MLS Conference Finals

New York Red Bulls stand on the verge of winning the most improbable championship in MLS history after a weekend of high drama in the Conference Finals.

Three weeks ago, New York’s play-off hopes were in jeopardy after a 5-2 humbling in Chicago left them relying on Columbus Crew to defeat D.C. United. Columbus emerged victorious, leaving the Red Bulls clutching the eighth and final qualification spot. Now the two teams will do battle for the ultimate prize in Sunday’s season finale in Carson, California.

After a turbulent season which saw teenage prodigy Jozy Altidore depart for Villareal, captain Claudio Reyna forced into premature retirement, and two players (goalkeeper Jon Conway and defender Jeff Parke) receive ten-match season-ending suspensions after testing positive for illegal performance enhancers, head coach Juan Carlos Osorio has somehow engineered back-to-back road wins – double the amount achieved in 15 regular season games.

The Red Bulls travelled to Utah buoyed after stripping Houston of their crown, and by the fact that they had never lost to Real Salt Lake. The teams drew 1-1 on October 9 to mark the opening of Real’s new Rio Tinto Stadium. As was the case that night, a capacity crowd witnessed Dave van den Bergh give the visitors an early lead. But on this occasion, Salt Lake fell short in their attempts to hit back as New York held on to win 1-0.

Real defender Jamison Olave misjudged an attempted interception on 28 minutes, allowing veteran forward John Wolyniec the freedom of the left flank. His low cutback for Juan Pablo Angel was thwarted by Nick Rimando, but the sprawling goalkeeper could only palm the ball into the Dutchman’s path leaving the former Utrecht man to find the empty net from six yards.

The hosts almost restored parity ten minutes later. Javier Morales supplied an inswinging free-kick which narrowly eluded Clint Mathis and Kyle Beckerman before smacking the left post as New York goalkeeper Danny Cepero looked on helplessly.

Cepero’s goal led a charmed existence in the second leg against Houston and he was to enjoy further good fortune after the break. On 66 minutes, Olave spurned a golden opportunity to atone for his error by slicing high and wide from eight yards. Five minutes later, Yura Movsisyan looked set to equalise but Cepero narrowed the angle sufficiently to deflect the Armenian’s attempt wide.

The goalkeeper was beaten on 81 minutes although Robbie Findley’s effort was sliding agonisingly wide of the far post. Will Johnson gave chase to try to hook the ball back into the empty net, but he could only re-direct it against the post from a tight angle.

Nat Borchers joined the attack in the closing minutes and twice headed narrowly wide before the goal frame came to New York’s rescue one last time. With four minutes of injury time almost over, Morales latched onto a loose ball and watched in disbelief as his shot rebounded off the post with Cepero a mere bystander. New York had survived, somehow, despite Real’s 24 attempts on goal.

The Red Bulls’ fairytale run is epitomised by Cepero, the young goalkeeper brought in to replace Jon Conway last month. The 23-year-old marked his MLS debut against Columbus in spectacular fashion – he became the first goalkeeper to score in the league when his 80-yard free kick found the net after a customary random bounce on the artificial turf of Giants Stadium.

As well as enjoying a large share of luck, Cepero has displayed phenomenal agility in conceding only one goal in three play-off games.

Columbus, who topped the regular season table overall, remain favourites to end New York’s unlikely run in this Sunday’s final after they prevailed by 2-1 in a thrilling contest with Chicago Fire at Crew Stadium.

Initially, it appeared that Brian McBride would return to haunt his former team in his first game back in Ohio. But the Crew staged a successful second half comeback inspired by veteran Argentine playmaker Guillermo Barros Schelotto.

Cuauhtemoc Blanco, Chicago’s equally skilled creator, was the architect behind the first half’s highlights. His vast repertoire of tricks troubled the hosts as Chicago seized the initiative.

Blanco’s quick thinking led to the opener on 29 minutes. His instant throw-in released Justin Mapp down the left and his early cross found McBride in space on the six yard line. The former Fulham striker rose unchallenged to beat Will Hesmer with a routine header.

Columbus retaliated in style early in the second half. On 49 minutes, Schelotto provided a perfect set-piece delivery into the penalty area for Chad Marshall to attack. The recently named MLS Defender of the Year towered above McBride to power his header in off the crossbar.

