Positive 2008 lends TFC bright future

TORONTO -- The goal for Toronto FC's sophomore season was, simply, progress. The team had no illusions of leaping from bottom-of-the-league expansion club to MLS Cup contender in the span of a year, but the plan was to keep adding roster depth, score more goals and be a more consistent threat game in and game out.

By these standards, the 2008 season was a success for TFC, though that progress came with a price. The club looked so good at certain points of the season that the fact that the Reds didn't end up in the playoffs put a disappointing sheen on what was, on paper, a positive year.

"I wanted to make the playoffs, everybody did. We just missed out," said team captain Jim Brennan. "But compared to the first season, it was a lot better, which shows we're making progress. Next year is going to be the one, the third season. All the growing pains are gone. We're gelling together as team as you could see in the last few games. Next season is going to be a good challenge for us and I think we'll be all right."

The Reds finished the season with a 9-13-8 record and 35 points -- a 10-point improvement over their 2007 performance. While TFC remained at the bottom of the Eastern Conference for the second consecutive year, they did rise from the overall league basement, as Toronto finished two points clear of both Los Angeles and San Jose.

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Check out the best of 2008

In the end, TFC finished just four points behind New York for the eighth and final spot in the MLS Cup Playoffs. Those four points will be weighing heavily on the minds of everyone in the Toronto FC organization over the winter months as the team reflects on what might have been, and what has to be done to make up that difference.

"We had a chance to probably put another 10 points on the board if we'd taken care of our end at certain times of the season and offensively we struggled at times as well," said goalkeeper Greg Sutton. "But that's the game. If you can limit those lapses we had this year and put some of the balls in the net at certain times, the season would've been a lot different for us.

"We have to take care of the little things, and the little things add up."

The Reds' first major move of the year came in January when Paul Winsper was hired as the team's strength and conditioning coach. The addition of Winsper, whose decade as fitness coach for Newcastle of the English Premier League earned him a reputation as one of the top fitness specialists in soccer, was a key move for a TFC side that was plagued by injuries in 2007.

The hiring of one Newcastle man was also a hint at an even bigger coaching move that came three weeks later. Newcastle native and former Magpies player and assistant coach John Carver became the second head coach in TFC history, with Mo Johnston moving to the front office to become the Reds' manager and director of soccer.

It was clear from the start of TFC's Bradenton, Fla. preseason training camp that Carver and Winsper were bringing new ideas, tactics and conditioning methods to the club. Perhaps even more importantly, the new coaches also brought a change in mindset.

"[Training camp] started off the attitude that if we work hard and do the right things we'll have success," Sutton said. "The confidence was there a lot more this season, whereas last year it wasn't always there. Confidence breeds success."

Ironically, it was Sutton who found himself with a reason to lack confidence during training camp. The Canadian international goalkeeper was recovering from a concussion that kept him out for most of the 2007 season, and perhaps as a result of some rustiness, Sutton lost the starting job to Brian Edwards, a rookie 'keeper out of Wake Forest.

Edwards was taken with the 28th overall pick of the 2008 MLS SuperDraft on Jan. 18. The goalkeeper was the last of three draft picks for Toronto in the first two rounds, as the Reds also had the ninth and 10th overall selections. These picks were used on defenders Julius James (Connecticut) and Pat Phelan (Wake Forest).

The rookies joined other new faces such as former Galaxy midfielder Kevin Harmse and Puerto Rico international Marco Velez in the TFC camp, but as the club continued its strategy of pursuing players from European leagues (which were still ongoing into the spring), it meant that Toronto didn't have all the pieces in place for the kickoff weekend of the 2008 campaign.

This didn't augur well for a team that began the schedule with three consecutive road games. The Reds dropped their first two matches -- a close 2-0 defeat in Columbus on March 29 and then a 4-1 rout at the hands of D.C. United on April 5.

The start of 2008 was looking disturbingly close to the start of 2007, when the Reds began with four losses in a row. But the pieces were starting to come together. Former French international Laurent Robert joined TFC for the D.C. game, and then former MLS MVP Amado Guevara came on board for the April 13 match in Los Angeles.

It was in L.A. that things began to look up for the Reds. In a wild game that saw Toronto twice take the lead only to quickly allow an equalizer, an 88th-minute goal from Jeff Cunningham proved to be the difference in a 3-2 win over the Galaxy. This away win against the David Beckham and Landon Donovan-led L.A. squad was a major stepping stone for TFC -- after picking up just one road win in all of 2007, Toronto now had a road win after just three weeks of the new season.

But perhaps it was a sign of the team's newfound confidence that a win over the high-profile Galaxy was seen as just a first step.

"In our heads it was more like we gave up the lead twice," said defender Marvell Wynne. "It was a win away from home and it was important. Last year we didn't get too many wins away but it always feels good to take care of business away from home."

The L.A. win began the best stretch of results in Toronto's short history. TFC enjoyed a six-game unbeaten streak (4-0-2), a new team record, that included wins against Real Salt Lake, Kansas City, and a satisfying revenge victory over D.C. The latter five games of the six-game stretch were played at BMO Field, where the Toronto fans continued to support their team like no other, and the Reds were suddenly playing like a team that was worthy of such passionate support.

The key to TFC's success was strong defending. Velez and Tyrone Marshall were finding their form in the middle, while Wynne and Brennan were both defensive and attacking threats from the fullback positions.

The other major factor was Sutton, who regained the starting goalkeeping job in D.C. Sutton posted clean sheets in four of the five games on the five-game homestand and cemented his role as the team's starting 'keeper. He ended the season with 116 saves (the fourth-highest total in MLS) on 151 shots (also fourth-highest) for a 1.46 goals against average.

"I think I was satisfied with my play," Sutton said. "There's obviously lots of room for improvement, but I don't think I was looking for miracles this season. I think I'm a consistent player and that's a key to this game as a goalkeeper. ... Every year I come out of the season thinking 'I can do this better, I can work on this area more.'"

The defense was winning games while the attack was doing just enough to get Toronto a lead. Guevara became a catalyst as an attacking midfielder, feeding the ball up to striker Danny Dichio and also teaming with Robert to become a potent set-piece tandem. It was a welcome return to form for Guevara, who spent most of 2007 playing in his native Honduras after a falling-out with Chivas USA.

Toronto's unbeaten streak came to an end with a 3-2 loss at D.C. United on May 24, but they rebounded with a 2-0 win the next week at home against L.A. It was another significant win over the Galaxy for TFC, this time because the Reds managed to pick up the three points in spite of missing six regulars to international duty, injuries and suspensions. Rookies Edwards and James were the men of the match, as Edwards claimed his first career shutout and James marked his first professional game with the winning goal.

The Reds suffered a 3-1 thrashing in Houston on June 8 before picking up another home win on June 14 against Colorado thanks to a brace from English winger Rohan Ricketts. It seemed as though the dichotomy between TFC's performances at and away from BMO Field was once again becoming pronounced, and that trend continued for the rest of the season.

Toronto looked like two different sides depending on where they played; at home, the Reds were a tenacious, tough-defending squad who allowed just 12 goals in 15 games (the second-lowest home goals-against in MLS). In road games, however, the defense was suddenly porous, allowing 31 goals, tied for second-highest in MLS.

Perhaps the most telling stat, however, was that TFC scored the same number of home goals (17) as they did away goals. This meant that the Reds often couldn't capitalize on their ability to hold their opponents down at BMO Field, which left a lot of points on the table as wins turned into draws.

This troublesome statistic caught up with Toronto in mid-June, as the Colorado win ended up being TFC's last victory for almost two months. The Reds went 0-5-4 in their next nine competitive matches, and suddenly the team's hot start was becoming a distant memory.

In spite of these struggles, however, Wynne said the team never adopted a "here we go again" attitude in the wake of their longest slump since a three-month winless drought in 2007 that also included an MLS-record 824 minutes without a goal.

"You're just going to play worse if you think like that," Wynne said. "We kept thinking we've got to pick it up, we've got to keep going. We just forgot about it and tried to do our best the next game."

The team's slump also cost them outside of league play, as TFC missed out on a chance at national glory. The Reds joined USL First Division sides Montreal Impact and Vancouver Whitecaps in the inaugural Nutrilite Canadian Championship, a three-team tournament that would decide Canada's representative in the CONCACAF Champions League.

Toronto got off to a great start in the competition with a 1-0 win in Montreal on May 27, thanks to a 72nd-minute goal from Velez. The away victory put TFC in control of the tournament, but this control came to an end on, of all days, July 1. The Reds hosted Vancouver in front of a fired-up and patriotic Canada Day crowd at BMO Field but couldn't send the fans home happy as Toronto suffered a 1-0 upset defeat. It was the first loss at BMO Field for TFC since Sept. 22, 2007.

