Rebuilt LA Galaxy win record sixth MLS Cup championship
Joseph Paintsil and Dejan Joveljic have both struck early as the LA Galaxy won their record sixth MLS Cup championship with a 2-1 victory over the New York Red Bulls.
After scoring twice in the first 13 minutes of Saturday's home final with goals from their star forwards, the Galaxy nursed their lead through a scoreless second half to raise their league's biggest trophy for the first time since 2014.
MLS' most successful franchise struggled through most of the ensuing decade, even finishing 26th in the 29-team league last year.
But the Galaxy turned everything around this season with a high-scoring new lineup that finished second in the Western Conference and then streaked through the playoffs with a whopping 18 goals in five games to win another crown.
Sean Nealis scored for the seventh-seeded Red Bulls, whose improbable charge through the playoffs ended one win shy of its first Cup championship.
With the league's youngest roster, New York fell just short of becoming the lowest-seeded team to win MLS' playoff tournament under first-year German coach Sandro Schwarz.
Galaxy goalkeeper John McCarthy made four saves to win his second MLS title in three seasons. He was the MVP of the 2022 MLS Cup Final for the Galaxy's crosstown rival, Los Angeles FC.
The Galaxy won this title without perhaps their most important player. Riqui Puig, the playmaking midfielder from Barcelona who ran their offence impressively all season long, tore a knee ligament in last week's Western Conference final.
Paintsil put the Galaxy ahead in the ninth minute when he ran onto a sublime pass from Puig's replacement Gaston Brugman and pounded home his 14th MLS goal — including four in the playoffs — in the Ghanaian forward's outstanding first season.
Just four minutes later, Joveljic sprinted past four New York defenders and chipped home the 21st goal of his outstanding year as the Galaxy's striker.
Nealis got New York on the scoreboard in the 28th minute when he volleyed home a ball that got loose in LA's penalty area after a corner.
The second half was lively, but scoreless. Red Bulls captain Emil Forsberg hit the outside of the post in the 72nd minute, while Gabriel Pec and Galaxy substitute Marco Reus nearly converted chances a few moments later.
The Galaxy finished 17-0-3 this season at their frequently renamed suburban stadium, where a sellout crowd of 26,812 attended the final.
The Galaxy's Greg Vanney became the fourth coach to win an MLS title with two clubs. The former Galaxy player also won it all with Toronto in 2017.
The club famous for employing global stars from David Beckham and Zlatan Ibrahimovic to Robbie Keane and Javier "Chicharito" Hernández rebuilt itself this season with lesser-known young talents from around the world.
But the Galaxy also relied heavily on Puig, their Catalan catalyst,one of MLS' best players.
