Hollywood United Hitmen was formed as a result of a collaboration between the 2008
USL W-League champions
Pali Blues and the
Hollywood United organization, who acquired the franchise right from the
San Fernando Valley Quakes in 2009. Hollywood United is an internationally famous Los Angeles-based amateur team which has, for many years, competed in local amateur leagues. Over the years, celebrity players such as actors
Anthony LaPaglia,
Dermot Mulroney,
Brandon Routh,
Gilles Marini,
Ralf Little,
Donal Logue, and
Jimmy Jean-Louis, musicians
Steve Jones,
Robbie Williams,
Christian Olde Wolbers and
Ziggy Marley, film director
Danny Cannon, MLS veteran
Paul Bravo, and former international soccer players
Vinnie Jones,
Eric Wynalda,
John Harkes,
Alexi Lalas,
Richard Gough and
Frank Leboeuf have played for the "senior" Hollywood United team. The Hitmen played their first official PDL game on May 1, 2009, a 1–0 victory over the
Fresno Fuego., with the first goal in franchise history being scored by
Armando Ochoa. The first half of the season continued spectacularly for the Hitmen, winning their next four games on the bounce, demolishing
Ventura County Fusion and
Bakersfield Brigade 4–0 each, and not conceding a goal until their topsy-turvy 4–3 victory over
Ogden Outlaws in mid-May. During the early part of the season, Hollywood negotiated a deal with
Los Angeles Galaxy whereby some of the MLS team's fringe players would join the Hitmen on loan to keep up their match fitness levels, following the demise of the
MLS Reserve Division;
Tristan Bowen,
Leonard Griffin,
Kyle Patterson and
Israel Sesay all contributed to the Hollywood cause with several goals and assists during their spells. They suffered their first defeat 1–0 away to
BYU Cougars, and endured a rocky spell in June when they went three games without a win, but bounced back to demolish Ogden 7–3 at home thanks to a brace from striker
Jaime Chavez. Halfway through the season head coach
Michael Erush left the team to take up a coaching position with the US national soccer team competing at the
2009 Maccabiah Games in Israel; his position as head coach was taken over by his assistant,
Mat Herold. Despite being involved in an astonishing 0–0 tie with the
Los Angeles Legends in early July in which seven players were shown red cards, Hollywood wrapped up the Southwest Division title with a 3–2 come-from-behind victory over the
Southern California Seahorses, and secured a bye to the final of the divisional playoffs. Unfortunately, the Hitmen were unexpectedly dropped 3–1 by
Ventura County Fusion in extra time, and had to be content with nothing more than the divisional title in their first year in PDL competition.
Jaime Chavez was Hollywood's top scorer, with 10 goals, while both
Nick Kohlschreiber and
Armando Ochoa contributed three assists each. Hollywood began 2010 with the introduction of a new head coach - former
Los Angeles Galaxy forward
Jose Botello - and a cache of new internationals including former
Bayern Munich midfielder
Emanuel Bentil,
El Salvador international
Edwin Miranda, and
Mutala Mohammed, a Ghanaian youth international with
CAF Champions League experience. Despite the wealth of talent, Hollywood stuttered through their opening games; a promising 3–0 opening-day victory on the road against
Fresno Fuego was followed by a pair of demoralizing losses to the
Southern California Seahorses and the
Los Angeles Azul Legends, and a 3–3 tie at home against Fresno which saw the Hitmen throw away a 2-goal lead and concede an 88th-minute equalizer. The tide turned following a 3–1 victory over national champions
Ventura County Fusion in late May, and from then on Hollywood became a free-scoring goal machine, losing just one of their next 11 games.
Mutala Mohammed and
Shay Spitz both scored twice in a 6–3 victory over the
Lancaster Rattlers, they beat Ventura for a second time with a convincing 3–0 win in June,
Jaime Chavez bagged a brace in 6–2 win on the road against the
Ogden Outlaws, and
Brent Whitfield scored twice on his debut in the 4–1 win in the return fixture against Ogden on the final day of the regular season. Finishing second in the division behind Ventura, Hollywood traveled to
Bremerton, Washington for the Western Conference playoffs, where they played Northwest Division champs
Portland Timbers U23's. Despite taking an early lead, Hollywood lost 2–1 to the eventual national champions.
Jaime Chavez was the top marksman for the Hitmen, with 11 goals and 7 assists. ==Players==