Which LA Galaxy loss to D.C. United hurt more, 1996 or 1999 MLS Cup Finals? | OneFootball

Major League Soccer is enjoying it's 30th regular season. To think that this league took off back 1996 and is continuing to grow.

Saturday evening saw two teams take the field in Carson, California that also faced off in the inaugural MLS Finals Cup. The Los Angeles Galaxy hosted D.C. United.

The two winningest franchises in all of MLS did battle with the home team coming out on top, 1-0. That's quite opposite of how things went for the LA Galaxy in the 1996 and the 1999 MLS Cup Finals.

So which one hurt the Los Angeles Galaxy more?

In 1996, the LA Galaxy were led by head coach Lothar Osiander. In the 32-game season, both the Galaxy and D.C. United won 15 games. However, Osiander's team earned the top seed in the MLS Western Conference, whereas the Tampa Bay Mutiny held the best overall record, 12 points ahead of D.C.

United upset the Mutiny in the MLS Eastern Conference Finals, and the LA Galaxy eliminated the Kansas City Wizards in the MLS Western Conference Finals. Interestingly enough, the man who scored two goals in that round is the current head coach of the LA Galaxy, Greg Vanney.

That set the stage for the Galaxy and D.C. United to take the field at Foxboro Stadium. Eduardo Hurtado scored the games first goal inside of five minutes. Christopher Armas added one himself to make the score 2-0 early in the second half.

D.C. United responded strong with scores from Anthony Sanneh and Shawn Medved. With the game tied up 2-2, extra time was required. That's when Eddie Pope from United gave D.C. the 1996 MLS Cup Finals championship.

The LA Galaxy and their fans were heartbroken then and again in 1999. At this point, Octavio Zambrano was the new head coach for the Los Angeles Galaxy while D.C. United celebrated its second Supporters' Shield. Yet, the Galaxy were only three points behind them overall in the standings.

D.C. United breezed by the Miami Fusion and ousted the Columbus Crew. The LA Galaxy took care of business against the Colorado Rapids and the Dallas Burn. That created a rematch ofthe 1996 MLS Cup Finals.

Jaime Morales and Benjamin Olsen both found the back of the net in the first half for D.C. The LA Galaxy couldn't score in the title game, giving United their fourth championship in the first four years of the league.

A redemption win here could have launched the LA Galaxy's dominance in MLS sooner than it eventually happened. It wasn't until 2002 that the Galaxy won their first title. Before they could win a second one in 2005, D.C United won their fourth and last one in 2004 and haven't returned since.

They say you always fall in love with your first. So yes, the 1996 MLS Cup Finals loss may hurt more out of the two. However, the LA Galaxy have had the last laugh.