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Showing posts with label los angeles galaxy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label los angeles galaxy. Show all posts
LA Galaxy: 2024 MLS Cup Champions
CARSON, Calif. – LA Galaxy are back on top, storming to a 2-1 victory over New York Red Bulls in MLS Cup 2024 presented by Audi Saturday afternoon at Dignity Health Sports Park.
By capturing the league's ultimate prize, LA hoisted the Philip F. Anschutz Trophy for a sixth time – extending the MLS Cup title record they already held.
The Galaxy scored twice inside the game's first quarter-hour, with Joseph Paintsil (9') and Dejan Joveljić (13') beating Red Bulls goalkeeper Carlos Coronel from close range. When celebrating, both stars offered a tribute to Riqui Puig after LA's Best XI midfielder tore his ACL in the Western Conference Final and couldn't feature in MLS Cup.
Despite the early hole, New York got a lifeline in the 28th minute when center back Sean Nealis volleyed home a mis-cleared corner kick. But an equalizer never came for the Emil Forsberg-led Red Bulls, who left empty-handed in their second-ever MLS Cup appearance and remain one of three league originals to never win a league title.
LA were not only champions at the final whistle, but ended their Audi 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs run with a record 18 goals scored.
Three Things
THE BIG PICTURE: The Galaxy are back on top, going from a 13th-place Western Conference finish in 2023 to MLS Cup champions for the first time in a decade. This turnaround coincides with DP wingers Paintsil and Gabriel Pec being signed for reportedly around $20 million in the winter, giving head coach Greg Vanney the final pieces for his attack-centric vision. LA also end 2024 undefeated at Dignity Health Sports Park, going 17W-0L-4D across all competitions and ensuring the Red Bulls’ Cinderella run falls short. New York (East No. 7) were the lowest-ever seed to reach MLS Cup.
MOMENT OF THE MATCH: Joveljić's game-winning goal almost unfolded in slow motion, before the Serbian striker toe-poked past Coronel. He ends the postseason with six goals, the second-most in MLS history.
MAN OF THE MATCH: All week, debate ensued about how Galaxy coach Greg Vanney would fill their Puig-sized hole. He ultimately started Gastón Brugman, who assisted Paintsil’s opener and bossed the midfield before being replaced by Marco Reus in the 75th minute. The Uruguayan veteran was named MLS Cup 2024 MVP presented by Audi.
Riqui Puig goes supernova for LA Galaxy: "He deserves everything"
Riqui Puig goes supernova for LA Galaxy: "He deserves everything"
Justin Ruderman
Friday, Nov 1, 2024, 10:45 PM
The sweep is complete.
Led by another standout performance from Riqui Puig, LA Galaxy advanced to the Western Conference Semifinals by blowing out the Colorado Rapids for a second straight game – this time a 4-1 rout at Dick's Sporting Goods Park to wrap up their Round One Best-of-3 Series in just two matches.
Puig produced his second straight brace of the Audi 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs with two second-half stoppage time goals, while attacking partners Gabriel Pec and Joseph Paintsil also got on the scoresheet. Additionally, Friday's result secured the Galaxy's status as an early frontrunner to reach MLS Cup presented by Audi on Dec. 7.
“We knew it was going to be a challenging game: altitude, opposition at home, playing for their season,” head coach Greg Vanney said postmatch. “We knew they had to win today and we needed to try to play against that a little bit.
"At times we went too fast. At times it was fine. But at the end of the day in the playoffs, it doesn't really matter. You get through and you move on to the next round.”
Riqui's MVP form
Paintsil, who scored the eventual game-winning goal just before halftime, had nothing but praise for Puig.
“I think he deserves everything,” Paintsil said of the FC Barcelona-formed playmaker, whose 13g/15a on the season propelled the league's third-best offense of 2024 (69 goals). However, those numbers weren't enough to make him a finalist for this year's Landon Donovan MLS MVP award.
"If people don't see it, we as players, as a team, we see it for ourselves," Paintsil added. "We are a team and even if he doesn't really [get] recognized as the MVP and everything, I think for him it doesn't matter.
