RECAP: Red Bulls Win MLS Cup Rematch, Tie Team Record With 7-0 Win Over LA Galaxy
For the first time since the 2024 MLS Cup Final, the New York Red Bulls faced off against the LA Galaxy. Despite only half a year separating the two teams from that final, neither looked the same.
The defending MLS Cup champions are hobbled, and New York is inconsistent.
In a much-needed result, both for the table and morale, RBNY decimated LA Galaxy, who have still yet to win a game this season in Major League Soccer.
The final score, 7-0, ties New York’s all-time greatest winning margin in a single game.
That game, the Red Wedding, has gone down in team folklore. This time, the result marks RBNY’s biggest ever win in a home game, let alone in Harrison at Sports Illustrated Stadium.
Head coach Sandro Schwarz didn’t seem too eager to show happiness about the result. There was, of course, no talk about revenge from him about the loss to the Galaxy in December. In fact, the second-year head coach spoke more about his group rebounding after last weekend’s loss against Inter Miami.
He brought it up five times during the press conference.
“It’s a good feeling, of course, when you have had a performance, and it’s not only a result. It’s more the qualities, more how the play and the intensity with which we played, and I’m very proud, especially, of the second half,” Schwarz said. “When you have 3-0 at halftime (it’s not so easy), but then to continue the style of play, how we want to play with the same intensity, and that’s good. This was our main topic after Inter Miami, especially the whole season, so to play with a clear direction, play very aggressively, and have these deep runs was great. It was great to see today.”
First Half
In the midst of a busy May, New York’s rotation was mixed. The only change from last week’s harsh defeat to Inter Miami was Daniel Edelman replacing Peter Stroud in the midfield. Some players even did triple duty after starting midweek against the Colorado Springs Switchbacks in the U.S. Open Cup victory.
Funny enough, Mohammed Sofo was the quietest of the forwards after his standout performance against the USL Championship side. Both Emil Forsberg and Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting notched braces versus the Galaxy.
It only took seven minutes for the Red Bulls to get on the board. In the 7th minute, Choupo-Moting played a ball to Forberg at the top of the box, who played a give-and-go right back to the Cameroon attacker. A shot to the left side of the net was able to get past a diving John McCarthy, for what officially would be the game-winning goal.
It didn’t stop there. A long pass to set up Sofo was cleared away by McCarthy, but the second chance play didn’t fail. Omar Valencia long passed up to Forsberg, who turned his body in midair to both receive the ball and attack. He fired a shot into the left side of the net in the 16th minute.
By now, the home crowd, a reported 23,225, and looking healthy in person, was starting to get loud. Its an energy Sports Illustrated Stadium needs in the future, especially this summer.
The half was capped off with another Sofo attempt leading to a goal. The young forward was on the end of a run, but his shot was blocked by an advancing McCarthy. Forsberg got under the clearance and passed it back into the box. Choupo-Moting, on a run from the right side, intercepted and controlled the ball before quickly scoring his second of the match.
After the game, Forsberg was asked about the emotions of things just clicking on the field, how it felt to just have fun playing soccer, and seeing this work out.
“It’s a hard thing to explain, you just have fun out there,” Forsberg said. “You help each other, you have fun, you play one-two, you play forward, you score goals together. With our fans in the back, it’s the best feeling. I think everybody is going home happy tonight.”
Second Half
New York didn’t make any subs to start the second half. The Galaxy made two, bringing on defender Mauricio Cuevas and midfielder Lucas Sanabria. The momentum didn’t swing in a new direction.
A foul set up Forsberg with a free kick in the 50th minute, about ten yards out away from the box. He scored into the top right corner, past a jumping McCarthy, to make it 4-0. It was a blistering free kick and marked Forsberg’s fifth goal of the season. He would end the game with two goals and two assists.
New York began making subs in the 67th minute, a triple sub which did not include either of the scoring forwards. They remained on the field for another ten minutes before coming off.
After the match, Forsberg admitted he was hoping that extra time would help him get a hat trick.
“I wanted to get that third goal to be honest,” Forsberg said with a smile. “But it’s ok, we have a lot of games in May now. So it’s important to stay healthy.”
Those first three subs in the 67th minute were Peter Stroud, Dennis Gjengaar, and Cameron Harper. A minute later, the latter two combined for New York’s fifth. A long kick from New York’s end was played back to McCarthy, who tried to pass to an LA defender. Gjengaar intercepted just outside of the box, extending his leg back to catch the ball, and shot off McCarthy’s leg. The ball lobbed toward the net, where Harper slid into it to earn the goal.
For Harper, who began the season missing time with leg injuries, it marks his first goal of 2025 and first goal since June last year.
Gjengaar got his own goal in the 88th minute, when a Wiktor Bogacz pass from the right side found him at the top of the box. He shot through traffic to make it 6-0.
By this time, the crowd at Sports Illustrated Stadium (minus the traveling Galaxy fans) knew what they wanted. A chant of “We Want Seven” rang out, and many knew what that scoreline meant in the annals of team history. The last time RBNY did that sort of damage was in 2016 against New York City FC, a day known as “The Red Wedding”.
With time winding down, LA Galaxy’s Miki Yamane would be the unlikely one to make history. In the third minute of stoppage time, his backpass toward McCarthy arched over the keeper.
The scoreline of 7-0 officially ties the RBNY record for biggest winning margin in a game.
“In a match like tonight, it’s not every day we can celebrate like this,” keeper Carlos Coronel said after earning his clean sheet. “I mean, 7-0 made us very happy. It’s not only about the result, but how you play. We showed that today, with the quality. We have to keep this quality and, in every game, we have to improve. If we find the right way, we can have a good season.”
Analysis
The LA Galaxy are one of the worst teams I have ever seen play professional soccer. And I cover the lower division.
Six months ago, this team beat the New York Red Bulls and won the MLS Cup while being a Supporters’ Shield contender. The roster they built for 2024 was always going to lose pieces the following season. But to only have one win in all competitions, with that coming against Herediano in the Champions Cup, is wild.
This is a historic dropoff, and Greg Vanney might honestly be fired today or this week.
But looking at the New York Red Bulls, Saturday demonstrated that the roster fundamentally works. It just isn’t consistent. Forsberg and Choupo-Moting both connected with one another multiple times, Sofo, despite his misses, was a threat, Harper played his role as second-half legs.
Choupo’s six goals this season are tied for the most amongst MLS newcomers this year.
Coronel earned his fifth clean sheet of the year, and the backline played some of its best soccer of the season. Omar Valencia and Kyle Duncan on the wings were especially good.
For New York, closing out games is a major issue this season. Saturday’s result was never in doubt. But even at 4-0, RBNY’s relentless attack kept the pressure on. The defense allowed chances, but only three of the Galaxy’s ten chances in the second half were on target. The subs did their part, the starters overdid their part, and it showed this team can be a complete unit.
Even if the Galaxy are bad, New York has shown it is a team that will play down to competition. That didn’t happen on Saturday—a much-needed change in a season that needs to be shifted into a new gear.
The Red Bulls next task is a midweek trip to Nashville SC, before heading to Queens next weekend for a Hudson River Derby against New York City FC.
PHOTO: New York Red Bulls
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