"We screwed up when we played against Vancouver and didn't take care of our business at home," Sutton said.

The Impact took the full six points from two matches against Vancouver, which left TFC to face the Whitecaps in a crucial game on July 9 at Swangard Stadium. The Reds could only net one point after a 2-2 draw, thus setting up a must-win showdown against Montreal on July 22 at BMO Field.

A goal from Ricketts gave Toronto an early lead after 15 minutes, but Montreal tied the match just 11 minutes later and then held on for the tournament-clinching draw. TFC suffered the double shame of not just losing a Champions League slot to a lower-division side, but also seeing their rivals celebrate with the Voyageurs Cup on the Reds' home turf.

A new rivalry had been born, and the TFC players (particularly the Canadians) are already looking forward to next year's battle for national bragging rights.

"Montreal had a good run there and they did what they needed to do," Sutton said. "This game is one where everyone can beat anyone on any given day, and I'll give 100 percent credit to Montreal, they're a great team. ... [The Canadian Championship] is something we're going to make sure we're ready for next year and it's something we want to win."

The Voyageurs Cup loss was the low point of an overall rough month of July for TFC. The team played eight matches in a 28-day span, including three Canadian Championship games, three league games and two international friendlies. Toronto welcomed two-time defending CONCACAF Champions' Cup winners Pachuca CF from Mexico on July 5, and then hosted Argentinean powers Independiente on July 15.

Pachuca and Independiente weren't the only international visitors to arrive at BMO Field in the month, as Major League Soccer also welcomed English side West Ham United for the 2008 Pepsi MLS All-Star Game on July 24. It was a banner day for the city of Toronto to show off both BMO Field and the city's newly-claimed status as one of the top markets in MLS.

Jim Brennan made history as the first Toronto FC player to ever appear in an All-Star Game, and the home crowd went home happy as Houston midfielder (and Toronto native) Dwayne De Rosario scored a penalty kick goal to give the MLS side a 3-2 win over West Ham United.

The All-Star Game was the only respite for the BMO Field fans as TFC continued to miss chances at home. The Reds managed only a 0-0 draw against San Jose on July 19 in a game that Toronto dominated, and then absorbed their first league defeat at home in a 2-0 loss to FC Dallas on Aug. 3.

The lack of goals was due to a number of causes. Dichio suffered a concussion on July 1 that kept the team's scoring leader out of action for all but eight minutes of Toronto's next eight league games. Veteran striker Cunningham was becoming a non-factor in terms of both playing time and finishing ability, and rookie forward Jarrod Smith regressed after a promising start to the season.

For a few games, it seemed as if the only bright spot in the Toronto strike force was 16-year-old Abbe Ibrahim. The youngster became the fifth-youngest player in MLS history to score a goal when he netted his first professional goal coming off the bench against Chicago on July 12.

It was a heady experience for a young man whose main contribution this season was expected to be on the reserve squad.

"I showed the coaches I want to be on the field ... every practice, just competing every day," Ibrahim said. "My personal highlight was my debut goal. It was a great moment for me because all my family came down to Chicago. I never expected to play and to score my first one in my first game was a real great moment."

The Chicago game was also notable as the last time Maurice Edu wore the Toronto FC jersey. The 2007 MLS Rookie of the Year went on international duty along with Wynne to play for the U.S. Olympic team at the Beijing Games, but upon the tournament's end was sold in a transfer to Scottish Premier League giants Rangers. The first draft pick in TFC history (No. 1 overall in the 2007 MLS SuperDraft) was now gone, leaving a big hole in the midfield.

Edu's sale was one of a number of moves made by the Reds in an attempt to shake the team out of its doldrums. Underachievers Robert and Cunningham were waived and traded, respectively, and oft-injured center-back Olivier Tebily was also released.

Coming into the team was Fire striker Chad Barrett. The Reds had held the allocation rights to MLS legend Brian McBride, who was on his way back to America from the English Premiership with the intent of playing in his hometown of Chicago. TFC was able to deal McBride's rights to the Fire in exchange for a first-round draft pick and Barrett, who had scored 18 goals in 82 career games for Chicago.

Barrett's presence wasn't able to help the Reds in the Dallas loss, but he came through by converting a class free kick on Aug. 9 that gave TFC a 1-0 road victory over the Rapids and snapped Toronto's winless streak. Barrett scored again on Aug. 23 to salvage another frustrating home draw for Toronto against New England.

The addition of Barrett and Carlos Ruiz (acquired in a deal with L.A.) gave the strike force a new look, though the problem for Toronto was in keeping both the forwards and the rest of their ideal starting XI on the pitch. As in 2007, injuries and international absences took their toll on the roster, leaving TFC with barely enough players to dress in some games.

The international problem reached its apex on Sept. 6 against Chivas. The Reds were missing nearly a full lineup of players to World Cup qualifiers -- Guevara, Wynne, Brennan, Sutton, Marshall, Smith, James, Ruiz and Carl Robinson were all away playing for their respective countries. TFC was forced to make emergency signings and start 39-year-old semipro Rick Titus and team scout Tim Regan on the back line.

This patchwork lineup made a good accounting of itself, but the Reds ultimately lost, 3-1. The defeat came a week after the first-choice lineup dropped a 2-1 heartbreaker, also against Chivas, after some sloppy clearing and a costly turnover by Sutton led to a Atiba Harris netting the winner in stoppage time.

Carver openly questioned the need to play the Sept. 6 match given the number of missing players, but the coach said that international absences weren't as big a problem to TFC's season as last-minute lapses like the ones that led to Harris' goal were. "If we stand here now and look at the season as a whole, there's games where we certainly should've picked up more points. We threw away games," Carver said. "Also we had obstacles in our way but we have to deal with that. ... It is frustrating, but I think if you ask every head coach in the league, they'll be in the same situation saying that they had games won and lost them, or [they] drew the games, results went against us, calls went against us, so I think everybody would've been in that same situation. At the end of the day we didn't get enough points to get in the playoffs, and that's what was disappointing."

For a national team player like Sutton, it was difficult to see his club be ravaged by so many absences on international matchdays.

"It's hard with so many guys on international duty and it's tough to fill holes," Sutton said. "Hopefully MLS can rectify that situation and give an opportunity to have a full team when we need them. I think [the problem] really came to the forefront this year with some of the guys lost and the league realizes it's tough for teams to deal with that."

Suddenly, Toronto FC found itself mired in another winless streak, and the team's playoff hopes (which looked like a sure thing in June) were now starting to slip away. With all of the internationals returning and injured stars like Dichio starting to get their fitness back, however, it was as if a second transfer window had opened for the Reds in mid-September.

The fully-manned squad came back with a well-contested 1-1 draw with league leaders Columbus the next week, but then proceeded to deliver arguably TFC's worst performance of the season on Sept. 20 in Kansas City. The Reds couldn't manage a single shot on goal in a 2-0 loss to the Wizards that left Toronto's postseason aspirations on life support.

With just five games left, all against playoff teams or contenders, it was do-or-die time for TFC. The Reds responded to the pressure by playing some of their best soccer of the year. The good form began with a 1-1 home draw against defending MLS Cup champions Houston thanks to a second-half goal from Marvell Wynne.

It was the defender's first career goal after almost three full years in MLS, and it was the highlight of his 2008 campaign.

"It was an important game for us, kept us in the run of things, it was against a top team in the league and it was off my left foot," Wynne said. "It was exciting for me."

Wynne was even more enthused by TFC's next game, which the fullback said was probably the team's best overall game of the season. Toronto picked up their first-ever win at Giants Stadium in a 3-1 domination of the Red Bulls.

"We played well the whole game, scored goals while keeping a few out," Wynne said. "If I had to pick one game, I'd say it was that one ... it was a crucial win, our backs were against the wall and we pulled through for the moment."

It looked as if the Reds' hot streak would continue the next week in Dallas, when Wynne's goal in the 88th minute gave Toronto a late 2-1 lead. However, yet again, a late goal hurt TFC. Kenny Cooper converted a penalty kick in stoppage time to earn a draw for the Hoops and cost Toronto two crucial points.

Cooper's goal was the fourth time in the season that TFC had lost or drawn due to a goal scored after the 87th minute. These late breakdowns were the constant flaw that plagued the Reds all year long. The team conceded 13 goals in the final 15 minutes of games, tying D.C. United for the most goals allowed in the final interval.

