FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Inter Miami CF have climbed the mountaintop, becoming MLS Cup 2025 presented by Audi champions with a 3-1 victory over Vancouver Whitecaps FC on Saturday afternoon at Chase Stadium.
Showing posts with label mls cup. Show all posts
Showing posts with label mls cup. 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.
Columbus Crew: 2023 MLS Cup Champions
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Columbus Crew have turned their bold, possession-centric style into the league's ultimate prize, capturing MLS Cup 2023 presented by Audi with a 2-1 win over LAFC.
Head coach Wilfried Nancy's team produced a masterclass performance Saturday at rain-soaked Lower.com Field, resulting in the Eastern Conference club's third-ever MLS Cup after their 2008 and 2020 squads also entered the history books as champions.
First-half goals from Cucho Hernández (33') and Yaw Yeboah (37') gave Columbus a cushion to absorb a Dénis Bouanga (74') lifeline, denying LAFC's MLS Cup repeat quest. In the process, head coach Wilfried Nancy's group has climbed the 29-team mountaintop that began with MLS is Back weekend on Feb. 25.
Before raising the Philip F. Anschutz Trophy, Columbus pulled ahead through Cucho's authoritative penalty kick – helping him earn MLS Cup MVP presented by Audi honors and finish with an Audi MLS Cup Playoffs co-leading five goals. That opportunity arose when referee Armando Villarreal pointed to the spot, judging LAFC defender Diego Palacios to have handled a flicked-up touch from Diego Rossi.
The Crew, the league's highest-scoring team in 2023, quickly doubled their advantage when Yeboah capped an 11-pass buildup. The Crew's left wingback was on the receiving end of Malte Amundsen's line-splitting through ball, then sliced home an outside-the-foot finish past goalkeeper Maxime Crépeau.
But, as was so often the case in 2023, Bouanga would not be silenced. The Best XI forward slipped a second-effort shot past goalkeeper Patrick Schulte, drawing him level with teammate Carlos Vela for the most calendar-year goals (38) in MLS across all competitions (Vela's MVP-winning 2019).
The Black & Gold's late push fizzled out, though. And the hosts, after seven minutes of second-half stoppage time, were left dancing as champions.
Goals
33' - CLB - Cucho Hernández
37' - CLB - Yaw Yeboah
74' - LAFC - Dénis Bouanga
Three Things
THE BIG PICTURE: Four years ago, only 1,500 fans watched Columbus beat Seattle Sounders FC for the MLS Cup 2020 trophy – a necessity at Historic Crew Stadium amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, 20,802 fans flooded to the club's new state-of-the-art venue for an unforgettable night. Factor in how last year Columbus compensated CF Montréal to extract Nancy as head coach and the club's rise is even more memorable. LAFC? They lost their third final of the year and got a cold reminder of how hard it is to repeat, something not accomplished since the 2011-12 LA Galaxy.
MOMENT OF THE MATCH: Yeboah's goal was champagne football in motion. What a ball from Amundsen.
MAN OF THE MATCH: Cucho! The MLS Cup MVP crowned a spectacular year and is forever a Crew legend.
Next Up
CLB: End of 2023 season
LAFC: End of 2023 season
Los Angeles Football Club: 2022 MLS Cup Champions
LOS ANGELES – A Hollywood screenwriter couldn’t have dreamed up MLS Cup 2022 any better.
LAFC are top of the league, emerging as first-time champions from Saturday’s epic championship match at Banc of California Stadium, beating the Philadelphia Union in penalty kicks after a 3-3 draw for the ages – and also making the hosts the first team to complete a Cup-Supporters’ Shield double since Toronto FC in 2017.
Gareth Bale’s thunderous 128th-minute equalizing header sent the game into penalty kicks, showing exactly why the Black & Gold signed the superstar forward this summer as he left Real Madrid. That canceled out a possible man-of-the-match performance from Philly center back Jack Elliott, whose first equalizer booked extra frames, and then his go-ahead 124th-minute strike pushed the Union on the verge of victory.
But Bale came up huge with the final whistle nearing, and back-up goalkeeper John McCarthy took the hero’s cape in the PK shootout by saving two Union efforts – from Jose Martinez and Kai Wagner – after Daniel Gazdag missed the Eastern Conference champions’ first attempt.
