MLS Cup Final: LA Galaxy vs. New England Revolution | Match Preview

MLSsoccer staff

LA GALAXY VS. NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION
MLS CUP FINAL
December 7, 2014 | 3 pm ET
StubHub Center, Carson, Calif.
TV: ESPN, UniMas, UDN, TSN1, RDS2 | Radio: SiriusXM FC
International TV Listings

The big one. The grand finale. The title bout. Whatever you want to call it, this is where it all ends when the LA Galaxy host the New England Revolution with the league championship on the line.

The Galaxy, who advanced past the Seattle Sounders in the Western Conference Championship, will compete in their ninth MLS Cup final, a league record, and their fourth in the last six years. LA have won the MLS Cup four times, which is tied with D.C. United for the most all-time.

The Revolution, who beat the New York Red Bulls in the Eastern Conference Championship, will make their fifth MLS Cup final appearance. They have yet to win one. Among their four championship-game defeats are two to the Galaxy, in 2002 and again in 2005.

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Last time the Galaxy and Revolution met in the final

THE MATCHUP

For the third time, the LA Galaxy and New England Revolution will face off for the Major League Soccer championship when they meet at MLS Cup 2014 at StubHub Center. It’s the first time in MLS Cup history the same teams have met in three finals (the Galaxy and Houston Dynamo, as well as Houston and New England and D.C. United and LA, have all met in two championship matches).

It’s a record ninth appearance in 19 MLS Cups for the LA Galaxy, and their third final in the last four years (and fourth in the last six). They have won the MLS championship on four occasions, including back-to-back titles in 2011 and 2012, and are aiming to become the first team in MLS history with five championships (also: D.C. United with four).

The New England Revolution have appeared in the most MLS Cups – four – without winning a title. After their first appearance in 2002 (a loss to the Galaxy), they appeared in three consecutive championship matches from 2005-07, the second-longest consecutive MLS Cup streak in league annals (D.C. United played in each of the first four).

The Galaxy won both previous meetings with an overtime victory. In 2002, Carlos Ruiz scored a golden goal in the 113th minute to give the Galaxy a 1-0 victory at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass., before an MLS Cup record crowd of 61,316. In 2005, substitute Guillermo Ramirez scored the game’s lone goal in stoppage time at the end of the first extra-time session to give the Galaxy the victory at Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, Texas.

It will also be the second time the teams will meet in an MLS Cup final on the home ground of one of the participants. In 2002, the Revolution reached the championship match they had been selected to host – the second time a team played on its own field (also: 1997, D.C. United at RFK Stadium). The Galaxy are the third team to play host to MLS Cup by virtue of having the best regular-season record of the two finalists; they also did it in 2012, the first year the host team was decided by league performance, while also playing host in 2011 in Carson after selected to be the championship site.

The teams met just once during the regular season. The Galaxy claimed a 5-1 victory on July 16 at StubHub Center, the Revolution’s heaviest defeat of the regular season. Robbie Keane (10, 78) and Gyasi Zardes (18, 48) each scored a pair of goals for the Galaxy; Stefan Ishizaki (75) also added a free kick goal. The lone Revolution goal was scored by Lee Nguyen (38) from the penalty spot.

Five goals have been scored by one team in each of the last two meetings between the clubs. The Revolution defeated the Galaxy 5-0 in the only meeting in 2013, June 2 at Gillette Stadium – the biggest margin of victory in the all-time series that began in the MLS inaugural season of 1996. The Revolution had won the two previous meetings between the teams before this year, ending a string of three winless meetings with the Galaxy in Carson with a 3-1 victory in 2012. Over their 19-year regular season history, the Galaxy have won 17 meetings (2 by shootout), while the Revolution have won 15 (1 by shootout), with 6 draws. The Galaxy have outscored the Revolution 62-57.

The Galaxy had the best attacking record during the MLS regular season, scoring 69 goals in 34 matches, an average of 2.03 goals per game. That mark tied the eighth-highest goals-per-game average in MLS history, just the second time since 2000 that a team has averaged better than two goals per game in an MLS season.

The Galaxy also posted the joint-best defensive record in Major League Soccer in 2014, allowing 37 goals in 34 league matches (1.09 per game). It’s just the third time in MLS history a team has scored the most goals in a season while also allowing the fewest – the 1998 LA Galaxy also did it, as did Real Salt Lake in 2010.

