Broadcast is on ESPN, and the game will be played at the Stubhub Center in Carson, California. It is my very great privilege to start our last pre-game/in-game/post-game thread of the season. Our beloved Galaxy will be suiting up to win their 3rd title in 4 years. Thanks, my fellow Galaxy fans, for being here to enjoy another great season. It wouldn't be the same without you guys. I am wishing and hoping that the Galaxy jump out to an early and convincing lead against surging New England, else my head might explode, judging from the tension of getting through the Western Conference Finals. Just sort out the defense, Bruce, and we will be okay. Go Galaxy!
Thank you Geneva for the game threads! Bummer you can't attend the final live. First let me say that if LA lost to NE, I wouldn't be terribly upset. I'd be down and stuff, but not hating life. NE's talented and I'd be happy for Lee Nguyen. But since I'm a Galaxy fan, I would very much like #FirstToFive. Dec. 7 can't come fast enough! I'm so looking forward to this game.
The biggest question now is health. Will AJDLG be ready by Sunday? And is Juninho okay? And will Sarvas be fully healed (he looked to be about 90% last night). NE is the perfect team to play AJ at centerback with Omar, because with Davies and Nguyen as their main threats, we need speed and positioning, not big bodies, to contain them. And it's obvious why the central tandem of Juninho and Sarvas will be a key to this game... And, of course, Keanovan needs to step up after taking a break the last series...
Has to be the most challenging MLS Cup Final of the Arena-era Galaxy. New England is certainly the more in-form team while LA, apart from the second leg against RSL, has underperformed. The storylines are there for both teams. LA becomes the undisputed best ever team in MLS and Landon takes sole possession of the most MLS Cup wins of any player or New England complete the circle and reverse their bad fortune in MLS Cups by beating LA away. One thing I’d really like to avoid is losing on a goal by the maliciously irresponsible Davies, he’s not quite on the level of Dempsey and Lenhart for douchiness, but he’s not far off.
My thoughts: NE have leaked a lot of goals, but scored more. We should create a lot of chances. If our finishing gets better, we could blow them out. If we aren't sharp, it will be tight. Our Defense has been good, but Jaime needs to be better. Someone needs to feed him some confidence juice. Donovan needs to take all corners. He is SO much more effective than Ishi. It was like that in the regular season. When he started taking the corners, we were suddenly dangerous. Then, in the playoffs, Ishi starts taking them again and we suck. You all know what happened last night. As someone else said ,I hope we're healthy. Specifically, I think AJ makes a huge difference for us, but Juni getting subbed out has me worried. I'm rooting for Zardes to score... we need an assist from LD. Omar needs to track runners against NE... the first goal he didn't stick with Dempsey, and Nguyen and Jones can work those combinations. I got a ticket to the match!!! Anyone out there want to meet up before-hand?
With a noon kickoff, I think a BS brunch gathering before the game needs to happen. And seriously, what says Soccer Hooligans more than a good brunch....?
If only Jaime had a goalkeeper coach who had spent the last several years playing with the NE players and for the NE coaching staff.... ..... ..... Wait a second... Damn, Arena is a sneaky sob...
I'm with Rokstedy on this one. I really hope we win the Cup but I will see this as a very successful season whatever the outcome. That wasn't the case against SEA - that was a must win series for me to feel good about this season. Now to the game itself. I'm most worried about Juninho being available. He is the cog of the LAG machine. With Juninho playing and the game at home we should win whoever is in the back line. Without Juninho it will be a lot harder task, especially when you realize his probably replacement is 90 minutes of Husidic.
Doesn't sound too bad, although that's what AJ said all week before not even making the 18. Perhaps Bruce told Juninho to tell the media it was just a cramp. Adam Serrano @LAGalaxyInsider · 11h 11 hours ago Juninho tells media that he's good to go for #MLSCup. He says cold weather gave him a cramp that forced him from game
Maybe just a gamble with AJ. Knowing a single goal would almost certainly be enough Leo was adequate, while AJ going 90 minutes in the freezing cold on a plastic pitch may have been too big a risk.
I think you nailed it earlier, the big bodies banging was why Leonardo was out there, in particular in the second half when Seattle turned into route 1, lump it into the box, he was great to be there. That being said, not having AJ on the bench as an option makes me think it was more then just a tactical/rest decision... When Gargan went down I was about to panic...
It said ABC on lagalaxy.com early this morning, but now it's been changed to ESPN. You are correcto-mundo.
I also would love an LD assist to Zardes. I'd love for Zardes to punch his USMNT ticket (please don't let JK ruin him), and for LD to get the record. Gyasi needs to score so badly, it would be great for him to get it here. But most of all, I don't care if the goals are ugly. JUST WIN!
Nguyen has been better than Dempsey, for me; I've loved watching him play this season. It's going to be a fun game.
So... I bought my ticket last night after a brief soporific conversation with Mrs. Ghosting. This morning we decided that it would be more fun to go to the game together (rather than me going alone), so we bought a pair of tickets, leaving me with a single extra ticket. If anyone wants to buy a ticket in section 102, row K, please PM me. If anyone has other creative ideas for recouping the cost of said ticket, I'm game to hear them as well!
That's what we were saying at home when he was subbed out. It did look like just a cramp, which is understandable: cold night playing on that crap turf.
Agreed. Davies is a moron's moron. A true sh**head in every sense of the word. Throw that a-hole down a volcano for all I care. But now I'll dispense with the pleasantries and get down to business. Lee Ngyen cannot be allowed to roam. Same for Jones. They will find Charlie Zipperhead and he can score an ugly one, or score without him. We have the tools to destroy what has become the best team in the East. Their record is incredible since Jones arrived. I believe they haven't lost in months. Now it's time. LD and Keano need to step up. If we can create chances like we did against RSL, it'll crack them wide open. Pinedo needs to be solid. Seattle was somewhat unlucky not to score one more, but f*** them, that's karma. I'm going to be there with 5 others, and I'm nervous as hell. That usually means we're about to kick ass.