Inextricable bonds formed between LA Galaxy and New England Revolution at the exact moment Carlos Ruiz broke the hearts of everyone inside Gillette Stadium more than a decade ago.
Ruiz's moment of brilliance to lift the Galaxy to MLS Cup glory in 2002 established the baseline between these two teams and formed the foundation of the dynamic to follow. Guillermo Ramirez replicated the extra-time heroics three years later in Frisco, Tex. to further deepen the links between the two clubs.
Those historic moments provide context as the two teams meet for a third time in MLS Cup on Sunday afternoon (live, 3 p.m. ET, live coverage @FOXSoccerTrax), but they do not necessarily dictate the outcome.
"Teams are living, breathing organisms," Revolution coach Jay Heaps said. "Every final, every game is different. For me, that has no bearing on Sunday's game at all."
The impending retirement of Galaxy star Landon Donovan promises to exert a more tangible impact. The former U.S. international will play his final match as a professional before marching into the sunset. His legacy is secure after cobbling together every conceivable record during his career, but he yearns to draw this chapter to a close with a record sixth MLS Cup victory.
"It'd certainly be nice, but our focus is on winning this for the Galaxy, for the team and for the organization," Galaxy coach Bruce Arena said. "It just happens to be Landon's last game, but it'd be very nice to send him out on a high."
Donovan and his Galaxy teammates probably enter the final as the favorites to secure it. Their professional march through the second half of the season fell just short of securing the Supporters' Shield, but this talented group sustained its push all the way through arduous assignments against FC Dallas and Seattle to reach their fourth MLS Cup final in six years.
Most of the attention inevitably falls on Donovan and MLS MVP Robbie Keane, but the Galaxy leans on the strength of its collective. The diligent, well-drilled side accepts the burden in possession and uses it wisely. Their continued potency presents formidable concerns for any opponent because they remain fully capable of devising alternative routes to go when necessary.
"We've been playing very, very good defensively," Galaxy midfielder Marcelo Sarvas said. "We have to attack, though, in blocks. We move forward together. We move back together. It's not leaving space for them to create situations. Of course, they have good players who can break lines. We have to be alert for 90 minutes."
The home side will need to lean on all of its nous and summon all of its force to subdue New England. The stellar results in the final third of the season continued as the Revolution tore through the Eastern Conference playoffs. This in-form side scored at least twice in each of its four matches to dispatch Columbus and New York on its way to a fifth MLS final.
In order to erase the stigma created by the four previous defeats at this stage, the Revs must trust in the tenets that carried them this far. They thrive when they find ways to claim the ball in good areas and then slice apart the opposition by using the resulting space. The contributions of Lee Nguyen and summer signing Jermaine Jones continue to drive the team forward, while the resurgence of Charlie Davies (four goals in four playoff appearances) provides some of the necessary thrust.
New England thrives away from home through a mixture of confidence and incisiveness on the break. Their recent performances provide them with the conviction to enter StubHub Center and leave on Sunday night with the club's first MLS title.
"The biggest point is that the team has to respect what we were showing against New York, too, in the locker room," Jones said. "If we do that, we can beat them. Of course, we have a lot of respect for the players who play there. They are good and they've showed it already this season, but we have the same good guys in the defense. And they've showed it already, too. I think whoever makes the first mistake will lose the game."
History justifies Jones' viewpoint, but the present could unfold in any number of ways given the factors in play. The tipping point between a fifth title for the Galaxy and a first triumph for the Revs will eventually emerge. Either way, this story will receive a third and meaningful chapter by the time the affairs conclude.
