29 teams entered, two remain! Who will take home the coveted MLS Cup? Find out on Saturday.
That sounded way cooler in my head. Reading it back, it’s super cheesy. But whatever. The conference finals – two games of incredibly thin margins that decided the MLS Cup finalists – are in the books. The LA Galaxy and the New York Red Bulls are prepping for their biggest match in decades, while the Seattle Sounders and Orlando City are now officially in offseason mode.
Let’s dig into all four teams, shall we?
LA Galaxy
Result: 1-0 win vs. Seattle Sounders
Bruce Arena once said the way to have playoff success is for your best players to be your best players. There was next to nothing between the Galaxy and the Sounders in their Western Conference final, with Seattle’s defense sitting incredibly deep and keeping the game in front of them for 85 minutes. But when it counted, LA’s best players stepped up and won the game.
DEJAN JOVELJIC SCORES AND THE @LAGalaxy ARE MINUTES AWAY FROM VICTORY! 👊
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) December 1, 2024
Audi #MLSCupPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/1V0b6uFbdt
The Sounders deserve tons of credit for stifling the Galaxy’s attack to an extent that no one has done this post-season. But when it mattered, Riqui Puig and Dejan Joveljic did what they’ve done all season. Simply put, the Galaxy have more and better match-winners. It’s why they’re the favorites for MLS Cup.