"The most important thing that is really in his mind is to win the league. That is [more] important than winning MVP. MVP is a plus for a player, but winning the league is much more important than everything for a player or a club."
Despite being snubbed from the MVP shortlist, Puig has responded on the pitch when it matters most. By scoring four (and assisting another) of his team’s nine goals in their Round One sweep, Puig looks poised to lead the Galaxy on a quest for silverware.
“[My form] doesn't happen if I don't have the team that I have,” Puig said. “I need to say thank you to all my teammates, the staff, the coach. We are making an amazing season, but we need to finish really good and hopefully we can win this MLS [Cup] because it's what we want.”
For Vanney, Puig's red-hot form has come at the perfect time.
“He's an important player for us. He drives our team from possessions to attacks," Vanney said. "He finishes things for us. I think Riqui, on any day, would trade in the opportunity to win an MLS Cup before an MVP trophy. He's continued to develop inside of our team. He continues to be the engine and the motor inside of our group.
"... I'm happy that Riqui's playing great now because this is the stage in which you make the biggest statement right now, not during the regular season.”
Championship mentality
After becoming the first team to advance to the Conference Semifinals, the Galaxy now await the winner of the Real Salt Lake-Minnesota United FC series in the next round. Whichever opponent emerges, LA will host the match at Dignity Health Sports Park as they chase a historic sixth MLS Cup title.
“We do [have a championship mentality],” Paintsil said. “We take every game at a time and as you can see we're doing everything possible to have that kind of mentality, as we have been always having [since] the beginning of the season.
"There are little doubts about people towards us, but we don't really care about what people say. We just go game by game and then we will just see what happens," Paintsil said. "But our goal is to be in the final.”
Justin Ruderman -
@JustinRuderman_
Robbie Keane Loves L.A.
LOS ANGELES – Robbie Keane is vocal about his love for his native Ireland, but the LA Galaxy captain has found a second home during his nearly five years in Major League Soccer.
Downtown Los Angeles.
The Irish striker has called DTLA home since he moved to the Galaxy from Tottenham Hotspur back in 2011. Keane, his wife Claudine and his two young children feel right at home amongst the lofts and famous dining establishments in the city’s new hub.
According to the Keane, establishing a connection with the city center is not only important for himself, but the Galaxy as a whole.
“Every cool team if you like. They usually have something going on downtown,” Keane said. “If you look at the players that we’ve brought into this team, people call us the ‘Galaticos.’ It’s certainly given us a street look, but the most important thing is producing on the field.”
For a player who has spent much of his career in some of the most cosmopolitan locales around Europe, the wide range of food options, is one of the main reasons Keane loves DTLA.
“I like the atmosphere in Downtown; there’s a lot of people always walking around. It’s like a little mini-New York,” Keane told LA Galaxy Insider. “I like the atmosphere because, in Europe, a lot of people don’t eat out as much as they do in LA. Every restaurant is always busy and has a great atmosphere.
“You can’t really get that in Ireland except perhaps only on the weekend. I like that vibe. You can go on a Monday night when it’s dead, and it’s always a good atmosphere, and the food is always here.”
The Keanes have plenty of haunts around DTLA, but here are Keano’s top five favorite restaurants in Los Angeles:
WP24 by Wolfgang Puck
Keane: “It has a great view overlooking the city.”
KATSUYA L.A. LIVE
Keane: “It has a nice view as well and is perfect before a Lakers or Kings game.”
BOTTEGA LOUIE
Keane: "Bottega Louie always has a nice vibe.”
BESTIA
Keane: “Good atmosphere in the Arts District.”
FLEMING’S PRIME STEAKHOUSE & WINE BAR
Keane: "Great spot by STAPLES Center."
Is there a particular commonality between all five spots?
A “good vibe” says the Galaxy star.
“They’re all different in terms of the food. They have a nice atmosphere. Some have great views, and some don’t,” Keane said. “They’re all different in many ways, but they all have a great vibe that I like being around.”
