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MLS Cup 2024 is upon us, with the No. 2 seed LA Galaxy hosting the No. 7 seed New York Red Bulls Saturday afternoon at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, CA.The two sides have storied histories, with both teams being MLS original clubs founded in 1996 and the Galaxy holding the most titles in league history at five. Over the years, the two have also established a direct coast to coast rivalry as well. They've met 51 times in total, with Saturday's championship being the latest installment between the two franchises.Their last competitive meeting, though, was in 2021 - 3-2 home win for the Galaxy. The players on these current rosters might be different, but that doesn't change that the two clubs have had some bad blood, eventful meetings and thrilling matchups over the years.GOAL takes a look back at the best matches between the two sides over the past 20 years, dating back to David Beckham's first start in 2007, their lone playoff meeting in 2011 and more.

Rafa Marquez vs. Landon Donovan brawl in 2011, David Beckham's first start in 2007 - Top five New York Red Bulls vs. LA Galaxy matches

In their lone playoff meeting outside of the MLS Cup, the two sides clashed in 2011 in a two-legged affair that saw the LA Galaxy advance with a 3-1 aggregate score. The Galaxy won the first leg 1-0 and secured the second leg 2-1. However, the outcome wasn't the most memorable part of the encounter.What stood out was what happened after the first leg, when the Galaxy were handed an advantage heading into the second match. Former Mexico international and ex-Barcelona star Rafa Márquez grabbed the ball after the final whistle and threw it at LA's Landon Donovan, igniting a brawl on the pitch.Following the incident, Donovan described the brawl and Márquez’s actions as a "disgrace." Red Bulls forward Thierry Henry also commented on the event, stating that he saw it from a distance while thanking the traveling fans on the opposite side of the field. He remarked, "It’s not so much what you want to see at the end of a game."Márquez was subsequently suspended for an additional two matches and fined $2,000."After thorough examination of the incident that followed the Oct. 30 game between the New York Red Bulls and the LA Galaxy, the Disciplinary Committee strongly believed Rafa Márquez must be punished above the red card he was issued for throwing the ball after the final whistle because of the following actions: attempting to head butt Adam Cristman, attempting to punch Adam Cristman; striking Cristman, and simulating that he had been struck in the face,” said MLS Executive Vice President Nelson Rodriguez, who oversaw the disciplinary committee.

Rafa Marquez' moment of rage

On Aug. 9, 2007, former England, Manchester United and Real Madrid star David Beckham made his MLS debut for the LA Galaxy in a 5-4 loss to the New York Red Bulls in front of more than 66,000 fans. It was an exciting match, with Beckham making an impact and both teams battling fiercely throughout the 90 minutes plus stoppage time.Beckham recorded two first-half assists, both of which were headers scored by Carlos Pavon. Heading into the break, the teams were tied 2-2 after a brilliant first half.However, 18-year-old striker Jozy Altidore had other plans for the Red Bulls. The now-U.S. men’s national team legend netted two goals in the second half, giving New York a two-goal lead by the 70th minute. Landon Donovan quickly responded with a goal of his own, and Edson Buddle scored soon after to level the match at 4-4 by the 82nd minute.With two minutes left in the match, Juan Pablo Angel scored his second goal of the game for New York, securing a 5-4 victory and all three points for the Red Bulls.The match is widely viewed as one of the best in MLS history and a defining moment for the league.

Beckham makes starting debut in nine-goal thriller

It was already noted that their last competitive meeting was in 2021, but what wasn't mentioned was how thrilling the contest was.The Galaxy secured a 3-1 victory, with former Real Madrid, Manchester United and Mexico star Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez scoring a hat trick to lead his team to victory.Hernandez scored twice with his right foot and once with his left, finding the back of the net in the ninth, 41st and 60th minutes—the latter being the decisive goal that sent the Red Bulls back to the locker room dejected.It was an early-season win for the Galaxy and ended a two-match losing streak against the Red Bulls across all competitions.“I thought he put in a great shift,” Vanney said of Hernandez. “What we needed to do today was get him in front of goal and give him opportunities because it wasn’t about possession, and we were scrapping through a lot of that game. It was about his opportunities, and he took them well like the goal-scorer that he is. He was clever with his movements throughout the day. Again, it was a day of opportunistic actions more than anything else, and he gave us a good shift on the defensive side to help us when we needed it.”

Chicharito's class

In 2013, former Premier League superstar and Australia international, Tim Cahill, proved to be the difference maker in a highly-contested regular season contest between the two sides. Sensational set piece taker Juninho lined up a free kick on the edge of the box, and his delivery landed perfectly on the forehead of Cahill in stoppage-time, with the Aussie heading home into the back of the net to secure all three points in a 1-0 victory.“I knew where Juninho was going to put it,” Cahill said after the match. “I knew it was going to be dangerous and it was just a matter of getting contact.”LA defender and former U.S. international Omar Gonzalez had lined up to defend Cahill, but a sensational block by forward Thierry Henry freed up space for Cahill to head home.“I have (Henry) to thank for the block on Gonzalez,” Cahill said about his fourth goal of the season. “He’s a big guy and was heading everything away. “It’s good when you seem to have a chance to produce in big games and I’ve managed to come up for us lately, so it’s nice.”

Tim Cahill's brilliant forehead

The LA Galaxy’s last MLS Cup triumph came in 2014, when the league had 19 teams. A decade later, the league now has 29 teams, and the Galaxy are back in the MLS Cup.In the 2014 regular season, LA finished second in the Supporters’ Shield race, trailing the Seattle Sounders by three points after Decision Day. However, they bested Seattle in the conference semifinals en route to their title win.One of their most memorable regular-season victories that year was a 4-0 rout of the New York Red Bulls. Robbie Keane scored twice, while Landon Donovan and Gyasi Zardes each added a goal.The victory came late in the campaign during a 10-match unbeaten run, helping propel Bruce Arena’s team toward their eventual postseason success.

LA's thumping en route to triumph

Rafa Marquez vs. Landon Donovan brawl in 2011, Beckham's first start in 2007 - Top five New York Red Bulls vs. LA Galaxy matches | Goal.com Australia

GOAL takes a look at the five most memorable matches in the New York Red Bulls vs. LA Galaxy history, dating back to David Beckham&apos;s debut in 2007