Arnaud, Jewsbury steady Wizards' center

KANSAS CITY, Kan. -- Six matches ago, the Kansas City Wizards coaching staff made significant changes to the team's lineup. New acquisitions Herculez Gomez and Abe Thompson took up at right midfield and forward respectively, and each has made significant contributions ever since.

But it was the related adjustment made by two longtime Wizards that has given the team a backbone that is both a strong foundation and a dangerous weapon.

Good friends Jack Jewsbury and Davy Arnaud joined forces in the center of midfield after previously spending time in various spots on the field. It has been such a good combination that many could be wondering why the move wasn't made before. But what's important is that they will be together on Saturday as the Wizards travel to New England to take on the Revolution in the regular season finale, having secured a playoff spot.

It was their individual qualities that inspired head coach Curt Onalfo to make the switch.

"Jack naturally has a lot of the instincts to be a very, very good holding midfielder just because he's extremely strong, he wins a lot of balls, and he's also a good passer of the ball and also has a good shot from distance," Onalfo said.

"Davy's a box-to-box player. He puts in the dirty work and has a really good understanding of Jack. He's able to do all the defensive work that he did when he played wide, but now he's in the middle of the field so he has more of an influence on the game."

Since the switch, the Wizards have earned four wins and a draw in those six games, with the duo combining for three goals and three assists.

"For us, the main thing is knowing that we're going to work hard for each other," said Jewsbury. " ... If we're tough to play against defensively, we're going to get our chances offensively and make the most of it."

That sharing of duties and their capabilities on both sides of the ball makes them an unpredictable pair.

"We share the workload defensively, maybe offensively I'm a little more advanced than he is, but we do a pretty decent job of sharing the role because Jack likes to get forward as well and he does that well at times too," said Arnaud.

The two are still learning how to best work together, though, as they head into a battle with Shalrie Joseph and, most likely, the Revolution's usual five-man midfield.

"If we stay organized and give an honest effort like we have been, it makes it a lot easier on everybody," said Arnaud.

"We know what [the Revolution] do, and it's just a matter of disrupting that a little bit and continuing to be hard to play against and continue to create the chances we've created," said Onalfo. "We have to execute the game plan properly and give ourselves a chance to win it."

Even though the Wizards gained a playoff spot as one of the wild cards with the New York Red Bulls 5-2 loss at Chicago Thursday night, the club's attitude towards Saturday's encounter will not change.

"You want to be on a good run when you are going into the playoffs. You don't want to be going into the playoffs on a not so good performance," said Arnaud. "We feel like we've built some good momentum in the past six games, and we want to keep that going."

United find levity in bizarre misfortunes

WASHINGTON -- There's an old adage about laughing at adversity to keep from crying, and this week that sentiment might have become a collective mantra for D.C. United.

Tuesday night's 2-0 loss to Cruz Azul in Mexico City officially eliminated United from contention in CONCACAF Champions League, a tournament the club had eagerly targeted at the beginning of the season.

But the match's bizarre proceedings, which in many ways embodied an eerily unfortunate 2008 campaign, have actually offered United a bit of comic relief ahead of a nerve-wracking weekend where D.C. will need all the good luck they can find in order to overcome the odds and reach the MLS Cup Playoffs.

"I think we've seen every side of misfortune," said head coach Tom Soehn on Thursday. "Just when I think we've seen the last -- a goalkeeper in New York scoring -- something else surprises me, like 'delaying the game' 30 minutes in, when it's a 0-0 game."

Soehn was referring to the goal scored from 80 yards out by Red Bulls netminder Danny Cepero against Columbus last weekend, an historic event that helped push New York ahead of United in the race to the postseason, as well as the remarkable decisions made by Panamanian referee Roberto Moreno in Tuesday's contest.

With a lineup dominated by reserves, United held their own against the Mexican giants only to see rookie goalkeeper James Thorpe -- making his senior team debut -- sent off in the 36th minute for his second yellow card, a caution apparently awarded for time-wasting despite the fact that the match was scoreless at the time. His replacement, Louis Crayton, was also ejected in the game's dying moments after confronting Moreno for his decision to let play continue as Cruz Azul scored the clinching goal with D.C. defender Gonzalo Martinez laying injured on the turf.

"I think CONCACAF has left a really bitter taste in our mouth, because we've been on the wrong side of so many decisions -- soft reds, whatever," said Soehn. "We pride ourselves so much on that tournament. You end up shaking your head because normally it evens out. This year it's been really lopsided. I just hope it gets better in the future."

Martinez could not continue, and the Black-and-Red finished the evening with eight men on the pitch and Quavas Kirk in goal. Kirk's previous appearance in goal, which he recalls as "terrible," occurred when he was five years old.

"I thought [assistant coach Chad Ashton] was calling me over to the side to put me up top or something, to hold the ball," said the lanky winger. "And he's like, 'you're going to have to go in goal.' And I was like, 'please, no.'"

Despite some difficulties in donning the gear handed to him by Crayton, Kirk was not scored upon -- and the rare sequence has made him the subject of much commentary from his colleagues.

"Phenomenal," cracked Devon McTavish when asked to evaluate his teammate's work between the pipes. "He kept a shutout for us! He should probably get some smaller gloves and learn to put his jersey on before he puts the gloves on -- he'll struggle there a little bit."

Crayton claimed Tuesday's ejection was the first red card he's received in his professional career and expressed his regret at the turn of events, especially for his understudy Thorpe.

"I should have controlled myself more. But I felt that the referee, and I think everybody will agree with me, the way he handled the game was extremely, extremely poor," he said. "I felt that he cheated James. I felt so sorry for him because he was having one great game out there."

But he, too, could not help but laugh at the absurdity of the situation.

"A U.S. team playing against a Mexican team with a Panamanian referee: man, that's a terrible mixture," joked the Liberian international.

United have now received four red cards in five winless CCL matches, including one for Soehn himself in a 2-2 draw with Deportivo Saprissa on Oct. 9. It's left the Black-and-Red hoping that their luck will change soon on Thursday or Saturday, when they'll be "glued to the TV set," in the words of Bryan Namoff. A loss by New York or Kansas City on either day would give D.C. a chance to slip into the playoffs with a win against the Crew.

"At this organization, obviously you have to make the playoffs here," said McTavish, "and we didn't the work earlier in the season to get that done. Fortunately, we're still in a situation where we can make it. Some things have to go our way, but if they do, then if we get a result in Columbus then we're in the playoffs and that's all you can hope for."

Late slump hurts Quakes' chances

KANSAS CITY, Kan. -- An opportunistic goal with the final kick of the game Saturday by Kansas City Wizards midfielder Herculez Gomez helped end officially ended the San Jose Earthquakes' playoff hopes. But it was a five-week stretch that effectively erased the Earthquakes postseason dreams.

"We're not good enough," said Earthquakes coach Frank Yallop. "The table never lies, really."

The Earthquakes had pulled themselves back into contention with a nine-game unbeaten streak, and twice fought back from one-goal deficits Saturday. But Gomez scored on a corner kick three minutes into stoppage time to move the Wizards back into the lead in the wild card race.

"Tonight was just too many mistakes," said Earthquakes goalkeeper Joe Cannon. "They (the Wizards) should have put the game away in the first half."

The last stretch has left the team and their fans wondering what happened. What happened is that the Earthquakes are winless in their last five games. The answers aren't easy to find.

"I'm truly speechless," Cannon said. "I'm never really speechless."

The Earthquakes fell behind quickly to the Wizards, as Claudio Lopez scored in the 18th minute. The intensity was evident from the outset of the match.

"Yeah, we took a while to settle in," said Earthquakes forward Scott Sealy. "They came at us right out of the gate and created a couple of chances."

But the Earthquakes came back and pulled level when Sealy scored two minutes after the opening goal by his former team.

"That's huge," Sealy said. "That's when you know teams are vulnerable, when they score. We came back right away and were able to answer their goal. Then for some reason, we fell asleep again and they were able to take advantage of that moment and go up 2-1."

The team showed character in the match, coming back with a second-half goal by substitute Shea Salinas to again tie the score after Davy Arnaud gave the Wizards the lead midway through the first. But somehow the match got away once again from the Earthquakes.

It was the second game in a week where the Earthquakes conceded the winning goal in stoppage time. On Wednesday, Stuart Holden scored his second goal of the game three minutes into added time to give the Houston Dynamo a 2-1 win at Robertson Stadium.

"This road trip we don't have the (guts) to step up and carry us over," Cannon said. "We haven't been coming to play. This game doesn't lie."

The Earthquakes will be facing some truths in the offseason. There's one game left on the schedule, at home against Toronto FC, which was also eliminated from the playoff race on Saturday, and one more chance to show their loyal fans what could have been.

"We have to work as hard as we can in the offseason to make sure things go our way," Cannon said.

Win and in for Red Bulls

MONTCLAIR, N.J. -- With three teams vying for the two wild card berths into the MLS Cup Playoffs, there's several different scenarios that play out in the final weekend of the Major League Soccer season.

But there's just one permutation the New York Red Bulls are concerned with.

"If we win, we're in," Dave van den Bergh said. "It's as easy as that."

Indeed, a win against the rival Chicago Fire at Toyota Park on Thursday night will book the Red Bulls passage into the postseason. Even a draw would go a long way toward qualification. But another loss in Bridgeview would mean New York would be anxiously watching Kansas City and D.C United play over the weekend.

"We don't want to be, after this game, waiting for something else to happen in order for us to qualify for the playoffs," Juan Pablo Angel said. "We've got to get the job done and fly back nice and safe with the qualification in our hands."

Chicago has little to play for after already being locked into an Eastern Conference Semifinal Series against the New England Revolution, though they still have to secure home-field advantage. But Osorio, who coached the Fire last season before bolting for New York, expects Chicago to play its best possible team.

