In late October of 1996 Major League Soccer was reaching the climax of its first season. A league in its infancy, the inception of MLS came after the 1994 World Cup bidding committee promised to setup a domestic league if they were successful. Holding just 10 teams, divided by two conferences, it had managed to survive the perils and pitfalls of its debut campaign and now stood one step from completing an entire season by awarding the first ever MLS Cup, to either D.C. United or the Los Angeles Galaxy.

“The game was in doubt actually because there was heavy rain and there was power lines that were down,” recalls L.A. Galaxy’s Jorge Salcedo.

Talk of hurricane-like conditions in Foxborough, Massachusetts, where the game would be held were not an exaggeration. The pitch at Foxboro Stadium had been subject to a barrage of rain in the days leading up to the match, with some journalists even describing it as a ‘muddy bog’ in their reports.

“The weather was incredible,” then D.C. United head coach Bruce Arena says. “I’ve never been part of a game where it has rained so much. The field was partially flooded and we played on what was an NFL field. Given the weather, the quality of the game was outstanding. It didn’t have the build-up to MLS Cup finals we have today, but it was on par with any MLS Cup final we’ve had since.”

In fact the conditions were so bad that postponing the game became a real possibility. “I just convinced myself this game was going to go ahead,” D.C. United defender Eddie Pope recalls, as news filtered through that game was on, then off, then back on again. “Once we showed up to the stadium, the stands were packed and people still attended.”

Playing in the presence of just over 34,000 fans, drenched to the bone, the focus quickly shifted to how the teams would adapt to the conditions. “It wasn’t about style or possession it was more about how do we not take the high risk in our own end,” FC Cincinnati head coach and former D.C. United midfielder John Harkes explains. “A game like that was always going to be a massive challenge and for us it was about being efficient.”

As the match started, a frenetic pace ensued with the pitch an added obstacle. Then four minutes in, disaster for D.C. United. A deep cross from the right hand side by Mauricio Cienfuegos floated over the DCU defence and on to the head of Eduardo ‘El Tanque’ Hurtado - 1-0 to the Galaxy. “The first thing you think is, there’s plenty of time,” Pope says. “We can claw our way back into this thing, just don’t give up another one.”

Still feeling confident, D.C. United had good reason to trust themselves after recovering from a poor start to the season to make the final. “I remember after 11 games we were like three wins and eight losses,” Harkes explains. “There was always that kind of confidence about us that it was going to come together eventually if we kept at it. We had good players, good coaching and a good environment and so having that adversity in the beginning of the season helps you in the final.”

Knowing they would have to contest with Mother Nature’s influence, D.C. United tried to get back into the game through Bolivian playmaker Marco Etcheverry. A classic number 10, many had expected him to shine at the World Cup in the United States just two years prior. Instead he would be remembered for lashing out at Germany’s Lothar Matthäus moments after entering the field as a substitute; his last contribution to the tournament.

“He had so many great moments for us,” Pope says of his former teammate. “He could put the ball anywhere he wanted at any time. He could play a pass and you’d think, ‘Where is that going?’ then you’d realise, oh that’s where it’s going [laughs]. He could see things other players couldn’t.”

As the rain began to relent slightly the half-time whistle sounded and both teams filed into their respective locker rooms. The contest was far from decided and Arena knew keeping the message to his team simple would produce the best results. “One thing we told our guys at half time was that we just have to deliver crosses into the box.”

The reason he was eager to see the team play out wide was due to an aerial supremacy; an advantage that was furthered by the fact L.A.’s Mexican goalkeeper Jorge Campos stood officially at just 5ft 9 (although many claim he was in fact 5ft 6).

Then in the 56th minute a hammer blow to DCU. “The second goal, the one by Chris Armas is a really high quality move,” Salcedo says. “In general I’ve watched the game back and the quality of the match considering the conditions really impresses me.” Breaking free from the constraints placed on him by the weather, Armas began a silky run from 30 yards out. “I’ve kind of blocked it out,” Harkes says of the goal, laughing. “You tend to suppress the negative memories on a day like that.”

Skipping by defender Clint Peay, Armas then slipped the ball through the legs of Jeff Agoos before firing it into the bottom corner. Overtaken with emotion the New York native fell to his knees and looked to the sky. Not for the first time, the emotions on the field were polarised. “When we gave up the second goal we knew we have to start fixing things really soon,” Pope explains. “L.A. was a very good team and you start to think this is going to be really difficult to try and pull this back.”

