The LA Galaxy are Western Conference Champions after beating the Seattle Sounders 1-0 on Saturday night. An undefeated run at home gives the Galaxy hosting rights for the 2024 MLS Cup and a chance to finally win the race to seis.
They will host New York Red Bull without Riqui Puig, who suffered a torn ACL before making the game-winning assist.
The LA Galaxy are back in the MLS Cup final, just one year after finishing in 13th place, winning a club-low eight games, and conceding a club-high 67 goals.
Will Kuntz and Greg Vanney have reminded the league of their ability to build title-winning teams by taking the miserable 2023 squad and turning it into the league’s most exciting team in just three transfer windows.
The Galaxy’s current group, made up of mostly new Kuntz signings and a select core of Greg Vanney’s key guys, earned their first title on Saturday night after beating the Seattle Sounders 1-0 in a cagey Western Conference Final.
They tried finding an early goal as in the semifinal against Minnesota, but Seattle carried on their fantastic defensive form and didn’t make it so easy for the Galaxy to control this one.
Read more: RECAP – Playoffs: LA Galaxy Raise the Bar Prior to Western Conference Final, 6-2
Unable to find an early breakthrough, which would have forced Seattle to take more risks, the LA Galaxy faced a difficult task in breaking down the league’s best defence.
The Sounders stuck to the hard-ball principles which got them to the final and defended with 10 men from the first whistle. The LA Galaxy are used to facing teams in a low block, but Seattle does it better than anyone.
The Roldan brothers in midfield and right back were the engines of their team, relentless in supporting each other on both ends of the pitch. Nouhou Tolo, widely considered the best one-on-one defender in the league, was extremely focused in this match, happy to not get involved in Seattle’s attack and prevent Gabriel Pec from finding the space to showcase his talent.
Seattle’s playstyle forced the Galaxy to prove just how much they’ve matured since the regular season. Low blocks used to cause Riqui Puig to run himself and his teammates ragged as he looked to force goals and would lose the ball in dangerous areas instead. Rather than lose their shape in search of a goal, the team has learned to protect the ball in key areas and circulate it patiently while they wait for the opportunity to present itself.
Even with this more responsible play, the Galaxy still gave up a couple of chances on the break, which Seattle were quick to pounce on. Georgi Minoungou caused Miki Yamane problems in the first half, getting in behind and needing interventions from Emiro Garcés and John McCarthy to prevent Seattle from taking a shock early lead.
Despite all of their possession, the LA Galaxy looked most threatening on the counter. Whenever Seattle did carve out an attack, Joseph Paintsil and Gabriel Pec would look to get as high as possible to try and make the most of the rare gaps. A slick counter after a Sounders corner in the 15th minute ended in a great shooting chance for Pec, but Marco Reus couldn’t jump high enough out of the way and blocked the shot with his studs.
The game would continue flowing from controlled but unproductive possession for the Galaxy to periods of intense back-and-forth as each side tried to be the first to score without allowing themselves to be scored on.
Seattle Sounders would have the best chance of the first half with a free kick just outside and to the right of McCarthy’s box in the 40th minute. Albert Rusnák whipped a wicked shot into the top corner, but McCarthy reacted brilliantly to prevent what would have been a stunning opening goal just before the break.
A draw at halftime would have been a satisfactory partial result for Seattle coach Brian Schemtzer. Both he and Greg Vanney would have felt that their side could have stolen a goal in the first half and were not far from achieving it in the second.
Seattle Sounders continued fighting doggedly behind the ball and were rewarded for their efforts with a palpable momentum swing.
They continued to stifle the Galaxy’s runners, causing Riqui Puig to become visibly frustrated at the start of the second half. Seattle continued squeezing and prevented the Galaxy from controlling the game with possession as much, stealing some of the momentum they’re so used to having starting around the 60th minute.
In that time, Seattle tried to create goal threat in open play, but seemed to have a vacuum in the middle of the attacking third. Nearly all of their best chances came through Minoungou on the left as Jordan Morris and Pedro de la Vega either fouled or failed away the opportunities they had.