"We lost a lot of games in the last 10 or 15 minutes and a lot of goals in the last 10 or 15 minutes as well," Johnston said. "We need to tighten up."

Given TFC's season-long difficulty in preventing the late score, it was perhaps fitting that Cooper's goal essentially ended Toronto's season. The Reds defeated Chicago the next week after, ironically, holding steady after gaining a 3-1 halftime lead and holding on for a 3-2 victory. Wins by New York and Kansas City on the same night, however, officially eliminated the Reds from playoff contention.

After a listless 2-0 defeat in San Jose in the season finale on Oct. 25, Toronto FC's second season had officially come to a close.

"At the end of the season we put a push towards it and it was just a little too late," Sutton said. "Next year we have to start earlier and get those points before it comes to a win-or-die situation."

The formula for success in 2009 seems clear. If TFC can combine its strong defending from the start of this season with the attacking prowess it showed late in the season, and deliver both on a consistent basis, then it will be a formidable team to face. To accomplish this, Toronto must add the roster depth necessary to withstand next season's international call-ups; it is no coincidence that the Reds' good stretches of form at the start of the year and in October came at the times of greatest roster stability.

"I don't think we're far [away] at all," Brennan said. "We've got a really good base of players here, [we can] get a couple more players and I think next year we're going to be one of the top teams in the league for sure.

"The coaching staff here have their eye on a few things and they'll get things sorted over the winter period. ... They'll get the right players in to fit the way we play."

Throughout all of TFC's ups and downs on the field in its first two seasons, the one constant has been the fans. It was another banner year at the box office for the Reds, as the team drew an average of 20,120 fans per game --- both totals second to only Beckham and the L.A. Galaxy among MLS teams.

The one thing Reds supporters are looking for now is the chance to set some playoff attendance records. And as far as Wynne is concerned, the players feel that the next step in Toronto FC's progress can only be measured by a postseason appearance.

"If the team is going to keep going forward we'll only consider a playoff berth as making that movement," Wynne said. "If we don't make the playoffs next year I'd consider it a step backwards.

"[TFC's play in October] sets a standard. We know where we were at the end of the year when we supposedly hit our stride. ... It's going to be difficult to get everybody back, everybody fit and everyone back up to that same place, but with this group of guys we have here, I think we'll be able to do it."

Franklin earns Rookie of the Year honors

CARSON, Calif. -- All season long, the Los Angeles Galaxy's defense was under fire from opponents. And while the club's backline left plenty of room for improvement in 2009, there is a silver lining as Galaxy defender Sean Franklin was named Major League Soccer's Rookie of the Year on Thursday.

Franklin, who has spent the week with the United States national team, is the first Galaxy player to ever win the award.

"It has been a big week, a very exciting week for me and for my family," Franklin said. "I'm really excited where I'm at right now."

Franklin started 26 of the 27 games he played in and logged a total of 2,385 minutes. He had one assist, committed just 22 fouls and was cautioned three times. Despite the Galaxy's 62 goals surrendered, Franklin earned praise throughout the season for his standout performances.

Such praise helped him draw strength and push forward in his development, he said.

"From the beginning to the end of the year, I've gotten better and have grown in confidence mostly because of my teammates. They help me on the field ... and want the best for me and for the team. That's where my confidence comes from, other people letting me know that I am doing a good job and to just keep working hard," he said. "It's helped me out a lot. It's what got me through this year and helped me have a pretty good first year."

Entering an environment like the one that surrounds the Galaxy might be difficult but Franklin said he merely focused on his task and worked hard. Whether he was going against first-year or 10th-year players, Franklin said he never felt out of place or let his status affect him on the field.

"I just went out and just played every game hard, whether I was a rookie or not wasn't something that was on the back of my mind," he said. "As the year did go on I was getting more comfortable and used to playing."

The 23-year-old was the fourth overall selection by the Galaxy in the MLS SuperDraft in January. While he had talent to merit a top-5 pick, Franklin did not exactly find himself in a familiar spot once with the Galaxy.

A natural right back, Franklin was instead used in central defense from the first game he saw action, a 2-0 win against San Jose on April 3 at The Home Depot Center. Years had passed between his start in central defense for the Galaxy and the previous time he played the position.

"The last time I'd played center back was a little bit back in club, maybe at (the) U-15 (level). I've always been out on the wing as a right back, maybe every now and then I'd step in the center," Franklin said. "This was definitely a big step for me, playing in the center. But I'm getting used to it and not always making runs forward."

Franklin joined some elite company in winning Rookie of the Year. Previous winners include Maurice Edu (the 2007 winner), Jonathan Bornstein (2006), Michael Parkhurst (2005) and Clint Dempsey (2004) as well as Carlos Bocanegra (2002) and Ben Olsen (1998).

Should there be any extra pressure or added expectations because of the award, Franklin said he would try and meet them.

"Hopefully there is not pressure. There might be, there might not be but I'm just hoping that if there are I'll live up to them," he said. "It's an honor. I was actually this morning at lunch talking to Jonny Bornstein and Michael Parkhurst. It's just awesome to be named with other guys who have won Rookie of the Year."

Winning the award also helped the Galaxy salvage something from an otherwise undistinguished season.

"From the club's perspective, not the season that we wanted but on a personal level I'm happy how I performed this year and I'm looking forward to next season," Franklin said. "I think our team is going to do a whole lot better. It is a little bittersweet but I'm looking forward to what our team is going to do next season."

California ties strong for Schmid, Crew

COLUMBUS -- Even though the Columbus Crew will leave behind many of their passionate supporters when they play for the MLS Cup Nov. 23 at The Home Depot Center in Carson, the trip to southern California will be like going home for many associated with the team.

Foremost is coach Sigi Schmid, born in Germany but raised in the Los Angeles area since the age of nine. The former UCLA coach won an MLS title with the Los Angeles Galaxy in 2002 before being released two seasons later after a six-year stint.

"It's nice. It's sweet. I'm not going to say it's not but I'd go anywhere to play the championship game. But the most important thing is we're there," a champagne-soaked Schmid said following Thursday's 2-1 win against the Chicago Fire in the Eastern Conference Championship.

The LA area was home not only for Schmid but forward Alejandro Moreno and Ezra Hendrickson during their time with the Galaxy that included the '02 title.

"It will be special for Sigi. It certainly is special for me," Moreno said. "I have a lot of good memories from The Home Depot Center and I think he does as well. It's just nice to get back to LA and the way we're doing it."

Columbus advanced to its first MLS Cup after falling a game short on four previous occasions by showing the same resiliency that led it to the Supporters' Shield as the best team in the regular season.

Chicago took the lead in the 29th minute when former Crew idol Brian McBride scored on a header. No problem.

Chad Marshall's header from a Guillermo Barros Schelotto free kick in the 49th minute and Eddie Gaven's strike off a Moreno service six minutes later provided the winning margin. It was the 11th time over the year the Crew won or tied after allowing the first goal.

"Most teams would panic. Most teams would try to get people forward and really expose themselves in the back. We didn't do that," Moreno said. "We scored a quick goal at the start of the second half and that certainly made it easier for us. You have to understand that what got us here is going to be good enough for us to win an MLS Cup but we've got to perform and we've got to do our job next Sunday."

Numerous Crew ties to the Golden State should boost the club's support when playing the winner of Saturday's New York Red Bulls at Real Salt Lake match.

Midfielder Robbie Rogers and assistant coach Mike Lapper are from Huntington Beach. Brad Evans attended UC-Irvine, the same school that Schmid's son, Kyle, plays for and another son, Kurt, is an assistant. The Anteaters won their Big West tournament semifinal Wednesday and play for the championship Saturday.

"I'm excited, too, because it looks like they'll make the NCAAs for the first time in school history and I might even get chance to see him play in the NCAAs, which would be nice," Schmid said. "For me, having coached there and having coached in southern California and grown up in southern California to be able to come back to southern California ... I got off the field and looked at my phone and I had about 25 text messages. A lot of those are from southern California kids through the years I coached."

English defender Andy Iro is in his first season out of UC-Santa Barbara, about 100 miles north of Los Angeles. Rookie forward Steven Lenhart went to Azusa Pacific, where fitness and strength coach Steve Tashjian, a Pasadena native, had been a consultant for the soccer programs. Veteran midfielder Duncan Oughton attended Cal State Fullerton.

MLS Defender of the Year Chad Marshall is from Riverside and defender Frankie Hejduk played for Schmid at UCLA and spends his offseason surfing in the San Diego area.