LAFC first got scores from Denis Bouanga and Ryan Hollingshead in PKs, then Ilie Sanchez’s game-winner from the spot sealed a 3-0 advantage for the Black & Gold from 12 yards out. From there, celebrations ensued for the Western Conference champions before their 3252 supporters' section – all in a final that pitted the league’s top two teams against each other for the first time since 2003.
But the storyline, among many, might be McCarthy. He was subbed on in the 117th minute after LAFC’s starting goalkeeper, Maxime Crepeau was shown a red card when a Video Review decision reduced the hosts to 10 men. Crepeau also got hurt on the play, suffering a serious-looking leg injury after colliding with Philly forward Cory Burke following an under-hit back-pass; referee Ismail Elfath originally brandished a yellow card that was later upgraded.
All that drama was just during extra time and PKs, as the game reached a new level as it reached each passing period. LAFC midfielder Kellyn Acosta (deflected free kick) and defender Jesus Murillo (corner-kick header) each scored during regulation time, and the Union equalized each time via Gazdag (near-range shot) and Elliott (free-kick header) to make it 2-2.
From there, the Tinseltown effect took over – Elliott’s almost-winner, Bale’s towering header and McCarthy’s PK heroics – to cap an MLS Cup final that can only be called legendary.
Goals
28' - LAFC - Kellyn Acosta
59' - PHI - Daniel Gazdag
83' - LAFC - Jesus Murillo
85' - PHI - Jack Elliott
120'+4' - PIH - Jack Elliott
120'+8' - LAFC - Gareth Bale
Next Up
LAFC: End of 2022 season
PHI: End of 2022 season
New York City FC: 2021 MLS Cup Champions
PORTLAND – Castellanos, Moralez, Magno, Callens, and Johnson in goal.
That’s the quintet that played hero in the penalty-kick shootout that earned New York City FC their first MLS Cup title, and appropriately so, because they were also instrumental in powering the Pigeons to that point in the first place, both on the day and all season.
Championship teams are built around sturdy spines, and NYCFC’s came up big – yet again – on Saturday afternoon against the Portland Timbers at Providence Park.
Valentin "Taty" Castellanos continued his tear in front of goal, nodding home the game’s opening goal to extend his scoring streak to seven straight matches, further underlining that the MLS Golden Boot presented by Audi winner can produce quality in big moments as well as quantity. And he put in major work off the ball as well, harrying Portland’s backline to make it difficult for the hosts to string together buildups with any rhythm.
As he has been since practically the moment of his arrival from Club Leon in 2017, playmaker Maxi Moralez was essential, scurrying all over the pitch across 120 minutes, completing 84 of his 102 passes – including three key passes – making three tackles and serving up the free-kick delivery headed home by Castellanos.
Talles Magno came off the bench in the aftermath of the Timbers’ stunning last-gasp equalizer, helping stabilize his team in that crucial phase, where PTFC threatened to kick on and find a winner. And with the season and a trophy on the line, he kept his nerve to dispatch his penalty.
Alex Callens turned in another defiant display at the heart of the defense, working with his center-back partner Maxime Chanot to limit Portland to scant clear looks at goal until their scrappy late dramatics – and just like in NYCFC’s Eastern Conference Semifinal upset of the Supporters’ Shield-winning New England Revolution, he smashed in the title-winning spot-kick with authority.
And the rock at the back, the foundation of the team and its veteran leader, Sean Johnson, who kept his team from losing all composure after the injury-time gut punch, then made two clutch saves in the shootout, vanquishing the ghosts of last year’s wild, season-ending PKs loss at Orlando City.
“Big, big credit to the leaders in the group,” said head coach Ronny Deila in the postgame press conference – fully clothed again after he kept his word by stripping down to his skivvies as the Cityzens partied on Portland’s pitch. “Sean, Maxi, Maxime, Callens had an unbelievable season, James [Sands] stepped up unbelievably, Taty.
“That central line has been amazing during the season. And when we get that right, we get points and we win football games. That’s been consistent now, even though we have lost Anton [Tinnerholm] and Keaton [Parks to injuries] on the way. Players come in and perform, and that says something about the culture of the club.
“[It] again shows what kind of character is in the team, when you come back from that [equalizer] and get through the two extra times and then at the end also with the penalty shootout – in this stadium, on artificial [turf], in the weather today, and the atmosphere was electric. So belief, discipline and hard work, honest hard work, is paying off and that's great to see.”
