Dejan Joveljic scored his fifth goal of the playoffs in the 85th minute to lift the LA Galaxy into a league record 10th all-time MLS Cup final appearance with a 1-0 victory over the visiting Seattle Sounders in Saturday’s Western Conference final.
Joveljic’s goal, assisted by Riqui Puig and Mark Delgado on a quick counterattack following a Seattle turnover, seals the second-seeded Galaxy’s first finals appearance since winning their record fifth MLS Cup in 2014.
Next Saturday, they will host the New York Red Bulls, who won the Eastern Conference final 1-0 earlier Saturday over Orlando City.
Joveljic’s goal came somewhat against the run of play, as it was fourth-seeded Seattle that had looked arguably more likely to score in the latter stages following an evenly contested first half.
The Sounders were looking to make their fifth MLS Cup final appearance since 2016 in search of their third title. But they exit the playoffs having not won any of their four matches in regulation.
Joveljic had been the Galaxy player who caused Seattle goalkeeper Stefan Frei the most trouble in the first half when his 19th-minute volley forced him into a somewhat awkward scrambling save.
But his match-winner came seemingly out of nowhere on what was one of the very few Seattle errors on the night, when Alex Roldan played an aimless pass from his post on the right flank that fell at Delgado’s feet.
Delgado quickly passed forward to Puig, who took a couple touches to control and then played the ball into the path of Joveljic’s clever diagonal run. Joveljic drove his finish in stride low and hard into the bottom left corner, skimming off Frei’s outstretched palm on its way over the line.
John McCarthy made five saves to preserve the Galaxy’s second clean sheet of the playoffs, with his best moments coming before halftime.
He used his leg to deny Albert Rusnak from a tight angle at the near post in the third minute, and an outstretched arm to push over Obed Vargas’ free kick from just beyond the left corner of the penalty area in the 41st minute.
–Field Level Media
