2024 MLS Cup: Where the final will be won or lost

While the Red Bulls benefit from their star's new-found fitness, the Galaxy may suffer from their star's untimely injury. Riqui Puig, the beating heart of the Galaxy midfield, suffered a season-ending ACL tear in the Western Conference final. (He still delivered a game-winning assist while playing on one leg.) We haven't seen much of the Galaxy without Puig — he missed just five games this season, of which the Galaxy won three, drew one and lost one — but the team's fate will rest on how it reacts to Puig's absence. Galaxy coach Greg Vanney will likely sub a grittier, more physical player like Marco Delgado or Diego Fagundez into Puig's place; whether that change will benefit the Galaxy or hurt it remains an open question.

The battle of the right wingers

Much has been made of the differences between the Red Bulls and the Galaxy, but the most fascinating tactical matchup of their MLS Cup final comes from a place where they're remarkably similar: the right wing. Both teams feature stellar right wingers whose goalscoring actions pushed them through the playoffs.

For the Red Bulls, that right winger is Belgian phenom Dante Vanzeir, whose two goals and two assists in four games mean he's contributed to 2/3 of the team's postseason goals. For the Galaxy, it's Brazilian prospect Gabriel Pec, who delivered a whopping three goals and three assists in the same period (and won MLS's coveted Newcomer of the Year award for his troubles). Both will be hungry to make their mark in the MLS Cup final.

A set-piece showdown

The Red Bulls are excellent at scoring from set pieces: four of their six postseason goals have come from them, including Andres Reyes's conference-winning header against Orlando. Coach Sandro Schwarz must've been thrilled to hear that his MLS Cup opponent would be the Galaxy because no team conceded more set-piece goals this year than it did: 15 in total throughout the regular season.

There's no question that the Red Bulls will look to exploit that weakness in the MLS Cup final. But there is a question about whether it remains a weakness for the Galaxy. The vast majority of its set-piece goal concessions happened in the season's opening weeks; in the summer and fall, the Galaxy defense has pulled itself together and looked far more composed. This final will be the ultimate test of the Galaxy's defensive growth: if it can pass, it will take home the Cup.

The Los Angeles Galaxy will host the New York Red Bulls in the MLS Cup final on Saturday, Dec. 7.