NYCFC outplayed Portland by a safe margin for most of the first 90 minutes, imposing themselves as usual with their crisp passing and energetic counter-pressing. It seemed that the narrative gods would smile on the Rose City side, however, when Felipe Mora slotted home at the back post with City mere seconds away from a deserved 1-0 triumph.
“We've been in that position before. I told the guys we have the experience, not to panic, not to get down on ourselves because there's more of an opportunity to go forward and win the game,” explained Johnson. “And no one said it would be easy. It's been difficult. But that's how it should be to win a championship and to triumph, going through so much adversity.”
Sands in particular performed far beyond his 21 years, producing a coming-of-age type of display in what was an often-chaotic engine-room battle. Afterward he credited the consequences of the fall slump that forced NYC to fight for their postseason lives after running near the top of the East table for most of 2021.
“We’re a team in form, we had a lot of momentum, so I think we had confidence going into the final,” he said. “I thought we all believed we could get it done. And I think you look at the time during the season where we dropped out of playoffs, and the six games after that, were all playoff games for us. So we’ve been playing high-pressure, high-intensity games for two months now; I think it showed today that we were able to stay calm and be composed.”
For some months now, Deila has confidently and consistently declared that no opponent has comprehensively outplayed his Pigeons this year, and he did so again on Saturday.
“There is no team, in the 38, 39 games we have, that has played us out. I can't remember one time that one team has caused us a lot of trouble; we have lost the games ourselves,” he said. “And that gives us a lot of confidence in the team, of course. Even though we haven’t played well, nobody has created more chances than us in the games. So we knew that when we get things right, we are very hard to play against, and our defense has been top, top during the whole season.”
There’s also ample reason to believe they can stay at the summit for a while. While both a new contract and a long-term successor must be sorted out for the influential Moralez, Deila pointed out that most of City’s recent arrivals are young players with ample upside. The formula that took them to this trophy can be extended; now it’s up to the rest of the East to figure out an antidote.
“New York is blue,” said Johnson. And on this day, who can argue with that?
Columbus Crew: 2020 MLS Cup Champions
Columbus Crew SC delivered on their lofty aspirations from a 25th Major League Soccer season like no other, winning the 2020 MLS Cup in convincing fashion in what’s likely the last major game at MAPFRE Stadium, the first soccer-specific ground in league history.
Behind an inspired performance from club-record signing Lucas Zelarayan, the Crew resoundingly beat the Seattle Sounders 3-0 on Saturday night, denying Seattle a championship repeat and returning to MLS's peak for the first time since 2008. The Crew, who entered new ownership in 2018 after a fan-led movement to keep the club in Ohio, overcame incredible adversity to lift the Philip F. Anschutz Trophy.
Zelarayan put an exclamation point on his MLS Cup MVP presented by Audi performance, icing the game in the 82nd minute by making it 3-0. The Argentine playmaker collected a Luis Diaz pass atop the 18-yard box, then lashed home his left-footed shot to the top corner to cap a clutch performance from the midfielder.
The Crew were without winger Pedro Santos and midfielder Darlington Nagbe after both were deemed not medically cleared to play and later confirmed they had tested positive for COVID-19, though their absences were hardly noticeable – especially during a dominant first half. And Columbus found their reward in the 25th minute when Zelarayan made it 1-0 for the hosts, peeling to the back post and willing a left-footed shot past Seattle goalkeeper Stefan Frei, making the most of a deep, early cross from right back Harrison Afful.
The Crew doubled their lead six minutes later, with Derrick Etienne Jr. curling home a delicate shot to the far corner. The Haitian international winger earned the 2-0 advantage in the 31st minute, one-timing a right-footed shot with finesse after Zelarayan faked his shot and picked out the incisive pass.
Seattle made four substitutions between halftime and the 60th minute, including both outside backs, looking to recapture the magic of their comeback victory over Minnesota United FC in the Western Conference Final.
Those efforts fell short, though, with Nicolas Lodeiro cushioning a layoff from Jordan Morris just wide in the 71st minute. Cristian Roldan also came close in the 51st minute when his corner-kick header missed the top corner, and Morris hit the crossbar with a header in the 80th minute. Yet they couldn't get one past Eloy Room, who finished with two saves upon his return to the lineup.