"For obvious circumstances I think they will come out with the best team they have and that's (what) I'm preparing for," Osorio said. "In my opinion we're playing against one of the best teams in this league with, as I have said in the past, some of the best players, too."

Osorio has some tough decisions to make in terms of his starting XI for Thursday night. While he wouldn't name names, Osorio apologized to reporters for making them wait on Tuesday because he was speaking to three players who were pleading their cases for inclusion.

After midweek World Cup qualifiers, Dane Richards and Jorge Rojas both came off the bench on Saturday, while Gabriel Cichero was an unused sub. Will Rojas replace Mike Magee in the attacking midfielder role?

Will Juan Pietravallo, who is back from a one-game ban after being sent off in Salt Lake, return as defensive midfielder? Will Cichero, who struggled in back-to-back home losses to Colorado and Toronto, start centrally in the back? And who will provide the pace up the right side, Dane Richards or Matthew Mbuta?

These are just a few of the questions Osorio is pondering this week.

"Obviously three players think they should be in the starting lineup and they are not," Osorio said. "It's always a difficult thing, but I'm here to do the job and to make decisions and hopefully I get those decisions right."

One player who is assured of a starting nod is Danny Cepero, who replaces the suspended Jon Conway, in goal. The rookie is coming off a dream debut against Columbus, not only making two quality saves, but also scoring the first goal by a 'keeper in MLS history to kill the game off.

The soft-spoken Cepero is uncomfortable with his notoriety achieved from his 81-yard lofting free kick that bounced over the head of Crew goalkeeper Andy Gruenebaum.

"The goal aside from Saturday, consistency is the focus for me right now," Cepero said. "I think I played pretty well Saturday and it's just important to play well and do what I have to do so we can get into the playoffs and get a win over in Chicago."

Scoring a second career isn't necessarily in Cepero's plans on Thursday. Winning over his soccer-crazed mother, Ana, and helping his team clinch a playoff berth, though is another story.

"She's a huge Cuauhtйmoc Blanco fan, he's like her favorite player," Cepero said. "There's a conflict of interest there. She also loves Brian McBride. I'm like, 'What about Danny Cepero?'"

Hot Dynamo host Pumas in Champions League

HOUSTON -- Forgive the Houston Dynamo for letting up just a little bit last weekend in their win against the Los Angeles Galaxy that clinched the Western Conference regular-season title.

After jumping out to a 3-0 lead in front of a rocking crowd at Robertson Stadium, the Dynamo still played well enough to eliminate the Galaxy and earn the top seed in the West.

Now the team will play one of three teams from the Eastern Conference in the first round of the MLS Cup Playoffs. D.C. United, the New York Red Bulls or the Kansas City Wizards will have the first chance to unseat the two-time defending champions roughly 10 days from now.

With the team's match this weekend against Chivas USA rendered all but meaningless, the team turns its attention to Pumas UNAM in their first CONCACAF Champions League match since defeating San Francisco FC 2-1 on Oct. 7.

Brian Mullan has been with the team since it moved to Houston before the 2006 season and often credits the home faithful for helping the team win back-to-back titles and putting it in position to go for an unprecedented third.

His praise for the team's fans has not faded.

"It was really a great crowd (Saturday), and they really inspire us to play a lot better than we do," Mullan said. "We had a great first half and I really wish we would have had the energy to give them a better second half. But with all the games that we have played and with all of those that we have coming up, we have to take our foot off the pedal sometime."

Since Sept. 13, the Dynamo have played nine matches, six MLS matches and three Champions League contests. The team is remarkably undefeated during that time and has not lost a match of any kind since a 3-0 loss at New York on Aug. 24.

Richard Mulrooney said the great thing about wrapping up the West title Saturday is that the team can turn its full attention to Pumas on Wednesday, a team that it battled to a 4-4 draw in Mexico on Sept. 30.

"[Saturday]'s game is going to be really huge for us," said Mulrooney. "But having said that, we know the match against Pumas is going to be a battle. We played well, offensively at their place and battled to a 4-4 draw and we know they are not going to forget that. We know that there is probably going to be a pretty good crowd here."

In the first match Craig Waibel scored two goals, including the game-tying marker in the second half to give Houston a much-needed point. Kei Kamara also netted a pair of scores, but the team let 2-0 and 3-2 leads slip away in Mexico City.

Mullan, who assisted on Waibel's goal in the 50th minute, said the team will be ready to play a full 90-plus minutes this time.

"We won't be 7,500 feet up, so maybe we will be able to breathe," Mullan deadpanned, referring to the high altitude in the Mexican capital. "But it will be good. It was just we didn't figure out how to play defense quickly enough. We just ran out of energy toward the end there, so we will see about Wednesday."

Pumas, reportedly, will not be fielding a full squad Wednesday, but that does not mean the Orange can take them lightly, or let up at any time like they did Saturday against the Galaxy.

"Full team or not, they still teach the same thing down there and that is good soccer," Mulrooney said. "But having said that, I think we are going to be a little more organized knowing how they play. I think they play a 4-3-3 and if they do [Wednesday] night then we have seen it. But they have seen us as well. That first one was kind of a feeling out kind of match, and I doubt you will see another 4-4 result.

"Crazier things have happened."

Moreno shines while doing dirty work

COLUMBUS -- The paradox of Columbus Crew forward Alejandro Moreno is that he does some of his best work when he's not striking the ball.

"He holds the ball so well for us. When he's able to hold it and then when we have Guillermo (Barros Schelotto) running off of him, then it gives me and Robbie time to run to those spots in the flank," midfielder Eddie Gaven said.

Gaven and Robbie Rogers have caused headaches for opponents out wide with their ability to run off Moreno. As the defenders draw toward Moreno he usually has options to the either side or he can lay the ball back to Schelotto.

"(Moreno is) a player that will always work for you and fight for you. He's an experienced player," Rogers said. "He holds the ball really well. You know if you play the ball into him he's going to look for you and you can make runs off him. He does a lot of the dirty work. He's not as flashy as some of the other strikers but it's effective and I'd rather take a guy like that than someone who's going to have some flashes here and there."

Meet, Alejandro Moreno -- Joe the Plumber of MLS.

"I do my job. Sometimes it's not pretty," Moreno said. "Sometimes it's a lot of opening space for other people, a lot of hold-up play, perhaps fouls around the box; the things that don't show in how the team does statistically over the course of a year."

His play befits the Crew's workingman image but that's not the full story. Moreno has a career-high nine goals plus four assists in 26 games while also earning his way back onto the Venezuelan national team where he has scored a couple of goals.

"He works his butt off but he has a lot more skill than people give him credit for," Gaven said. "He's a guy who works really hard, gets himself in good spots. This year he's scored some very important goals for us. When people think if him it's of someone up there working hard and fighting and doing all that stuff. He does all that but he's got skill. He's got good vision, a good shot."

Moreno, 29, broke in with the MLS Cup-winning Los Angeles Galaxy in 2002 under current Crew coach Sigi Schmid. Moreno was dealt to San Jose in 2005 and moved with the club to Houston the next season and helped the Dynamo to the MLS Cup. He was traded to Columbus on May 9, 2007.

His previous best goal totals were eight in 31 games for San Jose and seven in 25 matches last season but Schmid told him prior to the 2008 season that his goal should be between 10 and 15 scores.

"He's always been at a place where he wasn't the focal point of the attack," Schmid said. "The focal point was Carlos Ruiz when he was in L.A. His job was to do the work and help set up Ruiz. In San Jose and Houston it was (Brian) Ching.

"Obviously the focal point of our attack is Schelotto but (Moreno) has never been the main striker like he is here. When you look at his goals and add in his assists and look at the games he's played, basically every other game he's involved in a goal either scoring or getting an assist. That's what you want from a center forward."

The Crew missed the playoffs last season for the third consecutive year but have already clinched the Supporters' Shield with a 16-7-6 record going into Sunday's finale against D.C. United. That the Crew are also second in goals scored is a tribute to the work of Moreno, among others.

"His ability to hold up the ball for us is a very important aspect for us," Schmid said. "It allows the other guys to get involved in the game. It allows Rogers to forward. It allows a Gaven to get forward. It allows Guillermo to rejoin the attack. It gets the midfield forward. You need that guy up front who can hold the ball and give your team a chance to get forward."

Moreno took Schmid's challenge to reach double-figure scoring to heart.

"That was a goal he set but overall looking at the balance of the season both him and I will be pretty content and satisfied with how things have gone," he said. "We've put ourselves in the position where not only myself but the team can do a lot of special things in the upcoming four or five weeks.

"He knew my scoring goals and my being dangerous around the box is going to be important for this team not only for me scoring goals but certainly for other guys to get involved. If I attract more and more attention around the box that allows Robbie and Eddie Gaven to be more dangerous and with Guillermo on the field it makes us a dangerous team going forward."

The term "natural scorer" is never attached to Moreno but Schmid has no qualms.

"You look at guys around the world that are big-time goal scorers. They all hang out at times. Ali's not a hanging-out type of guy," said Schmid. "He's active and motoring around. As a result the attention is on him. Sometimes the ones people refer to as natural goal scorers, with them hanging out, the defenders forget about them. All of a sudden there they are.

"That's not Ali's work ethic. That's not what he does. When he's out there he's like a dynamo. He keeps going. He keeps grinding away and through that he gets his opportunities. What he does is very important to our team."

Don't expect Moreno to take a different path.

"I haven't changed my game in years and I wasn't about to this year. I've made a conscious effort to be around the box, be dangerous in the box and continue to work and take advantage of the opportunities presented," he said.

Schmid's biggest concern has been keeping Moreno fresh.

"I used to coach a guy like that, Joe-Max Moore," Schmid said. "You have to tell the guy to rest. Resting wasn't part of their vocabulary. Their vocabulary is, 'If something's not going I've got to work harder. If something's not working I've got to train more, I've got to get out there every day.'"

