LA Galaxy vs New England Revolution in MLS Cup [R]

[BetterThanChivas]

LA wins the MLS Cup 1-0 with a '107 goal from Pando Ramirez.
:jawdrop:It's a shocker.
DISCUSS!

[xlite]

i only caught the last 20 mins (literally turned it on a min before galaxy scored) but neither side deserved to win ... galaxy missed some shockers, but all credit to them they did score one. NE just didn't seem like they wanted it, they were playing as if it was just another league game, nothing on the line. I saw no real commitment from their players after the goal went in. When you go down by 1 goal with 15 minutes left and the cup is on the line u pile every forward to try and get that goal back and get some momentum in your favor. They just didn't seem overly keen to get the ball down to their strikers ...

[clarette]

That was seriously the most bizarre cup final, starting with 10 yellow cards and no reds, and ending with Pando (of all people) scoring the game-winner.

When Mr. 3-6-1 put Pando in the game, I thought, "wouldn't it be funny if he actually scored for once?" and then he actually did.

New England was just flat today. They kept trying to force the ball up the center, and they couldn't execute any of their crosses or set pieces either. I think that by the time you caught it, xlite, they were just tired of being frustrated, if that makes any sense...

[BetterThanChivas]

MLSnet.com article: http://www.mlsnet.com/MLS/news/mls_events_news.jsp?ymd=20051113&content_id=48250&vkey=mlscup2005&fext=.jsp
Extra! Extra! Galaxy capture MLS Cup
By Jason Halpin / MLSnet.com Staff
FRISCO, Texas -- For the second time in an MLS Cup Final, the Los Angeles Galaxy defeated the New England Revolution 1-0 in extra time, as a Guillermo Ramirez blast proved to be the difference Sunday at Pizza Hut Park.

Ramirez, much maligned this season for his inability to find the back of the net, fired home the game-winner in the 17th minute of extra time to win Honda MLS Cup MVP honors. Teammate Landon Donovan started the decisive play with a corner from the right, and Revolution goalkeeper Matt Reis tried to punch it away, but could only get it as far as the Guatemalan midfielder nicknamed "Pando." He rocketed a right-footed blast over the heads in the packed goalmouth from the edge of the penalty area.

Over the season, Ramirez had 62 shots, 30 on goal -- and just one goal, by far the poorest shooting ratio not only this year, but in any single season in MLS history. No one else had ever taken more shots with as few goals.

The victory is the Galaxy's second win in five attempts in the league final. The other came in 2002, when forward Carlos Ruiz slotted home a golden goal in the 113th minute against the Revs at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass. It also completed the domestic double for the Galaxy, earlier winners of the U.S. Open Cup. They became the third team in MLS history to with both U.S. titles, the first since the Chicago Fire in 1998.

The win also brings to a surprisingly positive close a long, turbulent season for the Galaxy, who were tabbed by many observers as a preseason MLS Cup favorite but finished fourth in the Western Conference before marching in dominant fashion through the playoffs. For the Revolution, it's another postseason heartbreaker, this time at the end of the best regular season in club history.

It was a slow, physical match with spikes of action as both clubs were loathe to give up anything to their opponent. Referee Kevin Stott handed out 10 cautions -- by far the most in an MLS Cup -- and called 51 fouls.

Forward Herculez Gomez played a major role for the Green and Gold in the first stanza. The Galaxy thought they had an early opener in the sixth minute when Gomez ran on to a long pass and chipped it over Reis and in, but he was judged to be in an offside position.

In the 19th minute, Galaxy defender Chris Albright intercepted a pass at midfield and drove forward on the counterattack, playing a give-and-go with Donovan and bursting into the box. Albright's pass across the middle of the box went begging, though, as Revolution defender Jay Heaps had the on-rushing Gomez blanketed.

At the same time, the Revolution weren't faring well in their attacking end. The only scoring chance to speak of for the Eastern Conference champions -- apart from a couple of attacks that resulted in calls for offside -- came in the 29th minute, when Shalrie Joseph headed a Steve Ralston corner over the bar.

Gomez, who carried the Galaxy late in the regular season and powered their drive to their second Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup title, fired off four shots in the first half, but none of his efforts were on target. The closest he came was in the 41st minute, when he beat Revolution center back Michael Parkhurst to a long ball over the top and fired into the side netting.

Gomez's strike partner, Donovan, was held in check for most of the game, but he had his moments. In first-half stoppage time, he set off on a run from deep in Galaxy territory after a Revolution corner, eventually firing a shot from 12 yards that Reis parried out for a corner.

The Revs have been a second-half team for much of the year, and after the break, they turned up the pressure on the Galaxy. Still, they failed to stir up any real trouble in the Galaxy box, their crosses left wanting.

The only Revolution shot on goal in regulation came in the 62nd minute as Heaps overlapped on the right and stormed into the box, only to have Galaxy goalkeeper Kevin Hartman punch away his effort. It was the second-longest in an MLS Cup Final a team had gone without a shot on goal, the first the Revolution in 2002, who went the entire regulation 90 minutes without hitting the frame.