REFEREES

Mark Geiger will be the MLS Cup referee for the first time. Named the 2014 MLS Referee of the Year, Geiger has been an MLS referee since 2004. For his 12 league matches in 2014, Geiger whistled an average of 27.5 fouls per game, 10th-highest in the league (among 33 referees, the league average was 25.4). He also gave out 3.0 yellows per game (league average was 3.25), and awarded 3 red cards and 4 penalty kicks. Geiger also officiated three matches during the 2014 FIFA World Cup, including the round-of-16 game between France and Nigeria, making him the first U.S. referee to take charge of a World Cup knockout round tie.

The assistant referees are Peter Manikowski and Joe Fletcher. It is the second appearance for Manikowski in MLS Cup, having also run the lines in the 2011 final. Fletcher is making his first appearance in MLS Cup; he was also an assistant referee in the 2014 World Cup. The fourth official is Armando Villarreal.

STUBHUB CENTER

StubHub Center is the only stadium to play host to six MLS Cup Finals. In the stadium’s inaugural year of 2003, the San Jose Earthquakes defeated the Chicago Fire 4-2, then the following year, D.C. United defeated the Kansas City Wizards 3-2. In 2008, the Columbus Crew defeated the New York Red Bulls 3-1, then the Galaxy won on their home ground in back-to-back years, defeating the Houston Dynamo on each occasion, a 1-0 victory in 2011 and a 3-1 triumph in 2012.

This is the seventh time the final has been played in the greater Los Angeles area, the most of any metropolitan area. MLS Cup 1998 was played at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, with the Chicago Fire defeating D.C. United 2-0.

THE COACHES

Galaxy head coach and general manager Bruce Arena is the first coach to lead a team to seven MLS Cup Finals. In charge of D.C. United from the outset, Arena led that club to back-to-back victories in 1996 and 1997, before suffering a loss to Chicago in MLS Cup ’98, his final MLS match before taking over the U.S. national team for nearly a decade. Arena has now led the Galaxy to MLS Cup four times in six full seasons since taking over during the 2008 season.

This is Arena’s seventh appearance in an MLS Cup Final, a total matched by only LA Galaxy associate head coach Dave Sarachan, who was head coach of Chicago in 2001, and an assistant in 1998 and ’99 (D.C. United), as well as 2009, 2011, 2012 and 2014 with the Galaxy.

Arena is also the only man to win four MLS Cups as head coach. Three others have two victories: current Seattle Sounders FC head man Sigi Schmid (LA, 2002; Columbus, 2008) and current Chicago Fire head coach Frank Yallop (San Jose Earthquakes 2001, ’03), as well as current San Jose head coach Dominic Kinnear (2006, ’07). Arena and Kinnear are the only two coaches to have won back-to-back MLS Cups.

Revolution head coach Jay Heaps is in his first MLS Cup, in his third season in charge of the Revolution. Heaps is the second man in league history to coach the team for which he played in an MLS Cup – he has appeared in every Revolution appearance in the championship game. A year ago, Sporting Kansas City coach Peter Vermes won MLS Cup after also winning the title in 2000 for the then-Kansas City Wizards, the first person to win the title both as a player and as a head coach.

Heaps is also looking to be the sixth former MLS player to also win an MLS Cup as coach. The first was Frank Yallop (Tampa Bay 1996-98); he won two MLS Cups in charge of the San Jose Earthquakes (2001, 2003). Peter Nowak (Chicago 1998-2002) led D.C. United to victory in MLS Cup 2004, and Dominic Kinnear (Colorado 1996; San Jose 1997; Tampa Bay 1998-2000) guided the Houston Dynamo to back-to-back Cup victories in 2006 and 2007. Jason Kreis became the fourth, guiding Real Salt Lake to their MLS Cup 2009 title, then Peter Vermes performed the feat a year ago with Sporting Kansas City.

