CARSON, Calif. -- An unstoppable force will meet an immovable object Saturday when the LA Galaxy and Seattle Sounders FC matchup in the Western Conference Finals Saturday.
The two squads will face off in an all-important clash that features one of MLS’s best attacks in the Galaxy and one of the league’s most sturdy defenses, the Sounders.
“You never know when you get these opportunities,” said Galaxy goalkeeper John McCarthy. “Everyone shoots to win trophies. Everyone shoots to be playing in the postseason.”
Galaxy coach Greg Vanney said he will see if the Sounders are pressing aggressively or sitting back to make it difficult for them to get into dangerous spaces Saturday. He also noted that his squad must defend well in transition, mentioning the prowess of forwards Jordan Morris and Pedro de la Vega.
“A lot of [the tactical battle] is going to be how they want to go about defending us, how we're going to solve the problems, to try to break them down and to create goalscoring chances,” Vanney said.
The Galaxy could rely on forwards Gabriel Pec and Joseph Paintsil, who scored a combined 32 goals in the regular season, to try to beat Sounders goalkeeper Stefan Frei, who made nine saves against LAFC Saturday.
The star duo, who joined the Galaxy in the offseason after a 2023 season in which the team finished second-to-last in the Western Conference, both bagged a brace in a 6-2 win against Minnesota United FC Sunday.
Henry Tran - The Sporting Tribune
LA Galaxy Forward Joseph Painstil (28) celebrates after scoring a goal during a match against Minnesota United FC on Sunday, November 24, 2024, in Carson, C.A
Vanney also said defensive set pieces could matter in determining Saturday’s result after the Sounders defeated the Galaxy in an August Leagues Cup battle, 3-1, with two goals coming on corner kicks.
“They kind of bullied us in front of the goal and headed balls in,” Vanney said. “They are a very good team in that regard.”
The Galaxy scored 69 goals in the regular season, the most in the Western Conference, and 15 goals through three games in the playoffs, two shy of the league’s record for a single postseason.
The Sounders, in contrast, only scored 51 goals in the regular season, but their stout defense held opponents to 35 goals total, the least in MLS. They have only scored three goals in the postseason but still prevailed in each match.
The Galaxy have dominated possession in their playoff games, reaching a high of 73% against MNUFC, using it to create scoring chances better than they did during the regular season, according to Vanney.
“We haven't just been sitting and passing the ball around,” Vanney said. “We’ve been trying to establish that our possession is for attacking.”
Defender John Nelson, who is in his first year with the Galaxy, said the team fights for each other on the field and is “like brothers,” which is part of why they have thrived so far.
“'I am playing with LA Galaxy, the biggest team in the MLS, and we are one win away from playing in the MLS Cup,” Nelson said.
Bruno De Witt Zanotto - The Sporting Tribune
LA Galaxy Left Winger John Nelson (14) celebrates his goal against Colorado Rapids on Saturday, October 26, 20,24 in Carson, CA.
The match will kick off around 7 p.m.
