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
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
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