Past Problems With L.A. Out of Sight, Out of Mind for Revolution
LOS ANGELES – The Revolution’s failures in finals against the Los Angeles Galaxy actually started a year before the 2002 MLS Cup.
In ’02, the Galaxy took a 1-0 extra time victory over the Revolution before a crowd of 61,316 at Gillette Stadium. But in 2001, just more than a month after the Sept. 11 attacks, the Revolution met L.A. in the US Open Cup final before 4,195 fans in Fullerton. And the Galaxy won that one also, 2-1, in sudden death overtime on a Danny Califf header.
Circumstances will be different when the two teams meet at the StubHub Center in the 19th MLS Cup final at 3 p.m. Sunday. More than 1,000 Revolution supporters are expected to be a part of the 27,000 sold-out crowd.
But the Galaxy, which also defeated the Revolution in the 2005 MLS Cup in Frisco, Texas, will again be favored.
‘’We can’t control the stories that are out there,’’ Revolution coach Jay Heaps said of the underdog status. “We can control how we prepare for this game, the process, we can maintain the same – we’ve been underdogs in every game, so far, I think. We can’t tell people what’s going on in our locker room and so we go into this game with the belief in ourselves.
“So, what everyone else wants to say about us we can’t control.’’
Heaps played as a defender in every Revolution final, also losing against Houston in the 2006 and ’07 MLS Cups.
But Heaps deflected references to those games during a press conference Friday.
“Teams are living, breathing organisms,’’ Heaps said. “Every final and every game, every team is different. So for me that has no bearing on this game at all.’’
The Galaxy took a 5-1 victory over the Revolution in the teams’ only meeting this season July 16.
But now, the Revolution have strengthened the midfield with Jermaine Jones (who joined the team in August) and believe they can counter the Galaxy’s Juninho and Marcelo Sarvas, limiting the chances of Landon Donovan and Robbie Keane.
“They have a great midfield, they do a ton of work not dissimilar to New York,’’ Revolution defender A.J. Soares said. “They do a ton of work and they get goals, so they’re very dangerous. But we have a great midfield so I’m pretty confident in the midfield battle — I think we’ll come out with it.
“I think they proved that they were the top team over the season. But we’re in the final, it’s one game, and whoever comes out and plays better on the day is going to win. We’re both good enough to win so it will be down to, on the day, who gets the goal, who takes their chances, who doesn’t make a mistake.
“I’m pretty confident. We don’t have any pressure, so it’s pretty easy.’’
Soares said the Revolution have long realized they had a team capable of reaching the final.
“I’d say early in the season, we went on that seven-game win streak,’’ Soares said. “You sort of get confidence. Even though we lost after that, you sort of just know you can beat really good teams by multiple goals. Once you do that in this league, you know in the playoffs if you go on a run you can put those games together and you can win.
“Early on, honesty, I was confident with this team and in preseason. And then once we started winning in the league a little bit, I was very confident knowing that we’d bounce back after we got on the losing streak – but always confident.’’
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