FRISCO, Texas -- Landon Donovan did not score in Sunday's MLS Cup, nor did he deliver an assist. But it was his position switch late in the season that helped the team get to and win Major League Soccer's championship.
The Galaxy, 1-0 winners against New England on Sunday, featured one of the most potent tandems in the league in Donovan and Herculez Gomez, but it was not until late in the season that Donovan moved to the forward position for good.
"I don't think we were getting the most out of me and I think Steve understood that," Donovan said. "Steve (Sampson) brought me in and sat me down and said, 'What do you feel about playing up front? What do you think about playing in the midfield?' We came to a very quick decision that I needed to be closer to the goal and that was pretty evident."
In the 3-1 season-ending loss to San Jose, Donovan started at midfielder with Gomez and Joseph Ngwenya at forward.
Against the same San Jose squad a week later, Ngwenya was on the bench. Donovan moved to forward, scored two goals as the Galaxy won 3-1 all but ending the series.
Donovan continued his torrid scoring pace and bagged a double in the Western Conference Championship against Colorado.
"I think it was pretty clear to us that we needed to do that and we had people that could play in the midfield that were capable of getting me the ball," Donovan said. "It was a pretty simple decision."
Goal-production was crucial for the Galaxy given the team's penchant for surrendering untimely goals, so Sampson and Donovan did what was necessary.
"He needed to be closer to goal because even Landon against two guys ... or even three that he could do something very, very special," Sampson said. "I thought that the combination between he and Herculez, the chemistry between them was getting better each and every week."
GUATEMALA 2, NEW ENGLAND 0: Twice the New England Revolution have been crushed by an extra-time goal in MLS Cup and twice it's come off the foot of a Guatemalan.
In MLS Cup 2002, Carlos Ruiz nailed the game-winner. Sunday, Ruiz's national-team teammate and close friend Guillermo "Pando" Ramirez did the damage.
Ramirez scored on an impressive rocket from the edge of the penalty area in the 107th minute. He ran around the field in obvious joy before he was brought down by a mob of teammates.
It was similar to his celebration in 2002.
"I was watching the game in Guatemala and was very happy when Carlos scored the winning goal," Ramirez said. "I celebrated it like if I had scored. Today it was my turn to score."
NO DOUBTING THIS COACH: During the season, Galaxy coach Sampson was under fire. Reportedly, his job was in jeopardy.
But after winning Sunday's MLS Cup, the pressure seemed to subside.
Galaxy President and General Manager Doug Hamilton said that he could not be happier for the club's boss.
"I'm happy for Steve and I can't hide that," Hamilton said.
When Sampson was brought in as coach in 2004, it was his first MLS coaching gig. Until then, he was best known, justly or not, for the USA's failed 0-3 World Cup attempt.
"I think he's the most vilified guy in U.S. Soccer," Hamilton said. "Nobody is satisfied with '98 and the way that it went but for us to all sit and harp and point to that is an injustice. I can't follow the logic. I truly can't follow the logic and I'm happy for him to have this moment and to come into a club and in his first full year he's part of a double."
COBI SAVED BEST: During the season, Cobi Jones would regularly sit out training sessions. It was a must for the 35-year-old.
Jones' heel injuries held him back in 2004 and this year he was not put into the same situation.
"A lot of it was trying to maintain my abilities the best that I could. It was a long season and this was the first season we were trying to handle my injuries and handle my heel situation," Jones said. "I had to be in a situation of playing some training sessions and sitting out a little bit not necessarily for fitness reasons but for the pounding that they would take."
Jones scored three goals this year and had two key assists in the playoffs. Sunday, he played well on the right side of the midfield. Four Revolution players received yellow cards after fouling Jones.
ANOTHER EXTRA-TIME FINAL: Sunday's MLS Cup was the fourth final to go into extra time. The Galaxy have been involved in all four. In MLS Cup '96, Eddie Pope's goal in the 94th minute gave D.C. United the first-ever MLS title with a 3-2 win. In 2001, Dwayne DeRosario scored six minutes into extra time to give San Jose a 2-1 win. A year later, Carlos Ruiz scored in the 113th minute to give the Galaxy its first MLS Cup victory in a 1-0 win against New England.
Luis Bueno is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
MVP Pando scores: 
Pando's goal: 