Schelotto was involved again on 55 minutes as the Crew edged in front. His persistence prevented Chicago’s defense from clearing a long ball and eventually Alejandro Moreno found Eddie Gaven bursting into the box. The young midfielder kept his composure to steer an angled drive into Busch’s far corner.

For Crew head coach Sigi Schmid, recently named as Head Coach of the Year, the final at Home Depot Centre offers him the chance of a triumphant return to his former home. Schmid was famously dismissed by Los Angeles Galaxy in August 2004, despite the team sitting atop the standings, for failing to produce an entertaining style of play.

While Schmid has diligently continued with the job of producing a winning team, the decision-makers behind the league’s self-appointed flagship franchise still have much to learn about building a successful product on the pitch.

Conference Final Results

Eastern Conference
Columbus 2 Chicago 1

Western Conference
Salt Lake 0 New York 1

MLS Conference Semi-Finals - 2nd Legs

Houston Dynamo’s reign as MLS champions is over. The 2006 and 2007 winners, seeking an unprecedented third consecutive title, were eliminated from the play-offs on Sunday after a sensational performance by New York Red Bulls, or more precisely by goalkeeper Danny Cepero and winger Dane Richards.

After drawing 1-1 draw on the lamentable FieldTurf of Giants Stadium, Houston were overwhelming favourites to progress to the Western Conference Final in front of a near-capacity 30,053 crowd at Robertson Stadium. Houston had suffered only one home loss during the regular season while New York managed one solitary road victory.

Richards ignited the flames ahead of the first leg by suggesting that he would “run that left back into the ground”, a tasteless jibe directed at Dynamo captain Wade Barrett in the wake of Red Bulls’ 3-0 win over Houston in August. The Jamaican international proved to be a man of his word as two of Houston’s early season frailties returned: an ageing defence and the lack of a top-class finisher.

Dynamo started on the front foot, pinning New York deep within their half, but the visitors emerged to take a shock lead on 25 minutes. Bosnian midfielder Sinisa Ubiparipovic’s pass exposed Barrett’s poor positioning and allowed Richards to burst inside the Dynamo veteran before finishing high past goalkeeper Pat Onstad.

Richards left Barrett in his wake again on 36 minutes before trying to pick out Juan Pablo Angel. His cross struck the arm of Dynamo midfielder Ricardo Clark inside the penalty area and referee Baldomero Toledo had no hesitation in pointing to the spot. It was a harsh decision and one that swung the tie firmly in New York’s favour as Angel calmly doubled the visitors’ advantage.

Dynamo coach Dominic Kinnear withdrew his embattled captain at half-time and switched to a 3-5-2 formation in an effort to turn the game around. Winger Corey Ashe was employed wide on the left with the dual responsibility of carrying the fight to the Red Bulls’ rearguard while remaining cognisant of Richards’ pace on the break. Nate Jaqua replaced Kei Kamara shortly afterwards as Kinnear looked for more presence in New York’s crowded penalty area, but try as they might Houston could not beat a defiant Cepero.

Jaqua came closest, rattling the crossbar with a header before Brian Ching sent the rebound wide. Time and again, Houston sent in inviting crosses that slipped agonisingly past outstretched legs. When they did create shooting opportunities, their efforts either narrowly missed the target or were repelled by an inspired Cepero.

Richards confirmed Houston’s demise with one final act of brilliance on 81 minutes. He skipped clear of Bobby Boswell and the chasing Ashe before squaring for John Wolyniec to complete an unlikely 3-0 win. Still Dynamo failed to submit, but even in the fifth and final minute of injury time Jaqua could only watch one last effort evade the target.

Houston’s exit comes as a huge boost to the remaining sides, none more so than Real Salt Lake who now host this Saturday’s Western Conference Final against New York. Similar to the first leg, Salt Lake dominated against Chivas without being able to demonstrate their superiority on the scoreboard.

Chivas adopted an aggressive approach to prevent Salt Lake from settling into their now-customary passing style. Atiba Harris was lucky to escape punishment after his late follow-through on Real defender Robbie Russell went unnoticed and the visitors were further incensed when referee Michael Kennedy awarded Chivas a penalty on 30 minutes after Javier Morales collided with Ante Razov. Sacha Kljestan dispatched the kick impeccably to tie the aggregate score.

