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On This Date: Los Angeles Galaxy and CF Montreal Evenly Match (9/12/2015)

Ten years ago, the LA Galaxy hosted CF Montreal to a scoreless draw. The defending MLS Cup champions could join Montreal after this weekend as another team that is eliminated from the playoffs.
ByScott Conrad|
Los Angeles Galaxy v Montreal Impact
Los Angeles Galaxy v Montreal Impact | Richard Wolowicz/GettyImages

Ten years ago, the LA Galaxy entered the 2015 MLS season as the defending champions. Fresh off beating the New England Revolution in the 2014 MLS Cup Finals, the Galaxy were poised for another successful season.

The LA Galaxy came into this game having lost their previous match. They won the three games before their 1-0 defeat against the San Jose Earthquakes. CF Montreal had won their game, 4-3 against the Chicago Fire, before facing Los Angeles, but lost the three prior that victory.

Landon Donovan would return a season later, ending his retirement from MLS briefly. It was not enough to return the Los Angeles Galaxy to the MLS Cup Finals again.

Neither team could score 10 years ago.

The Los Angeles Galaxy held possession of the soccer ball 58.5% of the game, compared to 41.5% from CF Montreal. Both teams had nearly the same number of shot attempts and shots on target. LA had 12 attempts with four shots on target, and Montreal had 15 attempts with five on target.

Montreal played a slightly more physical game, getting called for four more fouls than the LA Galaxy. Nigel Rio-Coker and Andres Romero, both played for Montreal, were issued the game's only two yellow cards.

Landon Donovan briefly returned to the LA Galaxy in 2016 . They won their fifth MLS Cup Finals in 2014 but did not in 2015.
2023 National Soccer Hall Of Fame Induction | Carmen Mandato/USSF/GettyImages

LA Galaxy and MLS fans grew accustomed to see Landon Donovan on the field. He had retired temporarily at this point. Instead, there was only one Landon playing for the Galaxy, the goalkeeper Landon Ricketts.

Ricketts racked up a clean sheet in this game, as he did so with five saves in the match. It was the only one on the season for the Jamaican goalie.

Donovan would return a season later, ending his retirement from MLS briefly. It was not enough to return the Los Angeles Galaxy to the MLS Cup Finals again.

Robbie Rogers and Robbie Keane played in the match on September 12, 2015, 10 years ago, for the LA Galaxy against CF Montreal
MLS Soccer - Los Angeles Galaxy v Seattle Sounders | Shaun Clark/GettyImages

A pair of Robbies played for the LA Galaxy. Robbie Rogers played on the back line for defense, and Robbie Keane played ahead of him to help the Galaxy's offense.

What happened next for the LA Galaxy?

After being the second-best team in the MLS Western Conference, they dropped to fifth and had an early playoff exit. The LA Galaxy was ousted in the first round.

Fast forward to 2025, CF Montreal were one of the first teams to be eliminated from making the playoffs. The LA Galaxy are right behind them should they lose on Saturday against the Seattle Sounders.

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