The LA Galaxy toasted their league-record sixth MLS Cup with a rendition of the 1997 electronic dance hit Free From Desire during a beer-soaked locker room party.
Joseph Paintsil and Dejan Joveljic scored in the first half as the Galaxy defeated the New York Red Bulls 2-1 in Carson, California, where the post-match celebrations resembled a European disco.
Instead of singing the song’s eponymous chorus, Galaxy players described themselves as “on fire” in the jubilant aftermath of Saturday’s win. The song has become an anthem for LA this season, with several fans calling for it to be played before the game.
“Please play Freed from Desire if @LAGalaxy wins the @MLS Cup on Saturday,” read a post on X from earlier this week. “The players love that song.”
When the Galaxy lifted the MLS Cup again on Saturday amid confetti and fireworks, their spectacular transformation was complete. In just one year, a team deeply lost had rediscovered its unparalleled championship status.
“We won this trophy and it is finally back where it belongs,” Joveljic said.
Los Angeles Galaxy after the MLS Cup final against the New York Red Bulls
The LA Galaxy toasted their league-record sixth MLS Cup with a rendition of the 1997 electronic dance hit Free From Desire during a beer-soaked locker room party
After striking twice in the opening 13 minutes of the final, the Galaxy held their lead through a scoreless second half to lift their league’s biggest trophy for the first time since 2014.
MLS’s most successful franchise struggled for most of the next few years, but everything changed after LA spent the offseason smartly building a high-scoring new lineup headlined by Paintsil, Joveljic and Gabriel Pec. The Galaxy finished second in the Western Conference and broke through the postseason with an MLS playoff record of 18 goals in five games to win another crown.
“I’m just so proud of this group after the challenges we (had) and the way they came back and competed as a group,” Galaxy coach Greg Vanney said. “We put a lot of effort in the beginning, but I’m just so proud of these guys. They have made themselves legends in this club.”
The Galaxy won this title even without perhaps their most important player. Riqui Puig, the playmaking Barcelona midfielder who led his attack impressively all season, tore a ligament in his knee in the conference final last week.
Riqui Puig takes a selfie with the MLS Cup Trophy after the MLS Cup final
Carlos Garcia (right) defends during the second half of the MLS Cup final
Galaxy Legend Landon Donovan is seen ahead of the MLS Cup final
Puig watched this match in a suit, but the Catalan middleman’s teammates had not forgotten him: after his replacement, Gastón Brugman, set up LA’s opening goal in the ninth minute with a brilliant pass, Paintsil held up Puig’s jersey in front of their roar fans during the celebration.
“I was really waiting for this moment,” said Paintsil, who scored his 14th goal of an impressive season. ‘I’m much more, ten times faster than them, and Gaston saw the space. …It was a really good thing. We did it for Riqui, and we did it for our family that came, and our supporters.”
Just four minutes later, Joveljic sprinted past four New York defenders and scored his 21st goal.
Brugman was named MLS Cup MVP after an impressive performance in midfield. The Uruguayan had not started a game for the Galaxy since October 5 after an injury-delayed season and had only played as a substitute in the post-season before the final.
“That’s what I dreamed of yesterday, of something that I could give to the team,” Brugman said about his pass to Paintsil. “Today it happened.”
Sean Nealis scored for the seventh-seeded Red Bulls, whose improbable postseason surge ended their first Cup championship. With the youngest roster in the league, New York fell just short of becoming the lowest-seeded team to win the tournament under first-year German coach Sandro Schwarz.
“I love these guys,” Schwarz said. ‘Some boys cry. In the grand scheme of things, that’s a start. Sometimes it’s tough when you lose the final, but you use this experience to create the next energy, the next intensity.’
Galaxy goalkeeper John McCarthy made four saves to win his second MLS title in three seasons, but Nealis beat the 2022 MLS Cup MVP in the 28th minute when he volleyed from inside the box.
The second half was lively with Red Bulls captain Emil Forsberg hitting the outside of the post in the 72nd minute, while Pec and Galaxy substitute Marco Reus almost converted chances moments later. The ball went loose in the Galaxy’s penalty area in the third minute of extra time, but two Red Bulls were unable to finish.
John McCarthy #77 of Los Angeles Galaxy lifts the MLS Cup after Saturday’s victory
After Galaxy owner Phil Anschutz received the MLS Cup that bears his name for his steady financial support of the league during its rocky years, Galaxy captain Maya Yoshida carried the trophy to his teammates for the celebration.
The Galaxy extended their lead over DC United (4) for the most MLS Cup championships in league history. The Red Bulls remain one of three original MLS franchises to never win the title, along with FC Dallas and the New England Revolution.
The Galaxy finished 17-0-3 this season at their oft-renamed suburban stadium, where the sell-out crowd of 26,812 for the final included some robust cheering sections of Red Bulls supporters hoping for their club’s breakthrough from New Jersey.
But this season was about the rebirth of the Galaxy. The club known for employing global stars from David Beckham and Zlatan Ibrahimovic to Robbie Keane and Javier ‘Chicharito’ Hernández, quickly turned itself into a contender by signing young talents without international fame.
The Galaxy signed Pec from Brazil and picked up Paintsil, a Ghanaian who played in Belgium. The duo, along with Joveljic, formed a powerful attack orchestrated by Puig, one of MLS’s best players.
“Losing a guy like Riqui after the performance he put in all season was devastating,” McCarthy said. “Even when he wasn’t on the field, we did it for him.”