By Sunday afternoon, we'll know the participants in the Western Conference Championship and two teams will be just 90 minutes (or more) away from playing in the 13th MLS Cup Final. A look at the return matches in this weekend's Western Conference Semifinal Series:
No. 2 Chivas USA vs. No. 3 Real Salt Lake(RSL lead on aggregate 1-0)
These clubs are part of MLS Class of 2005, the pair of hard-trying sides that joined MLS and struggled mightily right out of the gate.
Chivas did manage to gain their feet, at least, and by their sophomore season quickly had a darned respectable team. The Red-and-White even made the playoffs that season. Sadly for fans of the Home Depot Center's second tenant, they got bounced right away by eventual MLS champion Houston.
Last year was more of the same. Preki inherited the managerial keys from Bob Bradley and kept the engine humming right along. This time, however it was Kansas City that got in the way, kicking Chivas to the curb in the first round.
So Chivas is back for a third bite off the apple, still trying to beat the first-round bugaboos.
On the other side, there's a similarly nice story coming out of Utah, where Real Salt Lake finally -- finally! -- made it out of the regular season and into the second season.
One of these clubs will have an even better story to tell by late Saturday night, as the West will definitely have a debut conference finalist.
Playoff checklist: Chivas USA
Critical stat: Preki's side has not scored in 382 minutes playoff minutes going back to 2006.
Man of the moment: Jesse Marsch has done it all in 2008: He's scored a few goals, faithfully screened a back line that varied often due to injury, forever kept things organized and always led the passion parade that drove Preki's heroic side in 2008. Now, one of the league's last remaining "96ers" might have to find a way yet again to elevate his game if Chivas is to overcome the deficit and move forward.
X factor: Goalkeeper Dan Kennedy could help brace the Chivas defense -- although it's not a certainly that Preki will turn back his former starter given Zach Thornton's nice display last week. He certainly couldn't be faulted for the sneaky goal Real manufactured. Thornton does have far more playoff experience than Kennedy, too.
Pressure point: Where have you heard this before? Preki's team is torn apart by injury. Again. Alecko Eskandarian has returned to training, and that's sure to help as he has some "big game" in him. "Esky" was MVP of the 2004 MLS Cup Final, which happened to take place in the very same stadium where events will unfold Saturday evening. So, that could give Preki's offense a lift, if Eskandarian is healthy enough to perform. And they surely need it. The Red-and-White have scored just one lone goal in three of their last four contests.
Playoff checklist: Real Salt Lake
Critical stat: Only one team in MLS is undefeated in the playoffs. OK, so one game does not a history make. Still, maybe it's something for Jason Kreis to write on the locker room blackboard. At 1-0-0 RSL is, technically, undefeated, untied and unscored upon. Lap it up while it last, Real.
Man of the moment: Let's be frank about it: this side would not still be in the playoffs -- or they'd be in a lot worse shape, at the very least -- if not for Yura Movsisyan, who has finally broken through. The third-year man has found the form that so many thought he had in him all along. He has five goals in Real Salt Lake's last six matches overall. One was a history-maker, his late strike against Colorado, which nudged RSL into the playoffs. He was consistently dangerous last week in the Conference Semifinal first leg, finally getting the goal that Real so desperately craved with a clever heel flick.
X factor: Kreis' team wasn't good on the road for six months. That changed in a season-turning win at San Jose in September. That win by the Bay happened to coincide with the beginnings of Movsisyan's rise, and the men from Utah have forged ahead confidently ever since. So, which team will show up along Victoria Street on Saturday? The meek team that finds it hard to play with authority in big moments, especially on the road? Or the scrappers that managed to turn up the critical goal two weeks ago in Colorado to bust their way into the playoffs?
Pressure point: Center back Jamison Olave has had some monster games this year, when he commanded the back line with force alongside steady Nat Borchers. But he is prone to slips in concentration, which lead to yellow cards or, sometimes, to opposition opportunities. Preki's team, which is always locked in, has the capacity to punish any slips mercilessly.
No. 1 Houston Dynamo vs. No. 4 New York Red Bulls(Series tied on aggregate 1-1)
No team has been more clinical lately than Houston at closing out a series. Over the last two years, they've done so after spotting the opposition a head start.
