After a decade in the wilderness, the Los Angeles Galaxy — Major League Soccer’s original super club — are finally back in the MLS Cup final.
The Galaxy advanced to their first MLS Cup since 2014 with a hard-fought 1-0 win over the Seattle Sounders, who were one of the dominant teams in the league during the Galaxy’s title game drought. It was Dejan Joveljic who finally struck the back of the net for the Galaxy in the 85th minute, sneaking a shot past the Sounders’ veteran goalkeeper, Stefan Frei.
The Galaxy will host MLS Cup at Dignity Health Sports Park on Saturday, Dec. 7 (4 p.m. ET on FOX and Apple TV). Their opponent will be the New York Red Bulls, who are a surprise finalist after winning the Eastern Conference as a No. 7 seed.
The Red Bulls defeated Orlando City SC, 1-0, in the Eastern Conference final on a goal by Andres Reyes and third clean sheet during these MLS Cup Playoffs from goalkeeper Carlos Coronel.
MLS Cup will be held exactly 10 years to the day after the Galaxy’s last championship win, a 2-1 extra time win over the New England Revolution. Like the 2014 MLS Cup, the 2024 edition will be a matchup of O.G. MLS clubs that have been around since the league’s inaugural season in 1996.
USA TODAY Sports provided updates and highlights from the two conference final matches:
The LA Galaxy will play in their first MLS Cup since 2014 after a 1-0 win over the Seattle Sounders in the Western Conference final.
Dejan Joveljic might have just punched the Galaxy’s ticket to MLS Cup. His 85th minute goal snuck past Sounders goalkeeper Stefan Frei. Now, the Galaxy have five minutes (plus stoppage time), to maintain the lead the advance to the team’s first MLS Cup final in a decade.
Raúl Ruidíaz, the Sounders’ all-time leading goal-scorer, has been subbed into the game with 10 minutes to go (plus stoppage time … and maybe extra time). Pedro de la Vega, who was carrying a yellow card, was subbed out.
Nouhou became the third Sounders player to see yellow with a foul in the 74th minute.
Key playmakers for each team were attended to by trainers in the 68th minute. The Sounders were forced to sub out Albert Rusnak for João Paulo. Riqui Puig, meanwhile, returned to the field for the Galaxy.
Cristian Roldan earned the Sounders’ second yellow card six minutes after Pedro de la Vega earned his. Roldan fouled Riqui Puig to earn the infraction.
Pedro de la Vega’s foul on Edwin Cerrillo earned the Sounders designated player a yellow card, the first of the Western Conference final.
A mistake by Sounders defender Nouhou nearly cost Seattle dearly, as Marky Delgado made an immediate impact on the game and attempted a shot in the 47th minute. His kick sailed over the goal, but it was a positive sign for Galaxy coach Greg Vanney that he made the right call taking Marco Reus out for Delgado.
Marco Reus, a veteran of the German national team and longtime Borussia Dortmund star, has been subbed out of the game in favor of Marky Delgado.
It’s a like-for-like swap, positionally, as both players are midfielders.
It’s halftime in Los Angeles, so let’s check in on the New York Red Bulls and how they are celebrating their win in the Eastern Conference final.
It’s been 16 years since the New York Red Bulls last advanced to MLS Cup, so let them have their fun!
Sounders coach Brian Schmetzer has to be happy with the way his team has performed so far on the road at Dignity Healthy Sports Park deep in the heart of Carson, California.
Seattle has held the high-flying Galaxy — who scored an astonishing 15 goals in their previous three playoff games — scoreless. Sure, goalkeeper Stefan Frei and his last line of defense was pressed into action during a frantic few minutes during which the Galaxy seemed to be in total control. The Sounders managed that threat well, and ended the half putting the Galaxy on their back foot.
While the Galaxy enjoyed a 53% possession advantage, the Sounders had more shots on goal (three to the Galaxy’s two) and also had five corner kicks. The Sounders might be kicking themselves for not taking advantage of those, however, especially if Galaxy coach Greg Vanney can figure out how to get his “Killer Ps” — Joseph Paintsil, Gabriel Pec and Riqui Puig — running free in open space.