Goals
25' – CLB – Lucas Zelarayan | WATCH
31' – CLB – Derrick Etienne Jr. | WATCH
82' – CLB – Lucas Zelarayan | WATCH
Three Things
THE BIG PICTURE: The Crew are moving into a new soccer-specific stadium next year, and there’s no better way to welcome that era than this MLS original capping 2020 with a title. They also missed the playoffs in 2019, but were in the Supporters’ Shield race much of this year until injuries took their toll. Add in COVID-19 cases during the postseason, and a lot was going against Caleb Porter’s team. But they buckled down, replacements like 19-year-old Homegrown midfielder Aidan Morris stepped up and they stopped Seattle from winning their third MLS Cup in five years. The Sounders had the “been there, done that” card, yet it didn’t matter in the end.
MAN OF THE MATCH: Lucas Zelarayan was simply stellar for the Crew, providing two goals and one assist. He finished the Audi 2020 MLS Cup Playoffs with two goals and five assists in four games, proving why the Crew made the former Tigres UANL midfielder their record signing.
MOMENT OF THE MATCH: The 2-0 goal from Derrick Etienne Jr. in the 31st minute was absolutely clinical and sent a clear statement. The Crew were all over Seattle in the first half, and this insurance strike formalized how the game would unfold.
Atlanta United: 2018 MLS Cup Champions
ATLANTA – The Southern takeover of MLS is complete.
Atlanta United capped their astonishing first two years of existence with a confident 2-0 win over the Portland Timbers in the 2018 MLS Cup at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Saturday night, delighting the biggest crowd in league history with a vintage performance spearheaded by a goal and assist from star striker Josef Martinez.
As some analysts had predicted, the two sides got off to a cagey start, Portland sitting deep and absorbing withering waves of pressure while Atlanta pressed tigerishly but failed to connect on the final pass. A duel between Martinez and Larrys Mabiala sent the Venezuelan tumbling in the Timbers penalty box, but referee Alan Kelly waved play on and a VAR check backed up his no-call.
Miguel Almiron finally created the first clear scoring chance of the game in the 29th minute, meeting a deep cross from Greg Garza with an acrobatic side volley, but Jeff Attinella dived to his right to parry the bouncing shot away from the net.
The affair blew open 10 minutes later as ATLUTD seized the lead by exploiting a moment of slackness by the Timbers in their own end.
The visitors clipped a half-clearance up to Jeremy Ebobisse, but the forward was dispossessed by a sliding Michael Parkhurst and Martinez beat Liam Ridgewell to the ball at the top of the penalty box, leaving the Venezuelan marksman with the relatively simple – for him – task of rounding Attinella and stroking his finish into an empty net.
Portland responded almost immediately. A few minutes later Ebobisse directed a header on target after good work down the right channel by Sebastian Blanco, only for Brad Guzan to make the save and send the fiery contest into halftime at 1-0.
The Timbers tried to mount a rally after the break, venturing forward to create danger in front of Guzan’s goal in the 52nd minute, but found themselves in a 2-0 hole mere moments later as the Five Stripes doubled their lead from a well-executed set piece.
Martinez was heavily involved, first winning a free kick along Atlanta’s left channel, then popping up at the near post to flick on Almiron’s driven service into the path of Franco Escobar at the back stick. The wide-open wingback made no mistake with a firm low strike into the bottom corner, sending the home fans into another bout of delirium.
The Timbers made three attacking-minded subs and pressed forward as they chased the game, but Guzan and his defense held firm and the Atlanta bench rushed the pitch at Kelly's final whistle to celebrate a memorable triumph.
Goals
39' - ATL - Josef Martinez Watch
54' - ATL - Franco Escobar Watch
Three Things
ATL TOO STRONG: The Timbers battled valiantly, but this was a definitive display of Tata Martino’s aggressive, attack-minded philosophy and it was hard to see the underdogs’ path to an upset. Setting the tone with their buzzing high press and snapping challenges, the Five Stripes ditched the risk-averse tactics used against the New York teams in their two previous playoff series and insisted the game be played on their terms, to good effect.
MIDNIGHT FOR CINDERELLA: The squad from the Rose City caught lightning in a bottle with their unexpected run through the Western Conference bracket and have much to cherish from the first season under Giovanni Savarese. Though their formula didn’t work against a suffocating ATLUTD side in the final, their hordes of traveling supporters added greatly to this occasion and the future looks bright.
