The 2024 MLS Cup Final is set: the Los Angeles Galaxy will host the New York Red Bulls on Saturday, Dec. 7. The Galaxy is the winningest team in league history, with a record-setting five MLS Cups to its name, while the Red Bulls have never won the Cup and enter the match as the lowest-seeded team to ever qualify for the final.
But don’t let the gulf between those stats fool you: this is a tight matchup of two wildly different franchises. The Galaxy is a relentless goalscoring team that’s always moving forward, while the Red Bulls are one of the strongest defensive outfits in the league.
Here are the key areas where this MLS Cup final will be won or lost:
The addition — and subtraction — of key European stars
The fate of the Red Bulls lies in the hands (and feet) of attacking midfielder Emil Forsberg. The Swedish veteran arrived in New York this year and completely revamped the team’s attack. He’s not a game-changing individual talent like Inter Miami’s Lionel Messi or a nose-for-goal striker like D.C. United’s Christian Benteke, so his influence can be underplayed by fans and reporters alike, but make no mistake about it: the Red Bulls live and die by Forsberg’s fitness.
The Red Bulls had a strong start to the 2024 season; they were considered one of the league’s strongest packages until summer break. But that narrative went out the window when Forsberg hurt his leg in early June. The Red Bulls won just two of the nine games he missed and tumbled down the Eastern Conference standings. Forsberg’s well-timed playoff return reinvigorated the Red Bulls and set them on a path to the MLS Cup.