That's why last Saturday was so painful for Moreno. Having played midweek for Venezuela, Schmid opted not to take Moreno to New York. Moreno agonized watching at home during the 3-1 loss to snap a Crew nine-game unbeaten streak.

"I had a long conversation with Sigi about it. He felt it was better for me to stay. He's the coach. I'm the player so I went along with it," he said.

"I had to call his wife and tell her to chain him to the bedpost to make sure he couldn't go to the airport and get on the plane or take a later flight," Schmid joked. "He wants to play all the time but for us and for him right now, with the path ahead of us, it was best to rest him."

Cepero makes historic debut for New York

E. RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- With Giants Stadium still empty, Danny Cepero walked across the field 90 minutes before the biggest game of the season for the New York Red Bulls, who needed a win against a Columbus Crew team that had already locked up the Supporters' Shield.

The rookie goalkeeper preparing to make his Major League Soccer debut in less than ideal circumstances was a relative unknown to the fans who had yet to arrive on Saturday night. But on Sunday, Cepero is the talk of MLS after becoming the first goalkeeper in league history to score a goal, launching a remarkable 81-yard free kick past Columbus Crew goalkeeper Andy Gruenebaum.

Oh yeah, he also made two saves to help lift his team to a critical 3-1 victory and keep the Red Bulls' playoff hopes alive.

"This might be one of the best (debuts) in soccer history," Juan Pablo Angel said. "Apart from the goal he did really well and I'm really pleased for him because he's a great kid and he has tons of quality and I wish him well."

Jon Conway had played every minute of every game this year, but he, along with starting defender Jeff Parke, received a 10-game ban for testing positive for performance enhancing substances. The suspension came down on Thursday, which left the Red Bulls scrambling for a starting 'keeper two days before a massive fixture against Columbus.

There were three options -- Cepero, Terry Boss and Caleb Patterson-Sewell, all untested in terms of Major League Soccer. But Red Bulls goalkeeping coach Des McAleenan wasn't interested in an open tryout. He told Red Bulls coach Juan Carlos Osorio to give Cepero the nod.

"It's like your own child, you can teach him all the good things, but you don't know," McAleenan said. "They've got to go out and stand on their own two feet. You don't know until its time."

In preseason, McAleenan told Osorio he thought he would be best for Cepero's development if the 23-year-old go on a season-long loan to Harrisburg, Pa. of the USL Second Division (third tier). Conway was already anointed as the No. 1 keeper and veteran Zach Thornton was the backup.

"Young players need to play games," McAleenan said. "They're simply not going to get better. They could have the best coaching in the world, best facilities, but if they're not playing it means nothing."

After recording six clean sheets and posting a 1.00 goals against average in 18 matches with the City Islanders, Cepero retuned to the Red Bulls in late August. The plan was to play in some reserve matches, to sit on the bench during league games.

But those plans changed dramatically when Conway was suspended. Suddenly Cepero was thrust into the spotlight.

"[Friday] night was difficult trying to get to bed, even more difficult to take a nap this afternoon. There's no chance of that," Cepero said. "In terms of all the stuff beforehand, practice and stuff, it was as normal as it could be. The coaching staff and the players around me just encouraged me to treat it like any other situation."

Cepero touched the ball a few times, but wouldn't make his first save until the waning moments of the first half when he acrobatically parried Ezra Hendrickson's header over the crossbar.

"Of any of the goalkeepers on our club, he's by far got the best hands," McAleenan said of Cepero. "He's clean, he's quite agile. That save he made at halftime, I always laugh and joke and say that's his patent save."

It was a key save, not just because it allowed the Red Bulls to go into the locker room level, but because it was Cepero's first.

"I don't know if it was on camera, but I took a huge sigh of relief when I saw that I can get this one, I can finally make a save," said Cepero, who received a shaving cream pie in the face courtesy of center back Andrew Boyens in the locker room afterward. "There's nothing like getting that first save and breathing that sigh of relief and being like I've been here before."

Cepero would make one more save in the second half before making MLS history seven minutes from full time. A foul by Guillermo Barros Schelotto followed by a contentious meeting between Dave van den Bergh and Pat Noonan, who were each booked by referee Michael Kennedy, helped set the table for Cepero's kick by the Red Bulls bench.

After pushing his team up the field, the Baldwin, N.Y., native launched his kick 60 yards in the air and directly at goal. The Red Bulls defenders turned around to correct Cepero, saying that it was more important to put the ball in either corner with seven minutes left in regulation.

"The funny thing was that I think myself, (Chris) Leitch and (Kevin Goldthwaite) were kind of pissed that he just kicked it down the middle to no one," Boyens said. "We all kind of turned around and looked at him and said 'What the hell are you doing?'"

Cepero didn't see the ball bounce at the top of the 18-yard box and over Gruenebaum's head. Even after hearing the reaction from the crowd, he didn't know he had scored.

"I had no idea. I just put it in the general area with no intention of scoring and kind of hit it somewhere where my teammates could do something with it," he said. "I didn't even know it went in until I had to ask Kevin and be like, 'Uh, did that go in?' and he said, 'Yeah.' I go, 'Do I get credit for that?' and he says, 'Absolutely.' It wasn't until right then."

Cepero, who said he last scored as a central midfielder at Baldwin High School on Long Island, is now tied with Matthew Mbuta, Sinisa Ubiparipovic and Seth Stammler on the Red Bulls scoring list. Beside the shock value, Cepero's goal against the Crew was critical because it killed the game.

"I've seen a few flukes before, but this was different," Angel said. "This was great because of what it meant."

Crew focus on staying hungry

COLUMBUS -- Players-only meetings are supposed to be the cure-all for a team on a downward spiral. So what in the name of the Supporters' Shield were the Crew doing behind closed doors earlier this week at their Obetz training facility? Isn't this the club that has secured the best record in MLS, home field for the playoffs and is 7-0-2 in the past nine games?

Yes, but malaise might have been a problem. The Crew were sloppy at times in Sunday's 2-2 draw at Chicago -- coach Sigi Schmid thought his team took a lot of "shortcuts" in the first half -- and practice this week has not been particularly crisp in preparation for Saturday's match at New York.

Part of it could have been due the absence of defender Frankie Hejduk, midfielder Brian Carroll and forward Alejandro Moreno for World Cup qualifiers and the nagging back injury to midfielder Robbie Rogers.

But there was a general feeling that the team that had been such an underdog to make the postseason had taken a collective siesta heading into the final two matches of the regular season.

"We addressed it a little bit a couple of days ago. The guys spoke briefly as a team. They haven't had that many team meetings this year," Schmid said. "Maybe some of the older guys needed to remind everybody where it's at."

Forward Pat Noonan can relate to the Crew trying to avoid a letdown. He was with the New England Revolution for their appearances in the MLS Cup the past three seasons.

"We want to be in the right frame of mind these last two games so we're not slacking off," he said. "Obviously, some guys are going to be resting the next couple of days, next couple of weeks but at the same time you still have a lot of guys that are going to be playing that are going to be playing in the playoffs as well off the bench so we need everybody sharp and ready to go.

"You don't want to be losing going into the playoffs. There are going to be a lot of tough games leading up to the playoffs. D.C. and New York are both fighting for a playoff spot. They're going to bring their best game and we've got to be able to match that and feel a playoff atmosphere."

Schmid thinks the message was driven home based on what he saw in practice Friday.

"I was happy with our response today simply because we've sort of been off in our training but today we came out with great spirit. I think they're ready to go," he said.

Even though the Red Bulls will be missing suspended goalkeeper Jon Conway and defender Jeff Parke because of violations to the league's drug policy, Crew midfielder Eddie Gaven said New York won't be taken lightly.

"We can't take one half off. If we do that in the playoffs we're going to get punished. Hopefully, we've learned our lesson and it won't happen again," he said.

Even though Hejduk and Rogers won't play Saturday and Moreno's minutes might be limited, forward Guillermo Barros Schelotto will try to extend his minutes while recovering from a hamstring injury. Schmid said his goal is to have the postseason lineup play against D.C. United in the season finale.

"We will try to win both games because we have to be professionals," defender Gino Padula said. "It's very important for everyone. If you relax now you don't play 100 percent in the playoffs. We need to play like we aren't in the playoffs yet."

Taking that approach is made easier by the depth of the roster. Noonan, midfielders Emmanuel Ekpo and Stefani Miglioranzi and defenders Andy Iro and Danny O'Rourke will be stating their case to start in the playoffs and others are not far off.

"For the reserves, we're always trying to talk smack before we play 11 v. 11 on Thursdays. We're always saying how we're going to dominate them," defender Ryan Junge said. "The last few weeks have been pretty intense. It's shown in games. The last few games we have buckled down. We're pushing pretty hard in the 11 v 11. It's similar to what they see on Saturdays."

Schmid said there are enough incentives to drive every player.

"Everyone says the veterans are pushing. I think the guys who should be pushing are at the bottom end of the pay scale because for them winning the MLS Cup, if you're a developmental player, you might make your whole salary just on your playoff bonus. Or, you're going to make a third of your salary if you're a minimum salary guy. It's a pretty hefty chunk of change and those are the guys that should be pushing for it."

A sidebar to Saturday's matchup is that the teams could meet again in the playoffs. Each has beaten the other once this season.

"We can't go in expecting to tie or lose and be OK with it," said Noonan. "We've got to have the frame of mind we're going to win and do the same thing in the playoffs. There's a lot of guys that are trying to get in that starting lineup and come playoff time when you're pushing each other in practice it can only help. That competitive atmosphere is crucial."

Real Salt Lake focused on executing

SANDY, Utah -- It would be natural to assume that last week's draw with New York set off a collective mental alarm within the minds of Real Salt Lake coaches and players.

