The stage is set. Now you've just got to scramble for a plane ticket, hotel room and match tickets. God speed.
In case you somehow missed this weekend's double dose of playoff drama, MLS Cup 2014 will pit the LA Galaxy against the New England Revolution at StubHub Center on Sunday (3 pm ET; ESPN, UniMas and UDN in the US | TSN1, RDS2 in Canada), a matchup of the MLS royalty and the hottest team in the league.
With seven days of non-stop hype, here’s your primer on the narratives that will dominate the buildup to MLS Cup, listed in order of predicted word counts, broadcast hours and comment-section silliness.
Best to prepare yourself for the onslaught now.
LANDON DONOVAN’S LAST HURRAH
Fate, it seems, is on Landon Donovan’s side. And rest assured fate – i.e. the possibility of a career-capping MLS Cup victory lap in front of friends and family – will be THE dominant storyline this week.
No US soccer figure is more polarizing - though perhaps fittingly Jurgen Klinsmann seems primed to take over that mantle upon Donovan’s impending retirement - and the Galaxy No. 10 will be the unquestioned public face of MLS Cup 2014, his quest for a record sixth MLS Cup title the final act in an unparalleled career.
After a calendar year in which thousands of words have been poured out to chronicle Donovan’s USMNT resurgence, Brazil snub, rocky relationship with Klinsmann, retirement announcement and chase for the MLS assist record, we’ll all do our best to add something to the annals of soccer history occupied by LD.
At this point, despite two MLS Cup titles with San Jose, Donovan is practically synonymous with the Galaxy. And he’d love nothing more than to end his career hoisting another Cup to cement his status as MLS’ G.O.A.T. and give LA a legitimate dynasty claim with three titles in four seasons.
Hollywood ending, indeed.
THE NUMBER FIVE
More than 24 hours before Donovan and the Galaxy completed their fairytale run to MLS Cup, the Revs could see the writing on the wall.
Playing on the road against the Designated Player-laden Galaxy, MLS Cup favorites they would not be. And while that may not sit well with the Krafts (watch this video if you don't believe), New England were always going to be the underdogs, no matter who advanced out of the Western Conference.
It doesn’t matter that the Revs are 11-1-2 in their last 14 games. It doesn’t matter that Lee Nguyen and Jermaine Jones may just be the best players at their respective positions in MLS (more on them later). It doesn’t matter that they recovered from an eight-game losing streak – one of the longest slides in MLS history and the worst stretch since TFC managed the same feat in 2012 – to put themselves on the brink of an MLS Cup title game.
Meanwhile, the Galaxy will play for a trophy at the StubHub Center, where they were 14-1-4 this season (that includes two away wins over Chivas USA), including a 5-1 beatdown of the Revs on July 16 in the middle of New England’s losing streak, and won championships on home turf in 2011 and 2012. LA have the most experienced MLS coach in history in Bruce Arena. They have Donovan, Robbie Keane and Omar Gonzalez. They beat the Supporters' Shield and US Open Cup holders to get here.
LA are the favorites, no doubt, but the Revs still have reason to think the oddsmakers have it all wrong.
THE JERMAINE JONES EFFECT
Turns out Jermaine Jones gets own Hollywood ending, as well, as the Revs chase a trophy in Los Angeles, where the destroyer's picture-book family is based. Seems fate favors him nearly as much as Donovan.
And I'd wager it's won't just be his family who will pack a luxury suite at StubHub.
Jones also considers himself something of a burgeoning celebrity after this summer's World Cup run, a lifestyle which includes all the usual trappings. You know, friendships with Charlie Sheen, Paris Hilton and Chris Brown and an affinity for nightlife. He couldn't have dreamed up a better ending to his first MLS season.
As for his day job, signing the USMNT midfielder (defender?) to a lucrative DP deal is arguably what transformed the Revs from a good team into a legitimate MLS Cup contender. That 11-1-2 record I referenced before lacked a bit of context. It's actually New England's mark since Jones arrived. Talk about return on investment.
Now Heaps and the Krafts need that sizeable investment to pay its final dividends of 2014 by helping shut down a rampant LA attack and open up room for MVLee to do his thing.
KEANO OR MVLEE?
Which side of the Volkswagen MLS MVP debate do you fall on? The award winner will be announced on Wednesday, but the real prize will be handed out to either Keane or Nguyen on Sunday.
That'd be the
Phillip F. Anschutz
Trophy, which will likely go to the team whose star attacker shines brightest. Both MVP finalists do it all for LA and New England, but Keane didn't exactly look like himself on Sunday night against Seattle while Nguyen was kept off the scoresheet for the first time this postseason against New York.
Both are going to have to deal with plenty of attention – Keane will be shadowed by Jones and Scott Caldwell with Andrew Farrell ready to step up when he drifts left, while Nguyen should get to know Juninho and Marcelo Sarvas intimately over the course of 90 minutes – but then that's been the case all season.
Whoever deals with it best could just tip the scales in their side's favor, delivering the ultimate prize and making history in the process.