For two years running Houston has returned to south Texas in the playoff's opening round facing a one-goal deficit. Two years ago it was to Chivas USA, which had prevailed at The Home Depot Center by a 2-1 margin. Last year it was Dallas, which had gained a 1-0 advantage in a close one at Pizza Hut Park.
Both times, manager Dominic Kinnear's team shrugged, went back to Houston, punched the clock and got the job done.
This time around, Houston is in even better shape, having escaped Giants Stadium last week with a 1-1 draw, thanks to Kei Kamara's late strike from point-blank range. Indeed, the job looks tough for Juan Carlos Osorio and his Red Bulls in a series level on goals.
Playoff checklist: Houston Dynamo
Critical stat: Houston is an all-time league-best 4-0-0 at Robertson Stadium in the playoffs, with a healthy plus-9 goals against average. The Dynamo are 5-2-1 all-time in the postseason since moving to Houston.
Man of the moment: Ricardo Clark helped shape the game last weekend as Houston emerged with a 1-1 draw at Giants Stadium. The Red Bulls went with an inexperienced midfield, which did apply plenty of useful pressure when on defense. But with the ball, the Red Bulls youngsters generated very little possession in good spots in the midfield, and Clark was one of the main reasons why.
X factor: The Dynamo bench, probably one of the deepest ever in MLS, could spell the difference if the Red Bulls manage to keep matters close. Stuart Holden and Kamara combined for the strike that mattered last week, while rookie Geoff Cameron helped close the game with his second-half introduction. Meanwhile, Corey Ashe was in reserve, and he can always be counted on if Houston needs an injection of speed along the left. Also available are defenders Patrick Ianni and Craig Waibel should manager Dominic Kinnear decide he needs a different look along the back line.
Pressure point: Eddie Robinson, who has been strangely out of sorts late this season, was beaten last week on the only goal Houston conceded. In fairness, he wasn't the only Dynamo defender who fell asleep as Dave van den Bergh's throw-in along the left initiated the sequence. But it was Robinson who let Juan Pablo Angel get inside him for a header that could have changed the series, had Houston not dug out the late equalizer.
Playoff checklist: New York Red BullsCritical stat: The Red Bulls have just two wins (and three ties) in their last 10 matches overall. That's not exactly confidence-inspiring, considering they'll have to find a way to win on Saturday in order to advance.
Man of the moment: Juan Pablo Angel showed us once again last weekend why he's surely among the most dangerous men near goal MLS has ever seen. He certainly didn't get much service and was often on an island against Houston's tough back line. Still, he managed to make a goal out of the slightest of opportunities, finding a way to stick John Wolyniec's bouncing cross past Pat Onstad with the most sophisticated of near-post headers. If the Red Bulls can manage the upset Saturday, there's a safe bet "JP's" name will be all over it.
X factor: What will Osorio have up his sleeve for this one? Last week, he left veterans Jorge Rojas, Gabriel Cichero and Juan Pietravallo on the bench to start the first leg of the series. And what a bold move it was, as those were Osorio's hand-picked midseason reinforcements. But the manager was unhappy with the way that trio finished the regular season, so he turned to the youthful legs of second-year man Sinisa Ubiparipovic and rookie Luke Sassano, who partnered in the center of the park.
Osorio also likes to change up his back line, depending on the situation. The absence of Jeff Parke, suspended for 10 games for use of a banned substance, reduces Osorio's defensive options. And will Osorio turn once again to Wolyniec, who made a surprise start in the opening leg?
Pressure point: Red Bulls goalkeeper Danny Cepero is three matches into his pro soccer career, having been hustled into the starting position when Jon Conway was suspended, along with Parke, for use of a banned substance late in the regular season. Two of Cepero's starts have unfolded in respectable fashion. Last week, he was generally spot-on, getting off his line quickly and confidently to take command in the penalty area the way any old vet would. But here's the rub: This will be Cepero's second start away from Giants Stadium, and the first didn't go so swell. He was on the hook for five, as Chicago riddled a rickety Red Bulls back line.
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