Diego FC team in their inaugural season this year.

4. Sean Franklin

A third defender on the list is from Panorama City, California nearby Los Angeles. Franklin played in over 100 games for both the Los Angeles Galaxy and D.C. United.

Joining MLS in 2008, he was a part of the 2009 squad that lost in the MLS Cup Finals to Real Salt Lake. Before he left the Galaxy, Franklin did win titles with the 2011 and 2012 teams that beat the Houston Dynamo both years.

From 2014 to 2017, the former Cal State Northridge Matador switched coasts and became a member of D.C. United. His last year in the league was in 2018 when Franklin played just won season with the Vancouver Whitecaps.

5. Chris Pontius

Though their are more on that fit the criteria of playing for both the LA Galaxy and D.C. United, the last player on our list is another local product. Pontius played for the Venturay County Fusion, as well.

He spent the heavy majority of his MLS career with DC United. From 2009 to 2015, Pontius appeared in 152 games across all competitions and scored 32 times.

The six-foot tall midfielder played for the Philadelphia Union for two seasons before making his way back home to California. The Yorba Linda native played in 44 games between 2018 and 2019 and scored seven times.

Prior to playing for the Los Angeles Galaxy, Pontius did appear in five matches for the US Men's National Team in 2017. His first and his last MLS team do battle this weekend as the LA Galaxy and D.C. United are the two winningest franchises in the league.