The 1-1 result not only registered as a huge disappointment, coming as it did in the opening game at Rio Tinto Stadium, but it appeared to wreak significant damage to the club's once vibrant playoff hopes. Still, RSL adopted a wait-and-see approach rather than descend into panic and chaos.

Now, after a weekend of favorable results in other MLS games, RSL is once again squarely in control of its own playoff fate. Any combination of four points this week and next will finally clinch that long coveted berth in the MLS Cup Playoffs.

You can count Kyle Beckerman among those thrilled to see RSL not needing to spend this week hoping for help from an outside source.

"It's better than having to count on other teams do the job for you," Beckerman said. "Now we just need to go execute and everything will be all right."

Earning three points in Saturday's home finale against FC Dallas might be one of the stiffest challenges RSL has faced yet. The Hoops roll into Rio Tinto Stadium on the strength of some inspired play as of late.

Dallas is unbeaten in its last five matches. That lengthy unbeaten streak includes a trio of draws where the Hoops strung together late rallies after their opponents took second-half leads.

RSL coach Jason Kreis attributes that comeback ability to Dallas possessing an aggressive mentality late in matches.

"Dallas is a quality side," Kreis said. "That's a team that plays all 90 minutes as we've known through our history with them."

Emotional factors can't be discounted in the game either. Both Hoops striker Jeff Cunningham and assistant coach John Ellinger return to face a club that dumped them last season to touch off an extensive rebuilding project.

Ellinger is only two years removed from his own playoff bid with RSL that fell apart in the final two weeks of the 2006 season. There's no question that he could feel tons of satisfaction if his new club can take down his old one.

Cunningham could find ways to stick it to RSL too, given how well he has played in Dallas since the Hoops acquired him from Toronto. The ex-RSL forward and teammate Kenny Cooper have combined for eight of 12 FCD goals during Dallas' five-game unbeaten streak.

RSL expects that emotional subtext added into the already weighty playoff implications of this match will produce a much more intense effort from Dallas than what they saw from New York last week.

"Obviously, they're not going to come here and sit back all game," forward Yura Movsisyan said.

RSL hopes to amp up its own attack. Too many times against the Red Bulls, a general nervous malaise gripped the 11 on the field. Certainly some of it could be attributed to the hoopla of playing the first-ever match in Rio Tinto Stadium.

Kreis thinks there should be no reason to not come up with three points this time around. Winning at home is as still as much an emphasis now as it has been at any time during the season.

"That's been our focus all year," Kreis said. "It's never changed. We want and we expect to get three points out of every home game."

The improving health of injured starters Fabian Espindola and Dema Kovalenko should help RSL better realize its goals. Kreis expects both of them to be close enough to 100 percent by game time to merit consideration for spots on the 18-man gameday roster.

Galaxy outlast Rapids, stay alive

CARSON, Calif. -- The Los Angeles Galaxy will remain in the playoff hunt for at least one more week as they defeated the Colorado Rapids 3-2 Sunday evening at The Home Depot Center.

Edson Buddle and Cory Gibbs traded goals in the first half, then an own goal from Rapids defender Ugo Ihemelu and a goal-of-the-week candidate from Brandon McDonald gave the Galaxy the lead for good, before Tom McManus scored a late penalty for the visitors.

With the win, the Galaxy now have 32 points, and sit just four points out of third place in the Western Conference and the final playoff spot with two matches left to play. The Rapids are just two points ahead of the Galaxy, with both teams currently out of the top eight.

The game was almost blown wide open just 30 seconds in when McManus split the Galaxy defense inside the area and got a shot past Galaxy 'keeper Josh Saunders. Luckily for the Galaxy, Sean Franklin was tracking back, and managed to clear the ball off the line.

After the scare, the game quickly became a battle of attrition in the midfield, as neither team was able to produce much in the way of offense for the next 20 minutes. The Galaxy finally saw their first chance in the 23rd minute. A goalmouth scramble and collision led to a free header for Alan Gordon, who put his effort past goalkeeper Preston Burpo. But Ihemelu was there to clear the ball off the line and keep the score level.

The Galaxy continued to press, and in the 30th minute, Eddie Lewis whipped a cross to the near post. Bryan Jordan knifed inside his defender and put a diving header on frame, but Burpo was there to make the save.

Three minutes later, the Galaxy made a breakthrough, when Franklin found Buddle at the top of the area. Buddle took a couple of touches to bring the ball under control, and then from just inside the 18, fired a low shot past Burpo and inside the near post.

However, the Galaxy's lead would be relatively short lived. With the half winding down, the Rapids won a corner kick. Terry Cooke stepped up and found Cory Gibbs lurking at the edge of the six. The former U.S. international dove forward and hit a glancing header that found the side netting inside the back post, and leveled the score going into the locker room.

Colorado came back out the better side, and nearly took the lead just three minutes into the second half. Colin Clark found some space on the left side, and played a ball into the area. McManus won a header that beat Saunders, but nicked the outside of the post.

The Galaxy responded quickly, and moments later challenged the Colorado goal with a header of their own. Lewis sprung himself loose down the left side and hit a looping ball to the center. Jordan rose up above everyone, but couldn't generate much power on his shot, leaving Burpo with an easy save.

With the match starting to tighten up, and Colorado starting to take control of the momentum, Galaxy boss Bruce Arena went to his bench, bringing on Landon Donovan in the 63rd minute.

The move didn't have any immediate impact, and it was Colorado that forced the next big save of the night. Clark continued to terrorize the right side of the Galaxy defense, and found McManus with another cross to the back post. McManus brought the ball down and put a volley on target, but Saunders had come off his line and made himself big to make the save.

Against the run of play, the Galaxy took the lead in the 70th minute. Jordan won a free kick on the right flank, and Lewis sent a dangerous ball into the area. With a rush of players running onto the ball, it was Ihemelu that knocked the ball into his own net with his chest from inside the goal area.

McDonald doubled the advantage ten minutes later in emphatic fashion. Los Angeles forced a turnover in the midfield and McDonald received the ball. With nobody closing him down, the rookie ripped a right-footed screamer from about 35 yards out that blew right past Burpo and into the upper right corner.

The Rapids drew one back from the penalty spot in the 88th minute. The penalty decision was made when Franklin was deemed by referee Michael Kennedy to have handled the ball in the area while defending a cross. The call met with some real disapproval, but nonetheless, McManus stepped up to the spot and buried it the kick to make the final minutes a bit more exciting.

But the Galaxy killed off the remainder of the match to secure just their second win in their last 16 contests. Next up for LA is a road trip to Houston, in another must-win match next Saturday to keep their playoff hopes alive, while the Rapids will remain at The Home Depot Center for their next match, taking on Chivas USA, also next Saturday.

TFC relieved to hold onto late lead

TORONTO -- When Cuauhtemoc Blanco scored in the 59th minute on Saturday to cut Toronto FC's lead over Chicago to 3-2, there was an uncomfortable sense of deja vu settling over BMO Field. Four times this season the Reds have been victimized by late goals that turned possible wins into draws (such as last Saturday against FC Dallas) and possible draws into losses (as in TFC's previous game against Chicago, a 2-1 loss on July 12).

Was another last-minute letdown coming for a Reds side that desperately needed the win? When Blanco was awarded a direct free kick in stoppage time, TFC coach John Carver admitted that the thought crossed his mind.

"It's in your head," Carver said. "The final 30 seconds, when we broke on the counterattack and my two central midfield players are in the box attacking, that was a big concern for me. Then they break on the counter, the goalkeeper takes it quickly, they get a free kick on the edge of the box. Now, one of my midfield players might've been sitting in there and blocked that hole.

"Now, I don't care who you are, you're a human being. Whether you're a player or a coach, it will be in your head, all those goals we've conceded late."

Fortunately for TFC, Blanco attempted a pass rather than take a direct shot, which caused the play to break down and the Reds escaped without adding to their league-high 12 goals allowed in the final 15 minutes.

"We were composed and [remembered] we were still winning 3-2," said defender Kevin Harmse. "Instead of packing it in and trying to soak up the pressure, we kept playing and still had some chances."

Toronto was still alive in the MLS playoff race as of the game's final whistle, but the club could be mathematically eliminated pending the results of three other games on Saturday evening. Should TFC stay alive through the weekend, then they will have to win in San Jose next Saturday and rely on yet more results to fall their way from around the league.

Even if TFC's late-season surge falls short of the postseason, the Reds' current form has been a positive sign for a team that struggled throughout most of the summer. Toronto is unbeaten (2-0-2) in their last four games, with all four results coming against playoff-bound sides like Houston and Chicago, and contenders New York and Dallas.

"All I said to the guys before the game was, 'Give yourselves a chance. You guys deserve a chance because of what you've showed me at the beginning of the season and towards the end of the season,'" Carver said.

"I'm sure the lads will have one eye on the TV and one eye on the internet and we'll be keeping close tabs on it. Then let's wake up in the morning and see what it brings us."

The Reds approached Saturday's game with the intensity of a playoff match, and it showed in the first half. Toronto had their first three-goal half in team history, starting in the 12th minute on a nicely aimed shot by Amado Guevara from just outside the box.

Then, TFC was awarded a penalty kick a few minutes later after Marvell Wynne was fouled inside the penalty area. Rohan Ricketts lined up to take the shot, but his attempt was knocked aside by Chicago goalkeeper Jon Busch and the ball ended up laying in front of the open right side of the goalmouth. Ricketts pounced on his own rebound and buried it to give the Reds a two-goal lead after just 18 minutes.

In first-half stoppage time, with the score now 2-1, Ricketts struck again. This time the winger took a pass from Carl Robinson and delivered a shot on the turn shot that re-established the Reds' two-goal lead.

It was Ricketts' first appearance on the scoresheet since June 14, when the midfielder picked up another brace in a 3-1 win against Colorado. This offensive drought made Ricketts' spot in the lineup tenuous, according to Carver.