"It's going to be great. We're going to have a large contingent of loud fans, there, too," Hejduk said. "I know my parents, a lot of my friends, a lot of my buddies; they're going to be out there getting rowdy and going crazy. It's going to be fun."

The Crew will strive to maintain a level of normalcy in the days prior to MLS Cup.

They resume training Monday in Columbus. Highs are forecast for the mid-40s through the team's departure on Wednesday. Moreno, who also won an MLS Cup with Houston in 2006, said the team needs to block out the added media attention, calls for tickets and the hype that goes with being an MLS Cup finalist.

"It's important we stay on an even keel. A lot of people are going to tell us a lot of things from here on to the game on Sunday," he said. "You have to believe in the things that we know we can do on the field and be confident enough that going into MLS Cup that we've been very good this year and if we do our job, hopefully, we can bring the Cup back to Columbus."

Having the weekend off allows time for reflection. Schmid thinks of assistant coaches Lapper and Robert Warzycha, former Crew players who came close to making the MLS Cup four times but always fell short.

"I know it means a lot to Robert and Mike Lapper because they were there all those years when they kept stubbing their toe on D.C. United and didn't get there. I know it means a lot to them and they're very happy. I think they were a lot more nervous before the game than I was," Schmid said. "It's great for this city, great for this franchise to get over this hurdle. Now we've got the opportunity to take one more step. There's only one piece of hardware we haven't gotten this year."

Schmid cautions against overconfidence. Many felt that Chicago and Columbus were the best teams in the league this season and that Thursday's game was the real MLS Cup.

"This was a very tough game but the next game is going to be equally as tough," he said. "I know there's already going to be hype out there that these were the two, point-wise, the better teams and things like that. That doesn't matter. It's a one-off game and everything gets thrown out the window."

While there will be plenty of fans cheering the Crew at The Home Depot Center, another backer will watch the match from his Chicago home.

McBride, the first pick in the inaugural MLS draft in 1996, spent his first eight season with Columbus and was the unchallenged face of the club.

After returning from five years in England, he joined the hometown Fire this summer. Some Crew fans called him a traitor Thursday in his first appearance in Columbus in a Chicago uniform.

"The fans respect him," Crew defender Danny O'Rourke said. "He's a great player and he's on a different team and that's what happens when you're on a different team."

Nonetheless, McBride continues to hold the Crew and the Hunt family ownership in high regard.

"I'll always be a supporter of the Crew. When the Fire's playing them I won't be. Of course, you're excited for them to do well. You can't spend this many years here and all of a sudden wish ill will on anybody," he said. "The Hunts are great. I got a chance to get to know them and have the utmost respect for them. The organization itself is a great one.

"I'm with the Fire now. My heart's here because I'm playing here with the Fire, but yeah, I'll always support the Crew when we're not playing them."

First XI: Honor roll

Who can make a coherent list when there's so much going on in MLS? Not First XI, which is why this week, having attempted to let all the action from this past weekend sink in, we simply let fly with 11 people who deserve props for getting themselves and their teams into the Conference Championship:

11. Dane Richards is fast. He scored one and set up another because, quite simply, Houston could not keep pace. I've been watching Richards closely the last two seasons and he's one of those players who seems to be all about confidence. Right now, he's flying, literally and figuratively. Real Salt Lake need to figure out the best way to deal with Richards and spend a lot of time this week preparing for it. If it's up to Chris Wingert alone, that may be too much to ask. Bet on RSL to come up with a "team defense" plan to combat Richards' speed. But they'd better be careful, because there's a guy named Juan Pablo on the field.

10. Yura Movsisyan is a beast. While he did not get a goal in Game 2 of the RSL-Chivas USA series, Yura's presence was felt for the full 90 minutes. Every time he got the ball near the box, you could almost sense panic in the legs of Shavar Thomas and Jim Curtin. Movsisyan was relentless trying to get to the goal, active off the ball and a complete menace out there. Let's not forget this kid is only 21 years old. The future is bright indeed.

9. John Thorrington is underrated. It took me a while, but I'm now a big believer in Thorrington, who is mobile and feisty. When you watch the Fire, Thorrington is a non-stop runner who shows up in all kinds of places on the field. His feet aren't perfect, but the effort is always there. It's easy for me to see why he's earned his spot on the field. Great teams need players like this.

8. Will Johnson has been a great addition. Johnson is the one the Fire let get away. The 21-year old Canadian citizen who grew up just outside of Chicago has scored some nice goals for RSL, but more importantly gives them meaningful two-way running. Look for Johnson to be one of the league's better, more exciting, attacking players in years to come.

7. Sigi Schmid did it the right way. It's not the first time I've written this, but kudos to Sigi Schmid and to the Columbus Crew front office for letting Schmid build a team the right way. While the quick fix is enticing, the league seems to have moved past the era when championship teams could be built in one offseason. It took the Crew three years to make the playoffs under Schmid, but their Shield-winning side looks like it's ready to compete for titles year in and year out. Moreover, the Crew are the definition of "team" and proof that one or two big-name players does not a team make in the sport of soccer.

6. Juan Carlos Osorio has the magic touch. That's two monumental playoff upsets in two years for Osorio, and when you think back to D.C. United's 1-0 loss to Columbus on the final day of the season, when the woodwork would not cooperate with four D.C. shots ... and the Red Bulls secured the final playoff spot, you get the feeling there's some magic at work.

5. Danny Cepero is living the dream. Cepero joins Paul "Pants" Grafer as the only Metro/Red Bull 'keeper to ever author a victory in a playoff series. The way Cepero was thrust into duty was dramatic, but not nearly as dramatic as his performance on Sunday in Houston. He was in the right place at the right time, over and over again, and his point-blank kick save midway through the second half, when it looked as if Houston would make it a 2-1 game, was incredible. Stories like Cepero's is why we all love sports.

4. Denis Hamlett, worth the wait. All those years as an assistant in Chicago have paid off for the Fire coach, who saw his team put in a commanding performance last Thursday at Toyota Park. Hamlett deserves everything he's gotten, and there's not a person alive who's devoted more hours to the Chicago Fire than their first-year head coach. Now Hamlett will try to lead the Fire to an MLS Cup title on the 10th anniversary of their one and only championship.

3. John Wolyniec was a horrendous omission from last week's First XI. As soon as I saw Woly score last Sunday and do his Michael Jackson "Thriller" dance, I realized I goofed last week when I put up my list of players who deserve to play in an MLS Cup Final. I wish I could say it was because I didn't give the Red Bulls a chance, but the opposite is true. I had a hunch this was the year the tables would turn for a team that hasn't gotten a bounce to go its way in the playoffs in a long, long time. Wolyniec, in his fourth tour of duty with the club since they drafted him in 1999, is certainly a guy who deserves to play in a cup final after working so hard for so many years.

2. Jason Kreis has his team playing hard. In the end, Chivas USA might have regrets about not winning on their home field after they leveled their series with RSL, but what I saw from Salt Lake in this series was a team that was not going to be denied. Kreis must have had the right words for his squad coming out of the dressing room because in the second half, even as Chivas tried to push the game, RSL came away winning nearly every duel for the ball. Also, in Game 1, RSL didn't score until the 90th minute, but played a passionate, attacking game and deserved to win. The Red Bulls cannot take a breath this week if the same RSL squad shows up.

1. Juan Pablo Angel is all that. Here's a guy who's carried this team (a heavy load to bear at times) since the day he arrived in MLS last season and you just get the feeling that he can carry them all the way. How do you mark him out of a match when it seems all Angel needs is one little chance per 90 minutes to score a goal? The passion of RSL vs. the big play ability of Angel makes the RSL-Red Bulls game one that cannot be missed.

Red Bulls oust defending champions

HOUSTON -- In the greatest victory in their 13-year history, the New York Red Bulls defeated the Houston Dynamo 3-0 in the second leg of the Western Conference Semifinal Series Sunday at Robertson Stadium.

On first-half goals by Dane Richards and Juan Pablo Angel and a second-half tally by John Wolyniec, the Red Bulls claimed the series 4-1 on aggregate goals and advance to the Western Conference Championship to face Real Salt Lake next Saturday at Rio Tinto Stadium.

It was one of the greatest upsets in the history of the MLS Cup Playoffs and only the second time the Red Bulls advanced out of the first round. It was the second-ever road playoff victory in club history -- and just the second victory away from home this season. The first road playoff victory was also in the Lone Star State, when the Red Bulls beat FC Dallas on Sept. 20, 2000.