Downtown Los Angeles.
The Irish striker has called DTLA home since he moved to the Galaxy from Tottenham Hotspur back in 2011. Keane, his wife Claudine and his two young children feel right at home amongst the lofts and famous dining establishments in the city’s new hub.
According to the Keane, establishing a connection with the city center is not only important for himself, but the Galaxy as a whole.
“Every cool team if you like. They usually have something going on downtown,” Keane said. “If you look at the players that we’ve brought into this team, people call us the ‘Galaticos.’ It’s certainly given us a street look, but the most important thing is producing on the field.”
For a player who has spent much of his career in some of the most cosmopolitan locales around Europe, the wide range of food options, is one of the main reasons Keane loves DTLA.
“I like the atmosphere in Downtown; there’s a lot of people always walking around. It’s like a little mini-New York,” Keane told LA Galaxy Insider. “I like the atmosphere because, in Europe, a lot of people don’t eat out as much as they do in LA. Every restaurant is always busy and has a great atmosphere.
“You can’t really get that in Ireland except perhaps only on the weekend. I like that vibe. You can go on a Monday night when it’s dead, and it’s always a good atmosphere, and the food is always here.”
The Keanes have plenty of haunts around DTLA, but here are Keano’s top five favorite restaurants in Los Angeles:
WP24 by Wolfgang Puck
Keane: “It has a great view overlooking the city.”
KATSUYA L.A. LIVE
Keane: “It has a nice view as well and is perfect before a Lakers or Kings game.”
BOTTEGA LOUIE
Keane: "Bottega Louie always has a nice vibe.”
BESTIA
Keane: “Good atmosphere in the Arts District.”
FLEMING’S PRIME STEAKHOUSE & WINE BAR
Keane: "Great spot by STAPLES Center."
Is there a particular commonality between all five spots?
A “good vibe” says the Galaxy star.
“They’re all different in terms of the food. They have a nice atmosphere. Some have great views, and some don’t,” Keane said. “They’re all different in many ways, but they all have a great vibe that I like being around.”
Los Angeles Galaxy: 2014 MLS Cup Champions
CARSON, Calif. – Major League Soccer's Most Valuable Player proved his value when it mattered most, scoring the goal in overtime that lifted the LA Galaxy to an unprecedented fifth MLS Cup crown.
Robbie Keane, the game's MVP, finished a long ball from Marcelo Sarvas in the 111th minute as the Galaxy, playing in front a partisan sellout crowd at StubHub Center, claimed their third championship in four years with a thrilling 2-1 triumph over the visiting New England Revolution.
Landon Donovan wrapped up his career with a title, winning MLS Cup for a record sixth time, as LA beat the the Revs in the championship game for the third time, all of them in overtime.
The Revolution, the only team to play in multiple MLS Cups without a trophy, lost their record fifth final, three in OT and another on penalties.
It was a pulsating final, a first-half tactical battle that evolved into an end-to-end slugfest, withGyasi Zardes providing LA a lead in the 52nd minute and Chris Tierney netting the equalizer in the 79th.
Keane missed a one-on-one opportunity and Teal Bunbury hit a post late in regulation, forcing overtime for the ninth time in 19 MLS Cup finals.
It was the fifth title for LA coach Bruce Arena, who won the first two MLS Cups with D.C. United and guided LA to back-to-back championships in 2011 and 2012.
Chances were few in the first half, a product of iffy passing – especially the Galaxy – and solid defending by both sides. Space was at a premium and the best opportunities came from direct play rather than buildup.
LA did a better job of penetrating in the final third, and they nearly went ahead in the second minute. Robbie Rogers weaved into the box after a charging run down the left flank and knocked the ball toward the far post, but a ricochet off Scott Caldwell took enough off the shot to give the Revs Homegrown time to clear off the line.
The Galaxy had two more solid chances before halftime, but Keane, with an open path just inside the box, fired hard at Revs goalkeeper Bobby Shuttleworth in the 21st minute and Zardes was wide of the target from a Donovan feed in the 39th.