Roldan and Rusnak did well enough to continue dragging Seattle’s play forward and keep heavy pressure on the Galaxy defense, but shackled by their own defensive responsibilities, they could only watch as those ahead of them came short of getting past Maya Yoshida, Garcés, and McCarthy.
The pressure to defend eventually manifested itself in a hard challenge by Cristian Roldan on Riqui Puig in the 63rd minute. A similarly hard hit on Puig in the 40th minute was compounded and the 25 year-old Spaniard was treated on the sideline during a concussion protocol pause in the 67th minute.
Puig finished the game, contributing another 30 stellar minutes and providing the game-winning assist, but his emotions after the game and the club’s statement on Sunday confirm that Puig tore his left ACL and will miss the final as well as a portion of the 2025 season as he recovers from the upcoming surgery.
Undeterred by the pain, Puig continued putting his body on the line for the LA Galaxy, continuing to conduct the show as he had done all year.
Despite not finding nearly the same amount of joy as they did in their previous playoff fixtures, the LA Galaxy consistently looked more dangerous in attack. Mark Delgado’s introduction in the second half was hugely significant and gave the Galaxy much-needed control in the attacking half-spaces in between Seattle’s stingy defensive unit.
Delgado’s presence forced a late turnover deep in Seattle’s own half. Before Delgado even had the ball under control Puig called for it. Once he got it, he saw a disorganized Sounders backline and Dejan Joveljic running downhill towards Stefan Frie’s goal. Puig slipped in a perfectly weighted pass and Joveljic’s first time shot caught Frei wrong-footed, glancing past his outstretched hand before landing in the back of the net and sending the LA Galaxy to the MLS Cup Final.
The LA Galaxy will be hosting New York Red Bull for the MLS Cup on Saturday, December 7th.
The date marks the 10-year anniversary from the last time the Galaxy hosted and won an MLS Cup.
Will Kuntz, Greg Vanney, and their squad now have a chance to bring the Galaxy a record sixth MLS Cup in front of their home supporters. If they win and finally conquer the race to seis, Riqui Puig will be remembered as the man who made it possible by putting his broken body on the line for the crest.
Riqui Puig has had the best year of his career thus far. He scored or assisted at least once in every game across the entire season, making 17 goals and 20 assists in 36 appearances across all competitions.
Puig has showcased the talent that was underutilized in Barcelona and shut up doubters who called him washed for choosing a starring role in the MLS. Riqui Puig shined every single week as he led the LA Galaxy to the Western Conference Championship and an undefeated season at Dignity Health Sports Park. In a league with the likes of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, Jordi Alba, and Sergio Busquets, Riqui Puig has stood out as the MLS’s true bonafide star, performing brilliantly in the playoffs while Inter Miami faced a first-round exit.
His transfer value on transfermarkt.com has doubled since joining the Galaxy in 2022.
This injury is a cruel blow to one of the best footballers the MLS has ever seen. Fortunately, he counts on a supporting cast that has proven they have what it takes to win without their little Spanish magician by their side.
The LA Galaxy were without Riqui Puig for most of June, who was sidelined with a persistent groin injury which he had picked up earlier in the season. In that stretch, the Galaxy played and beat Sporting Kansas City, New York City FC, and Real Salt Lake without Puig in the squad. This run broke a longstanding negative record for Greg Vanney, who had previously failed to win three games in a row since joining the club in 2021.
Read More: RECAP: LA Galaxy vs SKC – “Everyone Needs to be Ready”, 4-2
The LA Galaxy are now obligated to rally together for Puig and preserve the unbeaten run at DHSP in the match that matters most. One more win separates them from legend status in Los Angeles.
PHOTO: LA GALAXY
The post LA Galaxy Crowned Western Conference Champs, Riqui Puig Tears ACL appeared first on Los Angeles Sports Nation.