to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee. He made his professional debut on April 21, getting the start in a 1–0 win over the Colorado Rapids. In the Galaxy's next game, Mullan recorded his first career assist in a 3–2 win over the Rapids. On May 9, Mullan scored the first two goals of his pro career, with the second coming in the 92nd minute to give LA a 4–4 draw with the Tampa Bay Mutiny. He underwent ankle surgery to repair a torn ligament on July 24 that kept him out for the remainder of the regular season. The Galaxy finished top of the Western Conference in Mullan's absence, qualifying for the playoffs. Los Angeles advanced past the MetroStars in the first round in three games. Mullan returned from the injury in time to face the Chicago Fire in the semifinals. He appeared in all three games of the series and recorded an assist on Mauricio Cienfuegos's sudden death, series winning game in extra time. At MLS Cup 2001, Los Angeles fell to the San Jose Earthquakes 2–1, with Mullan appearing off the bench in the game. In the 2001 U.S. Open Cup final, Mullan came on as a substitute to help LA defeat the New England Revolution 2–1, the first Open Cup title in Galaxy history. On May 4, 2002, Mullan scored his first goal of the 2002 season in a 2–1 win over the Kansas City Wizards. On August 17, Mullan recorded two assists in a 4–0 Galaxy win against the Rapids. He finished the regular season with 3 goals and 2 assists from 21 appearances, helping the Galaxy win the 2002 Supporters' Shield. Mullan made 4 appearances off the bench during LA's six playoff games, helping the Galaxy win MLS Cup 2002, the first MLS Cup victory in club history. He also made 3 appearances in the 2002 U.S. Open Cup as he helped the Galaxy reach the final, where they lost to the Columbus Crew. Although Mullan had played as a striker throughout his career, Galaxy head coach Sigi Schmid felt Mullan was better suited to play as a right midfielder. Unfortunately for Mullan, MLS All-Star and U.S. national team star Cobi Jones played in that position for the Galaxy. Because the Galaxy weren't willing to trade Jones, Schmid began looking to move Mullan to a different team. San Jose Earthquakes On January