The Red Bulls stunned the orange-clad Dynamo fans when Richards gave the visitors a 1-0 lead on 25 minutes. Dave van den Bergh passed to Sinisa Ubiparipovic, who looked like he was attempting to play Angel through on the ground.

The ball though found Richards, who blew past Wade Barrett and into the box, where he rifled an attempt from 12 yards out past Pat Onstad.

Ten minutes later, Richards' speed again set the Red Bulls' second goal when he ran free down the right and his cross was handled by Ricardo Clark and referee Baldomero Toledo pointed to the spot. Angel stepped up and put his penalty kick into the side netting to Onstad's right to give the Red Bulls a 2-0 lead.

Richards helped clinch the stunning victory when he made a remarkable run to the end line, crossing the ball in front to John Wolyniec, who tapped the ball into the empty net in the 81st minute to ensure that there will be a new MLS Cup champion as the two-time defending champs were ousted.

Houston threatened early, as Cepero briefly bobbled a Brad Davis corner kick in the fourth minute, but the ball was cleared from danger.

One minute later, van den Bergh was the first player in Toledo's book for pulling down Dwayne De Rosario.

In the seventh minute Clark played Barrett through, but his left-footed shot was side of the far post.

The Red Bulls first scoring chance came in the 22nd minute when Richards fed Chris Leitch down the right flank and the defender whipped in a cross to an open Angel at the far post, but his header glanced off the post and out.

A bad touch on the ball by Cepero gave Ching a free look at goal, but the rookie goalkeeper did well to recover, taking the ball off Ching's head in the 38th minute.

Three minutes later Angel came close to a first-half brace, but his low shot was wide of the far post.

In the first minute of first-half stoppage time, Sassano was booked for pulling down De Rosario, resulting in a dangerous free kick for Dynamo from 24 yards out. Davis served the ball into the box and found Ching, but he headed the ball wide.

Osorio went with the same starting lineup as in the opening leg last Saturday at Giants Stadium. Kinnear made one change up top, starting Kei Kamara, who scored the late equalizer, for Nate Jaqua.

Kinnear made one change at the half, bringing on Corey Ashe for Barrett and switching to a 3-5-2 formation.

Houston pressured immediately, but Cepero came up with a huge save in the 53rd minute, kicking away a Ching attempt from 12 yards out after the Hawaiian was played into the box by Kamara. That would be Kamara's final touch of the game, replaced one minute later by Jaqua.

Cepero parried a header by Eddie Robinson off the crossbar from a Brian Mullan corner in the 59th minute and Ching headed the rebound wide of the net.

Three minutes later Robinson was booked for a foul on Richards, setting up a free kick 25 yards from goal. But van den Bergh put the attempt off the end of the Houston wall.

Kinnear made his final change in the 67th minute, bringing on Stuart Holden for Davis. The move nearly paid immediate dividends one minute later, but Holden's low shot rolled just wide of the far post.

Onstad and Mullan were each carded three minutes apart midway through a frenetic second half.

Cepero got a hand on Jaqua's header off a corner kick in the 75th minute. Three minutes later, Holden hit a bullet from distance that Cepero got a piece of. The ball caromed out to Ashe, whose shot deflected out for another corner.

Holden had an open opportunity from 12 yards out, but he was robbed by Cepero, who kicked out his left leg to make a magnificent save in the 78th minute. Three minutes later Wolyniec helped book the Red Bulls' ticket to Sandy, Utah with his first goal of the season.

Hartman combines two passions in new book

It's safe to say that Kansas City Wizards goalkeeper Kevin Hartman has had his fair share of success since beginning his professional career in 1997. But for Hartman, success is a result of three things: opportunity, perseverance and having a little bit of luck on your side.

"I was lucky," said Hartman. "Coming into the league I was fortunate enough to have a couple of things go my way. It was never perfect. I remember playing with a broken scaphoid for almost two years and even winning a championship with a broken wrist. The fact that I was able to work hard and persevere is what allowed me to have success as an MLS goalkeeper."

Yet throughout it all -- even in the midst of a 30-game regular season schedule, all the travel, team training and this year's playoff run -- Hartman has somehow managed to become a published author, and in doing so, find an avenue to dedicate time to the community.

Hartman has written Boots Saves the Day, his new children's book which is a story about a farm kitten that loves soccer and wants to prove his skills to his fellow farm animals. Over the past few months, Hartman has showcased the book by embarking upon a book reading series where he appeared in five locations throughout the Kansas City metropolitan area.

The book, inspired by a passion for working with kids and encouraging children to read, has been the groundwork behind the newly created Kevin Hartman Foundation, which he created after writing the book but then wishing to find a way to dispense some of the profits.

Proceeds from the sale of the book -- which is illustrated by Hartman's wife Jennifer -- will go to help some of his favorite charities.

"It's been a huge epiphany for me that we've had this opportunity to visit Kansas City area schools, libraries, bookstores, to encourage kids and their parents that reading for fun is both advantageous and healthy for you," said Hartman.

Hartman has worked with Major League Soccer's literacy program in the past, focusing on raising awareness about the critical importance of reading to children, including the growing number of youth from foreign countries that have limited English skills. Hartman has also become the spokesperson for the MLS W.O.R.K.S initiative Active Bodies Active Minds, an online program that focuses on the importance of physical and mental fitness during the summer months.

He concentrates his community service work on spreading the word about literacy, making sure kids don't miss out on the benefits of reading for enjoyment, and not as an obligation.

Hartman is also grateful for having been raised in a scholastic household by his mother, who was a teacher and his father, who was the president of a university. However, for the UCLA grad, reading wasn't always his idea of fun.

"I never really read for fun growing up," said Hartman. "At UCLA I would cram three books in the night before an exam, pick up the cliff notes and then forget about them forever. Now I look back and feel like I missed out on a lot of reading."

Over his 12-year MLS career, the first 10 of which he spent with the LA Galaxy, Hartman has won two MLS Cup titles, earned an MLS Goalkeeper of the Year award, multiple club MVP honors and set a handful of MLS goalkeeping records.

It is that type of leadership that Hartman has brought to a young Kansas City Wizards squad that finished the season with an impressive 5-1-1 record to secure one of two wildcard spots in the 2008 MLS Cup Playoffs.

The curtain on the Wizards magical season might have been pulled when they fell 3-1 in aggregate goals to the Supporters' Shield-winning Columbus Crew in the Eastern Conference Semifinal Series, but Hartman sees plenty of upside with the core of young players on the Kansas City roster.

"There's a youthful exuberance to the team that makes it very, very fun to play," said Hartman. "You have guys around you who have great confidence in their abilities but are also willing to learn. People may not talk about us when they talk about the great teams in the league. But, we have an undying belief in one another that will surely benefit us in the long run."

Hartman has certainly caught up on his reading since entering the league and finds more time to read now that he is blessed with all the free time that comes with being a professional athlete. Writing the book and starting his own foundation is Hartman's way of giving back to the game that has brought him great fortune on and off the field.

"Giving back to the game of soccer is something that's never going change," said Hartman.

If the saying is true that good luck happens when preparedness meets opportunity, then Kevin Hartman is one lucky guy.

Hartman's book, Boots Saves the Day, is available for $9.99 at www.kcsoccerstore.com.

Colorado captain inks deal to stay

COMMERCE CITY, Colo. -- The longest-serving and most popular player on the Colorado Rapids roster, team captain and midfielder Pablo Mastroeni has been signed to a contract extension, the announcement made Tuesday by the club as it also confirmed the hiring of Gary Smith as its new head coach.

"I can honestly say, it wasn't a hard decision for me," Mastroeni said, noting that the club's decision to retain Smith as head coach was the decisive factor. "The last two months of the season, with Gary at the helm, completely changed my mind about where I wanted to be, where my heart was. Coming out to training every day and sharing the field with my teammates in a competitive environment, an environment that I've wanted for years at the club level and unfortunately [only] found it at the national team level. We found that this year."

The fact that Mastroeni's mind needed to be changed was a reference to his disillusionment with the Rapids and his own questions about completing this career with the club he has been so closely associated with over the past seven seasons. He had expressed his concerns about the worsening atmosphere around the Rapids at this time last year, following a late-season collapse and the Rapids' first season out of the playoffs since before Mastroeni first came to Colorado in 2002.

By August of this year, with the Rapids suffering a four-match winless streak and the atmosphere approaching unbearable, Mastroeni was having trouble envisioning a future in burgundy and blue.

"At that point, midseason, with the transfer window that starts in July, I was pretty much gone as far as I was concerned, mentally," Mastroeni said. "I was somewhere else."

