CARSON, Calif. - The clock had been turned back.
The buzz began at Dignity Health Sports Park as early as 10:30 a.m. local time on Saturday - nearly three hours before kickoff - when thousands of fans lined up outside the gates. By the time the match started, the stadium was packed to its 26,812-seat capacity, brimming with energy as the LA Galaxy prepared hosted the New York Red Bulls for the MLS Cup.
The pregame festivities set the tone, with Galaxy legend Landon Donovan carrying the MLS Cup trophy onto the pitch alongside former Red Bulls star Bradley Wright-Phillips. When the Galaxy scored two early two goals - all they needed for an eventual 2-1 MLS Cup victory - the loudspeakers roared with lyrics from Kendrick Lamar’s hit They Not Like Us:
“Wop, wop, wop, wop, wop, I’ma do my stuff.”
It was a fitting soundtrack for a team that, like the Compton rapper, held nothing back this season. Robbie Keane, the key figure of the last Galaxy squad to hoist the MLS Cup a decade ago, ceremonially handed the trophy to this young, dynamic group - a stark contrast to the empty seats that haunted the same arena just 18 months ago amid fan protests.
Now, the Galaxy is officially back, generating the biggest buzz since the David Beckham-led side of 2012. But in a city as crowded and demanding as Los Angeles - with 12 professional sports teams competing for attention in the metro and surrounding areas - the Galaxy face a critical question: Can they maintain this return to relevance?
Much depends on keeping their core intact. Young stars such as Riqui Puig, Joseph Paintsil, Dejan Joveljić and Gabriel Pec will undoubtedly draw interest this offseason, particularly Pec. Still, head coach Greg Vanney is confident the club can hold on to this nucleus, whose oldest member, Paintsil, is just 26.
“I think it’s important that we do everything we can to keep this group together,” Vanney told GOAL on Sunday. “It’s one of the reasons Will [Kuntz] and I targeted younger players - to build continuity and allow them to grow as a unit. That’s certainly a priority for us moving forward.”
Holding onto this core will be pivotal for the Galaxy’s hopes of repeating. But challenges are likely to emerge this offseason.
