Where » Home Depot Center, Carson, Calif. When » Sunday, 9 p.m.
TV » ESPN/Galavision/ESPN3.com
Storylines
1 The scales aren’t balanced » Just how many factors do the Galaxy have in their favor? They’re unbeaten this season at home — the site of Sunday’s final. At $14.6 million, L.A.’s payroll is the highest in MLS, including David Beckham ($6.5 million salary) and Robbie Keane ($3.4 million), while Houston doesn’t have a player earning more than $425,000 per year. And the Dynamo will be without MLS MVP runner-up Brad Davis (four goals, 16 assists), who is out with a thigh injury.
2 Beckham’s last chance to bend it in MLS? » The English midfielder’s wild five-year ride could come to an end if he chooses not to return to the Galaxy next season. This year has been unequivocally his best. His 15 assists are a display of his precision passing in the midfield and on set pieces, a part of the game where both L.A. and Houston excel and Sunday’s final might be decided.
3 Legendary MLS coaches collide » Either Los Angeles coach Bruce Arena or Houston coach Dominic Kinnear will be the first MLS head coach to capture three MLS Cups. Arena won his first two with D.C. United more than a decade ago (1996, 1997), while Kinnear won back-to-back titles with Houston in 2006 and 2007. The last time these teams met in 2009, the Galaxy prevailed in a wild game where the Home Depot Center lights went out twice.
Breakdown
Goalkeepers
L.A.’s Josh Saunders and Houston’s Tally Hall have both primarily been backups until this season, although Saunders came in as a substitute in the 2009 final and lost to Real Salt Lake in penalty kicks.
Advantage » Los Angeles
Galaxy defense vs. Dynamo forwards
The Galaxy’s pairing of former Maryland centerbacks Omar Gonzalez and A.J. DeLaGarza has been the stingiest in MLS this season, but Dynamo forward Brian Ching is a crafty veteran with a knack for punishing mistakes.
Advantage » Push
Midfield
One of the hardest-tackling teams in MLS, the Dynamo must limit time and space for Beckham, and Adam Moffat needs his best game for Houston with Davis out. Houston may have a speed advantage on the wings with Danny Cruz and Corey Ashe, but the Galaxy have the hottest player in the playoffs thus far, Mike Magee (three goals).
Advantage » Los Angeles
Dynamo defense vs. Galaxy forwards
Keane just returned from a pair of Euro 2012 qualifying games with Ireland to face Bobby Boswell, Geoff Cameron and Andre Hainault, who are all big, strong and hard-nosed. The Galaxy lost forward Chad Barrett to a dislocated ankle this week, which could open the door for Landon Donovan to move up top from the wing.
Advantage » Push
Examiner predicts …
Beckham serves up the opening goal as set pieces from both teams knot the score until Donovan provides a dramatic game-winner on the counterattack late for a dramatic victory, and the Galaxy will hoist the Philip F. Anschutz Trophy in front of their home crowd.
Galaxy 2, Dynamo 1
– Craig Stouffer
