Too bad MLS doesn't have a million bucks to offer up to the winners of Sunday's MLS Cup final between the San Jose Earthquakes and L.A. Galaxy.

Because a "Survivor" theme would be so appropriate.

The lead-up to this final has been extraordinary. With San Jose, the worst team in MLS a year ago, you had Troy Dayak -- a guy who was out of soccer for over a year with a spinal cord injury -- scoring a Golden Goal winner in Fort Lauderdale to oust the Miami Fusion, a team that had been all but unbeatable at home all season. The Quakes, rebuilt almost entirely by Frank Yallop, a coach the club hired the day before the SuperDraft, had to win two playoff series as the lower-seeded team, meaning they had to win on the road.

Don't ask me why winning on the road is so hard in MLS. It might have something to do with the color of the empty seats the road team has to look at, I don't know. But it's hard.

Especially in Soldier Field where, until Wednesday night, when L.A.'s Mauricio Cienfuegos chipped the ball past Zach Thornton from 30 yards in OT, the Fire had never dropped a home playoff game. The Galaxy, who have got to have a professional soccer record now for most Golden Goals in a season, have become one stubborn side. Their coach, Sigi Schmid, said in his post-game press conference, "People used to refer to the Galaxy as the team with all the skill but no heart. Not anymore."

He is right. The old Galaxy, circa '98, were a team that could play in the peaks but not the valleys. This L.A. team seemed right at home playing the Fire in the tightest playoff series in league history. A series where all three games went into overtime.

So now there are two left, and they'll play on Sunday at 12:30 p.m. ET in Columbus, Ohio. Fans of the local clubs -- and going by some of the crowds that have shown up to watch the Quakes and Galaxy this season, we're not sure just how many there are -- may have to set their alarm clocks on the West Coast to catch the game. And MLS headquarters will have to hope the minivan brigade in Central Ohio is going to come out to watch a couple of West Coast teams battle it out for the Alan I. Rothenberg Trophy.

Which is a shame, really, because this should be a compelling matchup between two deserving finalists.

From a statistical standpoint, San Jose ranks as the best defensive team in MLS. But the Quakes are not "defensive" in an offensive kind of way. They work hard on both ends of the field. In other words, they run their butts off. Striker Landon Donovan has gotten a lot of deserved press, but the MLS Cup could be a coming-out party for a player like Richard Mulrooney, the Quakes' indefatigable defensive midfielder. Or for left back Wade Barrett.

It could also be captain Jeff Agoos' moment in the sun, as he tries to become the first player in league history to win four rings. There's a lot to make you think this is San Jose's year.

Except when you look at the season L.A. has had. Going back to their triumph in the CONCACAF Champions Cup last January, where the Galaxy advanced to the final because, well, they defended well and took penalty kicks well, L.A. has just had the look of a (cliche alert) team of destiny. Seriously. They're the team that got past San Jose in the Open Cup quarterfinals on penalties (but only after the referee gave the Galaxy a second chance on a missed penalty kick, ruling that the Quakes keeper moved forward prior to the shot).

They're the team that advanced to the finals of the Open Cup, defeating Chicago, when Alexi Lalas spun a ball off the back of his head into the far side netting for an OT winner. They're the team that won their MLS quarterfinal series against the MetroStars when, playing a man down in "Series OT", Cienfuegos spun a ball off Mark Chung's head into the far side netting for a winner.

And the team that, in Game 1 of the MLS semifinals, saw Luis Hernandez miss a penalty kick, only to have the rebound fall right back to his feet for an easy put-back. If the Galaxy can simply take San Jose into extra time on Sunday, well, they'll have the Quakes right where they want them.

If Mulrooney and Barrett are the two players who could step into the limelight for San Jose on Sunday, Peter Vagenas and Simon Elliott are the two to watch for L.A. Vagenas is an exceptional passer and long range shooter. Elliott is as calm on the ball as any deep midfielder in the league. Their composure helps L.A. execute its game plan.

As for the Galaxy's attack, they're still a team that gets good running from Cobi Jones and a lot of chasing and scrappiness from Hernandez, but it seems L.A.'s most consistent mode of scoring is off the "scripted broken play." What I mean is, on corner kicks and free kicks around the box, L.A. seems to get a bunch of goals on second chances. They'll serve a ball, someone will get a head on it, and then all hell will break loose until someone in an L.A. uniform stuffs the ball into the net.

Trust me, I've counted, the Galaxy have scored 174 goals this way during the season. Or something close to that.

Who'll survive when SoCal meets NoCal? Well, for what it's worth, I think the Quakes are playing the better soccer right now and there does seem to be a bit of magic to the Landon Donovan story. But, since I picked L.A. to go to the final in The Magazine's MLS Preview -- and since I believe in destiny -- I'm going to have to vote the Quakes off the Island, or out of the Outback, or whatever.

And pick the Galaxy, who will win in extra time when Sasha Victorine redirects an Elliott free kick off the post where Hernandez pokes the rebound goalward, only to have Barrett save it off the line with his shoulder -- but the ref rules it a handball -- and Greg Vanney steps up to take the penalty kick and hits it off both posts and, according to the referee, barely across the line, though inconclusive replays show the ball may not have completely crossed the line.

Galaxy 1-0.

Jeff Bradley is a senior writer for ESPN The Magazine. E-mail him at jeff.bradley@espnmag.com.