MLS Cup 2011: All Anschutz, All the Time Between Los Angeles and Houston

Picture this. Two AEG-owned teams competing in an AEG-owned facility for a trophy with name of AEG's owner on it.

Conspiracy? Coincidence? Dumb luck? No, it's only MLS Cup 2011, which will take place on Sunday, Nov. 20 at the Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif.

Technically, AEG are a part-owner of Dominic Kinnear's Houston Dynamo, with Oscar De La Hoya's Golden Boy Promotions and Gabriel Brenner's Brenner International also claiming ownership stakes.

But AEG is the sole owner of Bruce Arena's Los Angeles Galaxy, and the scenario is only fitting: MLS Cup 2011, where it's All Anschutz, All The Time.

Los Angeles advanced to MLS Cup 2011 on the wings of a 3-1 victory over Real Salt Lake in the Western Conference Final.

"We scored some important goals. I think if any team needs two weeks off, it’s our team," Arena told reporters. "Hopefully, we can get our group ready for the final. It’s not going to be easy. Houston’s a very good team; they smacked us around pretty good a couple of weeks ago. We know we are going to have to be at our very best if we are going to beat them.”

Midfielder Landon Donovan was impressed by the Galaxy's heart and determination on Sunday against RSL.

“I’m real proud of the effort the guys put in all week," Donovan said. "It was a tough week. Our guys did a great job and I thought we were excellent tonight.”

Donovan, who lead the team in goals scored in the regular season with 12, accredited the victory to a second half resurgence, which saw goals from Mike Magee and Robbie Keane seal the deal.

“We could taste it," Donovan added. "We know were that close. We had a few early looks. And David [Beckham] made another unbelievable play and Mike Magee had another fantastic finish. We knew at that point we were going to win the game.”

Midfielder David Beckham, who leads the team in assists with 15 in the regular season and three in the playoffs, was smart enough to keep his feet on the ground. Still, the thrill of playing in front of 27,000 at Victoria Street was something hard to pass up.

“I think it’s special," Beckham said. "When it was announced that the MLS Cup would be at The HDC, I said it would be great if we could make it. Now we’ve made it, now we want to win it, simple as that.

"Tonight is a special night for the fans, for the manager, for the management as well, because Tim Leiweke, Phil Anschutz, they put a lot behind this team and they got two teams that they own in the finals. So, it’s a special night for them, so congratulations to them, but as a team we need to be ready.”

One of the issues Los Angeles will have to deal with is the match fitness of Keane, who will be coming back from international duty. Keane plays for the Republic of Ireland, who will take on Estonia in the two-legged Euro 2012 qualification playoffs.

However, the Dynamo have a huge problem to put up with, and that is the loss of Brad Davis, who was injured in the 38th minute in Houston's 2-0 victory over Sporting Kansas City in the Eastern Conference Final.

A right quad injury is sure to sideline him for MLS Cup 2011, which means that Adam Moffat will have to pick up the pieces.

Moffat has had success against the Galaxy before. In the final match of the regular season, a wonder strike from distance opened the floodgates in a 3-0 Houston victory over what was essentially the LA Galaxy reserve side.

This time, Moffat will need to find players like Brian Ching, Andre Hainault and Carlo Costly to test the Galaxy defense. Ching, along with Will Bruin and Geoff Cameron, led the team in goals this season with five.

“We know the caliber of player Brad is,” Cameron told MLSSoccer.com's Simon Borg. “We know he’s a fantastic player and considered an MVP. But everyone stepped their game up and said, ‘We’re going to do this for him, we’re going to win.’ I think everyone was lifted on the field today. It was a tribute to him, and we’re glad to win the game for him.”

Still, Houston will come into the match as huge underdogs against a Los Angeles side that literally has all hands on deck. The pressure will be on the Galaxy to deliver, as they are a team designed to win MLS Cup.

A defeat on Nov. 20 will likely render the season a failure in spite of defending the Supporters' Shield and advancing to the 2011-12 CONCACAF Champions League Championship Round.

“We know there’s one more game to go," Beckham said. "So, we’re not getting carried away. We did that a couple of years ago and we paid for it, we didn’t win the MLS Cup final. Hopefully this will be something that we’re happy to win tonight but we know that we have one more game.”

Prediction:
This MLS Cup is Los Angeles's to lose. The Galaxy will look to finish the job against an opponent that they would love to get some payback against for the 3-0 whitewash suffered at Robertson Stadium.

Los Angeles Galaxy 3, Houston Dynamo 1
Goalscorers: Donovan, Magee, Keane, Ching
Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. PT/9 p.m. ET and will be televised by ESPN and ESPN Deportes.

INS & OUTS
Galaxy are Indonesia bound

The first stop on the LA Galaxy's Asia Pacific Tour will be in Jakarta's Gelora Bung Karno Stadium, where they will take on an Indonesia Super League XI side on Wednesday, Nov. 30.

This match will be the Galaxy's first-ever match in Indonesia.

Following the game in Jakarta, the team will travel to Manila to face the Philippines National Team at Rizal Memorial Stadium  on Saturday, December 3.

The Galaxy will then travel to Melbourne, Australia to complete the tour against Melbourne Victory of the Hyundai A-League in the Hyundai Melbourne Challenge at Etihad Stadium on Tuesday, December 6.

Thus the Galaxy actually have four games in 17 days remaining on the calendar. The only question is whether or not the club will go for the last three games on that schedule or not.