THE TEAMS

With a sixth MLS Cup victory, Landon Donovan will add yet another all-time record to his legend. In 2012, Donovan joined very select company with a fifth MLS Cup title. Just four other players in MLS Cup history have been on the field for four or more MLS Cup victories: Jeff Agoos (5, 3 with D.C. and 2 with San Jose), Jaime Moreno (4, all with D.C.), Dwayne De Rosario (4, 2 with San Jose and 2 with Houston), and Brian Mullan (4, 1 with San Jose, 2 with Houston, 1 with Colorado). Donovan and Agoos are the only players in MLS Cup history to have made six appearances in the title game; Donovan has played 606 minutes in MLS Cup finals, the most of any player.

Landon Donovan has scored five goals in his six MLS Cup appearances – the most of any player. After scoring the lone goal in MLS Cup 2011, he was named MLS Cup MVP, winning the honor for a second time, also named in 2003 while winning with the San Jose Earthquakes. Only Dwayne De Rosario (San Jose, 2001; Houston, 2007) has also won MLS Cup MVP on two occasions.

Of the 30-man Galaxy squad, fully 15 players were in the 2012 team that won MLS Cup in Carson against the Houston Dynamo. A further three players have been part of MLS Cup squads over the course of their careers.

The Galaxy can run out a back four of players all with MLS Cup experience. Todd Dunivant has appeared in four MLS Cups, part of the Galaxy’s victories in 2005, 2011 and 2012, while also appearing in the penalty-kick shootout loss in 2009. Omar Gonzalez has played in each of the last three MLS Cups – winning MLS Cup MVP honors in 2012, the first defender in league history to be so honored. A.J. DeLaGarza played in two finals, missing the 2012 match through injury, while Tommy Meyer played in 2012 as a rookie. Two other defenders have been part of other MLS Cup teams – Robbie Rogers won MLS Cup 2008 with the Columbus Crew (played in Carson), while James Riley was with the New England Revolution team that lost to the Galaxy in MLS Cup 2005.

Nearly the entire Galaxy midfield also has MLS Cup experience. In addition to record-holder Landon Donovan, Juninho has played in two MLS Cups (2011 and 2012), and Marcelo Sarvas played in the 2012 title match. Striker Robbie Keane has also played in two MLS Cups, scoring a goal in the 2012 victory, while substitute forward Alan Gordon has made one MLS Cup appearance – with the Galaxy all the way back in 2005, in their victory against New England.

New England head coach Jay Heaps has been a part of every Revolution appearance in the MLS championship match. Heaps played every minute of each of the club’s four losses in the title match in 2002 and 2005-07. Sharlie Joseph and Andy Dorman were also part of the Revolution’s consecutive defeats in 2005-07, with Joseph playing every minute in each of those matches. Teal Bunbury was an unused substitute in Sporting Kansas City’s victory a year ago, while Andre Akpan was in the Colorado Rapids winning squad for MLS Cup 2010.

Two members of the Galaxy coaching staff also played key roles in the Revolution MLS Cup Final appearances. Goalkeeper coach Matt Reis and assistant coach Pat Noonan both played in all three Revolution appearances from 2005-07.

The teams also met in the 2001 U.S. Open Cup Final -- which was also won 2-1 by the Galaxy, on an extra-time goal by Danny Califf in the 92nd minute, in a game played at Titan Stadium in Fullerton, Calif.

2001 U.S. Open Cup Final; October 27, 2001: Titan Stadium - Fullerton, California
LOS ANGELES GALAXY 2 - 1 NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION (aet)
Ezra Hendrickson 70; Danny Califf 92 -- Wolde Harris 30
LA: Kevin Hartman -- Greg Vanney, Paul Caligiuri (Brian Mullan 64), Danny Califf, Ezra Hendrickson, Simon Elliott, Peter Vagenas, Mauricio Cienfuegos, Adam Frye, Sasha Victorine (Alexi Lalas 91), Cobi Jones
NE: Jose Fernandez -- Joe Franchino, Mauricio Wright, Leo Cullen, Leonel Alvarez, Jay Heaps (ejected 88), Nick Downing (Ted Chronopoulos 78), Brandon Cloutier, Cate, Andy Williams (Alan Woods 61), Wolde Harris (William Sunsing 68)

LA GALAXY

Landon Donovan has scored three goals in the MLS Cup Playoffs for the Galaxy, leading the club. It’s the sixth time in his career Donovan has scored three or more goals in a single playoff season; his career-best is five, in his first MLS season of 2001. He became the third player in MLS Cup Playoffs history to score a hat trick with his performance vs. Real Salt Lake in the Western Conference Semifinals, the first since Stern John did it for Columbus in 1999 (also: Raúl Diaz Arce in 1996). Donovan has scored 25 goals in the MLS Cup Playoffs for his career, the most all-time.