The Revs had one superb chance in the first half, with Chris Tierney sending a ball to a streakingCharlie Davies. A.J. DeLaGarza matched the speedy striker step for step, then slid in the box to deny the shot.
The second half was played at a brisker pace, a more wide-open affair, and Zardes struck soon after Lee Nguyen had a penalty shout waved off at the other end, becoming the first Homegrown Player to score in an MLS Cup.
It came from a Stefan Ishizaki cross from the right, just outside the box, that deflected off Tierney and sailed to the second-year forward even with the far post.
Zardes' first touch took the ball wider, and he held off New England right back Andrew Farrellto create the needed space before firing across the goalmouth and into the far-post netting.
The Galaxy had opportunities to add to their advantage through Keane, who sprinted free from a Rogers long ball in the 70th minute, cut past Jose Goncalves to get one-on-one with Shuttleworth, then only got a piece of the ball, knocking it weakly at the goalkeeper.
Keane would have gone one-on-one again five minutes later, but he was flagged for a very tight offside.
Tierney tied it up soon after. Goncalves sent a long ball up the left wing for Patrick Mullins, who had come on for Davies seven minutes earlier. Mullins eluded Ishizaki and through Gonzalez’s legs for Tierney, streaking into the box. His first touch beat Leonardo, and he left-footed the ball under LA keeper Jaime Penedo and inside the right post.
Bunbury nearly gave New England the victory in the 85th minute, arcing a curling ball from the left that floated over Penedo and bounced high off the right post.
The Galaxy did well to neutralize Nguyen, an MVP finalist, who exited as stoppage time arrived after going down with a cramp as Bunbury took his shot.
LA made two changes heading into overtime. Rogers, hurt near the end of regulation from a crunching Bunbury tackle, was pulled in favor of Dan Gargan, who took his customary spot at right back with DeLaGarza moving to the left. Alan Gordon came on for Ishizaki, with Zardes moving to the flank.
The Revolution had two opportunities during the first overtime period. Jermaine Jones, through whom New England's attack flowed before halftime and again after regulation, fired just past the left post in the 100th minute, then sent a ball forward for Mullins two minutes later. Penedo got down to parry the rookie's sharp shot from the left, and DeLaGarza knocked the rebound from danger.
Keane scored his 23rd goal of the season for the Galaxy, all competitions, in the sixth minute of overtime's second stage. Sarvas sent a ball to the Irish striker on the left, and he slotted past Shuttleworth to the right corner of the net from inside the box.
The Revs pushed forward in a vain search for an equalizer. Mullins forced Penedo to the ground for a save at the left post in the 116th minute, and Bunbury fired wide from an abrupt angle on the right in the 118th.
MLSsoccer.com Men of the Match
| Rank | Player | What We Saw |
| 1 | A.J. DeLaGarza | His signature play came on the sliding denial of Davies in the first half, but it was just one of many outstanding moments |
| 2 | Robbie Keane | Far from his dominant best today, but he got it done with a fine finish with penalties looming, earning game MVP honors |
| 3 | Jermaine Jones | The heart and soul of the Revs midfield, Jones was key in stifling the Galaxy attack and pushing his own team forward |
I Just Can't Get Enough
LOS ANGELES – Robbie Keane has never been all that interested in individual honors, but he was tickled to pick up Major League Soccer's 2014 Volkswagen MVP award Wednesday afternoon.
Now it's on to bigger business.
The 34-year-old Irish striker, a finalist for the honor last year, was fêted at the Ritz-Carlton at L.A. Live on Wednesday after scoring 19 goals with 14 assists to help the Galaxy to a dominant 17-7-10 regular season campaign.
Next he'll lead the Galaxy as they seek their third title in four years in Sunday's MLS Cup final against the New England Revolution at StubHub Center (3 pm ET, ESPN, UniMas, UDN, TSN1, RDS2).
“To be in the running the last few years, it just goes to show how consistent I have been, you know?” said Keane. “To win it, it's actually great to be recognized by your fellow professionals and the media. I'm delighted with the award, but I'd certainly trade it in for a championship on Sunday.”
