If there wasn’t a promising spectacle to finish the MLS season, then this was it. LA Galaxy made sure that there weren’t going to be any upsets to finish the day, and they did that with a promising bang to ensure that they will take down the New York Red Bulls in convincing fashion to cap off the year.

So far, it has been one of the best runs for LA Galaxy, who has now won its sixth league title. This extends their league-leading record in MLS Cup title wins, proving that they are still the best team in the competition. For the first time since winning in 2014, it took a decade for LA Galaxy to get back on track and start winning big games once more.

The New York Red Bulls have had plenty of opportunities to claw their way back into the game and make things interesting, but it was the defense of LA Galaxy that proved to be pivotal in keeping the game out of reach for whole 70 minutes all the way to the final whistle that signalled their triumph in the league.

A Season to Remember

The LA Galaxy has returned to the top of the league as predicted, and they made sure that they will leave their mark on the big stage like no other. Following a campaign in the 2023 season where they finished 13th place overall in the Western Conference, Galaxy proved that they are now a contender to watch once more after clinching their first MLS title in a decade.

So far, the additions of Joseph Paintstil and Gabriel Pec proved to be quite the final pieces that the team needed all along. At this point, LA Galaxy has returned to the top of the MLS world, and now they seem to be intent in keeping it. The team did finish with the first seed in the West but was always shadowed by rivals LAFC when it comes to odds.

When LAFC got knocked out, the tide turned for LA Galaxy, and they sure did capitalize in avoiding what could have been a showdown of LA teams in the Western Conference Finals. They defeated the Red Bulls with two goals from Paintsil in the 9th minute and Dejan Joveljic’s score in the 13th minute.

The Red Bulls responded in the 28th minute with Sean Nealis’ goal, but Galaxy held off the offensive barrage from New York to keep them from coming back into the game in crucial moments, which proved to be a promising story of how their defense has become prominent.

The Puig Replacement

There has been a lot of uncertainty for the LA Galaxy rotation heading into this match, with Riqui Puig – the team’s best player and elite scorer – out with an injury that he suffered in their win against the Seattle Sounders in the Western Conference Finals. Head coach Greg Vanney opted to start Gaston Brugman in the game, who went on to come up with an assist to Paintsil’s opener and commanded Galaxy’s midfield for most of the game.

Brugman would then sit out the game later in the 75th minute, replaced by Marco Reus for the rest of the showdown. Brugman, however, would be named as the MLS Cup 2024 MVP by the end of the match, showing how his sudden call to the starting lineup was met with an impressive performance to lead the way for the Galaxy’s MLS Cup win.