In the 40th minute, Albert Rusnak — after a foul by the Galaxy’s Miki Yamane — attempted a shot on goal on a free kick from just outside the 18-yard box. It was a real threat to the Galaxy goal, but ‘keeper John McCarthy made a crucial save.
The ensuing corner kick by Rusnak eventually landed to the feet of Obed Vargas, whose shot on goal was saved by McCarthy.
In the 35th minute, the Sounders’ speedy Jordan Morris ran a seam route through the Galaxy defense, collected the long pass and made a shot on goal that Galaxy ‘keeper John McCarthy made a save on.
Only problem, none of it mattered in the end as Morris was ruled offside by the assistant referee.
This sequence followed a seven-minute span in which the Sounders had three corner kicks, but none of Albert Rusnak’s kicks were a threat to the Galaxy defense.
Stefen Frei, the Sounders’ veteran goalkeeper, was pressed into action in the 19th minute. Frei made a diving save on a shot attempt by the Galaxy’s Dejan Joveljic.
The Galaxy have had the better of the goal-scoring opportunities so far at raucous Dignity Health Sports Park.
After Galaxy goalkeeper John McCarthy halted a Sounders threat, the Galaxy were on the run against a retreating Sounders defensive position and managed a shot of their own, but Gabriel Pec’s shot was blocked and play calmed down after a frantic couple of minutes.
The New York Red Bulls advanced to their first MLS Cup since 2008 with a 1-0 win in the Eastern Conference final in Orlando.
The Galaxy hold a 3-1 edge over the Sounders in playoff matchups:
The second half is underway, and we didn’t have to wait long for some action. Andrés Reyes scored a header from the left side of the box after a corner kick to give the Red Bulls a 1-0 lead in the 47th minute.
The Red Bulls’ first early chance of the night, a free kick by Emil Forsberg, barely missed.
One of the best chances of the night for Orlando City, an open shot by Facundo Torres, was blocked by New York Red Bull goalie Carlos Coronel in the 32nd minute.
The Orlando City vs. New York Red Bulls game will stream on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.
According to BetMGM, here are the odds after regulation: Orlando City (-120), New York Red Bulls (+310), tie (+260). The over/under is set at 2.5 goals.
Orlando City has reached the postseason in each of coach Óscar Pareja’s five seasons, but this is the club’s first appearance in the Eastern Conference final. The club hopes to win its second trophy in franchise history, after winning the 2022 U.S. Open Cup. Orlando City beat Atlanta United in the second round after advancing past Charlotte FC in the first round of the MLS Cup playoffs.
The New York Red Bulls have reached the MLS Cup final only once (in 2008), and have reached the MLS Cup playoffs in 15 consecutive seasons. They have won three Supporters’ Shield titles, but the MLS Cup has eluded the franchise. After upsetting the defending MLS Cup champion Columbus Crew in Round 1, the Red Bulls took out their Hudson River Derby rival, New York City FC, in the conference semifinals.
The LA Galaxy vs. Seattle Sounders game will stream on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.
According to BetMGM, here are the odds after regulation: LA Galaxy (-115), Seattle Sounders (+280), tie (+260). The over/under is set at 2.5 goals.
No club has hoisted more MLS Cup trophies than the Galaxy, who have won five league titles. Their last, however, was in 2014. The Galaxy have scored a record 15 goals in three playoff games, beating Minnesota 6-2 in the semifinals after cruising past Colorado in the first round.
Seattle hopes to win its third MLS Cup title (2016 and 2019). It overcame a 10-game unbeaten streak against LAFC to beat the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference 2-1 in the conference semifinals last week. The Sounders owned the league’s top defense, allowing just 35 goals during the regular season.
According to BetMGM, here are the odds for winning the league championship: Los Angeles Galaxy (+135), Orlando City SC (+175), Seattle Sounders FC (+400) and New York Red Bulls (+500).
The winners of this weekend’s conference final games will play in MLS Cup on Saturday, Dec. 7 at 4 p.m. ET (on FOX and Apple TV).
The Western Conference teams finished higher in the standings than the remaining Eastern Conference teams. So, the winner between L.A. Galaxy and Seattle will host either Orlando or New York Red Bulls in the MLS Cup final.
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