JOSEF AND PARKY: Big players produce in big games, and the Five Stripes’ key cogs did exactly that on this occasion. Special props are due to match (and season!) MVP Martinez and captain Parkhurst, who made the play that led to the opening goal and was generally flawless in his defensive work. After so much heartbreak in his previous trips to the cup final with New England and Columbus, no one in black and red will cherish this win more than him.
Seattle Sounders: 2016 MLS Cup Champions
TORONTO — It was a night of almost unbearable tension, the Sounders virtually willing themselves to stay alive in the MLS Cup final, to give themselves a chance, somehow, some way, when they teetered all night on the brink of disaster.
“Agony,’’ Seattle owner Adrian Hanauer would say later with a laugh, describing the mood for 120 minutes-plus of soccer — and the “plus” was where the ultimate glory came for the Sounders. Agony might be the right word.
The Sounders survived a flurry of scoring opportunities by Toronto FC, which has been an offensive juggernaut in the postseason but couldn’t slip one past heroic Sounders goalie Stefan Frei.
They survived an anxiety-packed extra period that featured a save for the ages by Frei on a tantalizing shot by Jozy Altidore, a scoring machine for weeks. The ball was headed for the corner of the net, headed for a death blow to the Sounders’ gritty comeback season, until Frei made a superhuman leap and barely tipped it away.
“You just try,’’ Frei said of the moment that will be enshrined in the annals of Sounders — and MLS — history. “You try and see. Sometime you surprise yourself to what balls you can actually get.”
And the Sounders survived a round of penalty kicks that was the ultimate in that aforementioned agony, perhaps a goofy way to determine a championship but undeniably a riveting one.
And then finally, when Justin Morrow’s penalty kick went off the cross bar, and Roman Torres’ went past Toronto FC goalie Clint Irwin, the tension and angst and yes, agony, gave way to glorious release.
Then, you had the familiar trappings of ultimate success, predictable to anyone who has watched a title celebration but no less emotional when you see it play out in front of you. The Sounders, who didn’t attempt a single shot on goal in regulation or overtime, are the champions of MLS, and they sang and danced and sprayed champagne in a giddy release made even more cathartic by the bumpy road that led them to the first title in franchise history.
Hanauer said that if someone had told him at midseason, when coach Sigi Schmid had been fired and the Sounders were mired near the bottom of the standings, that this of all years would be the year to hoist the cup … well, “I probably would not have believed them,’’ he admitted.
“This was a rough year, but it just shows that in this league, anything can happen. You can make a midseason run and peak at the right time. What I’m most proud of, and Sigi talked about it in the past as well, is consistency. We put ourselves in position to win it eight years in a row, and this was our year.”
It capped an amazing turnaround under Schmid’s replacement, Brian Schmetzer. The original Sounders coach, Alan Hinton, stood outside the locker room after the match, beaming with paternal pride, and told anyone who would listen, “I hereby anoint Brian Schmetzer king of Seattle!”
If so, then Frei is the crown prince after an MVP performance three years to the day after he was traded to the Sounders from, wait for it, Toronto FC. But after the match, Frei was initially concerned with something as simple as getting warm after enduring the brunt of a brutally cold night, unable to run around like his teammates.
“To be honest, after the game was done, I was so cold,” he said. “It was nice because it kept reminding me it was not a dream.”
Throughout the night, it was intensity writ large, as the Sounders became increasingly cognizant that they could not crack Toronto’s defensive wall. So it became about relentless, desperate defense, throwing their bodies at the task with reckless abandon.
The Sounders, in fact, went the entire first half without a shot, and in essence finished the second half the same way, though they were credited with three on the sheet, none on goal, none offering any semblance of a scoring threat.
Toronto, on the other hand, was in a nearly constant state of attack, only to have Frei thwart chance after chance, seven in all — none more heroic than the one that will be shown for as long as soccer is played in Seattle.
Don’t tell Frei he was the hero, though. He didn’t want to hear that, at a time when he was hearing it a lot.
“I don’t look at it that way,’’ he said. “I did what I’m here to do. I made saves. That’s it. We all worked our butts off today, under difficult conditions which made it maybe not the prettiest game, but we fought hard. We wanted to give it our best, and we did. It took everybody.
“I was happy to make it (the save), but a lot more was needed for us to make it to the playoffs, make it all the way to this game, and then come out with the victory. Everyone was magnificent and had their good moments that accumulated to this success.”