The visitors refused to be rattled and drew level on 39 minutes. Morales atoned for his error by curling in a superb cross for a determined Dema Kovalenko to glance beyond Chivas goalkeeper Zach Thornton. Real created a handful of great opportunities to wrap up the tie after the interval: Yura Movsisyan forced a brilliant low save from Thornton before firing another effort into the side netting, while Morales raced clear before botching an attempted chip over Thornton.

Morales finally gave Salt Lake the lead on the night with 13 minutes remaining. Robbie Findley retained possession after being forced wide by Thornton and found Morales at the corner of the penalty area. The Argentine skipped past Kljestan’s poor challenge before side-footing into the far corner. Justin Braun kept Chivas’ slim hopes alive with a late goal on 83 minutes, but Salt Lake survived to record a 2-2 draw which carries them into the next round.

Supporters’ Shield winners Columbus Crew will host Chicago Fire in the Eastern Conference Final this Thursday. Columbus easily overcame the challenge of Kansas City with a 2-0 win watched by 11,153 at Crew Stadium. Brad Evans raced clear to beat Wizards’ goalkeeper Kevin Hartman after only 7 minutes before Robbie Rogers sealed the win on 58 minutes. He steered Alejandro Moreno’s cross inside Hartman’s near post before the goalkeeper could get across his line to cover.

Columbus have yet to appear in an MLS Championship Final having previously lost out in each of their four Conference Final matches. If they are to reverse the trend they will have to overcome Chicago Fire who arguably enter the match in better form. Chicago finally progressed beyond New England Revolution after falling to Steve Nicol’s side in each of the last three post-seasons.

Blunted by the loss of their top three regular season scorers (Taylor Twellman, Adam Cristman and Steve Ralston), New England received better news when All-Star midfielder Shalrie Joseph passed a late fitness test. Unfortunately, his fellow midfielder Jeff Larentowicz was forced out of the game on 39 minutes after a late challenge by John Thorrington. Nicol’s deeply-depleted squad finally yielded in first half stoppage time when Chris Rolfe pounced to convert a rebound after Matt Reis could only parry Cuauhtemoc Blanco’s curling effort.

Defender William Conde all but sealed Chicago’s victory four minutes into the second half when he jumped unchallenged to convert Justin Mapp’s free kick. Another defender, Gonzalo Segares, completed the scoring on 74 minutes by converting an easy chance created by Rolfe’s trickery on the right wing. It was a fitting reward for the left back who provided a constant attacking threat throughout the match.

Conference Semi-Final Results (Second Leg)

Eastern Conference
Chicago 3 New England 0 (Agg. 3-0)
Columbus 2 Kansas City 0 (3-1)

Western Conference
Chivas 2 Salt Lake 2 (2-3)
Houston 0 New York 3 (1-4)

MLS Conference Semi-Finals - 1st Legs

The MLS play-offs commenced last weekend with four largely disappointing first leg encounters displaying much in the way of brawn, but little brilliance. With the return matches taking place this weekend, each of the eight combatants remains in firm contention for a spot in the Conference Finals.

New England Revolution and Chicago Fire got the action off to a dismal start with an insomnia-curing 0-0 stalemate. The game highlighted a major obstacle which the league must fully overcome: the use of cavernous NFL stadia containing unsuitable playing surfaces. On the plus side, the Gillette Stadium ground staff removed the grid iron lines for a match of such magnitude. Not that the game’s importance registered in the Boston area. A paltry 5,221 crowd disturbed the otherwise tranquil environs of the 69,000 seat stadium. In hindsight, the deserters made a smart choice.

The Revs must negotiate this post-season without Taylor Twellman, their talismanic striker, who suffered a concussion while scoring against L.A. Galaxy on August 30. Although Twellman returned to action, concerns remain about his health. He has been ruled out indefinitely due to continuing symptoms and his absence is a massive blow for head coach Steve Nicol. Twellman was the only Revs player to find the net during their run to last year’s MLS Cup Final, including a spectacular game-winning overhead kick against Chicago. Despite enduring an injury-hit campaign this year, he still finished as the team’s joint-top scorer with eight goals from only 12 starts.

Chicago’s lack of cutting edge emanated from their unusual defensive approach, perhaps adopted in mind of their elimination by New England in each of the last three post-seasons. Chris Rolfe tormented New York Red Bulls with a hat-trick and two assists in the final regular season game, but he was dropped into midfield as head coach Dennis Hamlett succeeded in earning a draw to take back to the Windy City.

