MLS Cup 2005

Lore & Background

New England qualified as the top seed in the Eastern Conference with several players named to the MLS Best XI, while Los Angeles was the lowest-seeded playoff team and had rebuilt its roster in the offseason. Ramírez, who was brought in on loan from CSD Municipal, had scored no goals from open play despite 62 shots but was substituted into the MLS Cup final and scored the winning goal.

In Their Own Story

The clock ticked past the ninety-minute mark at Home Depot Center, the Carson night air thick with tension and anticipation. Thousands of voices merged into a single roar as Landon Donovan stepped up to the penalty spot, the ball resting on the white paint. He glanced back at the goalmouth where the D.C. United goalkeeper shifted his weight, waiting for the tell. Donovan took his breath, the stadium lights blindingly bright against the dark sky. With a sharp run-up, he struck the leather with precision, sending it past the keeper’s dive into the corner of the net. The explosion of sound was immediate and deafening, a release of years of pressure. Players swarmed him on the turf as confetti cannons prepared to fire, sealing the third crown in the club's history under their own lights.

Reader's Guide

The match was hosted at Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, Texas, the newly built home of FC Dallas. The 21,000-seat stadium was announced as the host on November 12, 2004. It opened on August 6, 2005, and was the third major soccer-specific stadium to be built for an MLS team. The stadium cost $80 million to construct. The stadium sits at the center of a complex with 17 soccer fields located near downtown Frisco, approximately north of Downtown Dallas. Prior to the match, the league hosted pre-game festivities at nearby venues and parking lots, including events with FC Dallas players. Pizza Hut Park (later renamed Toyota Stadium) would go on to host MLS Cup 2006, and the 2007 and 2016 finals of the U.S. Open Cup, which all featured the New England Revolution.

Did You Know?

• The winning goal was scored by Guillermo Ramírez in extra time.
• Ramírez was on loan from CSD Municipal and had not scored from open play all season despite 62 shots.
• The Galaxy had rebuilt their roster before the season, retaining only 12 of 28 players from the previous playoff run.
• New England finished the regular season with a club-record 17 wins and 59 points.