"I was concerned about his form with the ball. Not without the ball because all the stats told me he's still working as hard as he has been, he's still covering all the distance on the ground, but I was a bit concerned about his creativity and he hasn't been creative lately," Carver said. "He was one that was a big question mark, the only one, really. It was either him or Johann Smith. I sat and thought about it, left it as late as possible and decided to go with Rohan. ... He knew there was a little bit of pressure on him and he's come up trumps."

Saturday marked Toronto's final home game of the season, and for the second consecutive year, TFC gave their fans an exciting finish. Last year it was a stoppage-time goal from Danny Dichio that salvaged a 2-2 draw for TFC against New England, in a game that meant nothing more than pride for the last-place Reds.

This year's home finale had far more playoff implications for Toronto, one of many differences that captain Jim Brennan noted between the 2007 and 2008 editions of Toronto FC.

"[It's] night and day compared to last year," Brennan said. "The players that came in have a lot more quality, we're playing good football. This year has been good. It's been a big improvement, J.C. has come in and done a great job and next year he'll get us going again."

The Reds aren't quite ready for season post-mortems quite yet, however. Defender Marvell Wynne hopes that his side's end-game victory lap around the pitch will be for naught and TFC will be back at BMO for a playoff game in two weeks.

"It's a joyous and almost a sad occasion," Wynne said. "It's almost like having a best friend -- 20,000 best friends, you've got to say your goodbyes 'til next year.

"If there was any time to start picking it up it would be now but again we're hoping it's not too little, too late. But I think if we get a berth into the playoffs we could carry on and we might be something to reckon with."

Now that's the kind of late finish that the Reds are hoping for.

Crew proud of Shield, but want more

COLUMBUS -- The Columbus Crew honor their U.S. Open Cup title in 2002 with a sign on the facing of one of the suites on the northeast side of Crew Stadium.

As for its Supporters' Shield in 2004? Good luck finding any mention of the fact Columbus had the best record in MLS that season because the Crew ingloriously lost in the first round of the playoffs. No postseason championship, no banner.

Coach Sigi Schmid would like to see that changed after the Crew secured their second Supporters' Shield on Sunday by tying at Chicago while Houston drew with D.C. United. With two weeks left in the regular season, no one can catch the Crew's 54 points and Schmid said the accomplishment needs to be proudly displayed inside the stadium for years to come.

"I think the Supporters' Shield goes up every time," he said. "I don't know what D.C. United or some of the other teams do. In LA we won the Supporters' Shield when I was there as well and I don't know if any team puts anything up for the Supporters' Shield.

"Obviously, the Supporters' Shield means something now, too, with qualification for the CONCACAF Champions League. But I really believe teams should banner the Supporters' Shield."

It's been argued that winning the Supporters' Shield is insignificant except to the team that wins it each season. If that's the case, the Crew will gladly accept the honor.

"We've shown over the course of a 30-game season that we're the best team. That should be worth something," goalkeeper Will Hesmer said. "Around the world that means something. Here, we still have to prove ourselves all over again. This is just the first step."

The Crew have a 16-6-6 record and pulled away from the pack with its current 7-0-2 mark since losing at Houston on Aug. 2.

"Everywhere else in the world you're the champion of the league if you're the best over the full length of the season and get the most points," Schmid said. "To accomplish that means a lot to me as coach and should mean a lot to our team, and it does. It means we've been the best over 30 games and we've been the most consistent team. That's something we're proud of."

Winning the Supporters' Shield is validation for the restoration project undertaken when Schmid became coach after the 2005 season. The Crew had missed the playoffs every year since 2004 and just three players remain from that squad.

Only one of them, defender Chad Marshall, was on the field Sunday. Defender Frankie Hejduk is with the U.S. for World Cup qualifying and midfielder Duncan Oughton was a reserve but did not play against the Fire.

What the trio emphasized as the Crew got closer to clinching the Supporters' Shield is that this season will ultimately be judged by what happens in the postseason. The Crew have never played in the MLS Cup Final.

Of course, winning the Supporters' Shield is no guarantee of success. Schmid's Los Angeles Galaxy in 2002 was the last Shield winner to also capture the MLS Cup. Chicago in 2003 was the most recent Shield recipient to make the final but the Fire lost the MLS Cup to San Jose.

There have been only three other times when the team with the best regular-season record also won the MLS Cup: D.C. United in 1997 and '99 and Kansas City in 2000.

With the chase for the Supporters' Shield over with two games remaining, the Crew can look further ahead.

"We've wrapped up all we can wrap up. Now it's a matter of making sure we stay sharp and healthy for the playoffs," Schmid said.

The first order is to correct the mistakes from the game at Chicago. The two goals allowed were the most in the past nine games. Both were scored by Brian McBride on set pieces.

"It was one of those games where we had to fight and show team grit," midfielder Eddie Gaven said. "We can play much better but it was good to come out of here with a point."

McBride put the Fire ahead in the 13th minute but the Crew once again rallied when Gaven scored on a sizzling strike in the 59th and Robbie Rogers found Guillermo Barros Schelotto at the far post for a header two minutes later. However, McBride got the equalizer in the 79th to give the Crew 4-6-5 mark when allowing the first goal.

"We never give up. We had the lead and we were really unfortunately we didn't add more," Rogers said. "We had some chances. In the end we got one point, which is good but we left them off the hook. I felt like we definitely should have won the game. We were on the road. We came back, so I can't be too despondent. Even though this game didn't mean as much to us as it did them we still battled and had all those chances so that's a really good sign."

Another positive was getting 80 minutes out of Schelotto. He played 61 against LA on Oct. 4 in his first game back after missing three because of a hamstring injury. The MVP candidate has seven goals and 18 assists but whether his minutes will be extended are not known because the Crew will play on the artificial turf of Giants Stadium against the Red Bulls on Saturday before closing the season at home Oct. 26 vs. D.C. United.

Schmid will also have to decide how handle to three other players at New York. Hejduk and Rogers will be in Trinidad and Tobago for a qualifier Wednesday while forward Alejandro Moreno (Venezuela) will face Ecuador the same day.

"Frankie didn't play in the last game (Saturday vs. Cuba)," Schmid said. "It depends on how much he plays Wednesday, how much Robbie would play on Wednesday. It depends on how much Alejandro plays. We'll play it by ear."

The luxury of resting key personnel and recharging the bodies after a long season might prove to be more significant to the Crew than any banner they might display for winning the Supporters' Shield.

First XI: Headline news

It will be yet another remote control weekend for First XI, as we rotate from game to game, seeing what's happening here, there and everywhere. Needless to say, this is the way it's supposed to be in late October in MLS, with every game impacting something. Here's a look into the First XI notebook of headlines we'll follow in Round 30:

11. Crew win Supporters' Shield: Going to lead off with the Crew, who won the second Supporters' Shield in club history. This is a reward to the organization that let Sigi Schmid build something solid rather than getting twitchy when they missed the playoffs in back-to-back years. Now, the Crew not only have one of the best teams in the league -- the best this year, for sure -- but have a young nucleus that should keep them in the hunt for many years go come. Schmid used a formula that's worked in MLS years past: that is, hiring a veteran midfielder "Willie" Schelotto to lead a cast of hungry kids much like Marco Etcheverry led the great D.C. United teams, Mauricio Cienfuegos led the Galaxy and Peter Nowak led the Fire.

10. Everyone remains alive: Count me as one who's always loved the parity of MLS. I've written about it for years, it's exciting to turn on any MLS game and never know what the result might be. In 2008, it's been more true than ever and now we get two weeks and everyone mathematically alive. Sure, it'll take a miracle for San Jose, Toronto and LA, but a chance is a chance and it would be foolish to count anybody out of this thing.

9. Donovan and Cooper down to the wire: We've got a Golden Boot race reminiscent of the great Ruiz vs. Twellman race of 2002, with Landon Donovan and Kenny Cooper headed into the final two weeks separated by just one goal. Both will have to work away from home this week and Cooper's battling an ankle injury and a virus. My one wish for this race is that the winner gets at least 20. For me, 20's always been a magical number of goals in this league, and the aforementioned Ruiz-Twellman race is the last time we had two reach that number.

8. Houston, do we have a three-peat? My 10-year-old son made the call this week. "Houston is going to win it again," he declared. He's been in right in the past, just so you know. It's hard not to admire the way Dom Kinnear's men respond in big situations. witness Wednesday night's stoppage-time victory against a desperate San Jose team. Right now, Houston's path to another MLS Cup would have to run through New York and either Real Salt Lake or Chivas USA. Of course that's subject to change, but you can see where my son's coming from, can't you?

7. The playoffs for Real? A win in the opener at Rio Tinto would've really helped RSL's chances, but I'm going to stick by my preseason prediction that Jason Kreis would lead Real Salt Lake to the playoffs this year. Of course, RSL will need to take care of FC Dallas this weekend at home if they want to take the smoother road to the promised land. In the season's final week, they'll travel to Denver to play the Rapids in a game that will be tough to win even if Colorado isn't fighting for one of the final playoff spots.

6. Can Chivas stay hot? After getting spanked 4-0 by New England, Chivas USA has responded with four consecutive victories, turning what looked to be a season lost to injuries and bad luck into one of promise. No, Chivas isn't going to win the regular season West title for the second straight season, but they'd surely trade that in for a playoff series victory. And how about giving props to this organization. When you look at the trials and tribulations that new MLS teams have gone through in recent years, look at what Chivas USA has done after missing the playoffs in Year One and you cannot help but be impressed. This makes three playoff appearances in a row. Now, they're looking for their first advancement.

5. Chicago lurks. I just have a feeling about Chicago. I can't explain it, but I just have a feeling that Fire fans might just celebrate the 10th anniversary of their MLS Cup championship with another title. The Fire have a lot of weapons and they have a decided home fiel d advantage when Toyota Park gets rocking. I'm not going against my son's call for a Houston three-peat, mind you, but I am taking the Fire as my dark horse team.

