MLS Finals Set as LA, Houston Cruise to Victory
The 2011 MLS Cup will truly be a David v. Goliath affair. In this corner, you have the regular season’s best team with the most star power and biggest names who, by the way, will be playing at home. In this corner, you have a team that fought all season for a playoff spot then beat some quality Eastern Conference sides while losing their MVP candidate to injury. Such will be the storyline as the Los Angeles Galaxy face the Houston Dynamo on November 20 at 9 PM ET at the Home Depot Center.
With an international break providing a Super Bowl-esque week off for both teams, MLS Talk will have plenty of content breaking down the match and its players, as well as the implications for both sides. All of this will culminate in the annual MLS Cup Live Chat on the site; hang with us as we break down the play, strategy, and peripherals for MLS’s biggest game.
As for the teams themselves, yesterday was fairly anticlimactic as both teams won their matches with fairly comfortable scorelines. The Western Conference champion Galaxy were even with Real Salt Lake 1-1 at the half, but Mike Magee scored the go-ahead goal early in the second half before Robbie Keane put it away in the 68th minute. For the Eastern Conference champs, the game was a bit more intense as they had to play in the cauldron that is Livestrong Park against the favored Sporting KC. Even with Brad Davis going out with a right quad injury in the first half, Houston still kept up the pressure with Andre Hainault breaking through in the 53rd minute.
This will be the third MLS Cup played at one of the participants’ home field: DC United won the 1997 Cup at RFK while in 2002 New England watched Los Angeles celebrate at Gillette Field after their 1-0 victory. Another statistic of note: Los Angeles are undefeated at Home Dept Center this year.
What did you think of yesterday’s games and the upcoming MLS Cup match-up? Any early favorites or predictions?
22 Responses to MLS Finals Set as LA, Houston Cruise to Victory
Dynamo take their miracle run to the finish and spoil the Galaxy’s
dream. Houston 2-1.
You know Brad Davis isn’t playing too ?
Yes I know. They can win without him as they did yesterday vs. SKC.
I predict that after the match a representative of AEG will accept
the Cup.
One, I disagree with you regarding the LA-SLC game, there were so
many shots off the posts, I thought the game could have turned
either way MANY
times…………………………………………………………….
Two, pleeeeeease MLS, give us three game series in every round.
This is just way too
quick……………………………………. Three, Salt Lake
City to play in CCL, leaving me to wondering if Dallas DID tank the
last few games of the season to go to the East where they lost to
mediocre NY team and then NOT make CCL because of it.
Three game series? HAHAHAHHAHAHA.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAH What else can you spect from “second down /
tripleplay / home run / touch down” Charles.
Charles, I would be for a three game series if they wore tight
pants, pitched from a mound, nine innings were included and the
coach wore a uniform like the players.
David Beckham being offered a contract by Club Tijuana, which
sounds more like a place to get cheap drinks than watch
soccer….and their record backs that up……. MEXICO HAS
OFFICIALLY BECOME THE MLS RETIREMENT LEAGUE !!!
Charles, Sounders got Santos in CCL quarters. Hopefully Sounders
don’t choke like they always do in MLS Cup.
Charles, must sting that a club like Tijuana can spend that kind a
cash while Sounders have more fan support but are held down to NE
Revolution competition.
Charles, Imagine if that expansion fee Sounders used for Faux
Promotion could of actually been used for a better squad. 1 win and
5 losses in MLS Cup is a joke. Keep your insults to soccer club
Charles and leave cities out of it. People are being killed in TJ.
Charles –
I agree with you, it’s odd to have a home-and-home conference semis, then a one-game-winner take all for the conference finals. I know there’s a scheduling issue but it doesn’t feel right to have it be one game.
@Robert Hay. Why no follow up on the pool done on your “If you were
the commisioner what would you change?” article. …………What
is the purpose of such pool if it is followed by TOTAL SILENCE?!
http://www.majorleaguesoccertalk.com/you-be-the-commissioner-what-would-you-change-10911
I sorta hope ole Goldenballs gets a win, but that Houston team are
playing like they’ve got something to prove. I wouldn’t want to be
in the Galaxy’s position.
This is the LA Galaxy’s year!
the scum are going to blow it in the final just like they did in
2009
I hope and think that LA will win it. The LA – RSL series was a
good game, LA are a fun team to watch. I only saw highlights of the
other one. Hoping for a good final.
I hate LA more than any other club in MLS. I know the league is
DYING to have Becks and Landycakes (and Keane?) win an MLS Cup
because that’s the only way they can try and promote themselves
around the world. LA Galaxy winning is probably the best thing for
the league because of those two alone. ….And for that reason
alone, I want Houston to win. They’re the underdogs, they don’t
have Davis, they’re on the road, and the PR is going to be all on
Los Angeles. Go Dynamo. The 27,000 screaming girls makes LA winning
it all totally not worth it.
Serious question, why would they want to “try and promote
themselves around the world” ? Don’t think there is much money in
that for MLS. I have the same feelings as you, the league and media
can only talk about LD, Henry and Becks, while Wondo who leads the
league in scoring two years in a row and Davis who has been
incredible for years get nothing.
Wondo leads the league in scoring but plays for a team who couldn’t
even make a 10 team playoff format. + wondo can’t finish at the
national level.