Keane's scoring exploits are clear: He's netted 53 goals with 35 assists in 84 regular season games since joining LA in August 2011, plus another eight goals and six assists in 16 playoff matches and seven goals in 14 CONCACAF Champions League games. He's tallied 22 goals with 18 assists in all competitions this year.
But his game is far broader than the numbers suggest. He gives a master class in off-the-ball movement every time he steps on the field and plays the pivotal role in the Galaxy's interchange-heavy possession game.
“We think Robbie's spectacular,” Galaxy head coach Bruce Arena said following the ceremony. “He's remarkable in the sense that his consistency year in and year out has been spectacular. And you don't see that typically of strikers. ...
“He sets the tone for our team each and every day. He's a great professional, he's good with our young players, he's fabulous in getting the team ready to play. Those things you don't see in the box score, for sure, but he's that guy with our team.”
Keane was at his best this year after undergoing surgeries on both of his Achilles' tendons last December.
“The last couple years I've been struggling really bad with Achilles' problems,” he said. “I was waking up in the mornings, and I could hardly walk. It took me ages to get going in training, so since the operation, I feel great.”
Keane's “desire and hunger” for the game, he says, makes all the difference.
“If you hate something that you do, you wake up every morning, you're not looking forward to going into work, whether that's football or a 9-to-5 job,” he said. “If you don't like what you do, then the battle is probably done already. For me, I wake up every morning looking forward to practice. I wake up every Saturday and Sunday desperate and can't wait to play the game.
“It's not about the money. I don't care about the money. For me, it's about playing. I'd play for free. When I finish playing football, I'll go back to Ireland, I'll be a manager or whatever, and I'll still play on Sunday with my mates. It's just the way I am.”
8.2.2014.
This is LA, our city our home
Los Angeles, we never walk alone
Forever true we'll stay, in tribute to our city
No matter where we go, this is our home
On the Sunset Strip, the devil's hard at work
If you wanna play you gotta pay, you know
To keep the clubs from going under
That's the price to grace the floor, as every fool before
Underneath the haze, in the streets of this maze
All the way from the 10 to the 5 to the 134
These streets are nothing but a parking lot
But I don't care 'cause I'm not going anywhere
This is LA, our city, our home
Los Angeles, we never walk alone
Forever true we'll stay, in tribute to our city
No matter where we go, this is our home
It's 2 am again, when will I ever learn?
If those warm winds blow me home tonight
I'll have a place to lay my head
I'll leave my troubles at the foot of my bed
On the west coast shore, it's been far too long
So what if I got no money in my pockets
I'll always stand up strong
'Cause I'm in the city where I belong
This is LA, our city, our home
Los Angeles, we never walk alone
Forever true we'll stay, in tribute to our city
No matter where we go, this is our home, alright
This is LA, our city, our home
Los Angeles, we never walk alone
This is LA, our city, our home
Los Angeles, we never walk alone
Forever true we'll stay, in tribute to our city
No matter where we go, this is our home
This is LA, our city, our home
Los Angeles, we never walk alone
Forever true we'll stay, in tribute to our city
No matter where we go, this is our home
Forever true we'll stay, in tribute to our city
No matter where we go, this is our home!
05.25.14.
CARSON, Calif. – "Surprising and disappointing."
That's Landon Donovan's reaction to Jurgen Klinsmann's decision to omit him from the US national team's 23-man World Cup roster, saying the news came as a shock and that he believes he deserves to be headed to Brazil.
The 32-year-old attacker, a veteran of three World Cups, star addressed media following the LA Galaxy's training session Saturday morning at StubHub Center, saying he appreciated the “overwhelming” support he's received since the 23-man roster was announced Thursday and imploring Americans to support the team in Brazil.
Donovan, the all-time US leader in goals (57) and assists (58), in 156 international appearances, was nearly certain that he was going to be among the group.