Despite the frigid conditions, with the lake effect off Lake Ontario in full force at BMO Field, the game sizzled with energy from the beginning as bodies crashed into each other and flew through the air. It would be easy to ridicule a scoreless tie in a championship game, but the delicious pressure that permeated the second half, and beyond, made it a spellbinding experience, lack of scoring be damned.
But the Sounders had to score sometime, and Brad Evans, Andreas Ivanschitz, Joevin Jones and Nicolas Lodeiro all put the ball in the net in the penalty-kick phase, leaving the two teams tied at 4-all after five rounds. In sudden death, the Sounders were suddenly given that chance they had been pushing for all night, willing themselves toward. The title was dancing in front of them when Morrow’s shot went astray.
It was up to Torres, and he put it past Irwin to set off a wild celebration on the field.
“We were just joking, because yesterday in practice, (Torres) had a PK and missed it. I saved it,” Frei said. “He was pretty cool about it tonight, pretty calm. I was just praying to the soccer gods, and they answered.”
MLS Decision Day 2016
With 2016 Audi MLS Cup Playoffs spots, Supporters’ Shield honors and the Golden Boot scoring title on the line, MLS has announced coverage details for Sunday's Decision Day action.
Broadcast partners ESPN and FS1 have selected two of the most compelling games to bring to a national audience as all 20 clubs, playing intraconference matches, kick off the final day of regular-season action simultaneously at 4 pm ET.
In addition to live game coverage, each broadcast will feature live look-ins and match analysis of all 10 matchups. Decision Day will air in more than 170 countries.
ESPN and ESPN Deportes will air the Seattle Sounders vs. Real Salt Lake match, as the two teams battle to secure a place among the three remaining Western Conference playoff spots. A tie may not be enough for these two, but both teams control their own destiny and are “in with a win.”
Airing parallel to the ESPN and ESPN Deportes game broadcast, ESPN2’s “MLS Decision Day Whiparound” studio show will provide two hours of unprecedented Decision Day coverage, bringing fans every goal, save and key moment from around the final day of action.
FS1 and FOX Deportes will showcase the LA Galaxy vs. FC Dallas game live from StubHub Center, as Dallas look to capture the top seed in the playoffs alongside Supporters’ Shield honors.
In Canada, TSN will air the Vancouver Whitecaps FC vs. Portland Timbers game that will decide if the reigning MLS Cup champs can climb above the red line and secure a spot in the postseason to defend their title. TSN4 and RDS will carry Toronto FC vs. Chicago Fire.
The remaining Decision Day matchups will be available through regional broadcasts and on MLS LIVE. MLS LIVE will offer a special one-day pass, providing 24 hours of access for a special rate of $7.99. Standard MLS LIVE blackout rules apply.
MLSsoccer.com will again provide expert analysis during the “MLS Matchday Live – Decision Day Pregame” show, preparing fans for the most exciting day of the season. Digital coverage begins at 3 pm ET on the MLS Facebook page, MLS YouTube channel, and broadcast partner platforms ESPN3, FoxSportsGo, TSNGO, skysports.com, Sky Sports Facebook page, the Sky Sports App for Smartphones and the FOX Sports Africa Facebook page.
Following the final whistle, the “MLS Matchday Live – Decision Day Postgame” show will return to the same digital platforms (with the exception of Sky Sports properties) to analyze the action, debate the playoffs contenders and look ahead to the 2016 Audi MLS Cup Playoffs.
Featured guests will include MLS coaching legend and former Sounders head coach Sigi Schmid and former Whitecaps manager Martin Rennie.
Fans following the action on social media can join the conversation on Instagram and Twitter using the #DecisionDay hashtag. Visit the Standings page for live standings, updated every 30 seconds throughout Decision Day.
PLAYOFF FORMAT:
- The top six teams in each conference will qualify for the playoffs and be seeded 1-6 in their respective conferences.
- The No. 3 and No. 4 seeds in each conference will host the No. 6 and No. 5 seeds in a single-elimination knockout game. The No. 1 and No. 2 seeds will get a bye to the Conference Semifinals. The lower-seeded winners of each knockout game will face the No. 1 seed in their respective conferences. The higher-seeded winners from the knockout games will face the No. 2 seed in the conferences.
- The four Conference Semifinals will be decided by a a two-game aggregate series, with the lower seed hosting the 1st leg and the higher seed hosting the 2nd leg.
