CARSON, Calif.—This much is clear at the MLS Cup: There will be a first-time league champion hoisting the trophy at the finish.

And count on Guillermo Barros Schelotto of the Columbus Crew and Juan Pablo Angel of the New York Red Bulls making plays today that draw oohs and aahs from the crowd. Schelotto, the regular-season MVP, and the ever-dangerous Angel were once rivals in South America.

Columbus’ Frankie Hejduk, an original member of the MLS when it began in 1996, finds the matchup between title-game newcomers refreshing.

“It was kind of the same teams m...

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