“Based on my performances leading up to camp, based on my preparation for the camp, based on my fitness, based on my workload, based on the way I trained and played in camp,” he said, “I not only thought I was part of the 23, I thought I was in contention to start. So that's why this has all been pretty disappointing.”
Donovan, who will play in the Galaxy's home clash against the Philadelphia Union on Sunday evening (8 pm ET, UDN), said his performance at the Stanford University sessions had him believing he could “contribute in a real big way, probably bigger than I expected going in.”
He said he would, “of course,” join the group if recalled because of an injury to another player, but “I don't wish anyone ill will. I hope everyone stays healthy.”
Klinsmann, on Friday, held a press conference to discuss his roster choices and reiterated what he said earlier in the week about Donovan's exclusion: "The coaches feel that the players we chose are a little step a head of Landon in certain areas," Klinsmann said. "At this moment we feel that the other players – without naming any of those guys – are a tiny little bit ahead of him."
The manager declined to detail the areas are in which Donovan was behind others, and on Saturday, Donovan assessed his own performance during the 10 days he was at Stanford University.
“I don't agree with that assessment,” he said. “I think I was at least as good as everyone else in camp, so from that standpoint, I don't agree with it. I think you guys who know me well know I'm pretty honest when it comes to my assessment. When I say I don't play well, I didn't play well; when I say I played well, In think I played well, and I think I trained and played very well in camp.
“I think I was one of the better players. and so that's why it stings a little. I think at the end of the day, like I said before camp, if I had gone in and didn't feel like I deserved it, then I can live with that. But that's not the case here.”
He also noted that “coaches make decisions, and you have to live with that and respect that. Do we agree with it always? No. That the part that has been hard for me. I firmly believe that not only should I be going, but I feel like I really deserve it and not from anything I did in the past, but from what I've done over the last week and a half.”
Donovan, who learned he was not in the 23 following Thursday's training session in Northern California, was asked about rumblings of a personal incident in the past with Klinsmann. His answer was succinct.
“I think if I'm being judged solely on what happened in camp, then I absolutely deserved to be going to Brazil.”
He said he “absolutely” would repeat, if he could change things, the four-month sabbatical he took following the 2012 MLS season, that “I actually think I've been a much better player since I came back.”
He says he hasn't pondered the future of his international career, but imagines “that if I'm given another opportunity, that I would, assuming that I'm still capable.”
Klinsmann, when he announced the 30-man roster, said he saw Donovan as a forward rather than a midfielder, and so it is assumed Donovan was compared solely to the other forwards in camp. He was asked whether Klinsmann might have pigeonholed him and failed to take into account his versatility.
“I think one of the real attributes in my entire career has been my ability to play in a lot of different positions, a lot of different roles,” Donovan said. “Although I'm an attacking player, I think I help the team in certain ways, I think I help the team get results in certain ways, even when it's not attacking-wise. I think I have a lot of versatility, and I think my experiences over the years have contributed to me being able to do that, so I think that I would have been able to help in a lot of ways.”
The response from fans, media and colleagues, most struggling to make sense of Klinsmann's decision, has been heartening.
“The amount of support I've had has been – I mean, overwhelming is the best word I can use,” Donovan said. “The responses and messages I've had from fans, from friends, from family, from my teammates in camp, from my staff at camp, from my teammates here and coaching staff, it's really been pretty amazing.
“And someone said to me, and I think it's true, a lot of times you don't hear those kind of messages unless, unfortunately, you're already dead, at a funeral. So some of these things I heard were really uplifting, sort of validates the way I feel about myself as a player and a person.”
He said he would not speak again on Klinsmann's decision, that he wants “to focus on the Galaxy and doing what I need to do here, and I really urge people to support the [US] team.
“Because going to a World Cup is an unbelievable experience, and I don't want there to be a negative tint to any of this. We're all professionals, we're all men, and we have to handle things like this. But I think it's important that we support our team and support our nation. They need us.”
Los Angeles Galaxy vs. Chicago Fire
Los Angeles Galaxy vs. Chicago Fire, a set on Flickr.
The 2013 season opener for the Galaxy against the Fire at the Home Depot Center.
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