Red Bulls star Morgan embracing underdog mentality for MLS Cup

Lewis Morgan is embracing the underdog spirit ahead of Saturday's MLS Cup final, as the New York Red Bulls take on the LA Galaxy.

The Red Bulls will feature in their first MLS Cup final since 2008, while the Galaxy are returning to the show-piece match after a 10-year absence.

This will be the first meeting between the Galaxy and Red Bulls since April 2021, a 3-2 home win for LA.

The Galaxy, who have played in nine MLS Cup finals previously, progressed in each of the previous two postseason ties between the sides, advancing in the 2001 quarterfinals in sudden-death extra time as well as in the 2011 conference semifinals.

Greg Vanney's Galaxy team are the favourites, but Red Bulls playmaker Morgan is happy with the underdog label.

"We've known we've been underdogs going into loads of the games, we've embraced that, and we'll embrace that again this weekend," said Morgan.

"We're not expected to go there and run all over LA Galaxy. We're expected to go there and make things difficult and try and impose our style of football, which is exactly what we're going to try to do."

Emil Forsberg has been to @NewYorkRedBulls' success. Our crew previews MLS Cup pres. by Audi: https://t.co/gBprY6DW0K pic.twitter.com/87p0Lz2PIt

— Major League Soccer (@MLS) December 6, 2024

Red Bulls coach Sandro Schwarz said: "Our main focus has to be our daily training session, our video session and not to think too much about what can happen after the game or about the history of this title or something like that.

"Only to think about what we need on the field."

The Red Bulls' hopes have been buoyed by the fact that the Galaxy will be without their midfield talisman Riqui Puig, who is injured.

Though Puig's absence has only increased the motivation within Vanney's squad.

"We have to win for Riqui," Maya Yoshida said.

Galaxy winger Joseph Paintsil added: "I'm really sad for him, because this is also something that really means a lot to him.

"So for us as players, we are not only doing this for ourselves, we are also doing this for him."

Vanney said: "We're going to miss Riqui. There's not another player in the league, honestly, that's like him.

"He's special and unique, and he does special things for us. He can turn a game on a dime in one quick play – he's extraordinary.

"We're going to have to take up that slack in a collective way, both with and without the ball and how we move the ball quickly and the things that we do in attack.

"But also in the ways that we do defensively, in trying to clog things up, create turnovers, do some things that maybe with Riqui, we don't have to do as much, but we're going to need to do a little bit more of it [Saturday]."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

LA Galaxy - Gabriel Pec

Pec has had a standout season in attack for the Galaxy, scoring 21 goals in all competitions and adding 16 assists.

With Puig out, Pec will be one of the players Vanney needs to step up and deliver, as he has done all campaign.

Red Bulls - Emil Forsberg

Forsberg has provided the experience and guile that had previously been missing in attack for the Red Bulls, since his January switch from RB Leipzig.

The Swede has scored 10 MLS goals and set up a further four. If he is on form, he could prove the difference-maker.

Almost showtime. @NewYorkRedBulls // #MLSCup pres. by Audi pic.twitter.com/0EZu9wWrwN

— Major League Soccer (@MLS) December 6, 2024

MATCH PREDICTION: LA GALAXY WIN

The Red Bulls may be embracing the underdog tag, but the supercomputer is backing the Galaxy to get over the line.

They outscored their opponents 16-3 in their four matches so far in the 2024 postseason, the best goal difference of any team en route to the MLS Cup final. Only Toronto FC (17 in 2016) scored more goals in a single postseason than the Galaxy's 16 this year.

The Galaxy have reached the MLS Cup final for the 10th time, twice as many as any other team in league history (D.C. United, New England Revolution). After losing in their first three MLS Cup Final appearances, LA have won five of their last six outings dating back to 2002, only losing on penalties to Real Salt Lake in 2009.

The Red Bulls, who won 11 of 34 matches during the 2024 regular season, are the first team to reach the MLS Cup final despite winning less than one-third of their games.

New York's 1.38 points per match is the lowest of any MLS Cup finalist since Salt Lake in 2009 (1.33), so that is one possible omen in their favour.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

LA Galaxy - 50.9%

New York Red Bulls - 24.2%

Draw - 24.9%