Donovan also recorded an assist in the Western Conference Championship second leg win at Seattle, his second of the postseason this year and the 14th of his career in the MLS Cup Playoffs, tied for most all-time with former Galaxy standout Mauricio Cienfuegos.

Marcelo Sarvas has scored two goals in the MLS Cup Playoffs this year, his first two goals in the MLS Cup Playoffs in his three seasons in the league.

Robbie Keane has one goal in the MLS Cup Playoffs this year, the goal in the second leg of the Western Conference Semifinals vs. Real Salt Lake his first in the postseason since MLS Cup 2012. But Keane has three assists this year, matching his career total in 12 MLS Cup Playoffs games entering this year.

The Galaxy allowed their first goals of the MLS Cup Playoffs this year in the West final second leg in Seattle. The opening goal from Sounders FC in the first half ended their scoreless streak at 296 minutes this year, the eighth-longest shutout streak in MLS Cup Playoffs history.

The biggest injury concern for the Galaxy heading into the second leg of the Western Conference Championship, defender A.J. DeLaGarza says he will be full available for the MLS Cup Final. DeLaGarza, primarily a central defender who started consecutive games at right back in the playoffs, suffered a hamstring injury in the first leg victory at StubHub Center. “I feel a lot better, will be ready to play this weekend,” DeLaGarza said. “It was just a factor of [CenturyLink Field's artificial] turf and the weather was not good to go out there. … I thought it was smart on our behalf just to get a guy in there who's fresh and ready, and it paid off at the end, and we won.”

Over the MLS Cup Playoffs run, 15 different players have played for the Galaxy, 14 in the first XI. The main changes have been in the back four, where six different players started matches. Only center back Omar Gonzalez and left back Robbie Rogers started each of the Galaxy’s four matches. The only change was on the right side of midfield, where Stefan Ishizaki started three of the four matches, and Baggio Husidic started one.

NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION

Charlie Davies leads all goalscorers in the MLS Cup Playoffs with four goals, in his first career appearance in the postseason. Davies has a pair of two-goal games, scoring twice in the opening victory vs. Columbus in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, and netting a brace in the second leg of the Eastern Conference Championship vs. New York. Davies is the seventh player in MLS history to have at least two multiple-goal games in a single postseason, the last Robbie Keane in 2012. He became the first player in the Revolution’s 19-year history to score multiple goals in a playoff game in the opener.

Lee Nguyen comes into MLS Cup 2014 with a goal and/or an assist in four consecutive games in the MLS Cup Playoffs. Nguyen has scored two goals and added three assists in his first career appearance in the postseason. Nguyen completed the regular season with a goal and/or an assist in five consecutive games; in those nine games over all competitions, the Revolution are 7-0-2.

Chris Tierney, the longest continually serving member current with the club, recording his first career MLS Cup Playoffs assists in the second leg victory. He was the first Revolution player to record two assists in a postseason game since Jose Cancela had two assists in the Revs’ 2-0 road win against the MetroStars at Giants Stadium on Nov. 1, 2003.

For the Revolution, 16 different players have played during their run in the MLS Cup Playoffs, 12 as starters. The major change has been at fullback, where Andrew Farrell has started three matches and Kevin Alston has started two. Nine players have started all four matches the Revolution have played; Kelyn Rowe started three, as Chris Tierney moved forward from left back to a wide midfield spot for the second leg of the Eastern Conference Championship.

The Revolution are the only team to go through the MLS Cup Playoffs without a loss this year. Over their last 16 games, since an Aug. 2 loss to the Red Bulls, the Revolution are 12-1-3 in all competitions.

With the second leg draw vs. New York, the Revolution also extended their undefeated streak in home playoff games to 17 matches, going 12-0-5 in those contests. The Revs have not lost in Foxborough in the postseason since a 2-1 defeat by D.C. United in 1997 – their first-ever home playoff match.