The two original MLS clubs set to face off in the 2024 MLS Cup final might be on the cusp of glory, but the LA Galaxy and New York Red Bulls have already made history in their postseason series.
This time last year, both the LA Galaxy and the New York Red Bulls could only see the 2023 MLS Cup final. The Eastern Conference team was eliminated by FC Cincinnati in the first round of the playoffs MLS Cup, and the LA Galaxy didn’t even make the postseason. Indeed, the five-time MLS Cup winners ended their campaign with a 13th-place finish in the Western Conference standings and a fan outcry.
A year later, both clubs are one win away from lifting Major League Soccer’s most coveted trophy. Although LA Galaxy and New York Red Bulls punched their ticket to the 2024 MLS Cup Final with 1-0 victories in their respective conference finals, they come into the game with radically different identities.
The LA Galaxy finished the regular season level on points with LAFC atop the Western Conference. Greg Vanney’s men posted a record of 19W-8L-7D, scoring 69 goals in 34 games. The prolific Galaxy offense did anything but slow down in the postseason. The team outscored their opponents 16–3 in the 2024 MLS Cup playoffs.
The No. 2 seed scored nine goals in his first two games against the Colorado Rapids in the first round of the MLS Cup playoffs. Only Riqui Puig found the back of the net four times in the best-of-three series that took just two games to decide the winner.
Next came Minnesota United in the Western Conference semifinals. LA Galaxy scored six goals in 90 minutes and headed to the Western Conference Finals. Dejan Joveljić came into the Galaxy’s next game against the Seattle Sounders with four postseason goals to his name and added another to his tally to send his team to their first MLS Cup final in a decade.
The Galaxy’s 16 postseason goals combined with their 69 regular season goals give Vanney’s team the third-most goals ever in a single MLS season. The team only needs to find the back of the net one more time to tie Toronto FC’s 2016 record of 17 goals in a single postseason streak.
All signs point to the LA Galaxy making MLS history on December 7th. Although they will be without Puig, who suffered a season-ending ACL injury in the Western Conference Finals, the Galaxy still have the best team. i home field advantage. In fact, Vanney’s team is currently on a 20-game unbeaten streak at Dignity Health Sports Park.
If they keep the streak alive, LA Galaxy will win their record sixth MLS Cup.
The New York Red Bulls may not have the same aura as the most successful MLS club of all time, but they are fully embracing their gritty, underdog mentality. Needless to say, almost no one predicted the No. 7 seed to reach the MLS Cup Final, especially with Eastern Conference teams like Inter Miami and the Columbus Crew dominating the regular season.
To put things into perspective, the Red Bulls only recorded 11 wins in the regular season. Sandro Schwarz’s side ended their 2024 campaign with just one win in their last nine games.
However, the Red Bulls eliminated the defending MLS Cup champions in the first round of the MLS Cup Playoffs without even playing a third game. The two goals scored by the Columbus Crew in the second game of the best-of-three series are the only goals scored by Carlos Coronel in the postseason thus far.
The Red Bulls defeated rivals NYCFC in the Eastern Conference semifinals thanks to first-half goals from Felipe Carballo and Dante Vanzeir.. Schwartz’s men only needed to find the back of the net once in the Eastern Conference final to eliminate Orlando City at the Inter&Co Stadium.
In his first season in charge, Schwarz led the Red Bulls to their second ever MLS Cup appearance. The team is also the lowest seed ever to reach the MLS Cup final.
If they pull off another upset, the Red Bulls will lift the Philip F. Anschutz Trophy for the first time in club history.
One thing is for sure: history will be made at Dignity Health Sports Park on December 7th which will end with either the LA Galaxy or the New York Red Bulls reaching the top of Major League Soccer.
