The Pitch: LA Galaxy Hosts New York Red Bulls in MLS Cup presented by Audi

This Saturday, the LA Galaxy aim to reclaim their place as MLS’s most successful club, having won a record five MLS Cups, while the New York Red Bulls seek the first MLS Cup title in club history. The clash will see legacy versus youth-driven development.

The match will be broadcast globally on MLS Season Pass (Apple TV) in more than 100 countries and on FOX, TSN, and RDS in North America this Saturday, December 7 at 4 p.m. ET / 1 p.m. PT.

Register for MLS Cup presented by Audi media availabilities and the MLS State of the League Address with Commissioner Don Garber **here**.

The full MLS Cup presented by Audi media schedule is available here.

Aligning the Stars - An MLS Cup Return 10 Years in the Making

The LA Galaxy last competed in MLS Cup presented by Audi in 2014, where they captured a record-setting fifth title. Now, the iconic MLS club makes its return to the championship match for the first time in 10 years after steamrolling through the Audi 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs with 16 goals in four games.

The “Killer P’s” – Joseph Paintsil, Gabriel Pec, and Riqui Puig – have stolen the show this postseason with a combined 16 goal contributions (10 goals, six assists), with MLS Newcomer of the Year Pec and fellow first-year MLS star Paintsil each scoring three goals in their first postseason. Puig, who will miss MLS Cup due to a torn anterior cruciate ligament suffered in the Western Conference Final, was the heartbeat of the Galaxy’s postseason run, producing a goal or assist in all four of their matches.

While new signings have been the highlight of 2024, the Galaxy’s “X-factor” for MLS Cup could be one of its longest tenured players in Dejan Joveljić, who was on the scoring end of Puig’s game-winning assist against the Sounders. The 25-year-old Serbian signed with the club in 2021 as a U22 Initiative player and has blossomed into one of the most prolific goal scorers in MLS, including 15 regular-season goals and a league-leading five postseason goals this season.

Leading from the touchline will be fourth-year head coach Greg Vanney, who led the Galaxy to the 1998 Supporters’ Shield and the Concacaf Champions Cup in 2000 as a player for the club. Vanney previously led Toronto FC to three MLS Cup appearances as head coach and eventually won its first-ever league title in 2017, and he is one win away from doing the same in Los Angeles, a victory with which he would become just the fourth coach in league history to win MLS Cup with two different clubs.

Red Bulls Eye Storybook Ending to Cinderella Run

It’s been 16 years since the New York Red Bulls competed in MLS Cup presented by Audi, last doing so as the Western Conference champion in 2008. After being crowned the Eastern Conference champion, the Red Bulls now sit one win away from one of the most improbable title runs in MLS history.

The ethos of this Red Bulls team has relied on the development pathway it’s established for its Homegrown players, and both Daniel Edelman and John Tolkin have backed the faith bestowed on them this postseason. Edelman, who was a spot-captain for the club down the stretch of the regular season, scored the game-winning penalty kick to knock out the reigning MLS Cup champion Columbus Crew in the Round One Best-of-3 Series. Tolkin’s moment came in Orlando, serving up the game-winning assist to Andrés Reyes to secure their return to MLS Cup.

Brothers and Long Island-natives Dylan Nealis and Sean Nealis, in addition to the Colombian-born Reyes, have also been core pieces to a Red Bulls defense that has recorded three shutouts in four playoff games. Goalkeeper Carlos Coronel has been nearly unbeatable in goal, producing 19 saves this postseason and saving three penalty kicks in the Red Bulls’ shootout victory over the Crew.

Two newcomers have been at the heart of this unprecedented title charge, though, in first-year head coach Sandro Schwarz and midfielder Emil Forsberg. The biggest testament to Forsberg’s impact on this team is the club’s 10-6-6 record with the Swedish international in the lineup compared to the 3-3-9 record the Red Bulls posted without. Schwarz, meanwhile, has been the inspirational force needed to rally the league’s youngest roster behind a title charge and opportunity to become the lowest-seeded team to win MLS Cup in league history.

LA Galaxy

Round One Best-of-3 Series

Game 1: 2 LA Galaxy 5-0 No. 7 Colorado Rapids
Game 2: No. 7 Colorado Rapids 1-4 2 LA Galaxy

Western Conference Semifinals

2 LA Galaxy 6-2 No. 6 Minnesota United FC

Western Conference Final

2 LA Galaxy 1-0 No. 4 Seattle Sounders FC

New York Red Bulls

Round One Best-of-3 Series

Game 1: No. 2 Columbus Crew 0-1 7 New York Red Bulls
Game 2: 7 New York Red Bulls 2-2 No. 2 Columbus Crew
(New York Red Bulls won 5-4 on penalties)

Eastern Conference Semifinals

6 New York City FC 0-2 No. 7 New York Red Bulls

Eastern Conference Final

4 Orlando City SC 0-1 No. 7 New York Red Bulls

To assist in your coverage of the 2024 MLS season, the MLS Communications staff has provided the following media resources, all of which are available on MLSsoccer.com/Media-Resources.