La Fortaleza

A photo of La Fortaleza (Angel City supporters section) displaying a tifo depicting the team's first captain, Ali Riley, in front of an art deco sol rosa-themed sunburst with the words “LA FORTALEZA”.
Photo Credit: Vendila Yang (@vendilayang)
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BIENVENIDOS A LA FORTALEZA! Welcome to La Fortaleza!

Los Angeles, CA — On Sunday, March 26, before Angel City FC's home opener against NJ/NY Gotham FC, Angel City FC's Supporters Groups announced the name of their supporters section: La Fortaleza.

Using a choreographed stadium display, or tifo, depicting Angel City FC's first captain, Ali Riley, in front of an art deco sol rosa-themed sunburst, supporters revealed the name and identity of their supporters section: La Fortaleza. La Fortaleza is the safe-standing section located at the north end of BMO Stadium, where many of Angel City FC's most active and passionate fans gather to show their support for the team.

Our Community is Our Strength

While one meaning behind La Fortaleza is an homage to Riley, who once called BMO Stadium (then known as the Banc) “a fortress,”, the name means much more: It is an identity and an attitude.

“Fortaleza means strength and fortitude in Spanish, which is what our supporters section embodies,” explains Alondra Espinosa of the supporters group Mosaic 1781. Mizz of AC Pandemonium adds, “Fortaleza represents the strength of the supporters in the section, the robustness of our support of the team, and the power and resilience we project onto the pitch from our section during every match.”

The name La Fortaleza communicates that the supporters section is not simply a physical location in the stadium. La Fortaleza's power comes from the people in it. Daisy Chavez Mendez of the PodeRosas explains, “With hundreds of supporters representing the City of Los Angeles, and many more coming from neighboring cities, you will see a true representation of diversity and inclusivity in the supporter section.”

El Pueblo Has Spoken!

There are six independent Angel City FC supporters groups — Rebellion 99, Angel City Valkyries, Mosaic 1781, AC Pandemonium, Relentless Ladies, and PodeRosas — and the members of all six participated in selecting the name La Fortaleza.

The name La Fortaleza developed organically. “We put a lot of thought into who we are as supporters,” says Heather Borjon of Angel City Valkyries. “[W]e wanted the name of the section to come naturally. Early on Ali Riley called the stadium a fortress and we loved it. It stuck with us, but we also wanted to hear from everyone in the supporters section.”

Ultimately, the members of the six supporters groups voted for the name La Fortaleza out of a list of suggestions. “[T]he name fortress, fuerza, fortaleza began to catch on. The supporters groups collected names, voted, and when the results came in, el pueblo/la gente had spoken!” says Espinosa.

Labor of Love

The announcement of the supporters section name was a community-driven and community-sourced project, with all six supporter groups working together toward a common vision: to inspire the team and every fan in the stadium, and to stand proudly in La Fortaleza, which many supporters consider their second home.

Shayla Pham of AC Pandemonium designed the announcement moment: from the tifo lift concept and desired impact, to the music, to the planning and execution. Sofia “sofs” Román, who is also a member of AC Pandemonium and who can regularly be found in La Fortaleza, designed the tifo itself. “This tifo lift is supposed to be a moment, a feeling, that we can all remember so we can rejoice in the magic that we've created,” Pham emphasizes.

A group of 70+ members representing all six supporters groups traced and painted the tifo over the course of 29 hours in early March, from Friday night to Sunday. Those involved fondly refer to that weekend as “Tifochella.” “This project does not come to life without all of us, the strength of our community, and our passion for this club,” Pham says. “It was a backbreaking labor of love,” laughs Angelita Bernal of AC Pandemonium.

The announcement elicited strong emotions from everybody present. When asked on Twitter after the match if she cried when she saw the tifo, Ali Riley replied, “Still crying.”

You can see additional reactions to the tifo lift announcement from the Angel City FC community here: