CARSON, California — Goals from Joseph Paintsil and Dejan Joveljic prolonged the LA Galaxy‘s league-leading tally of MLS Cup titles to 6 with a 2-1 victory over the visiting New York Red Bulls.
Held at a sold-out Dignity Health Sports Park on Saturday, the championship match shortly hit the bottom working for the house facet. Following a speedy buildup within the ninth minute from a Galaxy facet that was lacking injured star participant Riqui Puig, midfielder Gastón Brugman performed a via ball to Paintsil, who made it 1-0 after slotting the ball previous Red Bulls keeper Carlos Coronel.
The Galaxy then shortly doubled their lead after Mark Delgado gained again possession within the thirteenth minute and gave Joveljic the prospect to select up a go, run ahead, and sneak a shot previous Coronel to make it 2-0.
The Red Bulls finally lower into the deficit with their first try of the match. After a chaotic sequence within the field following a nook, the Red Bulls got a lifeline via a twenty eighth minute aim from defender Sean Nelis.
Despite permitting the aim, the Galaxy held on via a extra timid second half.
Eager to carry onto the scoreline, the house facet sat again and invited stress from the Red Bulls, who not often examined goalkeeper John McCarthy. Although the Galaxy did not capitalize on just a few alternatives of their very own within the closing levels, their two targets from the primary half was sufficient to cement a 2-1 win by the ultimate whistle.
The Galaxy, who now have a two-championship cushion over four-time winners D.C. United, ended a title drought that prolonged again to 2014. The Red Bulls, previously often known as the New York/New Jersey MetroStars, stay certainly one of three authentic golf equipment to have by no means gained an MLS Cup title alongside the New England Revolution and FC Dallas.
The Galaxy completed 17-0-3 this season at their often renamed suburban stadium, the place the sellout crowd of 26,812 for the ultimate included a number of sturdy cheering sections of touring Red Bulls supporters hoping to see their New Jersey-based membership’s breakthrough on MLS’ greatest stage.
The Galaxy’s Greg Vanney turned the fourth coach to win an MLS title with two golf equipment. The former Galaxy participant additionally gained all of it with Toronto in 2017.
The membership well-known for using world stars from David Beckham and Zlatan Ibrahimovic to Robbie Keane and Javier “Chicharito” Hernández rebuilt itself this season with lesser-known younger skills from world wide.
The Galaxy signed Pec from Brazil and the Ghanaian Paintsil out of Belgium, and the duo mixed with incumbent Serbian striker Joveljic to kind a potent assault that would outscore nearly any MLS opponent.
But the Galaxy additionally relied closely on Puig, their Catalan catalyst and certainly one of MLS’ greatest gamers. Puig stayed in final week’s recreation after injuring his knee, and he even delivered the decisive go to Joveljic for the sport’s solely aim.
Information from The Associated Press was used on this story.
