The much-awaited day is finally here. LA Galaxy and New York Red Bulls will be locking horns against each other for the 2024 MLS Cup final at the Dignity Health Sports Park in Los Angeles, California, on Saturday evening. The last time both sides faced each other was back in 2021, when Los Angelinos secured a 3-2 win in the regular season fixture. 

Speaking of LA Galaxy, they failed to finish their regular season with a top spot in the Western Conference, tying with LAFC with a tally of 64, but trail by a single goal difference. However, they were lucky enough to take the final spot by performing well in the MLS playoffs. 5-0 and 1-4 victory over Colorado was followed by a 6-2 win against Minnesota in the conference semi-finals, topping up the conference finals with a narrow win over the Seattle Sounders.

On the other hand, the New York Red Bulls truly deserve the tag of underdogs. Having finished 7th in the regular season, the Eastern Conference side did their best in the playoffs. While they secured a narrow victory over Columbus Crew, the return game saw them being held 2-2, with Sandro Schwarz’s side winning 5-4 on penalties. While a 2-0 win was secured in the conference semi-finals against New York City, a narrow win over Orlando Pride was clinched in the final conference game.

LA Galaxy vs NY Red Bulls: Team news

Injuries

LA Galaxy

Riqui Puig remains one of the biggest absentees for the Galaxy. The previous MLS playoff match saw him endure a painful ACL torn, ending the hopes of playing in the cup final. Additionally, Marco Reus’s availability is uncertain after being substituted at halftime during the Western Conference final due to a knock, while Martin Caceres has been ruled out with an Achilles injury.

NY Red Bulls

As for the underdogs, Felipe Carballo remains doubtful after sitting out the previous match with a foot injury, while Roald Mitchell and Kyle Duncan are sidelined due to knee issues. The rest are fit to face the Galaxy.

Predicted lineups

LA Galaxy [4-3-3]: McCarthy; Yamane, Garces, Yoshida, Nelson; Delgado, Cerrillo, Fagundez; Pec, Joveljic, Paintsil

NY Red Bulls [4-3-3]: Coronel; D. Nealis, Reyes, S. Nealis; Harper, Edelman, Stroud, Tolkin; Forsberg; Vanzeir, Morgan

Head-to-head stats and prediction for MLS Cup final

Total matches: 51

Won by LA Galaxy: 21

Won by NY Red Bulls: 21

Draw: 9

Both sides have given their all to reach at this stage and its no surprise that either of them would be ready to give up easily. Then again, despite major injury concerns, we reckon LA Galaxy will have an edge over NY Red Bulls, with score ending on a 2-1 note.

Watch LA Galaxy vs NY Red Bulls MLS Cup live: TV Channels and streaming details

LA Galaxy vs NY Red Bulls will kick off at 15:00 PT, 18:00 ET. Fans in the United States can catch the action live via the MLS Season Pass on Apple TV. Additionally, FOX and FOX Deportes will take care of English and Spanish commentaries respectively, with TSN and RDS serving Canadian viewers.