Maybe it’s the New York vs. Los Angeles thing, but the games always meant a little more. Always had big names, too. Donadoni, Angel, Henry, Cahill, Matthaeus, Marquez, Donovan, Beckham, Keane.
History? The Galaxy has been to MLS Cup more times (nine) and won more titles (five) than any other team. The Red Bulls? Well, okay, we know. One final, one loss. Still, it’s a big game every time they play, no matter which coast, and when they meet for the first time this year Sunday night at Red Bull Arena, the building will have buzz.
But there’s something different this year. Gone are the big names, replaced by hard-working, team-oriented players. The Galaxy, winners of three of the past four MLS Cups, are 3-2-2 and in third place in the Western Conference in a year following the retirement of Landon Donovan. The Red Bulls, with a new coach and a revamped roster, are 3-0-2, the last undefeated team in Major League Soccer, and tied atop the East with D.C. United and the New England Revolution with 11 points.
“They still have a lot of talent there, that’s for sure,” Red Bulls coach Jesse Marsch said. “Losing Landon, he has been a big part of their identity for many years. But again, they still have a very talented group and they’ll be ready for this game.”
Red Bulls captain Dax McCarty has been a big part of this East-West rivalry for a while and doesn’t expect anything different.
“The Galaxy deserve a lot of respect. They’ve set the standard in this league for the past five or six years,” he said. “They’ve been very consistent. They have a very, very good coach who knows how to get the best out of them. Right now I don’t think they’ve played their best, but they still get good results and they have experienced guys. We expect a very good test. Probably one of the tougher games we’ll have all year.”
The Galaxy still have Irish striker Robbie Keane, last season’s league MVP, but he may not play due to a groin strain. Also, midfielder Jose Villarreal strained a hamstring in the U.S. Under-23 game Wednesday and will likely sit out, as will defender Todd Dunivant, who has a bruised thigh. However, midfielder Juninho and forward Gyasi Zardes are players to be wary of.
“Even in some of their best teams he’s been the main cog defensively and in the attack and with the ball,” Marsch said of Juninho. “I really like him. He balances their team out so well.”
Marsch has also been impressed with the 23-year-old Zardes, who has played well in his first few games with the U.S. national team.
“He’s got a lot of good parts to his game. He’s very athletic, he’s got good feet, he’s fast, he’s clever around the goal, he can score in different ways,” Marsch said.” In the past when you’ve played against L.A. and you’ve paid a lot of attention to guys like Landon and Robbie Keane, Zardes can beat you because he’s talented. Now Landon’s not there and I’m not sure if Robbie Keane will be available, so a lot of it falls on his shoulders to try and create the attack. I think he’s capable of it and we need to make sure that we limit his chances to be in open space and have availabilities around the box.”
Red Bulls midfielder Felipe Martins has been one of the team’s better players this season. As a member of the Montreal Impact he played against Donovan and knows the Galaxy well.
“It’s still a very good team, a team that has a lot of quality,” he said. “They have some young guys doing quite well and some older guys doing well. For us it will be a challenge.
“Juninho is my friend and he’s a very good player. Zardes is, too. They have players who can make a difference. The past four years they have three championships. We have to work hard and respect them, but not be afraid because we are at home and we have our fans. With or without Keane we will play the same way. We have confidence. If we play the way Jesse wants to play, if we follow our plan, we can be successful.”
McCarty agrees.
“Certainly there’s some comparisons there when you talk about losing big players,” he said. “The difference is that they still have a lot of big-name guys, if you will, and they’re still playing the same way they always have. For us, the big difference is that we’re playing a new style, a new way, a new system. We’re coached differently. They’ll be ready. I don’t think it’s a secret in this league how we want to play and the ways that we’re trying to get after teams and beat teams. The thing with us is that we want to pride ourselves in that we want to beat teams even though they know what we are trying to do.”
For the Red Bulls, defenders Ronald Zubar (hamstring) and Roy Miller (knee) are close to a returning and may be back Wednesday against the Colorado Rapids. Midfielder Lloyd Sam, who strained a hamstring in the Red Bulls’ 2-0 win over the San Jose Earthquakes last weekend, is expected to play.
“I don’t put it that high on my list of rivals that we have,” McCarty said. “I think it’s a big game. It’s an important game. It’s a high-profile game because of the big names that get to play, but I wouldn’t consider it a big rival of ours.”
Let’s see if he still feels that way after the match.
Frank Giase has covered Major League Soccer since the league's inception in 1996. Follow him on twitter at
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