It was rock bottom for the Rapids, but along with a mid-August head coaching change from Fernando Clavijo to Smith, the environment improved, and the Rapids record followed suit. Mastroeni explained that Smith rekindled his love of soccer, even to the point that he approached each training session with a drive and competitive spirit that had been too long dormant.

"Those are feelings I haven't had in many, many years," Mastroeni said Tuesday. "And once that started happening, the team started winning games on the road, we started believing in ourselves, we started getting after each other in training. At that point I thought this is definitely a viable situation that I'd like to take on."

According to Rapids managing director Jeff Plush, the contract extension ensures that Mastroeni will remain in Colorado "as long as he hopes to be playing." He is already third all-time with the Rapids for games started, fourth in minutes played, and fifth in total matches. He led Colorado to three Western Conference Championship matches and has been named to nine consecutive MLS All-Star squads, tied for second all-time in the league.

A perennial U.S. national team call-up and a highly sought-after player who consistently attracts interest from top leagues around the world, Mastroeni's decision to stay in Colorado is a ringing endorsement of the Rapids' new direction with Smith at the helm.

"I knew he was unhappy a year ago," Plush said of Mastroeni's one-time doubts about the future of the club. "I had a private sit-down conversation with Pablo when he expressed that to me, and I asked him to give me a chance to get it fixed and to be patient. To his credit, he gave me the opportunity to get it fixed."

As the team finally found its identity under Smith, the confidence returned to the Colorado changing room, and Mastroeni's appetite was stoked by the club's dramatic climb into contention over the season's last 11 matches, culminating in a numbing draw on the season's final match - with the equalizer finding the net in the match's 90th minute, keeping Colorado out of the playoffs for consecutive seasons for the first time in team history.

"The feeling was right - a good group of guys, experienced players showing true professionalism, young guys wanting to learn, and somehow we [transformed ourselves] into a team that believed we could achieve whatever we wanted," Mastroeni said. "And so for me the decision was I wanted to recapture that feeling that we had at the end of the year. I want to change the result at the end when we don't make the playoffs, but I want to be here. I want to commit to a place, not only for myself but for my family."

The Rapids were clearly thankful to be on the receiving end of Mastroeni's commitment, and it is in keeping with their captain's character that he never made an issue of his unhappiness, giving the club every chance to resolve the situation. His leadership on the field and the value he provides in creating a sense of team unity and purpose cannot be underestimated, but for Mastroeni the books are still in need of balancing.

"Colorado is the place that formed me into the player I've become, and I feel obligated to at least give back in whatever way I can, and that's putting some hardware in our clubhouse and winning some championships and being serious," Mastroeni said. "I'm pleased to be here, I'm excited about the change, I'm excited about the direction the organization's going, and most importantly I'm excited to be playing alongside some of the league's best players."

Revs finally succumb to injuries in loss

BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. -- If only the New England Revolution could have held on for another minute for that halftime whistle.

The odds weren't in New England's favor heading into Thursday's 3-0 loss to the Chicago Fire. Taylor Twellman and Steve Ralston weren't there. Shalrie Joseph was playing on one leg after spraining his right knee. The loss eliminated the Revs from the MLS Cup Playoffs.

Jeff Larentowicz even went off 10 minutes before the break with an ankle injury after John Thorrington caught him with a late tackle.

But despite those problems, New England looked like they would round off a solid first-half performance against the Chicago Fire in the second leg of their Eastern Conference Semifinal Series by heading into the locker room on even terms.

"We played great up until that point," defender Jay Heaps said. "They had some chances but we had some chances too. We were putting pressure on them."

Then disaster struck moments before the halftime whistle.

Matt Reis could only palm away Cuauhtemoc Blanco's far-post shot and Chris Rolfe finished the scraps. What would have been a moral victory turned into a practical nightmare, and ended up a 3-0 loss.

"Giving up that goal before the half was the turning point of the whole series," Heaps said. "With the goal and Jeff going down, it was too much to handle."

Despite the late heartache, there was something to play for heading into the second half. Four minutes into that second stanza, Wilman Conde wriggled free from Larentowicz's replacement, Pat Phelan, and headed home a Justin Mapp free kick.

"The second one is the one that disappoints us more than anything," Nicol said. "We feel like we're in the game at one down and then you lose that goal and it kills it."

All of those playoff dreams faded away over the next 41 minutes. Kenny Mansally nearly threw the Revs an unexpected lifeline, but Jon Busch pushed his effort around the post.

When Rolfe created the third goal after turning the corner and finding an unmarked Gonzalo Segares streaming through the middle, the match was well and truly gone.

"All three of their goals were great," Heaps said. "You can't take it away. They're great goals."

The final whistle ended the Revs' season and left Nicol to point to the moment when Larentowicz went off as the turning point in the series.

"It was losing Jeff that was the killer," Nicol said. "It was certainly a terrible time to lose the goal, but losing Jeff was the biggest problem. Up to then, it was hard to tell who was the home team and who was the away team."

Larentowicz's injury was the final straw for a team that tried to overcome injury after injury and just reached a point where they couldn't do it anymore.

"You can't overcome everything," Nicol said. "We've got a great mentality. The attitude of the players is great. We'll always fight, no matter the circumstances. Sometimes, you can't overcome what's in front of you, no matter what you do."

Chivas expect aggressive RSL side

CARSON, Calif. -- Chivas USA lost to Real Salt Lake by 1-0 in the first leg of the teams' Western Conference Semifinal Series. Now, with RSL holding a slight advantage entering Saturday's second leg at The Home Depot Center, it might not seem quite as difficult to figure out RSL's game plan.

The first-time playoff team would likely do well to defend their slight advantage and try and hold the Red-and-White to a draw.

But Chivas USA players aren't necessarily counting on a defensive-minded opponent.

"Knowing them and knowing their coach (Jason Kreis), I wouldn't think they would come in here and play defensively," Chivas USA defender Shavar Thomas said. "We've played them a number of times now under their new coach and he's an attacking guy and he's going to come in here and throw everything they have because they want to make it to the next round."

Chivas USA will play host to Real Salt Lake needing to score at least one goal to remain with life in the MLS Cup Playoffs. If Chivas USA wins the game by two or more goals, the Red-and-White advance to the Western Conference Championship. A one-goal edge after 90 minutes would force extra time and, if necessary, penalty kicks, while anything else sees Real Salt Lake through.

Chivas USA will have the pressure of equalizing but must also prepare for different scenarios and possible tactics from RSL.

Past performances, though, might give Chivas USA an edge in trying to figure out their counterparts.

"They feel that their team is better when they go after teams," Chivas USA midfielder Jesse Marsch said. "I feel that they are going to come in here and try and push the pace of the game a little bit. Whether they are going to be able to close down space on a bigger field or not is yet to be seen. That's something we need to try and do as well, to push the pace to make us harder to play against and make it harder on them to pass easily and find much space. We're going to try and push the game a little bit and take it to them."

Real Salt Lake face a scenario that several other teams have faced in the last three years. Since 2004, eight road teams have entered the second leg with a one-goal advantage, but only three advanced to the conference final.

Defending a lead, thus, might not be the most simple thing to do and could force Real Salt Lake to open up and try for an early goal. Regardless of their tactics, Chivas USA players said they would be prepared.

"You are always changing on the fly based on how the other team is playing as well," Chivas USA forward Alecko Eskandarian said. "We of course are going to have a game plan set to go out there and win the game based on how they are set. If they are sitting completely behind the ball, like obviously playing for a tie, then we will change our tactics a little. If they are going to come at us and try to score and double their lead, we're going have to change the way we play. At the end of the day it's two teams of 11 going at it, try to break each other down."

Still, players stressed the significance of not letting down their guard and staying focused at all times no matter the situation.

"They have some speed up front and we don't want to let down our guard in terms of going forward and not paying attention to their counters," Thomas said. "They have guys up there in (Robbie) Findley and (Yura) Movsisyan who can really get you on a counter. We have to be mindful of that."

In the end, Chivas USA players said they will have to put themselves in good positions against RSL and will need a bit of fortune also.

"These games are tough and they're hard," Chivas USA forward Ante Razov said. "In my 13 years and 30-some-odd playoff games you need a little bit of luck and you need to make your own luck as well."

Real concerns surround World Cup 2010

NEW YORK -- U.S. Soccer Federation president Sunil Gulati did not mince words when he spoke about some potential problems facing the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.

For several years there have been international concerns about safety and security for the international fans, about whether there will be enough hotel accommodations and enough transportation to move people around and whether the stadiums will be finished on time.

