East vs. West - A Look at the MLS Cup 2024 Finalists
by Devesh Jaganath | by Cydias Aujard
A Historic Rivalry Rekindled on the MLS’s Grandest Stage
The rivalry between Los Angeles and New York holds a pivotal, if understated, place in the history of Major League Soccer, and it all started on April 13, 1996, when the then NY/NJ MetroStars (now Red Bulls) faced off against LA Galaxy at the Rose Bowl, where LA emerged victorious 2-1.
That match exemplified MLS’s vision of intense competition between major cities, and over the years, the rivalry has remained tightly contested, with both teams boasting 21 wins apiece and nine draws across 51 encounters. However, while the inaugural match between these two will long be remembered as the start of a genuine rivalry, there have been several other encounters that have proven to be defining moments in this inter-conference rivalry.
From Landon Donovan’s first appearance for the club he helped build in 2001, to their first-ever postseason meeting at the 2001 MLS Cup Playoffs, or David Beckham making his long-awaited MLS debut at Giants Stadium and providing two assists in a 5-4 thriller in front of over 66,000 fans - there is no shortage of memories between these two teams.
The 2024 MLS Cup is shaping up to be a true battle for supremacy and you can live every moment of the match with our Major League Soccer Livescore tool right here on SportyTrader!
Bet on the 2024 MLS CupLA Galaxy Hope to Reclaim Title as MLS’s Most Successful Club
The LA Galaxy last appeared in the MLS Cup in 2014 when they secured a record-breaking fifth championship, and now, after a decade-long hiatus, they are back in the final after dominating the 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs with an impressive 16 goals across four matches. The cornerstone of their success this season was the performances of Joseph Paintsil, Gabriel Pec and Riqui Puig - aptly dubbed the “Killer P’s” - who combined, contributed to all 16 of those goals in the postseason.
Pec, the MLS’s newcomer of the Year, and fellow first-year standout Paintsil have each netted three goals in their debut postseason campaigns and will have major roles to play in the final. However, the Galaxy will be missing one major part of their arsenal in Puig, who contributed either a goal or an assist in every postseason match, but suffered a torn ACL in the Western Conference final and will be forced into a watching brief this weekend.
While the team’s newcomers have largely stolen the headlines this year, veteran forward Dejan Joveljic may prove to be the Galaxy’s main man in the final in the absence of Puig. The 25-year-old Serbian striker has evolved into one of the league’s most lethal finishers, scoring 15 regular season goals and leading the postseason with five, capped off with a critical strike of Puig’s game-winning assist against the Sounders to clinch the Western Conference title. Joveljic is currently priced at 2.50 to score anytime in the MLS Cup Final with Bet365.
You can take a look at all the latest market prices for the MLS Cup using our Major League Soccer betting odds comparator, while our football predictions will be available all the way until kickoff.
Bet on the LA Galaxy to win the MLS CupRed Bulls Eye Historic MLS Cup Win After 16-Year Drought
Sixteen years after their last MLS Cup appearance as the Western Conference champions in 2008, the New York Red Bulls are now just one victory away from completing one of the most unlikely title runs in history, this time as champs of the East. Indeed, after stumbling to a seventh-placed finish in the Eastern Conference, winning only three of their final 20 games in all competitions, few had given the Red Bulls any chance of making it to the MLS Cup. NYRB are the underdogs here, currently showing up at 2.60 to win the match with Betway.
Central to their success in this campaign has been the club’s commitment to developing home-grown talent like midfielder Daniel Edelman and defender John Tolkin, who have risen to the occasion this term. Edelman delivered a decisive spot-kick to eliminate defending champs Columbus Crew, while Tolkin’s match-winning assist to Andres Reyes against Orlando secured NYRB’s return to the final.
The defence, led by brothers Dylan and Sean Nealis alongside Reyes, has been rock solid, notching up three clean sheets in four playoff matches, while behind them, goalkeeper Carlos Coronel has been sublime, making 19 saves while stopping three penalties in the shootout against the Crew. However, while their defence deserves its plaudits, the influence of skipper Emil Forsberg cannot be overlooked, as with the Swede, the Red Bulls have a record of 10-6-6, compared to 3-3-9 without him.
Will the Galaxy solidify their dynasty, or will the Red Bulls rise for redemption? Check out our MLS predictions and betting tips for our experts’ thoughts on this year’s MLS Cup!
