The first MLS Cup brought the new league’s two finalists together at Foxboro Stadium in Massachusetts on October 20, 1996. D.C. United, in its inaugural season, faced the Los Angeles Galaxy in a match that would crown Major League Soccer’s first champion. The setting was wet and windy, and the Galaxy quickly took control. Eduardo Hurtado scored in the fifth minute, and Chris Armas added another goal in the 56th to give Los Angeles a 2-0 lead.
D.C. United responded with pressure and substitutions that changed the match. Tony Sanneh scored in the 73rd minute after a pass from Marco Etcheverry, cutting the deficit to one. Shawn Medved equalized in the 81st minute with an unassisted goal. The comeback sent the final into extra time under the league’s then-current sudden-death format. In the 94th minute, Etcheverry delivered a corner kick and defender Eddie Pope headed home the winner. United had turned a two-goal deficit into a 3-2 championship.
The comeback immediately gave the first MLS Cup a dramatic identity. D.C. United had been assembled as one of the league’s original clubs, and its win established the team as a central force in early MLS. Etcheverry’s playmaking and Pope’s decisive finish became enduring parts of the club’s history, while the result helped give the young league an opening championship remembered for its tension and momentum swings.
United’s inaugural title was the beginning of a dominant early stretch: the club went on to win MLS Cup again in 1997 and 1999. The 1996 final also introduced fans to the competition between the two clubs, with the Galaxy eventually becoming a major rival. The final gave the young league a dramatic first championship and established D.C. United as an early power.