Watching from the sidelines Arena realised he had to make a change in personnel. In the 59th minute he withdrew midfielder John Maessner for Tony Sanneh. Then just over 10 minutes later he made a second substitution. “We bring in another attacking player,” Arena says, explaining his decision to bring on Shawn Medved. “[The defender] Mario Gori was the obvious choice. We threw another player into midfield and went 3-5-2. That gave Etcheverry more freedom because he was delivering some dangerous balls.”

Now liberated, the Bolivian number 10 could pick his moments. “People forget that he was physically strong too,” Salcedo says of Etcheverry. “His technique was to get his ball to his left foot as that was his strong side and because of his physical strength he was able to hold players off and protect the ball in tight spaces. He was a complete player.”

Most dangerous of all though were his set-piece deliveries. A foul in the 71st minute gave the Black-and-Red a chance. Choosing to hang the ball up high in the air, Etcheverry floated it in from the left hand side. Met by the head of Sanneh, it flew into the goal and ignited the team’s self-belief. “If you see where ‘El Tanque’ Hurtado is for the goal, it’s a matter of an inch from him heading it away,” Salcedo says disappointedly. “That’s soccer.”

Although the Galaxy held the advantage, the momentum was no longer theirs. With the goal had also come a shift in the pace of the game as Etcheverry continued to be ubiquitous in the final third.

Moving into the last ten minutes of the match a smart turn by Jaime Moreno in the far left corner forced Armas into a foul. Placing the ball down quickly, Etcheverry then stood back for a second and surveyed the penalty box like a golfer with his tee shot. Opting to whip it in hard and fast, Campos sprang from his line to punch the ball away. Landing at the feet of the substitute Medved he pulled it out from under him before poking it towards goal. While Campos was able to smother the first shot, he could do nothing of the follow up as Medved fired it into the net.

As his teammates raced to celebrate with him the Galaxy players stood motionless, realising the advantage they had given up and that extra-time would likely be required. With that came another 30 minutes on the heavy, energy sapping pitch as well as sudden death golden goal.

By now the frequency of long balls had understandably increased. Four minutes into the first period of extra-time Harkes began chasing a ball into the near left channel, winning a corner from Arash Noamouz. “We did practice set pieces a lot after practice in the build up to the game,” Pope explains. “It was largely because of Marco. He is intentionally hanging it up because we were big boys.”

As the Bolivian conductor wrapped his foot around the ball once more, he found his target with ease. “We always knew Eddie had a skill for timing in the air,” Harkes explains.

Pope connected with the ball perfectly and it crashed into the net. Unable to fathom what he had just done, for a brief second time stopped. “The perfect word for me is euphoria,” Pope explains. “It didn’t seem real. Surreal is maybe even a better word for it.”

Cast alongside his joy and excitement was the pain of Ante Razov and the L.A. Galaxy. “I had just come on a few minutes before that, so it was a very crushing moment,” Razov explains.

The feeling of dejection was mirrored on the bench where Salcedo was now sat. “MLS had placed plastic all around our lockers so when we came in we could start spraying champagne,” he explains. “That’s how everyone felt, that the game was done and dusted [at 2-0]. I remember ‘El Tanque’ Hurtado got really mad when he walked into the locker room and was throwing coolers everywhere. It was a really sad scene because we had the game in the bag.”

Now standing alone as champions of Major League Soccer, the rain no longer felt cold for the players of D.C. United. Decided by the golden boot of Marco Etcheverry (he was voted the game’s MVP) and the golden goal of Eddie Pope, the trophy was presented on the field to Harkes and Arena. “The original trophy was really heavy and we were all trying to life it up together at the same time,” Harkes says laughing. “Everyone put something into that season to lift that trophy.”

On Sunday afternoon, the Portland Timbers and the Columbus Crew SC will engage in a similar battle of wills during the 20th MLS Cup. Building on the history of 1996 and the return of professional soccer to the United States, for those that were involved that day in Foxborough, looking back fondly on those memories now also allows them to look forward.

“We waited a lot of years to get our professional league back in this country and that was reward for all that hard work,” Arena says. “It was the great event despite the conditions and it gave us all hope that we could build this league and make something of it. MLS is a great story in the United States and it’s only ever going to get better.”