No upsets took place in the Conference Finals of the MLS this time around as the LA Galaxy and New York Red Bulls to come up with key victories now more than ever, and it cannot be denied that this is expected to be the wonderful finish that many fans are waiting for now more than ever as the Cup Final draws near.

While the trend of the upsets has finally ended, it does seem that the MLS Cup Final will now feature two new contenders on the big stage, which says a lot about how this finish will be an exciting one to watch as the two teams collide for a one-game-win-all clash like no other. For now, both teams are celebrating after clinching their respective conferences, and it is safe to say that we are now in the calm before the storm.

These two teams will meet again this December 9th for the Cup Final, with LA Galaxy set as heavy favorites to win it all at +143, while the New York Red Bulls are set as underdogs with odds of +499 as of the time of writing. However, no one can tell which team will win – and not even the odds can project that in the long run.

Galaxy Shining Over the Sounders

LA Galaxy dominated the game right from the start – and they even filled the stat sheet with ease. Defense was the main story for LA in this game as they held the Seattle Sounders to just eight shot attempts – with half of those on target. Galaxy had five shots on target on 13 attempts while they held the ball for 55% of the game.

The team also dominated the passing lanes like no other, making 557 passes for 90% accuracy, while they held the Sounders to just 461. The 4-3-3 line was definitely promising enough to dominate Seattle’s 4-3-2-1 line as they have enjoyed plenty of impressive drives without much hassle.

It was Dejan Joveljic who scored the lone goal for LA Galaxy, who now moves on to its 10th appearance in the MLS Cup Final. Galaxy holds the most championships at five in the overall standings, with their last win and appearance at the same time being back exactly a decade ago.

A String of Upsets for New York

This has been a storied season to watch for the New York Red Bulls, who have pulled off a lot of impressive wins in the postseason as they have lifted themselves to a massive run in the playoffs so far. If you are not impressed, just remember that they defeated the defending champions, Columbus Crew (2nd seed) in the knockout rounds, rivals New York City FC (6th seed) in the semis, and then Orlando City SC (4th seed) in the conference final.

Andres Reyes played hero in the victory for the Red Bulls, scoring a massive field goal in the 47th minute when it mattered most, and they sure made the most of their chances as it was the only shot on target despite having seven attempts for most of the game and being held to just 39% in possession of the ball.

They only managed to come up with 303 passes for 71% accuracy, and they have had a whopping total of 20 fouls, including two offsides and corners each. At this point, it is expected that they will put up a fight against LA Galaxy, and we are all in for a treat.