4. A Red Bull tradition. What would a MetroStars/Red Bull season be without the playoffs riding on the line in the final game or two of the regular season? Remember 2005, when Metro needed a win at Chivas USA in the season finale and got a heroic performance from Tony Meola and a goal from 17-year-old Michael Bradley to earn their spot? Remember 2006, when Amado Guevara scored a hat trick (two penalties) to lead the Red Bulls to a 3-2 victory? The Red Bulls can most likely punch their ticket this year with one victory in their final two games. That won't be easy as they play Columbus and Chicago. But is it ever easy?

3. Quake heartbreak. I'm a sensitive guy and I must admit watching Frank Yallop contort his body on the sideline with every near-miss the Quakes had in their 1-0 home loss to Chivas USA last week hurt me. Yallop has done a fantastic job re-creating the Quakes and I really felt they were going to make the playoffs and were a good enough team to do some damage in the playoffs as well. Their loss to Houston probably sealed their fate, but I strongly believe San Jose will be in the hunt for an MLS championship next year.

2. Red with anger. And speaking of heartbreak, it doesn't get much tougher than the loss Toronto suffered last weekend in Frisco. After Marvell Wynne's spectacular dash and finish, it seemed John Carver's men were going to pull it off. The penalty call in the game's final moments was a bitter pill to swallow for sure, as I'm sure it was also difficult for Greg Sutton to grasp just how Kenny Cooper's penalty slipped under his body after he guessed right.

1. Win it for Stevie. How can you not admire the work Steve Ralston has done in MLS since 1996? And how can you not feel bad that Ralston will miss out this year as the Revolution try to take care of the unfinished business of winning MLS Cup? I have no idea how they can do it, as the Revs are one of the league's hardest teams to figure out this year, but you just know Taylor Twellman and Co. are going to try their hardest to win it all for Ralston.

Rapids beat Chivas to remain in playoff race

CARSON, Calif. -- Conor Casey's penalty kick goal in the final minutes kept the Colorado Rapids' playoff hopes alive as they held on to defeat Chivas USA 2-1 in a thrilling match at The Home Depot Center on Sunday afternoon.

Needing a victory in order to keep their hopes for a postseason appearance alive, the Rapids had seen a second-half penalty kick saved but took a lead in the 67th minute on a Colin Clark goal only to see Chivas USA's Jonathan Bornstein counter five minutes later.

Then, with five minutes remaining, Omar Cummings was tripped in the penalty area to set up a second penalty kick that Casey converted to keep the Rapids within reach of the MLS Cup Playoffs as they enter next week's winner-take-all match against rival Real Salt Lake at Dick's Sporting Goods Park.

Casey had the first scoring opportunity for either side in the 13th minute. After receiving the ball at the top of the Chivas USA penalty area off a give-and-go pass with Tom McManus, Casey lined up an open shot at goal but wasn't able to put the shot on frame as it sailed harmlessly over the crossbar.

The Rapids threatened again minutes later. Nick LaBrocca sent a 20-yard free kick shot into the Chivas USA wall but the rebounding ball landed at the feet of Colin Clark, who struck a hard low shot on goal that forced Chivas USA 'keeper Dan Kennedy to the turf to make the save.

Later, Chivas USA coach Preki made his first move of the match in the 25th minute when Sasha Victorine was substituted out of the match in place of Sacha Kljestan.

The Rapids maintained the majority of possession for the remainder of the first half and the midfield was able to provide regular service to Casey deep in the Chivas USA third of the field. The Chivas USA backline duo of Shavar Thomas and Alex Zotinca, however, were able to stifle each opportunity generated by the Rapids.

The Rapids came out to play the second half looking like a team facing elimination.

Their increased sense of urgency nearly paid off in the 52nd minute. It was Casey again leading the charge as he controlled a pass inside the Chivas USA penalty area before rifling a shot that went just wide left of the goal.

Then, in the 56th minute it appeared that the Rapids would finally break through when referee Baldomero Toledo awarded the visitors a penalty kick after Zotinca knocked down Jordan Harvey inside the penalty area.

McManus stepped in to take the penalty kick but sent a soft, low shot towards the center of the goal that was smothered by Kennedy to preserve the scoreless tie.

Less than two minutes later McManus came off the field in favor of forward Omar Cummings.

The move paid off immediately. In the 67th minute, Cummings took a ball deep into the right side of the Chivas USA half and sent a perfect cross into the penalty area that was headed into the goal by Clark to put the Rapids ahead 1-0 and, more importantly, keep their playoff hopes alive.

Chivas USA, however, responded five minutes later when Bornstein knocked a loose ball inside the Rapids penalty area past Coundoul. A Dejair centering pass was knocked away by a falling Ugo Ihemelu, but Bornstein was there to drive the rebound high into the goal.

Just when it appeared that the Rapids were finished, another penalty kick was awarded, as this time Cummings was tripped up in the penalty area by Thomas. Casey took the ensuing kick, sending his low shot towards the right post, just outside of the reach of Kennedy, off the inside of the woodwork and into the goal, sending the Rapids players and bench into wild celebration.

With the win, the Rapids still must beat rival Real Salt Lake at home next Saturday in order to earn a spot in the playoffs. Chivas USA, meanwhile, close out the regular season next Saturday against the Houston Dynamo at The Home Depot Center in a meeting of the top two teams in the Western Conference.

RSL moves to fringe of postseason

SANDY, Utah -- Even as they went up a goal on FC Dallas, Real Salt Lake couldn't shake a nagging feeling that the Hoops had another late-game comeback lurking behind the corner -- waiting to steal away a couple of points.

When Robbie Findley put a goal away in the 86th minute to eliminate any such possibilities, RSL could finally feel some relief and celebrate a 3-1 victory at Rio Tinto Stadium on Saturday night that puts it on the fringe of clinching a first-ever playoff berth.

"You never know what would have happened that last five minutes," said midfielder Will Johnson. "We haven't been the best holding leads lately. So to get that extra goal was important."

Findley simply provided the exclamation point a series of big second-half plays for RSL. Johnson got the ball rolling with the go-ahead goal in the 53rd minute.

It looked like the sort of drill you would see in practice. Chris Wingert fed him a crisp pass a few yards up from the right post and just outside the area. Johnson then flicked it up in the air and volleyed the ball perfectly on the turn over FCD 'keeper Dario Sala.

"You get a ball like that, you just give it a ride," Johnson said.

No one was more pleased with how that play turned out than head coach Jason Kreis. For several weeks, Kreis has been quick to dish out praise to the midfielder for his relentless energy and solid work ethic.

For Kreis, that play embodied many of the things he sees Johnson bringing to the pitch in crucial moments.

"I've said now for a few weeks that big games call for big players to make big plays," Kreis said. "That was a big play."

It helped erase an early goal that Dallas put on RSL. The Hoops seized the advantage in lightning-quick fashion when Marcelo Saragosa produced a nice header off a throw-in from Adrian Serioux.

Serioux put the ball into the goalmouth and, from there, Saragosa headed it down past 'keeper Nick Rimando.

RSL had not yielded a goal so quickly this season, but they bounced back when Yura Movsisyan came up with the equalizer before halftime.

Movsisyan finally put RSL on the board in the 35th minute. Morales crossed it into him around the upper portion of the penalty area. Movsisyan spun around a defender and fired a left-footed bullet that sailed past Sala inside the right post.

"It's always difficult to play from behind, but I think we dealt with it pretty good," Movsisyan said. "Our guys stepped up today -- everybody -- and we got the win."

Momentum began to turn in Real's favor a few minutes earlier when Saragosa was expelled from the match with a red card in the 30th minute. It left FCD down a man for the next hour of the match.

Playing against a team with a man down had not worked so well in past games this season for RSL. But the club learned its lessons and made it an advantage this time around.

"With one less player, we were able to manage the game a lot better," said midfielder Javier Morales, who finished with two assists to increase his season total to 15.

The only complaint Kreis had with game management was how his players approached the final 15 minutes. He felt like the fact Dallas had rallied in the final minutes of its previous two matches made his team take a much more reckless approach than what he wanted.

"We were probably being a little dishonest," Kreis said. "I thought at that moment we were thinking more about scoring the third goal than we were about making sure they didn't get the equalizer."

Those frustrations became a moot point once Findley came up with his big play.

Morales set him up nicely at the top of the penalty area to put things in motion. Findley then dribbled inside a Hoops defender and curled a perfectly placed shot over Sala and inside the upper right corner to end any hopes Dallas harbored for at least salvaging a tie.

RSL can solidify a playoff berth if Chivas USA earns at least a draw against Colorado on Sunday afternoon. If not, Real will clinch the Western Conference No. 3 seed with a draw against the Rapids next Saturday in Commerce City, Colo.

Rapids win sets up winner-take-all vs. RSL

CARSON, Calif. -- The highs and lows that have come to define the Colorado Rapids season were on display Sunday afternoon against Chivas USA. With playoff elimination staring them in the face, the Rapids mettle was put to the test in the ebbs and flows of a thrilling second half.

First, the Rapids were given a golden opportunity to break a scoreless stalemate midway through the second half when they were awarded a penalty kick. The Rapids hearts were sunk, though, after seeing Tom McManus' feeble shot saved by the Chivas USA goalkeeper. Then, both sides traded goals in a five-minute span before Conor Casey ended the match on a high note, converting a late penalty kick to keep the Rapids playoff hopes alive with a 2-1 win.

"We worked extremely hard for 90-odd minutes and we got our rewards for our work," said Rapids coach Gary Smith. "It was an incredible result given the amount of pressure that the team is under."

Needing a victory to set up a winner-take-all game in next week's regular-season finale against Real Salt Lake at Dick's Sporting Goods Park, the Rapids were buoyed by their second-half substitutes.

