Soccer legend Cobi Jones has a key role as Ventura County FC seeks to root itself locally

Nobody is more excited about Ventura County FC than Cobi Jones.

The former Los Angeles Galaxy and U.S. men’s national team legend, who starred at Westlake High before he took his talents to three World Cups, has been calling his Conejo Valley home “an untapped market” for years.

“It’s fantastic that MLS is establishing a footprint here,” Jones said. “It’s fantastic, for me personally, that it’s the Galaxy that is establishing a footprint here.

“But, I have to admit, this is something that … I had argued for, for years.”

The Galaxy rebranded its reserve team Ventura County FC in March. But the project, which is a partnership between the MLS franchise and Oak Sports Holdings, kicks off for real Sunday, when VCFC hosts Real Monarchs in its first match at Cal Lutheran University’s Rolland Stadium.

Kickoff is 5 p.m. Tickets are $15.

“This is an untapped market,” said Jones, the club's co-president and general manager. “There is a disconnect if, in the ‘90s, you had two of the most accredited soccer players in U.S. national team history come from this area and then nothing.

“The people haven’t changed. That tells me that the opportunities haven’t been there.”

American soccer pioneers — and Hall of Famers — Jones and Eric Wynalda were teammates at Westlake High in the 1980s, before they were U.S. teammates at the 1994 and 1998 World Cups.

Jones played in the English Premier League with Coventry City and the Brazilian top division with Vasco da Gama, before joining the Galaxy when the MLS began in 1996.

Jones, who now serves as a soccer analyst for Apple TV and Fox Sports, scored 70 goals for the Galaxy over his 11-year MLS career. His No. 13 in retired by the club.

The U.S. men's national team’s all-time appearance leader with 164 caps is excited to see the type of impact VCFC can have on Ventura County soccer and the community as a whole.

“One thing that I’ve really learned about sports, but especially soccer, is what it can do,” said Jones, who is also a founding investor in Angel City FC, the NWSL club which trains at CLU.

“The power of sport can bring so many people together. It doesn’t matter your background. It doesn’t matter your financial level. It brings everybody together to work towards a common goal.”

Ventura County FC is actually midway through its season. It currently sits in fourth place in the MLS Next Pro’s Western Conference at 4-2-2.

“It’s a great group of young men,” Jones said. “They are having a fantastic time with each other. You can see it out on the field. They like each other and work well together. I’m excited when I see them play.”

Throughout his long career in the game, family connections kept bringing him home to the Conejo Valley. During his career, he worked soccer camps at CLU. Earlier this year, Jones paid a visit to Westlake Elementary, where he attended grade school.

“When it comes down to it, this is home,” Jones said. “This is where I grew up. Through all my years, all my travels … playing oversees at the various levels of this game professional and the national team, I’ve always come back here.

“There’s a deep-seated attachment to Westlake. This is still home for me and always will be home.”

As someone who developed into a professional in Ventura County and starred for the Galaxy, Jones embraces his potentially pivotal role in establishing VCFC.

“I plan to continue to put myself out there as much as possible, working in this community, not only here on the field, but within Ventura County with the various groups to make sure we can get this off the ground in the right way,” Jones said. “You’ve got to have people here in the stadium, but you also have to have support from local businesses to make this work.

“It’s truly going to be a community effort.”

Joe Curley covers soccer for The Star. He can be reached at joe.curley@vcstar.com. For more coverage, follow @vcsjoecurley on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Soccer legend Cobi Jones has played a key role with Ventura County FC