- If the aggregate score is tied after 180 minutes of play, the away goals tiebreaker rule will apply so as to be consistent with CONCACAF and FIFA practice.
- If the series remains tied, two 15-minute extra time periods will be played in their entirety, followed by penalty kicks, if necessary.
- The away goals tiebreaker will not apply to extra time in the 2nd leg of any two-legged playoff series.
- The two Conference Championships will be decided by a two-game aggregate series, with the lower seed hosting the first leg and the higher seed hosting the second leg.
- The same tiebreakers will apply in the Conference Championships as in the Conference Semifinals.
- If the score is tied after 90 minutes of play, two 15-minute extra time periods will be played in their entirety, followed by kicks from the penalty mark, if necessary.
- MLS Cup will be a single championship match hosted by the finalist with the most regular season points. If the two finalists have the same number of regular season points, the tiebreakers for MLS Cup Playoff qualification will be applied to determine the host team.
TEAM-STANDINGS TIE-BREAKING PROCEDURES
The team awarded the highest position in the MLS standings will be the team with the greatest number of points (3 points for a win, 1 point for a tie, 0 points for a loss). In the event that two teams finish the regular season with an equal number of points, the following system will be used to break the tie:
- Total number of wins
- Goal Differential (GD)
- Goals For (GF)
- Fewest Disciplinary Points
- Away Goals Differential
- Away Goal For
- Home Goals Differential
- Home Goal For
- Coin Toss (tie of 2 clubs) or Drawing of Lots (tie of 3 or more clubs)
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.”
Sporting Kansas City: 2013 Major League Soccer Champions
KANSAS CITY, Kan. – Two championships in 16 months. A young core entering its prime. Owners willing to spend, and a fanbase mushrooming out of control. Everything is going to plan in Kansas City.
And after collecting their second MLS Cup trophy in a wild penalty shootout win over Real Salt Lake, becoming only the fifth team in MLS to win multiple titles in the process, it would seem Sporting Kansas City’s time atop the MLS heap has only just begun.
Of course, it’s easy to say that after popping bottles. But the sentiment’s got plenty of merit – despite the unknowns all MLS teams, most certainly championship ones, face come offseason – and Sporting hope this is just the beginning of a trophy case-clogging run.
“I could throw LeBron out there and say we’re going to win one, two, three, four, five,” defenderMatt Besler said somewhat facetiously, drawing plenty of laughs. “But I saw the potential with this club and where it’s headed and where it was already at. That was probably the biggest factor in signing a long-term deal.”
Besler’s United States national teammate Graham Zusi did the same this June, and despite the fact that both could move on next summer should foreign clubs come calling following the 2014 World Cup, trophies have a way of keeping talent in the fold and attracting plenty more.
As Sporting know all too well, success also attracts wandering eyes, a lesson learned when Roger Espinoza and Kei Kamara departed for England in the past year, but it seems the club has had no problem moving on, restocking the cupboard and finally overcoming their playoff yips to bring a long-awaited championship to Kansas City.
“This is definitely the first stepping stone. We’ve kind of created a culture at this club, and the past couple years we’ve grown each year,” Zusi said. “Don’t get me wrong, we’re very satisfied with what we’ve accomplished right now, but we need to take this as a stepping stone into the years to come and try to become one of the dominant teams in the league.”
Don’t forget the region, either.
By defeating Real Salt Lake, a team that knows all too well that titles are hard to come by after winning MLS Cup ahead of schedule in 2009 then falling short in the ensuring seasons, Kansas City is back in the CONCACAF Champions League for the 2014-15 season.
Before that, though, they’ll try to navigate the knockout stages for the first time facing a quarterfinal matchup against Cruz Azul in March.
“I made a joke earlier right after the president and owner came over to me on the field. I said, ‘That’s great. Now let’s go and win Champions League,’” manager Peter Vermes said. “Give me one day to just relax and enjoy this, but that’s hopefully the next thing on our list.”
And after that? Perhaps a Supporters’ Shield, US Open Cup or MLS Cup triumph.
Hey, Sporting can dream about a potential dynasty, right?
“I don’t know about a dynasty. We feel like we’ve got a team that can put ourselves in position to win trophies,” defender Seth Sinovic said. “Obviously, US Open Cup last year and MLS Cup this year. Who knows? We’d like to win a lot more, but we know it’s going to be difficult with the parity in this league.”
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