FRISCO, Texas -- Sunday's MLS Cup was all about redemption for the Los Angeles Galaxy.
The game-winning goal was courtesy of Guillermo Ramirez, whose season prior to Sunday was a huge disappointment. Steve Sampson, the coach celebrating the victory and praising his group of players, silenced critics by winning what this team had set out to do in February.
But most of all, it was redemption for a team that all along believed in itself, for a side that overcame criticism and poor play to win Major League Soccer's championship.
"This team stepped up when it needed to and that says a lot about our character," Galaxy defender Todd Dunivant said. "Say what you want about the year but we have two rings and you can't take that away from us."
The Galaxy entered the playoffs with the roar of a kitten. San Jose's 3-1 demolition of the Galaxy in the season finale gave little clue to what would happen over the next month. Sunday, the lion was roaring as the Galaxy claimed its second MLS title and second title this season.
"Once we got in, we knew that it was a new season ... and four games to MLS Cup," Galaxy defender Tyrone Marshall said. "That's all we needed to do was play four games and once you play four games you have the opportunity to win. We knew that we could come together as a group for four games."
Still, even after ousting San Jose and Colorado, the Galaxy were underdogs against the Eastern Conference's best team, the high-flying New England Revolution who had racked up 55 goals and featured league Most Valuable Player and leading goal scorer Taylor Twellman.
All of that only served for more motivation.
"We had to go out and prove to everyone that we deserved the cup," Marshall said. "What better way to go out there and shut down the MVP and the Golden Boot winner? We had to prove that tonight that we were a good team."
The Galaxy had proven itself worthy of being called a champion in September when they beat FC Dallas in the U.S. Open Cup final. Back then, the Galaxy were still jostling for playoff positioning but were still plagued by questions and doubts.
Winning the double also served as motivation.
"We said, 'Guys, this is it. Do you want to go home now or do you want to go home in November?' I think everyone wanted to train October going into November and I could see the effort day in and day out and that we wanted to go further on," Marshall said.
With a collection of talented players at their disposal, Galaxy players felt it was upon themselves to right the wrongs of the 2005 campaign and come through when it mattered the most. Sure, the club had a 13-13-6 record, but that ultimately had little reflection on the true character of the team, players said.
"The season was really hard for us but we knew that in the playoffs it was just four games and when I looked in the locker room, I knew that we were all capable of winning the championship," Galaxy forward Landon Donovan said.
In April and May, an MLS Cup win did not seem far-fetched. The club was roaring past opponents and won seven of its first 11 game. But then the road woes surfaced for a club that had won three road games in the past two years. A four-game road trip in June was disastrous as the club went 0-3-1 and scored only once.
Summer came and the Galaxy were none the better. National-team callups and injuries were taking its toll on the team as Sampson struggled to find a lineup that worked.
It was only after winning the Open Cup that the Galaxy realized what they had: a championship-caliber team. That feeling was evident on Sunday.
"At the beginning of the year, I though we were brilliant. We got back that feeling coming into the playoffs," Marshall said. "Guys started believing in each other, started working for each other. Once we're on the same page, we know we're the best team in the league. We won the Open Cup and said, 'Let's go for the double and show them we're no fluke.' We're a great team if we put our minds to it and that's what we did tonight."
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: 
