With a 2-1 score over the Red Bulls and a sell-out crowd LA Galaxy wins it all.
Two teams with a history that dates back to 1996, coincidentally, this repeated once again.
There is always a taste of looking back when a team finally reaches the top, and that is how it went for the LA Galaxy after almost two months of battle in the playoffs, the LA Galaxy continues to be the winningest team. Anything can happen in the playoffs, and MLS knows best about that, this year, the NY Redbulls came to the final game of the season as the underdog of the story.
For the LA Galaxy, the road had a clear goal: to end a drought of cups since the last time they won an MLS Cup in 2014, when Landon Donovan, Robbie Keane, Omar Gonzalez, and others were the main faces of the most successful team in the MLS.
The Galaxy wanted to shut out the noise of the ghosts of the past, as the 2023 season was one of the most shameful seasons in the club's history.
The game had a different flavor, Riqui Puig, one of the team's top figures, had a serious injury before the return match against the Seattle Sounders, whose match they won by a minimum of 1-0. Several players took time to honor the player who gave everything playing for the cup.
For the Redbulls, a dream story after being the last team to qualify for the playoffs through a direct pass, they knew that the road would not be easy at all, facing a team like the Columbus Crew (2023 MLS champions) also facing Orlando City and the Hudson River Derby vs New York City FC.
NY Redbulls achieved their first qualification to a final since 2008, and the goal was to finally try to bring the first cup to Jersey.
The match began with the Galaxy at full power and making themselves respected in the first minutes of the first half, in the 9th minute Joseph Painstill scored the first goal for the representatives of the Western Conference. Painstill paid tribute to Riqui Puig by celebrating with Puig's jersey.
Minutes later, in the 13th, Dejan Jovelic scored the second goal for the Galaxy without much difficulty, paying tribute to Robbie Keane.
It was the Red Bulls' turn, after a corner in their favor, Sean Nealis scored the first for NY Redbulls inside the area leaving the gap open to just one goal by stopping it with his chest and scoring on the volley.
The Red Bulls had several clear chances to score but could not convert them in the remaining 70 minutes of the league's final match.
In this way, LA Galaxy testified to the solid campaign they had during the regular season and the playoffs.
The six minutes of added time were dramatic and a little chaotic, especially when a whistle from the central referee Guido Gonzales Jr. after a collision in the Galaxy area was mistaken for the end of the match. The field was invaded and special effects were activated in the stadium. But the final was not over yet.
Soon after, the referee blew the final whistle and the Los Angeles team achieved its sixth crown, a city that in recent years has been able to see its local teams win their respective tournaments, this time it was MLS Soccer's turn.
In this way, we say goodbye to another season in the MLS and we thank you for having been part of this journey from start to finish across all the teams in the league.
For now, we say goodbye to all the weekly action of the league, but we will come across again soon for the 30th season of the league.
Here at Area Sports Network, we will be back for more soon and happy about the new year that is coming.
For now, see you soon.
