MLS Cup is finally here: the championship game that clubs have spent nearly 11 months fighting for has arrived.
The LA Galaxy and the New York Red Bulls -- two of MLS' most storied clubs, are set to meet Saturday at 4 p.m. ET in a match that renews a coast-to-coast rivalry.
No. 7 RBNY have stormed the Eastern Conference this postseason, upsetting reigning Champions Columbus Crew, crosstown rivals NYCFC and most recently, Orlando City. The Galaxy, meanwhile, have posted dominant victories over the Colorado Rapids and Minnesota United, before narrowly scraping by the Seattle Sounders in the Conference Final last weekend. However, in the victory, they lost star midfielder Riqui Puig to a torn ACL, with the ex-Barcelona starlet out for Saturday's match into the start of 2025.
It's been a thrilling campaign full of ups and downs, twists and turns, all leading up to this moment. The Galaxy host RBNY Saturday afternoon at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California, with a new MLS champion set to be crowned.
For LA, it would be their sixth overall but first since 2014. For RBNY, it would be their first as an organization, with their lone appearance in MLS Cup being a 2008 loss to the Crew. GOAL looks at the keys to the match.