What happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object?

Wait long enough for the immovable object to eventually bend.

At least that’s what happened on Saturday when Dejan Joveljic scored the goal in the 86th minute^Th minute gave the Galaxy a 1-0 victory in the MLS Western Conference final in front of a sellout crowd of 26,327 at Dignity Health Sports Park. With the win, the Galaxy will host the New York Red Bulls, who won 1-0 against Orlando City in the Eastern Conference final, in the MLS Cup final next Saturday.

None of that was certain in a game that featured one of the league’s most intriguing playoff matchups in years.

The Galaxy, who set a franchise record with 69 goals in the regular season and then scored 15 more in three playoff games, were the unstoppable force. The immovable object was the Sounders, who conceded a low of 35 goals in 34 regular-season games and just two more in three postseason games.

Seattle had a conference-high eight road wins this season, while the Galaxy had not lost at home, winning a franchise-record 13 games there. Clearly something had to give – and it finally did with four minutes left in regulation time, when a Seattle loss of the ball near midfield prompted the Galaxy to launch a lightning-quick counterattack.

The ball quickly found its way to Galaxy playmaker Riqui Puig, who slipped between two defenders and pushed the ball forward for Joveljic. The Galaxy striker, followed by another defender, then beat Seattle keeper Stefan Frei from inside the box to score the only goal the Galaxy would need to return to the MLS Cup final for the first time in a decade.

It was a momentary glitch in an otherwise brilliant performance from Seattle. But it was enough.

Galaxy forward Joseph Paintsil is defended by Sounders midfielder Alex Roldan during the second half of last Saturday’s MLS Western Conference in Carson.

(Etienne Laurent/Associated Press)

Both teams had some tantalizing near misses in a surprisingly open, albeit goalless, first half.

Seattle’s two best performances came in the final 10 minutes, when Jordan Morris evaded defender Emiro Garces in the box and then turned to fire a right-footed shot toward goal that Galaxy keeper John McCarthy saved in the 35th minute^Th Minute – four minutes before McCarthy directed Albert Rusnak’s free kick from the edge of the box over the crossbar.

The Galaxy’s most dangerous chance of the first half came in the 19th minute^Th Minute when Frei tried to block a shot from Joveljic and saved it at the far post. The scoreless 45 minutes was the longest the Galaxy went without a goal in the postseason.

The Galaxy’s goal drought continued well into the second half, and a big reason for that was Nouhou, the Sounders left-back, who was treated for malaria in a Cameroon hospital a week ago. He was particularly effective in neutralizing Galaxy winger Gabriel Pec, the team’s leading scorer.

But Seattle also pressured Puig heavily – and physically – which limited his effectiveness and silenced two of the team’s four biggest offensive threats.

Although the Galaxy attack appeared to be under control for long stretches, it proved unstoppable on at least one counterattack, and that was enough.