That’s all she wrote.
The New York Red Bulls failed to win the franchise’s first MLS Cup after a 2-1 defeat to the Los Angeles Galaxy on Saturday. After a hard-fought season that proved doubters wrong, defying the odds of making it to the final match, it wasn’t in the stars for New York to earn their first title.
The Galaxy came out firing with two quick goals, stunning the Red Bulls and forcing them to change their tactics early on. LA’s Joseph Paintsil was played a perfect through ball where he broke away to get the ball past keeper Carlos Coronel to make it 1-0. Four minutes later, forward Dejan Joveljic would add to the lead, making all hope seem lost for New York.
Los Angeles controlled the match for the next 15 minutes, maintaining the majority of possession and getting a few more chances on net. It wasn’t until the 28th minute that the Red Bulls showed signs of life. Captain Emil Forsberg took a corner kick that bounced around the inside of the box until the ball found defender Sean Nealis, who buried it into the back of the net off the volley. This was Nealis’s first goal of the 2024 season, and with the goal became the first defender in club history to score in an MLS Cup. The native of Massapequa, NY, is also the fourth defender in franchise history to score in a playoff match.
The Red Bulls showed more energy entering the second half as they faced a one-goal deficit with 45 minutes left. While both sides were tied in shots attempted at 12, New York possessed the ball more in the second half and created more chances than the Galaxy. The club’s best chance at tying the matchup was when Forsberg found himself inside the 18 with the ball but just missed wide on the shot.
Unlucky shots and great defending/goalkeeping by the Galaxy were the perfect storm to stop New York from earning their first-ever MLS Cup. In the end, Los Angeles was the better club and earned its celebration for its sixth title and first in 10 years.
Despite a heartbreaking loss, this Red Bull team should do nothing but hold their heads high and be proud. The club made the final as a seventh seed in the Eastern Conference, the lowest ever to reach the MLS Cup. Many doubted they would even make it past the first round, knocking out the defending champions in the Columbus Crew and hot teams such as New York City FC and Orlando SC.
New York has nothing but positive things to look forward to in the offseason, with this much success under head coach Sandro Schwarz in his first year with the club.