"Three substitutes came on today that not only played well but were the bedrock of the victory," Smith said in reference to Omar Cummings, Terry Cooke and Facundo Erpen.

Cummings' performance, though, was the catalyst as he assisted on the first goal and was taken down in the penalty area to set up the game-winning penalty kick.

"As all good subs should, Omar came on and made an immediate difference," said Smith. "He set up both goals, it was incredible."

Rapids captain Pablo Mastroeni also credited Cummings with making the difference that kept the Rapids season alive.

"Omar is one of the most underrated forwards in the league," he said. "He has skill, pace and craftiness and today he made it tough for the defense." Cummings was brought into the match for McManus moments after his penalty miss. It was in the 85th minute when Cummings slipped a ball through the legs of Shavar Thomas inside the Chivas USA penalty area before being tripped by Thomas to set up the second and decisive spot kick.

With the weight of a season on his shoulders, Casey took the shot and just beat a diving Kennedy to the right side of the goal.

"My only focus was putting it in the goal and I almost didn't," Casey said. "It hit the post but I had a huge relief when I saw it go back into the goal instead of bouncing back at me. We gave ourselves a chance to play for something next week, it's in our hands."

Now, the Rapids must shift their focus to next week's decisive match at home against rival Real Salt Lake, whom they have defeated and lost to in their two matches this season.

"It's a winner-take-all match," said Smith. "But with it at home we like to think the balance swings in our favor. The smallest of errors and finest of lines will be the difference."

Past disappointment fuels Crew

COLUMBUS -- The Columbus Crew are already 17 points better than last season and have clinched the Supporters' Shield as the best team in the regular season, but in a strange turn they have less to play for in the final two games than a year ago when Columbus faced games at New England and D.C. United.

In 2007, the Crew were in a desperate chase for the last playoff spot. They got off to a 1-4-6 start but were 6-7-4 over the next 17 games to pull within striking distance. The Crew needed wins in the last two matches and help along the way.

Columbus did its part by rallying for a 3-2 victory against New England on a goal in the 86th minute by substitute forward Guillermo Barros Schelotto -- yes, the same Schelotto who is in the running for MVP this season. Unfortunately for the Crew, while they were downing the Revolution, the Chicago Fire drew with D.C. United to eliminate the Crew.

In the season finale, the Crew beat D.C. United 3-2 behind a pair of goals from midfielder Robbie Rogers to finish 9-11-10. It was a frustrating end for the Crew but coach Sigi Schmid said the genesis of this season's success came out of the last two games.

"It definitely helped. Our back was against the wall and we had to win in order to give ourselves a chance," he said. "We won on the road in difficult places against a team that won the Supporters' Shield in D.C. United and a good team that went to the MLS Cup Final in New England."

Goalkeeper William Hesmer remembers the sting of missing the playoffs.

"We were all disappointed once we were eliminated after the New England game but we ended up winning, putting up a good effort. We fought on the road against a good team. To play that well and get a win and then find out you've been eliminated was disappointing," he said. "You know what you left out there. You know you're a better team than what you proved through the year. We went into that next game still wanting to prove we were a good team and building for the next year. Also, by that last game guys knew that we didn't make the playoffs and changes were going to be made and we're playing for their jobs."

Rogers said the last two outcomes were bittersweet. "It was a sign we had the talent. We had the team to do it. We had the players to do it. We just needed to find the right mix," he said.

Getting a grasp on exactly how much momentum was gained is an inexact science but missing the playoffs a third consecutive year provided plenty of incentive in the offseason.

"For us, it was really simple. The motivation was there -- it said you guys simply weren't good enough," Hesmer said.

Schmid contends the Crew could have been dangerous had they just been able to find a way into the postseason. His team finished the season with three consecutive road wins and Schelotto was getting back to form after missing three matches because of injury.

"Our team knew last year that the way they were playing had we gotten to the playoffs we would have scared some people," Schmid said. "That confidence we had, we talked about that at the beginning of this year what we accomplished last year and building upon that and we were able to carry it on."

There's no telling whether the Crew got more motivation from not making the playoffs or would have been inspired by continuing the season.

"Maybe it would have helped us last year because the guys might have had that taste of the playoffs," midfielder Eddie Gaven said. "Maybe not. It gives guys that little extra push because we didn't make it last year.

"We ended last year really well. That carried over to this year. This team has pretty much been on fire throughout the whole year. We want to keep it going in the playoffs. We don't want to take our foot off the pedal."

The Crew are 16-6-6 and have not lost since Aug. 2 (7-0-2) but have nothing at stake as far as postseason positioning, having clinched home-field advantage. They travel to New York on Saturday and play host to D.C. United Oct. 26 when the Supporters' Shield trophy will be presented.

"The goal is to keep on playing well like the last nine games," Gaven said. "We've played really good defense and taken our chances well. We don't want to let down these last two games and go into the playoffs in a rut."

Crew regulars get rest ahead of playoffs

E. RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- With the top seed in the forthcoming MLS Cup Playoffs already in the bag, Columbus Crew coach Sigi Schmid took the opportunity to rest some key regulars against the New York Red Bulls on Saturday night.

But although the reserve-heavy lineup lost the match 3-1, snapping the Crew's nine-game unbeaten streak, Schmid insisted he made the right choice with his lineup.

"It was an important thing for us," Schmid said of the decision to rest several starters. "We had some guys on international duty in the middle of the week. Robbie Rogers took a pretty good hit in the Chicago game (last week) so we didn't want to expose him tonight, we wanted to make sure he got healthy.

"We just didn't feel it made sense to bring the guys here, on turf, after they had just played 90 minutes on Wednesday," Schmid continued. "So from that standpoint, it gave us a chance to give some minutes to (Emmanuel) Ekpo and (Pat) Noonan and make sure those guys are ready for the playoffs."

Still, the Crew boss was disappointed with the defeat. Schmid felt his team erred on each of New York's three goals, and none was more blatant than the mistake backup goalkeeper Andy Gruenebaum made on Red Bulls 'keeper Danny Cepero's late free kick from deep inside his own half that bounced over his head and in for the final tally. It was the first goal scored by a goalkeeper in MLS history.

"We made three mistakes and they scored three goals," Schmid said. "The first goal, Andy Iro couldn't get it off his feet and it was a mistake. It came against the run [of play] a bit. We got it equal, but another bad clearance and they jumped on that. Then the third goal was -- what can you say?"

Juan Pablo Angel scored the other two goals for New York; Steven Lenhart got the Crew's lone strike.

But with just one game left before the postseason begins, next Sunday against D.C. United, the coach isn't going to spend much time agonizing over the loss.

"The last game for us is at home and we want to put our team back together," Schmid said.

"We've got to have a good week of training. We locked up [the top playoff seed] last week so we eased off a little bit this week, for sure, because it's the smart thing to do. But now we want to push for these next five weeks [until MLS Cup] and it's important that we come out every day and work hard in training."

One thing that might work against the Crew when the postseason begins is their lack of playoff experience as a team. Columbus had missed the playoffs the last three seasons before qualifying this year. However, 12-year veteran Ezra Hendrickson thinks the squad has enough experience to contend for the title.

"Playoff experience helps," said Hendrickson. "But we've been on a good run and played all the teams we're going to face in the playoffs. We have to keep up our intensity and keep playing the way we've been playing. Today was a setback for us but we can't dwell on that. We need to get back on track before the playoffs start. We want to make sure we go into the playoffs on a high note."

Schmid agreed.

"We have a lot of players, like [Alejandro] Moreno, who've been in the playoffs before," Schmid said. "Guillermo Schelotto has played in a lot of big games -- I don't have to worry about him. Brian Carroll is a guy who has played in a lot of playoff games as well. Ezra has too, so we have a lot of guys who have been there. The young guys, they know what they have to do and they know how to play. It's just a matter of playing well so I don't worry about it too much."

No matter what happens after next weekend, Schmid, who was released by the Los Angeles Galaxy in 2004 with the team in first place, is thrilled that Columbus captured the Supporters' Shield with the best record in MLS this season.

"Anywhere else in the world we'd be champions right now," he said. "It's only here that we have a cup competition at the end of the regular season. So from that standpoint I think we've proven over 30 games that we've had the best team and that's something that we're really proud of. But we want to win MLS Cup as well so we have to get back to the grindstone."

The loss against New York might even help the Columbus cause come playoff time, according to defender Danny O'Rourke.

"Once you get into the playoffs, anyone can win," O'Rourke said. "That's how the MLS playoffs are. We're familiar with every team. This game had a playoff atmosphere. I think we learned a lot tonight, learned that the other team played hard and that's how it will be in the playoffs."

Winning all that matters to hopeful TFC

TORONTO -- There are dozens of possible playoff scenarios with two weeks left in the MLS regular season, but for Toronto FC, the formula is simple: win. No amount of scoreboard watching will help unless TFC takes the maximum six points from their remaining two games.

"We were very unlucky down in Dallas last week and I think if we could've gotten three points there it would've put us in the playoff mix," said striker Danny Dichio. "Now we're relying on other people a lot and we've just got to go on the field and [win]."

Kenny Cooper's penalty kick in stoppage time last Saturday in Dallas led to a 2-2 result, and cost TFC two crucial points against a fellow playoff hopeful. The Reds are just four points behind New York for the final playoff position, but three other clubs (FC Dallas, Colorado and D.C. United) are in front of Toronto, with Los Angeles and San Jose nipping at their heels.

The bottom line is that a number of things will have to break the right way if the Reds are to gain their first-ever playoff spot, but the bright side is that TFC's late-season surge has at least put them in the post-season conversation. Toronto is unbeaten in their last three games (1-0-2) and now host a Chicago side who already clinched its playoff ticket with a 2-2 draw last Sunday against Columbus.

