The 2023 MLS Cup features one team aiming to become the league's first repeat champion in more than a decade (Los Angeles FC) and another (Columbus Crew) vying to become the third team to win at least three MLS Cups.
Los Angeles FC, the reigning league champion, can become just the fourth club in league history to win back-to-back MLS Cup titles. LAFC earned its trip to MLS Cup with a thorough 2-0 defeat of Houston Dynamo FC in the Western Conference final.
With a win, the Crew could join the Los Angeles Galaxy (five) and D.C. United (four) as clubs with three or more titles. (Though, to be fair, the Galaxy haven't won an MLS Cup in nearly a decade and D.C. United's last title came when the league had 10 teams. That's ancient history, folks.) The Crew won an epic Eastern Conference final against rival FC Cincinnati in the realest "Hell is Real" derby yet to reach MLS Cup.
Kickoff for the MLS championship game between the Columbus Crew and Los Angeles FC is set for 4 p.m. ET on Saturday, Dec. 9.
The Columbus Crew-LAFC game will be nationally televised on FOX. A Spanish-language broadcast is available on FOX Deportes. Jake Zivin (play-by-play), Taylor Twellman (analyst) and Katie Witham (sideline reporter) will be on the English-language broadcast. Sammy Sadovnik (play-by-play), Eduardo Biscayart (analyst) and Antonella Gonzalez (sideline reporter) will be on the Spanish-language broadcast.
MLS Cup is available to be streamed via MLS Season Pass on Apple TV. Pregame coverage starts at 3 p.m. ET.
The MLS championship game will be held at Lower.com Field in Columbus, Ohio. Lower.com Field opened in July 2021, replacing Crew Stadium, which had hosted three MLS Cups (2001, 2015, 2020). In the only other previous final at Lower.com Field, the Columbus Crew defeated Cruz Azul, 2-0, to win the 2021 Campeones Cup.
The MLS championship game is held in the home stadium of the finalist that finished the regular season with the most points. While both teams finished the 2023 regular season in third place in their respective conferences, the Columbus Crew had 57 points, which is higher than the 52 points earned by Los Angeles FC.
According to BetMGM, the Columbus Crew (-160) are favorites to lift the trophy over Los Angeles FC (+120). The over/under for number of goals scored is 2.5.
➤ Dénis Bouanga, forward, Los Angeles FC: Bouanga earned 2023 MLS Golden Boot honors after leading the league with 20 goals, becoming the third Golden Boot winner during the short history of LAFC (Carlos Vela, 2019; Diego Rossi, 2020). When Bouanga scores, he does so in bunches; he had a league-high five multi-goal games, including two hat tricks, this season.
➤ Cucho Hernández, forward, Columbus Crew: Two of the league's most prolific goal-scorers — both of whom were also 2023 MLS Best XI selections — will be on display in MLS Cup. Hernández followed up a 16-goal, 11-assist regular season with a dominant postseason, scoring four goals in five games, including a highlight-reel strike from midfield.
➤ Diego Rossi, forward, Columbus Crew: The former LAFC player is helping Columbus possibly do what couldn't be done during his time in Los Angeles ... win an MLS Cup. Rossi helped LAFC win the Supporters' Shield in 2019, but that team ultimately couldn't reach the MLS Cup. After leaving LAFC for Turkish side Fenerbahçe in 2021, Rossi returned to MLS this season, helping boost the Crew's prospects after the team lost 2020 MLS Cup MVP Lucas Zelarayán to the Saudi league.
➤ Carlos Vela, forward, Los Angeles FC: If franchise icon Vela can lead LAFC to back-to-back MLS Cup titles in what might be his final game with the team, they might just erect a statue of him outside BMO Stadium.
➤ Giorgio Chiellini, defender, Los Angeles FC: Speaking of possible finales for legends of the game, the 2023 MLS Cup could be the last match for the decorated 39-year-old Italian star. The veteran of two World Cups who captained the Azzurri to UEFA Euro glory in 2021, has won 10 top-flight league championships (nine with Juventus, one with LAFC) and is playing for an 11th on Saturday.
➤ Darlington Nagbe, midfielder, Columbus Crew: The former USMNT player is a vital piece in the Crew's attack, entrusted with getting the ball to the playmaking feet of Hernández and Rossi. With a win on Saturday, Nagbe can become just the 10th MLS player with four or more league titles. Nagbe previously won MLS Cup with the Portland Timbers (2015), Atlanta United (2018) and Crew (2020).
➤ Maxime Crépeau, goalkeeper, Los Angeles FC: Crépeau's gruesome leg injury in extra time of the most dramatic MLS Cup ever played was a major subplot in LAFC's remarkable victory last season. After enduring 10 months of rehabilitation, Crépeau made his first league start on Sept. 16 in the El Trafico rivalry game against the Los Angeles Galaxy. Crépeau has since returned to form, entering MLS Cup having recorded three consecutive clean sheets.
LAFC entered the 2023 season with a chance to win six trophies (MLS Cup, Supporters' Shield, U.S. Open Cup, CONCACAF Champions League, Leagues Cup, Campeones Cup), only to lose out on winning five of those prizes. A victory Saturday won't make up for the opportunities missed — particularly in losing the CONCACAF Champions League final and Campeones Cup — but winning back-to-back MLS Cups would be a historic consolation prize. The Los Angeles Galaxy, LAFC's El Trafico rivals, are the last franchise to repeat as MLS Cup winners, doing so in 2011-12.
After guiding CF Montréal to a club-record for points (65) and wins (20) and a second-place Eastern Conference finish in 2022, Nancy left a contentious situation behind to join the Crew, who — after missing the playoffs in consecutive seasons following their 2020 MLS Cup win — paid a transfer fee in order to be able to hire the coach away from Montreal. Under the guidance of the French coach, the Crew have returned to prominence, with Nancy making history as the first Black coach to lead his team to the MLS Cup final. The Nancy-led Crew also have done so with an entertaining, all-gas, no-brake approach, which resulted in a league-high 67 goals.
MLS CUP: Ranking all of the previous 27 championship games
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