The Revs tried to spice up the attack in the 64th minute by bringing on midfielder Jose Cancela for forward Pat Noonan and pushing Clint Dempsey up top. The same move worked wonders for the Revs in Game Two of the Eastern Conference Semifinals for the Revs. The Galaxy countered two minutes later by bringing on Ramirez for Ned Grabavoy.

The Galaxy began to tilt the match back into their favor in the last quarter-hour as the pace began to pick up. Donovan, who has been the Galaxy's unquestioned star in the playoffs, nearly did it again, attempting to stab home a loose ball in the goalmouth in the 79th minute. But Parkhurst was there to rescue the Revs, stifling Donovan's shot and clearing the ball.

The Western Conference champions continued to press and Gomez sailed a shot just inches over the bar in the 80th minute. Midfielder Cobi Jones came a bit closer to breaking the deadlock three minutes later, but not close enough, pounding a blast off the crossbar after a Donovan cross fell to him at the top of the box.

In the ninth minute of the first overtime session, the Revs finally drew some acrobatics out of Hartman. Rookie midfielder James Riley saved the ball on the left touchline and sailed in a cross that was nodded down to the top of the box. Cancela drove a shot that was headed for the top corner, but Hartman punched it out over the endline.

Five minutes later, the Galaxy had a close call of their own as Donovan dove to meet an Albright service, heading it just wide of the near post. In the next minute came Ramirez's eventual game-winning rocket.

Knowing they needed a goal to keep their season alive, the Revolution tried to drive forward in the second extra session. Dempsey took a crack from 18 yards out in the 18th overtime minute, but the shot went wide to the right.

The Galaxy could have stretched the final margin of victory to two goals in the 25th minute of extra time, but Reis stopped point-blank shots from both Donovan and Gomez after a counterattack.

The Revolution had a final foray into the attack in the final minutes, but Cancela had a shot deflected wide with two minutes to go, and the Galaxy denied two last-minute Revs corner kicks to preserve their Cup victory.

Jason Halpin is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.

[xlite]

i can understand that ... well in a normal game ... but the cup final you have to go all out ... you just HAVE to :P

[BetterThanChivas]

Originally Posted by clarette

That was seriously the most bizarre cup final, starting with 10 yellow cards and no reds, and ending with Pando (of all people) scoring the game-winner.

When Mr. 3-6-1 put Pando in the game, I thought, "wouldn't it be funny if he actually scored for once?" and then he actually did.

New England was just flat today. They kept trying to force the ball up the center, and they couldn't execute any of their crosses or set pieces either. I think that by the time you caught it, xlite, they were just tired of being frustrated, if that makes any sense...

That is exactly what I thought when Pando came in. It was a great goal. :rei:

I remember how is one goal during the season was a PK that he missed. It hit off the post and went right at Joe Cannon but it hit Cannon in the behind and went in. I laughed :dancing:

[clarette]

Originally Posted by xlite

i can understand that ... well in a normal game ... but the cup final you have to go all out ... you just HAVE to :P

Well, their mojo was doomed from the start when Shalrie didn't wear the pigtails, so... 😉

[SoccerPrime]

Lets see: Most unworthy team not only wins the Open Cup but now the MLS Cup and beat the 2 most worthy teams....ugh. I hate LA, Sampson and most of the over-dramtic bozos on LA...
Worse MLS Cup match I have ever seen (of course I have only seen the last 4).
...
Goal! looks good though 😉

[Rover]

Well, since I supported the Galaxy before RSL was formed I fully admit my bias concerning this game. Everyone is free to feel about the result as they want, but LA won two of the three domestic trophies this year and nothing was handed to them. I've followed this team for 10 years and I see no more prima donnas on the Galaxy than on any other team.

The Galaxy won the games that counted, and that's what makes a champion. And the champion is not necessarily the best team. In this case, the Galaxy defeated the two best teams in the league this year to win the Cup, so that should clear up any arguments about what is "deserved."

The game itself was awful. I was surprised since the main reason it was bad was because the Revs couldn't find their game. LA attacked from the opening minute and had the run of play for most of the game. I don't know what happened to NE's attack, but except for some creativity late from Cancela they just didn't get off the bus. I can't recall a NE game where Pat Noonan was such a non-factor. I don't recall him doing anything at all.

So bash away, but LA is the Cup Champion and we would do well do pay attention to how they've built their club. They have six domestic trophies now (one less than DC), have played in five of the ten MLS Cup Finals, have the highest winning percentage and the most wins in league history, and they've never missed the playoffs. That earns my respect.

[SoccerPrime]

Cry "cinderalla" all you want, but to see the 9th best team defeat the #1 and #2 after putting no effort into the regular season disgusts me. Bring on the Single Table now! (Of course it would help if Chivas or RSL played better and didn't give the Gals a free trip to the playoffs).

Plus I think I am even more pissed about how lame the Revs played, after playing so well and hard all season.

Kind of deflates my faith in working hard and MLS in general. Next thing they'll tell me is there is no Tooth Fairy or Santa Claus...