The LA Galaxy vs Houston Dynamo 2012 MLS championship game will be played this Saturday, December 1, 2012 (4:30 PM EDT) at The Home Depot Center in Carson, CA. The Los Angeles team won the home field advantage due to their higher seed than Houston, therefore they will be able to end the season at home in front of their fans. In another story that makes this game that much more entertaining, star David Beckham will play his last game with Los Angeles and will attempt to finish his MLS career with two consecutive league titles. Meanwhile, the Dynamo will try to avenge their defeat against Galaxy one year ago when they lost the 2011 MLS Cup.
The Los Angeles Galaxy have the advantage right off the bat in this MLS Cup because due to the new league rules, the team with the higher seed plays the one-game final at home. Last year, Galaxy was fortunate to also play at their home stadium, and they were superior against a conservative and poorly attacking Dynamo. This year, Galaxy has the same base of players but now with more experience. The midfield lead by Juninho, Beckham, and Mike Magee will be crucial in supplying Landon Donovan and Robbie Keane up top. This is a team with a good counter-attack and which has great ball possession in the second half of the field.
The Houston Dynamo are ready for a round 2 match with the team they lost the final against in 2011. With also the same base of starting players, Dynamo is a team that barely qualified to this year’s playoffs. Today, they are in the league championship game which shows their mentality and experience in games of this magnitude. Throughout the playoffs Houston has been phenomenal in the midfield and even in the semifinals they scored three goals in the first leg against favorites Sporting Kansas City. To win in Los Angeles, the Dynamo need that midfield to strive while the offense cannot be as asleep as they were one year ago when they lost the MLS cup in a dull performance.
Individual players to watch are David Beckham for Galaxy and Dwayne De Rosario for Dynamo. Beckham is the player to watch in this game because this is the last appearance he will have in the MLS. This is a player that has brought economy and fame to a league that is still on its growing stages. Moreover, in a close game like the one it will be against Houston, Galaxy needs to take advantage of set pieces, which include corner kicks, and why not, free kicks in Beckham style. De Rosario is important for Dynamo because this is a player that has recently returned from an almost three month injury. With his attacking midfield caliber, this is a player that can come off the bench to push Dynamo on the attack and change the result in their favor.
LA Galaxy vs Houston Dynamo Prediction
One year ago to date, these two teams faced each other in the same stadium and for the same title. Galaxy has the support of the stadium and its fans, while at the same time star David Beckham will give it a little extra to leave the team in style. Like LA, Dynamo has a history with MLS cups, therefore they should have no problem with mentality by playing at the Home Depot Center. However, this game will be decided by who has the thirst to score, and while Houston is a conservative team, Galaxy is known to always go on the attack. The LA Galaxy vs Houston Dynamo game will end 2-1 in favor of the home squad.
LA Galaxy vs Houston Dynamo Television
The LA Galaxy vs Houston Dynamo match will be televised this Saturday, December 1, 2012 at 4:30 PM Eastern on ESPN and Telefutura.
