Doug McIntyre
Football journalist
For the primary time in ten years, the LA Galaxy are again on the high of Major League Soccer.
The Galaxy beat the New York Red Bulls 2-1 in Saturday’s MLS Cup remaining to seize their league-record sixth championship in 29 MLS seasons and first since 2014.
With injured Galaxy star and Barcelona product Riqui Puig watching from the sidelines in avenue garments after tearing his anterior cruciate ligament in final weekend’s Western Conference remaining, the house staff received objectives from Joseph Paintsil and Dejan Joveljić within the first quarter of an hour at Dignity Health Sports Park. They by no means seemed again, even after Sean Nealis scored for the Red Bulls earlier than half-time.
Saturday’s triumph completes a exceptional turnaround for the Galaxy, who completed twenty sixth out of 29 MLS franchises throughout the 2023 common season. It additionally reignites the unique MLS membership’s crosstown rivalry with LAFC, which had relegated the Galaxy to second-tier standing in Los Angeles in recent times. LAFC has received two Supporters Shields and an MLS Cup since debuting as an enlargement staff six years in the past. Last 12 months they had been the dropping finalists of the MLS Cup.
But now the Galaxy are the toast of Tinseltown once more. Here are some fast ideas on Saturday’s MLS Cup.
Game of the sport
The opening could not have been extra stunning. After an change of quick passes with Edwin Cerrillo, Gastón Brugman’s by ball discovered Paintsil who scored from behind. A deft contact from the Ghanaian winger was sufficient to beat Red Bulls goalkeeper Carlos Coronel and provides the house facet a lead they’d not relinquish. Paintsil celebrated the aim by holding up Puig’s quantity 6 shirt.
Turning level
While Paintsil’s first staff aim set the tone, Joveljić’s sensible particular person shot was the one which broke the again. The Serbian striker collected the ball from teammate Mark Delgado about 50 meters from aim and did the remaining himself, beating Coronel after a run into house and beating a few retreating defenders:
The insurance coverage rely got here in helpful, as did the guests he pulled one back by way of Nealis. But regardless of a livid remaining hour and extra, the Red Bulls failed to realize this both.
Key statistic
Falling behind early proved to be a deadly blow for the Red Bulls. Suddenly, a staff constructed to relentlessly press each opponent was confronted with an opponent very happy to allow them to have possession and attempt to counterattack in transition.
“To exit and have 60% of the ball towards the LA Galaxy away from dwelling? None of us anticipate that,” New York midfielder Lewis Morgan admitted within the days main as much as the match.
But with no alternative however to chase the sport for over 80 minutes, the Red Bulls got here near that threshold, ending with 59%. There wasn’t a lot they might do about it, as dwelling goalkeeper John McCarthy solely needed to make two saves all afternoon.
What is the way forward for Red Bulls?
Just making the championship sport was an enormous accomplishment for the No. 1 seed. 7 within the Eastern Conference. That does not change the truth that the New Jersey-based membership will enter its thirtieth season in 2025 with out lifting the most important piece of the trophy in American and Canadian soccer.
Longtime Red Bulls followers should hope that Cinderella’s run to the ultimate this fall evokes the staff’s Austrian house owners to speculate extra money within the membership’s roster and make it a reliable annual contender. Reaching the playoffs, which the Red Bulls have performed for 15 consecutive years, isn’t sufficient. At some level, success needs to be an expectation moderately than a shock.
What is the way forward for the Galaxy?
As a former Galaxy defender, coach Greg Vanney wished to revive the Galaxy’s standing as an elite MLS membership greater than anybody. Four years after returning to Carson, he has a championship-winning staff. Now the problem is to consolidate this season.
“We must have all of the infrastructure round to help that staff if we wish to get again to competing 12 months after 12 months and be a contender for championships 12 months after 12 months,” Vanney mentioned earlier within the week.
“It cannot simply be a couple of 12 months.”
Doug McIntyre is a soccer reporter for FOX Sports. He was a workers author at ESPN and Yahoo Sports earlier than becoming a member of FOX Sports in 2021 United States males’s and girls’s nationwide groups on the FIFA World Cup on 5 continents. Follow him @By Doug McIntyre.
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