MLS Title Win: What Next For LA Galaxy’s Marco Reus? | OneFootball

On Saturday, Marco Reus won the first domestic league championship of his career.

He had finished second in the Bundesliga seven times with Borussia Dortmund, but just four months after moving to the USA the former BVB captain has won the title there. In the LA Galaxy dressing room after the game, Reus had drinks poured out of the trophy over his head and down his throat after his first league title, and his teammates belted out “Sweet Caroline”. After years of unsuccessfully chasing a league title with BVB, the Dortmund born and bred player celebrated the 2-1 victory in the MLS final against the New York Red Bulls with his new teammates in the USA in a laid-back party atmosphere.

It was a title 19 years in the making for the BVB fan-favorite “It’s just an incredible day,” the 35-year-old exclaimed after the game, standing ankle-deep in a pool of beer, champagne, and other drinks with the title winner medal dangling around his neck.

Despite winning the DFB Pokal twice during twelve years with Borussia Dortmund, the 48-time international never managed to get his hands on the German league title. Four months was enough to do so in MLS.

“You work your whole career towards being successful, trying to reach as many endings as possible and to win them, but it didn’t work out for me in Germany,” Reus said .

“But as I said when I arrived, the aim was always to continue to be successful.” It almost never happened. Due to ongoing injury concerns, Reus was a serious doubt for the final against the New York Red Bulls, who are managed by former Mainz 05 coach Sandro Schwarz.

Reus was substituted in the 76th minute, replacing Uruguay international Gaston Brugman who had set up the first goal for Joseph Paintsil.

Reus also made an instant impact with a shot on target, but NYRB keeper Carlos Coronel made light work of it. It was remarkable that he came on after carrying an adductor injury sustained in the Western Conference win against the Seattle Sounders.

“I’ve trained twice in the last two weeks,” Reus added . “In a normal game, I wouldn’t have played, no chance, but in the end, I didn’t care.” This is the sixth Major League Soccer title for Galaxy, a record in the MLS. “They’re legends in this club now. This title win is a big number. I’m so proud of these guys,” Galaxy coach Greg Vanney extolled . The title win rarely seemed in doubt. The Southern Californian team took the lead after just nine minutes through a strike from Ghana international winger Paintsil that the Red Bull keeper had a hand on but couldn’t keep out. Former Frankfurt center-forward Dejan Joveljic increased the lead to 2-0 four minutes later. In the early stages, Galaxy had complete control of the game, which was sold out with 26,812 spectators at the Dignity Health Sports Park, Galaxy’s home, and had further good chances to increase the lead. A corner from former RB Leipzig player Emil Forsberg led to an unexpected equalizer from a right-footed strike by Sean Nealis in the 28th minute.

The game threatened to kip in the favor of the East Coast side. The 90-time Sweden international Forsberg had one of several opportunities for the franchise team to equalize with a shot that hit the post in the 73rd minute, but it wasn’t to be.

For Reus, at an age when many will have retired, the title represents the high point of a career plagued by injury.

Two second-place finishes in the Champions League with the black and yellows, but despite 48 caps no participation in any of the finals of any major international tournament. Success has followed Borussia Dortmund’s all-time leading scorer in the Bundesliga everywhere he has gone.

His haul includes promotion to the 3. Liga with RW Ahlen in 2007/8, and three DFL Supercup titles with BVB, but some players have to wait until the end of their careers for their dreams to materialize.

The former Borussia Dortmund midfielder’s contract with the record champions of the Major Soccer League runs until the end of 2026 and Will Kuntz, the club’s managing director has already hinted at an extension following a highly successful season. The Galaxy faithful, for certain, will be seeing a lot more of their new “California idol”.