L.A. Galaxy become MLS champions for the sixth time

The Los Angeles Galaxy secured their sixth MLS title with a 2-1 victory over the New York Red Bulls in the U.S. Soccer League final. This win ends a decade-long drought, cementing the Galaxy as the most successful team in the competition.

The Galaxy, playing at home, secured the win with goals from Joseph Paintsil in the 9th minute and Dejan Joveljić in the 13th. In the 28th minute, Sean Nealis scored for the Red Bulls as the team tried to make a comeback. 

Riqui Puig's replacement named MVP

"We are back. This team already showed during the year that quality is back but at the Galaxy it's all about winning championships," coach Greg Vanney, who had lost three finals as a player on the team, told AFP.

Although the playoffs were filled with surprises, the Los Angeles squad was favored to win their first trophy since 2014 against the Red Bulls, who finished seventh in the Eastern Conference. Their biggest setback was the notable absence of star player Riqui Puig, who was injured in the semifinals. Despite playing with a bad knee, Puig managed to provide a crucial assist in that game, playing for 30 minutes.

Paintsil and Joveljić dedicated their goals to Riqui Puig by holding up his number 10 jersey, as the Spaniard watched the triumph from the stands. Despite his absence, the team didn’t miss him on the field. His replacement, Uruguay's Gastón Brugman, was named Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the final.

"This is an award for sacrifice, for work, for knowing how to wait," Brugman said. "I'm very happy because we players go through bad times and there are few that are enjoyed, and this one is . On a mental level we were far superior, we knew the trophy was ours," said the veteran Empoli and Oviedo player.

Beckham's heirs

The stands at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California, were packed with 26,812 fans who celebrated in style as the Galaxy claimed their first title since the glory days of the past decade, when they built a dynasty with icons like David Beckham, Robbie Keane, and Landon Donovan.

Since then, the franchise's glamour has waned as it fell short of reaching the final, despite high-profile signings like Zlatan Ibrahimović, Steven Gerrard, and Javier 'Chicharito' Hernández. After a long stretch without success, the Galaxy now adds a new trophy to their collection, joining those won in 2002, 2005, 2011, 2012, and 2014, further extending their lead over DC United, which has won four titles in MLS' 29-year history.

New York got a taste of victory

The New York team fell just short of winning their first trophy. Part of the Red Bull multinational soccer conglomerate, which also owns Leipzig and Austrian club Salzburg, the team will have the prestigious Jürgen Klopp as their Head of Global Soccer next year.

The final began with a surprise in the lineup, as Brugman was selected to replace Puig instead of veteran Marco Reus. The German came on in the second half and ultimately celebrated his first league title at the age of 35, after three Bundesliga and two UEFA Champions League runner-up finishes with Borussia Dortmund.

Brugman quickly justified the coach's confidence by delivering a superb assist, reminiscent of Riqui Puig's style, threading the ball through the defense for Paintsil's early opening goal. The New York defense struggled to adjust after Colombian Andrés Reyes got sick during warm-up, and just four minutes later, Serbia's Joveljić took full advantage, advancing unchallenged into the box to score and make it 2-0.

Forsberg blew his chance to tie in the 72nd minute

The visitors responded with a corner that, after several deflections, fell to defender Sean Nealis. He controlled the ball with his chest and finished it into the net.

In the second half, Sweden's Emil Forsberg, the team's star player, squandered the Red Bulls' best chance to equalize when his shot hit the post during a counterattack in the 72nd minute. 'We were a little sloppy at the beginning, honestly. We scored two good goals, but then we played a solid game. In the end, we had the match in our hands,' said Forsberg, a 2018 World Cup winner with Sweden.