Dichio speculated that Toronto's recent good form may be due to the team embracing something of an underdog role.

"In England when people are out of the playoff picture you always notice teams step up because the pressure is off of them," Dichio said. "I wouldn't say we're out of the playoff picture but a lot of people have written us off, so maybe that gives us an edge.

"We still feel ourselves that we have a small chance going in and you never know, it's playoffs. In any sport you can't give up until you're mathematically out of it."

The forward has himself played a key role in TFC's last two games, as he and Chad Barrett have formed a potent strike force. Dichio and Barrett each picked up an assist against Dallas, and Barrett scored a brace in Toronto's 3-1 win against New York on Oct. 4.

This scoring touch looks to bring a positive ending to what has been an injury-plagued season for both men. Barrett has been plagued by leg cramps, and Dichio missed nearly two full months of action due to a concussion. It took a while for both men to get some consistent time together as a unit, but Barrett said the extra time has finally paid off.

"I don't think any two forwards can come into a system and work [together] straight away," Barrett said. "I had to get used to the turf, then I had to get used to Danny, and then Danny was hurt, and then [Carlos] Ruiz came in for a game. But now that it's more consistent with just me and Danny up top now, we've had some time in practice and in games to get to know each other.

"Having a big man in the game, it's not the same as in Chicago when I was playing with Chris Rolfe and I had to be the big man and hold up balls and stuff like that. ... Now I get to do the little man stuff. I make my runs, I get to run off of [Dichio], get in the little spots to get off shots and that's what I like to do."

After spending most of the past eight months trying to assemble a suitable striking tandem, TFC head coach John Carver said it is a little bittersweet that Barrett and Dichio have both found their form this deep into October.

"They've been catalysts for us playing well over the last three or four games," Carver said. "Give me those guys fit and available six weeks earlier and we might not be fighting to get to the playoffs. We might already be there."

Toronto's best friends in the league right now are the five clubs who have already qualified for the playoffs -- Columbus, Houston, Chicago, New England and Chivas USA. If those five win out (the exception being Chicago on Saturday against the Reds, of course) and hold down the other playoff contenders, it might open the door for TFC to squeak into that eighth spot.

The Reds might not control their own destiny, but they at least know that unless they can beat Chicago on Saturday, they won't even have a playoff destiny left to be controlled.

"I just wish there was another six or seven games to play in the form that we're in because we do have some momentum, we are playing well now," Carver said. "You never know. It might be too late, but we're not giving up on it yet. ... We play Saturday early on and we'll know when the full-time whistle goes where we stand and if we still have a chance."

Youthful U.S. falls in Trinidad & Tobago

The World Cup qualifying match between the United States and Trinidad & Tobago in Port of Spain Wednesday night certainly was an intriguing encounter of youth vs. experience.

On one end of the Hasely Crawford Stadium field, the hosts were playing for their qualifying lives, using several veteran players, including a 40-year-old.

On the other side of the pitch was a group of players trying to impress coach Bob Bradley for future national team matches and qualifiers.

On this night, age prevailed as the more veteran and experienced Trinidad & Tobago team recorded a 2-1 win against the USA, the hosts' first victory over the Americans in qualifying play. The U.S. entered the match undefeated vs. Trinidad at 9-0-2.

Quite fittingly, it was the two oldest players on the field -- 40-year-old Russell Latapy and 36-year-old Dwight Yorke -- who connected for the Caribbean side as Yorke converted a penalty kick in the 79th minute to snap a 1-1 deadlock.

Trinidad needed the three points much more than the USA, who clinched a berth in next year's final CONCACAF round after only four games of the six-match series. Combined with Cuba's 2-1 upset of favored Guatemala in Havana Wednesday night, the Soca Warriors (2-1-2, eight) find themselves in second place behind the U.S. (4-1-0, 12 points). Guatemala (1-2-2, five) is third and Cuba (1-4-0, three) is fourth and last. The top two teams move on to the hexagonal.

"That's a massive result for us," Yorke said told ESPN immediately afterward.

Indeed it was. But so was the victory against the U.S.

"It's enormous for us," Yorke said. "Everyone knows how important it was for us. We left it a little late. ... It's very important for this national to progress into the big six."

T&T will play host Cuba in its final semifinal match on Nov. 19, while the U.S. tussles with Guatemala in Commerce City, Colo. on the same Wednesday.

The U.S., under coach Bob Bradley, deployed a starting lineup that averaged 23.7 years of age -- the youngest being Jozy Altidore 18, the oldest being Frankie Hejduk at 34.

Needing at least a point, T&T used what is considered an ancient lineup for qualifiers as its starting 11 averaged 30 years of age. The hosts' lineup included Latapy and Yorke, who played against the U.S. in that famous 1-0 qualifying win that boosted the Americans into their first FIFA World Cup some 19 years ago on Nov. 19, 1989. The U.S. qualified for the World Cup for the first time in 40 years and hasn't missed reaching the world's greatest sporting spectacle since.

Trinidad waited 16 years to finally qualify for the very first time, booking a spot at Germany 2006.

While both sides had their own motivation, Trinidad definitely showed it was the hungrier team, forcing the action down the flanks in the first half and getting off some dangerous shots at the U.S. goal.

But former Chivas USA goalkeeper Brad Guzan, currently with Aston Villa, was up to the task and then some, either catching or knocking away everything that came his way.

The Soca Warriors finally broke through in the 61st minute. Latapy brought the ball down the middle and sent it to the right side to Carlos Edwards, who took the ball toward the goal line. Edwards then chipped the ball to the onrushing Latapy, whose 13-yard left-footed shot hit the left post and pounded off Guzan's back into the goal. It was Latapy's 29th international goal in his 74 appearances. He also has nine qualifying goals in 38 games.

Altidore, who currently performs for Villareal, played an important role in the next two goals.

On the U.S. equalizer in the 75th minute, former Toronto FC midfielder Maurice Edu, now with Glasgow Rangers, pushed the ball ahead to Altidore, who possessed the ball on the left side of the penalty area before sending Charlie Davies a short cross and the former Boston College standout and current Hammarby IF player beat goalkeeper Clayton Ince from three yards. Davies had come on for former Real Salt Lake and D.C. United midfielder Freddy Adu in the 69th minute.

Only four minutes after the U.S. score, Altidore tugged at Makan Hislop's shirt and took him down to the ground as referee Walter Quesada whistled a penalty kick. Yorke converted to a lower left while Guzan dived the other way as the crowd cheered wildly at the Sunderland midfielder's 17th international goal in 61 matches.

As it turned out, Altidore had a chance to level the game from point-blank range in the 83rd minute, but his close-range header went wide left. Realizing he had missed a gold opportunity, Altidore put his hands up to his head in disbelief.

The young U.S. side will have another opportunity to impress Bradley in their final semifinal qualifier Nov. 19.

Trinidad? The Caribbean side certainly can clinch a spot in the confederation finals with a win over Cuba that day.

Fire eye home-field edge against Revs

BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. -- The Chicago Fire and the New England Revolution just can't stay away from each other.

One of the best and testiest rivalries in Major League Soccer will get another two games when the Fire and Revolution play each other in the first round of the MLS Cup Playoffs. Both teams have 43 points in the standings, a position New England failed to improve with its 2-1 loss to D.C. United Thursday.

The Fire, with two games remaining to just one for New England, could solidify its chances for home-field advantage in the first round with a win or tie at Toronto FC Saturday. Since they own the tiebreaker, the Fire could nail down the home-field edge with a victory at BMO Field.

The Fire ends their season next Thursday at home against the New York Red Bulls. New England plays its season finale next Saturday at home against Kansas City.

What home-field advantage means in the conference semifinal series is playing the second game of a two-game series at home, and the Fire want that.

"We know it is very important to get into second place," Fire forward Brian McBride said. "That is what we are playing for right now. In the playoffs, you never know what could happen. If you can guarantee yourself home-field advantage in the first round, you have to take it."

"If you had a choice of where to play the second game of a series, we would rather play it at home in front of our great crowd," Fire coach Denis Hamlett said. "But we want to finish the season strong by finishing these two games in good form to get ready for the playoffs."

The Fire has had middling results of late. They tied their last two games, preceded by a win, preceded by a pair of losses. With New England struggling, they have earned just enough points to have a slight advantage with two weeks to go in the season.

The Fire have also had the advantage of playing one game a week for almost three months. Their injury report could not look much cleaner.

Veteran defender Diego Gutierrez is dealing with a heel injury, but he is the only player with significant number of starts who is in any serious injury trouble.

The Fire had three players involved in World Cup qualifiers on Wednesday -- Chris Rolfe (USA), Costa Rican Gonzalo Segares and Marco Pappa (Guatemala), who scored a goal for his team in its 2-1 loss to Cuba. The midseason addition of Pappa has to go down as a move nearly as significant as the late-season addition of Brian McBride to improve the Fire.

"He came in and had a very good start, then he suffered an injury with the national team and his level dropped off," Hamlett said. "Now he is coming back to form, where he runs around the field and makes plays. We feel he is coming around to what he was in August."

Rolfe, who now forms the attacking pair with McBride in the Fire's starting lineup, got into the game against Trinidad and Tobago just before stoppage time began. Segares played the full 90 minutes for Costa Rica in its 2-0 win against Haiti.

All three internationals are expected to be available Saturday in Toronto.

With a playoff spot secured, Hamlett could try to find time to give playing time to players who need to be stretched out a bit. But with a reserve game following the regular contest, Hamlett said he plans to play his best XI.

"We are trying to put our best group out there so they continue to work together," Hamlett said.

The Fire are in a dangerous situation playing in Toronto, where the Reds sit in the basement of the Eastern Conference but are just four points out of the final playoff spot.

"They still feel with six points they have a chance to get in," Hamlett said. "We expect a very energetic team. They are playing their last game in front of their home fans."