"There are going to be some problems," Gulati said at a media roundtable Thursday that include World Cup Organizing Committee CEO Danny Jordaan and CONCACAF secretary general Chuck Blazer. "Let's be clear."

Gulati then rattled off some of the issues and challenges that faced previous World Cups, which were deemed by FIFA and international soccer officials as successful, from Mexico '86, when the audio feeds produced the wrong language for televised games in countries to the most recent tournaments.

A quick look at the issues facing South Africa 2010:

Security

Like it or not, but South Africa has a dubious reputation that crime is rampant in the country, especially in Johannesburg, the site of two venues. At last year's preliminary draw in Durban, Pieter Burgstaller, a former professional soccer player, was killed on a golf course 40 miles from Durban. FIFA president Sepp Blatter condemned the murder but said the incident had no implications for the 2010 event.

Jordaan, who visited New York City for a 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup briefing with local journalists, tried to allay the fears of journalists and potential tourists.

"Security is our No. 1 priority," Jordaan said. "Why? We want 1 million tourists."

He later added: "For a major event, it is important."

To ensure the tourists safety, 1.3 billion rand (US$128 million) has been spent to upgrade security, he added. The government is training 41,000 policeman and another 40,000 stewards for the event, which runs from June 11 through July 11, 2010.

South Africa has hosted several major sporting events since 1996, Jordaan said, including the Rugby World Cup in 1995, the African Nations Cup a year later and the Cricket World Cup in 2003, among others.

"Not a single incident," he said.

Foreign fans will be screened before they enter the country. And once they get there they will be scrunitized.

"We will have surveillance cameras that will be used around all major areas where people will gather," Jordaan said.

Blazer said that fans, tourists and media have to use common sense to not being at the wrong place at the wrong time. He brought up the fact that it would not be a smart move by anyone to be walking through Central Park in Manhattan at two in the morning.

Fan conduct

This is always a concern, especially if England qualifies. Germany and the Netherlands also have fans that have reputations of becoming violent before and after matches.

But Jordaan was optimistic, if a recent match involving England is any indication. Jordaan pointed out that that South Africa played England in Durban after Euro 2008. The English prevailed 2-1, as the traveling supporters celebrated until six in the morning, he added.

"It was the first time in a match that the England fans did not boo the national anthem of the other team," he said. "It is a sport that gives life and hope and creates an atmosphere of celebration and joy."

In fact, England and the rest of the world can learn a lesson or two from South Africa. A local derby between the Kaiser Chiefs and Orlando Pirates was moved from Johannesburg to Durban to showcase the sport and the game to the world at the World Cup preliminary draw last November. Fans of Orlando Pirates and Kaiser Chiefs not only got along famously, but they sat next to each other and cheered their respective teams on without incident.

Before any fans leave their home countries, they will be security checked by their own governments and Interpol, Jordaan said.

Accommodations

There aren't as many hotels in South Africa as there are in Germany or the USA. So there will be some creative ways to house fans, which includes bed and breakfasts, besides the usual hotels and motels.

Definitely more to come on this in the future.

Travel

It is easy to forget how big a country South Africa really is. While it is only a two-hour plane ride from Johannesburg to Cape Town, the nation is as big as Colombia (South Africa is the 25th largest country in the world). Add to the fact that train service is nowhere near as sophisticated or reliable as in recent World Cups in France (1998), Korea/Japan (2002) and Germany (2006), there have been serious concerns as to how those fans and tourists will be able to move around in an efficient manner.

"What we'll have to do is bring in additional airplines," Jordaan said.

That's 200 new airplanes to take care of the longer trips the increased capacity. For shorter hauls, the organizing committe is ordering 1,500 buses.

South Africa also is investing and upgrading its airports, Jordaan said. Johannesburg and Cape Town airports are undergoing a major renovation while a new airport is being built in Durban.

There also will be a train that will be the amenities of a five-star hotel that will travel between Cape Town and Johannesburg.

The recent economic downturn

The recent global financial crisis may preclude many fans from traveling to South Africa if economic conditions persist or get worse.

If the World Cup was held today, U.S. soccer fans would be in a position to afford South Africa. The rand, which was about seven to the U.S. dollar last year, has fallen to 11 to the dollar today.

"Even if you have few dollars, it will cost you for you to travel," Jordaan said. "It still will be affordable. I hope there will be an improvement (in the world economy in) ... 2010."

One of the legacies of the World Cup is to improve some of the South African infrastructure, Jordaan said, which includes massive improvements or major renovations of key airports to more rail capacity from the Johannesburg international airport to nearby Sandton, the business capital of South Africa.

The World Cup will create 1.5 million jobs. "Job creation is a key," Jordaan said.

Stadiums

Jordaan led off the roundtable discussion with a short DVD about South Africa and the World Cup, plus updates about all of the stadiums. According to the presentation and printed material handed to the media, all stadiums are to be completed by certain dates in 2009. Port Elizabeth, which was supposed to be a venue for the Confederations Cup, had to be pulled because it was behind reaching its deadline to be ready in June 2009.

Jordaan said the stadiums will be largest in recent memory, calling them "absolutely world class."

Ten stadiums will host the games in nine cities (two in Johannesburg). Existing stadiums will be upgraded and renovated or built from scratch.

Last year there were concerns that the Durban stadium was running behind schedule. That 70,000-seat facility is scheduled to open in October 2009.

If you're interested, Jo'burg will host the opening and final matches and the semifinals will be played Durban and Cape Town.

Jordaan relayed a story about the Bloemfontein people, who co-own the stadium in the Free State. The Bloemfontein people have discovered platinum and South Africa is the world's leading producer of the metal.

"The officials asked the people: 'what do you want?'" he said. "They didn't want houses or a job. They wanted a stadium."

And that's what they got.

Tickets

This traditionally has been a concern for fans who want to follow their national side or soak in the atmosphere at the greatest show on earth.

About 4 million tickets will be available for the event. There are four categories, which includes team-specific and venue-specific tickets.

South Africa has a population of 47 million. "We have to tell them that not everyone can get a ticket," Jordaan said.

Tickets will go on sale in the first quarter of next year.

The least expensive ticket is $10.

For U.S. fans, those who have purchase U.S. national team tickets in the past will have an opportunity to order World Cup tickets through a FIFA match website, Gulati said.

There also will be tickets for sponsors and a general public sale. "It will be based on supply and demand issues," Gulati said.

A total of 12 percent of a stadium's seats will go to the competing teams, an increase of 50 percent over Germany 2006.

"There is a shortage, whether that is good news or bad business," Gulati said.

For the first time in years, fans will be able to purchase land transportation and accommodations packages through four or five U.S.-based tour operators, Gulati said.

The South African team

It is not a direct concern of the organizing committee, although it is no secret that South Africa has struggled of late. It failed to qualify for the 2010 African Nations Cup, which was used to qualify for the 2010 World Cup (so, South Africa failed to qualify for its own tournament, but will participate as hosts). Former coach Carlos Alberto Parreira, who directed Brazil to the 1994 world championship and the MetroStars in MLS in 1997, recently had to step down because his wife had cancer.

"Our team does not put on the performance that puts fear in the hearts of our opponents these days," Jordaan said.

South Africa's challenge is a simple one. Every host team has managed to reach at least the second round, including the U.S. side in 1994.

The legacy

USA '94 was used as a platform to help launch MLS two years later. With approximately $50 million in surplus funds from that tournament, the U.S. Soccer Foundation was formed to fund various soccer projects (including the inner city and soccer fields), from youth to amateur and even media. Some $48 million has been handed out in grants, financial support and loans to various soccer organizations, clubs and leagues.

It remains to be seen how much, if any money, will be left over after this event to do the same in South Africa and the rest of the continent. Jordaan said soccer organizers "hope to create a foundation for the development of football."

"It's not just for South Africa, but for all of Africa," he said. "Each of the 52 countries will have an artificial turf [field]. There will be better pitches to play on."

Other goals are to use at least $10 million to put children back in school, Jordaan said.

Looking ahead (FIFA Confederations Cup)

The FIFA Confederations Cup, which is traditionally held a year prior to the big event for two reasons. One, the tournament is a dry run for the real McCoy, which gives organizers an idea or what to expect and what kinks have to be ironed out.

"The fact the Confederations Cup is held a year before the World Cup is not a coincidence," Gulati said.

when the United States hosted the Cup back in 1994, there was no Confederations Cup. Instead, the Americans held an event a year before called the U.S. Cup, bringing in Brazil, Germany and England to play at World Cup venues in Detroit, Washington, D.C. and Foxborough, Mass.

