CARSON.- Ending ten years of drought, the Los Angeles Galaxy defeated the New York Red Bulls 2-1 this Saturday in the final of the North American league (MLS) and lifted the sixth trophy in its history.
The Los Angeles team, which was playing at home, won with goals from Ghanaian Joseph Paintsil in the 9th minute and from Serbian Dejan Jovelji in the 13th, while the American Sean Nealis scored a goal for the visitors in the 28th minute.
The Galaxy, which expands its status as the most successful MLS franchise, completed its resurrection from its penultimate place in the table in 2023 to be crowned in the playoffs, which saw Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami fall in the first round.
“We’re back. This team already showed during the year that the quality is back, but the Galaxy is about winning championships,” said coach Greg Vanney, who had lost three finals as a player on the team.
At the culmination of unpredictable playoffs, the Los Angeles squad was the favorite to lift its first trophy since 2014 against the Red Bulls, seventh seed in the Eastern Conference, but had the significant loss of its star, the Spanish Riqui Puig.
The talented Barcelona-trained playmaker was diagnosed with a serious knee injury after playing injured for more than half an hour in the semifinals and providing the winning goal.
Paintsil and Jovelji dedicated the goals to him, raising the uniform with the number 10 of the Spaniard, who enjoyed the victory in the stands.
Luxury replacement
Puig’s replacement was the Uruguayan Gastón Brugman, chosen as the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the final after providing the assist for the first goal.
“This is a reward for sacrifice, for work, for knowing how to wait,” declared Brugman. “I am very happy because we players go through bad times and there are few that are enjoyed and this is it”
“On a mental level we were much superior, we knew that the trophy was ours,” stressed the veteran former Empoli and Oviedo player.
