MLS Cup: 10 Bold Predictions for Houston Dynamo vs. LA Galaxy

The 16th Major League Soccer Cup champion will be crowned this Sunday as the Houston Dynamo travel to the LA Galaxy’s home stadium, the Home Depot Center, at 9 p.m. EST on Sunday. The game will pit the two hottest teams in the league against one another.

Here are 10 bold predictions for the game.

The Houston Dynamo Can Beat the Best Home Team in Their Own House

Despite owning one of the worst away records in MLS this season at 2-6-9 and playing the best home team in MLS at 12-0-5, Dynamo fans should not give up hope.

While the LA Galaxy went undefeated at home, the Dynamo have hit a bit of a road hot streak of late, beating the Philadelphia Union and Sporting Kansas City on the road in the playoffs. The Dynamo also beat FC Dallas and the Portland Timbers on the road to close out the regular season.

Moreover, in the last meeting between these two teams less than a month ago (albeit in Houston), the Dynamo beat the Galaxy 3-1. In fact, the Dynamo haven’t lost a game, home or away, since September 10th.

The Houston Dynamo Can Win Without Brad Davis

Losing Brad Davis, easily one of the league’s best players, to a quadriceps injury will certainly hurt the Dynamo’s chances on Saturday, but they can still win without him.

In fact, the Dynamo have proven they are a strong enough organization to win despite losing their stars year after year. Only two years out from losing Dwayne De Rosario, Stuart Holden and Ricardo Clark to other teams, the Dynamo are flourishing again.

The loss of that level of talent would ruin most MLS teams. However, the Dynamo have repeatedly proven they can beat the odds. Early in the season the Dynamo proved they could win without Brian Ching, and they also beat Sporting Kansas City in the MLS semifinals last week after losing Davis late in the first half.

Landon Donovan Will Score in the Run of Play

Of Donovan’s 12 MLS goals this year, only six have been in the run of play. Considering that he has been playing for three straight years now with loan stints to Bayern Munich and Everton in the MLS break, and the Confederations Cup, the World Cup and the Gold Cup in the past three summers, no one can possibly fault Donovan for having tired legs.

However, Donovan took the initiative to give himself a bit of a break by turning down his latest national team call-up to stay home and prepare for the MLS Cup with his team. That will pay dividends as his rejuvenated legs and desire to add another trophy to his already impressive collection will result in USA’s Mr. Clutch being there for his club as well.

The American Public Will Watch the Game and Care Who Wins

American sports fans love the big players on the big stage. If this game were Real Salt Lake vs. Sporting Kansas City, no one would watch or care.

But because David Beckham, Landon Donovan and, to a lesser extent, Robbie Keane and Omar Gonzalez are involved, Americans will tune in to see if America’s superstar team can get it done.

MLS officials must be very happy LA made it to the final.

Adam Moffett Will Score from 40 Yards out

Calling the player and the distance—pretty bold, huh? Well, maybe not that much.

Moffett has done this twice before, and both of his wonder goals have become YouTube classics.

David Beckham Will Not Win a Championship in His Final Season with the Galaxy

In his last year at Manchester United, Beckham and the Red Devils won the Premier League. In his last year with Real Madrid, after famously being benched midseason by then-Real manager Fabio Capello, Beckham and Los Blancos went on to win La Liga.

Beckham is now in the last year of his contract with the Galaxy, but with a Dynamo win, he will leave without the MLS Cup that has eluded him for the past five years.

Omar Gonzalez Will Get Beaten for the Game-Winning Goal

Despite earning Defender of the Year honors and pleas from many U.S. fans for a national team call-up, Omar Gonzalez’s suspect positioning and slow feet will cost him when Dynamo forward Calen Carr uses his blistering pace to get in behind the Galaxy defense for the game-winning goal.

David Beckham and Mike Magee Will Team Up to Score for the 4th Consecutive Game

For the same two players to team up for goals in consecutive games is rare, even at an elite level. No disrespect to Mike Magee or MLS, but neither is currently at an elite level.

For those two to connect with each other three games in a row as they have is simply amazing. For it to happen four times in a row …?

Brian Ching Will Score with His Feet

At 33, Ching is coming to the end of a long and decorated career at both the club and international level. With an impressive 77 career MLS goals, Ching has always been known more for his workmanlike attitude and prowess in the air on crosses and set pieces than for his footwork.

However, on Sunday, Ching will show everyone he still has what it takes to compete at the highest level in MLS by coolly tucking away a shot that helps propel the Dynamo to the championship.

Dominic Kinnear Will Be Recognized as Next in Line for the USMNT

The battle on Sunday night will be about more than just the players on the field. LA Galaxy coach Bruce Arena has two MLS Cups, and so does Houston Dynamo coach Dominic Kinnear.

The winner will be the first coach in MLS history to win an unprecedented three titles. After Jurgen Klinsmann’s run as USMNT manager is over, Dominic Kinnear, who represented the Nats 54 times in the 1990s, will become the next heir apparent.

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