Galaxy players, coaches recall past MLS Cups
Preparing for Sunday's final with RSL conjures fond memories of championship
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The MLS Cup Final brings back different memories for members of the Los Angeles Galaxy who have been lucky enough to have been there and now are preparing for Sunday's championship against Real Salt Lake at Qwest Field. It is four years since their last finals victory and seven years since the first, but to those involved either with the Galaxy or their previous teams, the recollections are as vivid as if they happened yesterday.
Chris Klein was a member of the Kansas City Wizards in the 2000 final against the Chicago Fire and assisted on Miklos Molnar's game-winning goal. One of his current teammates, Dema Kovalenko, was a member of the Fire that day and Klein said they've talked about that meeting this week. But they don't watch the tape.
"I think Chicago outshot us something like 30-2," Klein said with a laugh. The shot total actually was 22-6. "At the end of the day, it's about winning and holding up the trophy, and there's no better feeling than winning the last game of the MLS season.
"No matter how long you play, when you've won something you can still remember the feeling you get from going there and winning a championship."
Todd Dunivant was with San Jose in 2003 when the Earthquakes put on one of the most memorable playoff performances in MLS history. They trailed the Galaxy 4-0 in aggregate in the second game of their two-game series, but the Earthquakes scored five goals, including Rodrigo Faria's game-winner in the 96th minute, for a stunning 5-2 victory and 5-4 win in aggregate. The Earthquakes went on to beat Chicago 4-2 in the final.
"That was an interesting one because there were a lot of comebacks, especially the first series against L.A.," Dunivant said. "By the time we got to the finals we'd been so battle-tested. The whole playoffs were emotionally draining, but that's what it takes. You have to dig deep."
Donovan also was a member of that Earthquakes team, but he particularly remembers the 2001 final, which San Jose won 2-1 after trailing just 21 minutes in on a goal by the Galaxy's Luis Hernandez.
"The thing I realized right away in that one is every play matters," he said. "In that game, we fell asleep for a second, Hernandez scores and we're down a goal, and that year we hadn't done well all year when we were behind."
He also was a member of the 2005 Galaxy team that barely qualified for postseason but went on to win the championship, thanks to the most unlikely of performers. Guillermo "Pando" Ramirez, who hadn't scored a goal all season, got the game-winner on a volley in the 107th minute of a 1-0 victory against the New England Revolution.
"That was just a game I'm assuming Sunday is going to look like," Donovan said. "There wasn't a ton of chances either way. Then Pando pulled something out of his hat that most guys can't do but he could. He hadn't showed it all year but he showed it that day."
Backup goalkeeper Josh Saunders also was with the Galaxy that afternoon and said hardly a day goes by that he doesn't think about what transpired.
"Such a euphoric feeling ... it's hard to describe," Saunders said. "I remember it like it was yesterday."
So does Jones, now an assistant coach. He said he always thinks about the chances the team had in the 2002 victory (1-0 over New England in overtime) but he said the 2005 triumph was especially rewarding because the Galaxy weren't expected to be in the playoffs in the first place.
"It was great to be the underdogs," he said. "To get in there and turn it up another notch, that's kind of what the league is all about. People have to realize if you get hot at the right time anything can happen."
Galaxy associate head coach Dave Sarachan will be making his fourth appearance in the final with his third team. He was an assistant with D.C. United in 1998 (a 2-0 loss to Chicago) and '99 (a 2-0 win over the Galaxy) and was head coach of the Chicago Fire in 2003, when it lost to San Jose. He remembers all of his teams as being solid defensively, good in goal and "having a couple of guys that could make a play."
"The consistency of all four teams I've been part of to go to the final," he said, "is the right blend, where the team really is going in the right direction and really working for each other."
Arena has won two titles, in 1996 and '97 with D.C. United -- he also was on the losing side in 1998 -- and mostly recalls the rain. The second victory in particular, a 2-1 decision over Colorado, was noteworthy because the game was played in a virtual quagmire at RFK Stadium.
"We thought we had a field that took water well but actually didn't," he said. "We learned afterwards the drainage system was not functioning. The first three there's always something odd about them."
And Sunday's forecast for Seattle? Rain, naturally.
"I'm used to the rain," Arena said. "I haven't lost in the rain."
Larry Morgan is a contributor to MLSnet.com
