COLUMBUS -- The third time was not a charm for Pat Noonan, so he's hoping for a better result with a different team.
Noonan came oh-so close in the past three MLS Cups but New England suffered one-goal losses (one in overtime, another on penalty kicks) each time.
He's back for a fourth straight try but this time it's with Columbus as the Crew makes their first MLS Cup Final appearance.
"I've been there but it never gets old. I still haven't won one. Hopefully, this will be the year and I'll finally get the first one," he said.
Noonan's rights were dealt to the Crew in August after leaving the Revolution in January to play in Norway. After a short and largely unsuccessful stint there he decided to return to MLS but not for New England.
The Crew were happy to get the veteran forward who had 37 goals and 29 assists in 119 matches for the Revolution.
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SIGHTS & SOUNDS
It took awhile for Noonan to get back into playing shape but over a three-game stretch in September he had assists against his former club and New York and a tying goal at Toronto FC.
He had six starts among 10 appearances but enters Sunday's MLS Cup 2008 in Carson, Calif., against the New York Red Bulls in an unaccustomed role.
Noonan started all three MLS Cups for the Revolution but has not been off the bench in the Crew's three playoff games.
"Pat's been great," coach Sigi Schmid said. "For a player like himself, I know there's a certain level of frustration because he hasn't gotten on the field yet.
"His attitude at practice has been super. His attitude in the locker room and around the guys has been great. That experience he brings, having been there, the calm, the knowledge of knowing what's going on is something that other guys can learn from and bank on."
Noonan acknowledges that watching instead of playing has not been easy but the overriding factor for him is he has another crack at a championship.
"Obviously, I'd love to be out there in the starting lineup. That's not the way it is right now. I'm going to be supporting the guys who are out there like they would for me," he said. "They've done a great job getting us to this point and so have the reserves who've come in when needed. It's a team effort. Hopefully, I'll get a chance late in the game if need be. If not, I hope it will be a victory for the Crew at the end of the day."
Schmid has the same wish. "You never know," he said, "he might be the guy who comes off the bench in the final game and makes the difference."
As for being a good luck charm that brought some of the Revolution's success to Columbus, Noonan will have none of that.
"I don't know. Good luck is when you win it but it's nice to get there. We're not done yet," he said.
What he has learned from three previous Cup matches that he can forward to his new teammates?
"Losing stinks," said Noonan. "The first go-around is probably the hardest but when you get there again you're happy to be there but you want it more. Until you finally win one, you haven't finished it. For a lot of guys -- other than a few -- we haven't won one. It would be nice to win it not only for ourselves but for the organization."
Many of the Crew players are relying on Noonan and past MLS Cup winners midfielder Brian Carroll, defender Ezra Hendrickson and forward Alejandro Moreno for guidance.
"I'll be talking to those guys throughout the week just to get their thoughts and some of their input," midfielder Eddie Gaven said.
Noonan said the routine will be different because the team is traveling Wednesday rather than the day before a match. When the team practices Thursday it will discover there's more media and scrutiny.
"Once the whistle blows you forget about it. It's a regular game with a little more importance," he said. "You have a little more anxiety getting there and then you're happy you're there but then you need to go out and perform the same way that got you there.
"Some guys have been there before. For some of the new guys they can learn from some of the others that have been there. Or, do what they need to do personally to get ready for the game."
The players are pulling for Noonan to claim a championship. Moreno and Hendrickson were teammates on the Schmid-coached 2002 Los Angeles Galaxy when it won the MLS Cup and Hendrickson and Carroll were on the 2004 D.C. United title winners. Moreno won a second title with Houston in 2006.
"Pat and I have known each other for a long time just playing through the league," Hendrickson said. "We talked about it. Maybe this time will be the charm for him -- I get my third, he gets his first and we all go home happy."
"Hopefully, we can get him one," said Carroll. "That's the goal but then again we're not really thinking about that. We're thinking about enjoying the journey, practicing hard and going in and performing well in the game on Sunday." Noonan knows nothing comes easy when a title is at stake.
"We have a tough task ahead of us. New York is playing well but so are we. We want to get on them early and hopefully keep the game in our favor," he continued. "They're on a roll. They beat us two out of three. It's going to be a tough matchup. You've got to forget about those past games. It's one game for the MLS Cup."
Maybe this time Noonan will be drinking champagne instead of tasting the bitterness of defeat.
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