The Los Angeles Galaxy completed a domestic double when they defeated the New England Revolution 1-0 to capture the MLS Cup on this day in soccer history in 2005.  They won the U.S. Open Cup in September.

The march to the final and winning the MLS Cup was the first time in MLS history that the team entering the MLS Playoffs with the worst record had won the title.  The Galaxy came into the playoffs with a .500

After regulation ended deadlocked at 0-0, Guillermo 'Pando' Ramirez blasted a shot from outside the 18 over a crowded box to beat Revolution goalkeeper Matt Reis.  Landon Donovan started the play from a corner kick that forced Reis off his line to punch the ball clear but it only made it as far as Pando.

And who would have guessed the ending as Ramirex had the lowest shooting efficiency in MLS history that year with only 1 goal heading into the game from 62 shots, 30 on goal.

"I would have bet my mortgage that this guy wouldn't have come in and been the one who made the difference,” Donovan told the Washington Post after the match. I'm stunned, impressed and extremely happy for him."

"He's a player who had great inconsistencies . . . but he found the right time to get it done," Sampson said. "It was a very angry individual during the playoffs, not getting playing time, but when you're winning, it's very difficult to make changes. I just had a feeling he would do well tonight. . . . It was a great strike."

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The double was the last high point for years to come for the southern California side.  They ended up firing Steve Sampson during the 2006 season in new GM Alexi Lalas’ first major move in charge and then went on a three year streak of missing the playoffs, two of those years with David Beckham on the Galaxy squad, only returning in 2009.

Soccer Birthdays
 
1939 – Karel Brückner, Czech football manager
1943 – Roberto Boninsegna, Italian footballer
1975 – Ivica Dragutinović, Serbian footballer
1975 – Quim, Portuguese footballer

Soccer Deaths

2007 – John Doherty, English footballer (b. 1935)

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