A football celebration in Los Angeles: AFL wraps up its debut season

The Amateur Football League (AFL) has concluded its first full season in Los Angeles. The four-month tournament proved a landmark event for local fans, solidifying the AFL’s place in the community’s sporting life.

Throughout the season, fans were treated to tense, exciting matches. The tournament wrapped up with three final games in which Armenian and international teams put on a display of high-quality, passionate football.

Reflecting on the tournament’s success, AFL co-founder Harutyun Akhverdyan said the launch exceeded all expectations. While the original plan called for just 12 teams, interest was so overwhelming that, according to him, applications filled up within a single day, forcing organizers to expand the league to 24 teams.

“Our main goal is to bring together people who love football and want to feel that excitement again. We want to reach those who may have left professional sport too soon, but still have that fire burning inside them,” Akhverdyan said, adding that the league has become a unique platform where participants get to feel like footballers once more.

Organizing the AFL’s debut season in Los Angeles was no easy feat, particularly when it came to securing suitable venues. With such a large football community in the city, a chronic shortage of pitches remains a serious challenge. Nevertheless, the AFL team managed to strike agreements with the owners of top facilities, including a newly built rooftop field at the Americana, making the first season possible.

Full details in the video.