The Los Angeles Galaxy may only have two stars above their crest, the same as the Houston Dynamo, but this is their seventh time in the MLS Championship. LA was thwarted by Bruce Arena's DC United in their first two trips, then Frank Yallop's San Jose Earthquakes in 2001 - a SJ team that also featured Landon Donovan on loan from Bayer Leverkusen. It wasn't until their fourth MLS Cup final against the New England Revolution in 2002 that the Galaxy finally won one.
That 2002 squad was coached by another big name in US soccer, Sigi Schmid. Steve Sampson led the Galaxy to their second title in 2005, by then the Galaxy been able to grab Donovan when MLS signed him away from Leverkusen.
The Galaxy have an odd sort of luck in the MLS Cup. Five of the Six Cups they've played in went to extra time, with 2009 going to a shootout. With better luck, the Galaxy could have three or four Cups on their mantle.
Two weeks from now, Bruce Arena will be trying to win his third MLS title, the LA Galaxy's third MLS title, and Landon Donovan's third MLS title. Here's a look at the Galaxy's all time MLS Cup record:
| LA Galaxy MLS Cup Results | |||
| Year | Winner | Score | Runner-Up |
| 1996 | DC United | 3-2* | LA Galaxy |
| 1999 | DC United | 2-0 | LA Galaxy |
| 2001 | San Jose Earthquakes | 2-1* | LA Galaxy |
| 2002 | LA Galaxy | 1-0* | New England Revolution |
| 2005 | LA Galaxy | 1-0* | New England Revolution |
| 2009 | Real Salt Lake | 1-1+ | LA Galaxy |
| 2011 LA Galaxy vs. Houston Dynamo at the Home Depot Center | |||
The 2011 MLS Cup will be held at the Home Depot Center on November 20th, 6pm. It'll be broadcast nationally on ESPN. There will be events at the HDC and around Los Angeles the week leading up to the cup. Check back here and on LAG Confidential for updates.