Entertainment was provided for the capacity 10,385 crowd at Kansas City’s CommunityAmerica Ballpark as the Wizards came within seconds of securing a first-leg lead over Supporters’ Shield winners Columbus Crew. Claudio Lopez, the former Valencia and Lazio forward, continued his revival after an ignominious stretch on the substitutes’ bench. His perfect cross on 53 minutes allowed Davy Arnaud to head the hosts in front.

Hercules Gomez undermined the Wizards’ efforts when he was sent off on 75 minutes for a two-footed tackle on Crew’s Gino Padula. Further punishment followed two minutes into injury time when Steven Lenhart beat Wizards’ goalkeeper Kevin Hartman with a low drive from the edge of the penalty box. Columbus, the league’s best side during the regular season, are now heavily favoured to progress.

New York Red Bulls, eighth overall in the final standings, slid across to the Western Conference to face back-to-back defending champions Houston Dynamo on the appalling artificial turf of Giants Stadium. Houston entered the play-offs having lost only once in their last 17 league games: a crushing 3-0 defeat at New York which bolstered home hopes of a repeat. New York’s marketing department must have been on vacation last week though as only 11,578 fans turned up – nearly 7,000 fewer than the Reds Bulls’ previous home game against Columbus.

An abysmal first half was littered with minor scuffles as frustrated forwards fruitlessly chased long punts over opposition defences. Red Bulls made an early breakthrough after the interval when Juan Pablo Angel took advantage of hesitant Dynamo defending to score on 48 minutes. Now 33, the former Aston Villa man may be lacking pace, but he retains the predatory instincts to make him one of the league’s most potent strikers. While the normally solid Eddie Robinson dallied to judge the bounce on John Wolyniec’s cross, Angel stooped in at the near post to steer his header beyond Dynamo goalkeeper Pat Onstad.

Houston could have settled for the chance to overhaul a slim deficit back at Robertson Stadium, as they have done in each of the past two seasons, but their Glasgow-born head coach Dominic Kinnear instead opted to freshen his attack. His bold move paid off five minutes from full time when two of his substitutes combined to level the match. Another Anglo-Scot, Aberdeen-born midfielder Stuart Holden, seized upon a loose ball as New York failed to clear a cross. He set up Kei Kamara to score an equaliser which swings this tie firmly in Houston’s favour. Dynamo lost once at home all season; New York won once on the road.

The play-offs finally came to life thanks to an exhilarating display of open, attacking football by Real Salt Lake. They take a 1-0 lead back to Los Angeles against Chivas USA which does little to reward their domination. Yura Movsisyan clinched Salt Lake’s first ever play-off berth with a last minute equaliser against Colorado Rapids last week. The young Armenian repeated the trick with a deft finish just as Chivas thought they would escape from Utah with an undeserved draw.

Salt Lake peppered the visitors’ goal, out-shooting their opponents by 21-3, but too often their final efforts were straight at Chivas’ goalkeeper Zach Thornton. The hosts refused to become disheartened and Argentine playmaker Javier Morales continued to orchestrate attack after attack. Morales has evolved into one of the league’s outstanding players and it was his continuing verve and determination that eventually led to the late game-winner. After working his way through a congested penalty area to the touchline, Morales pulled his cut-back low to the edge of the six-yard box. Movsisyan instinctively redirected the ball into the far corner with an instep flick more commonly associated with Alessandro Del Piero.

Chivas’ head coach Preki, the former Everton and Portsmouth winger, can be thankful that his depleted side remains in close contact for the return game. Disappointingly again, only 14,719 fans witnessed an exciting match. The attendance is unfathomable considering this was only the third game played at Real’s new Rio Tinto Stadium. A sell-out crowd of 20,000 greeted the stadium’s opening as recently as October 9.

With the outcomes of all four Conference Semi-Finals still finely balanced, the league’s marketing gurus can hopefully erode some of the public’s apathy and boost crowds for this weekend’s decisive second leg fixtures.

Conference Semi-Final Results (First Leg)

Western Conference
New York 1 Houston 1
Salt Lake 1 Chivas 0

Eastern Conference
New England 0 Chicago 0
Kansas City 1 Columbus 1