The sweep is complete!
Led by another standout performance from Riqui Puig, LA Galaxy advanced to the Western Conference Semifinal by blowing out the Colorado Rapids for a second straight game - this time a 4-1 rout at Dick's Sporting Goods Park to wrap up their Round One Best-of-3 series in just two matches.
Puig produced his second straight brace of the Audi 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs with two second-half stoppage time goals, while attacking partners Gabriel Pec and Joseph Paintsil also got on the scoresheet. Additionally, Friday's result secured the Galaxy's status as an early frontrunner to reach MLS Cup presented by Audi on Dec. 7.
“We knew it was going to be a challenging game: altitude, opposition at home, playing for their season,” head coach Greg Vanney said postmatch. “We knew they had to win today and we needed to try to play against that a little bit.
"At times we went too fast. At times it was fine. But at the end of the day in the playoffs, it doesn't really matter. You get through and you move on to the next round.”
Riqui's MVP form
Paintsil, who scored the eventual game-winning goal just before halftime, had nothing but praise for Puig.
“I think he deserves everything,” Paintsil said of the FC Barcelona-formed playmaker, whose 13g/15a on the season propelled the league's third-best offense of 2024 (69 goals). However, those numbers weren't enough to make him a finalist for this year's Landon Donovan MLS MVP award.
"If people don't see it, we as players, as a team, we see it for ourselves," Paintsil added. "We are a team and even if he doesn't really [get] recognized as the MVP and everything, I think for him it doesn't matter.
"The most important thing that is really in his mind is to win the league. That is [more] important than winning MVP. MVP is a plus for a player, but winning the league is much more important than everything for a player or a club."
Despite being snubbed from the MVP shortlist, Puig has responded on the pitch when it matters most. By scoring four (and assisting in another) of his team’s nine goals in their Round One sweep, Puig looks poised to lead the Galaxy on a quest for silverware.
“[My form] doesn't happen if I don't have the team that I have,” Puig said. “I need to say thank you to all my teammates, the staff, the coach. We are making an amazing season but we need to finish really good and hopefully we can win this MLS [Cup] because it's what we want.”
For Vanney, the red-hot form of Puig has come at the perfect time.
“He's an important player for us. He drives our team from possessions to attacks. He finishes things for us. I think Riqui, on any day, would trade in the opportunity to win an MLS Cup before an MVP trophy. He's continued to develop inside of our team. He continues to be the engine and the motor inside of our group.
"... I'm happy that Riqui's playing great now because this is the stage in which you make the biggest statement right now, not during the regular season.”
Championship mentality
After becoming the first team to advance to the conference semifinals, the Galaxy now await the winner of the Real Salt Lake-Minnesota United series in the next round. Whichever opponent emerges, LA will host the match at Dignity Health Sports Park as they chase a historic sixth MLS Cup.
“We do [have a championship mentality],” Paintsil said. “We take every game at a time and as you can see we're doing everything possible to have that kind of mentality, as we have been always having [since] the beginning of the season.
"There are little doubts about people towards us, but we don't really care about what people say. We just go game by game and then we will just see what happens," Paintsill said. "But our goal is to be in the final.”