"It was dry run for us," Gulati said. "FIFA didn't ask us to do it."

The Confederations Cup takes the continental champions, the world titlist and the host country and puts them together for an eight-team, two week tournament (scheduled for June 14-28). The participants include South Africa (host), Italy (world champion), Brazil (South America), Spain (Europe), Egypt (Africa), Iraq (Asia), New Zealand (Oceania) and the U.S. (CONCACAF).

Four venues will handle the matches -- Johannesburg, Rustenburg, Mangaung/Bloemfontein and Tshwane/Pretoria.

The draw will be held in Jo'burg on Nov. 22.

Looking ahead (2010 FIFA World Cup)

So what will the 2010 World Cup be like? Well, it will be only the second World Cup played out of the Americas or Europe; Korea/Japan 2002 being the first.

"This will be closer to Korea/Japan than Germany," Gulati said. "We know it's going to be a spectacular event and we are looking forward to it."

Korea/Japan caused a number of upsets, including South Korea, who had never won a World Cup match before, reaching the semifinals before the co-hosts were eliminated in Germany.

The time zone will be the same as a good portion of Europe, but this World Cup will be played in one of the most southern countries (Chile in 1962 and Argentina in 1978 can only rival the South African event).

Jordaan predicted an unforgettable experience.

"That is going to be a celebration you have never seen in the World Cup," he said.

The soccer fans, observers and media of the world will have to wait some 18 months to see if Jordaan's hopes and prediction comes true.

Crew glad to be home for second leg

COLUMBUS -- In order to make the MLS Cup Playoffs after a three-year absence, the Columbus Crew knew they had to vastly improve upon their .500 record at home in 2007.

The Crew did so in a dramatic manner and Saturday night in Crew Stadium they will know if their diligence has been rewarded.

After pulling out a 1-1 tie at Kansas City in the first leg of the Eastern Conference Semifinal Series last Saturday, the teams will cap the total-goals series in Columbus, where the Crew had an 11-2-2 mark, including a 7-0-2 run since June 7.

"It's pretty simple," forward Alejandro Moreno said. "We win and we're through. We understand it's our responsibility to carry the game."

There's more debate than in a presidential election over the fairness of a higher seed -- in this case, the Supporters' Shield winner starting a series on the road -- but after the Crew got the equalizer from reserve rookie forward Steven Lenhart in the second minute of stoppage time, Columbus is happy to have to deciding match in front of its fans.

"I've been a believer you always want to play the second game at home," coach Sigi Schmid said.

Just having home field is not enough to ensure the Crew will advance to the conference championship. Kansas City entered the match on a 5-1-1 run and had visions of taking a one-goal lead into Game 2 until Lenhart worked his late-match magic again. While he has five goals in limited duty, three have produced ties from the 87th minute on.

"He was the perfect guy for this type of game where the conditions are kind of tight. He can throw his body around and win rebounds," Moreno said. "It was a big goal for him, a big goal for the team and one you're going to need in order to be successful in the playoffs. We have a very good opportunity going home and doing the things we know how to do at home and trying to get a result."

Lenhart's goal alters the complexion of the series.

"It changes (Kansas City's) approach probably, more than anything," Schmid said. "If they had the lead they could come like 'Let's really sit in. Let's look to counter.' Now they have to play."

Because the Wizards won't be protecting a lead, the match should play more to the Crew's aggressive attack that has produced 51 goals. K.C. has 38 but only 15 in as many road matches.

Certainly getting off the tight field at CommunityAmerica Ballpark is a relief to the Crew.

"We created more chances but we couldn't buy a goal. They scored a great goal on a counter. We were getting close," Schmid said. "We've got to get better flank play. I don't think Robbie Rogers had his best game. Eddie Gaven didn't necessarily have his best game, either. With a little more space that will help us on the flanks. We still need to get Guillermo (Barros Schelotto) a little closer to Alejandro at times to help create more problems that way. On a bigger field we'll move the ball better. We just have to move it quicker."

Several of the Crew experienced their first playoff game and Schmid admitted that his team was unusually tight.

"It was good to get the nerves of the first playoff game out of the way," he said. "I think in Robbie's case there was a little bit of nerves at play. Gaven hasn't been in the playoffs for awhile. The most important thing was to get a game under our belt."

Moreno, a two-time MLS Cup champion, said the first game was what he expected.

"It was a battle. It was a struggle at times, perhaps not pretty but as long as were effective and efficient in getting the result we needed we're pretty content," he said.

Most importantly, he said, the Crew didn't lose their cool when Davy Arnaud put the Wizards ahead in the 53rd minute. Columbus has earned at least a tie in 10 of 17 games when it has allowed the first goal but the circumstances are different in the playoffs.

The Crew wanted to get the equalizer but realized going down two in an aggregate-goals series could be fatal.

"There's a cautious urgency where you're back going for the tie but at the same time you're trying to make sure you're not giving up anything in the back so you don't make a difficult score more of a uphill battle for the second leg," Moreno said. "We kept battling. We created some chances. Guillermo had a couple. Kevin Hartman made a couple of good saves on us."

If the Crew are going to take the next step toward their first MLS Cup they will have to battle history. Their playoff winless streak is at 0-2-4 since beating San Jose on Sept. 26, 2002, which was the only home postseason victory this decade. Since reaching the last of three consecutive conference finals in 1999, the Crew are 2-4-4 in the playoffs.

Defense can't hold on as Chivas' season ends

CARSON, Calif. -- Chivas USA needed goals desperately in Saturday's second leg of their Western Conference Semifinal Series against Real Salt Lake. Trailing the total-goals series by a goal, a quick response was necessary to keep the Red-and-White's playoff hopes alive.

And although Chivas USA struck in the first half, it was Real Salt Lake's quickness that ultimately decided the series. Dema Kovalenko scored nine minutes after Sacha Kljestan put the hosts ahead and Chivas USA never recovered as the two teams tied 2-2, a result that left Chivas USA out of the postseason.

"We came here, pushed the game, get a lead but we just couldn't hold on to it," Chivas USA midfielder Jesse Marsch said. "There were a lot of little turning points in the series I feel like and we just ended up coming up on the short end of most of it."

Chivas USA have now bowed out of the MLS Cup Playoffs in the first round three years running. The difference from last year's exit was the offense, however, as a year ago Chivas USA lost on a 1-0 aggregate score.

On Saturday, Kljestan and Justin Braun scored on either side of halftime. Kljestan's goal was the one the club had longed for, converting a penalty kick in the 30th minute to level the aggregate score.

"I thought that was a good break for us," Marsch said. "When you get a goal that early, you've got to feel good about yourself. We felt good with the way things were going."

RSL, though, answered quickly. Needing to move forward to look for offense, the visitors found it as Morales picked out Kovalenko at the edge of the six-yard box for a lunging, glancing header inside the far post.

The goal destroyed whatever momentum Kljestan's penalty had given them.

"We wanted to push the game," Chivas USA forward Ante Razov said. "We pushed it and pushed it. We had chances in the fist half, got a goal and gave one right back before halftime. That was devastating."

With Chivas USA fighting and scrapping their way for a goal, the club had little time to try and add to their edge.

"After that it was very disappointing we gave up such a soft goal," Chivas head coach Preki said. "And then it's difficult in the second half. We had to throw people forward, make changes, adjustments and you leave gaps behind in the defense."

Alecko Eskandarian came on at halftime while Braun joined the fray 10 minutes later. But it was the visitors who struck again. Robbie Findley won a ball on the left corner of the penalty area and fed Morales on the left side of the box. Morales slipped a slow-rolling shot across the goal line from 15 yards out.

"The second goal was just absolutely soft, the softest goal ever," Preki said.

Zach Thornton started both playoff games. Dan Kennedy had been sent off in the season finale against Houston and Thornton replaced Kennedy in that match and ultimately for the remainder of the season.

"Zach was the No. 1 and Kennedy had a good spell and then he gets the red card," Preki said. "We thought (Thornton) had a good game in Salt Lake, he was sharp. It's not a good thing for the group to change the goalkeeper every week. He played last game and he was solid."

Thornton took the blame for allowing the goal.

"I'm not making excuses," he said. "I went out to try and close him and try back in the goal. I was set but he just finished it well. That's the game."

Chivas USA kept fighting for the equalizer and pulled a goal back. Braun scored in the 83rd minute when he scored from 18 yards out but the goal was not enough. Chivas USA mounted a late surge but could not add to their tally.

"I have to give my guys credit. They never put their heads down. We were just a little bit unlucky to get another goal," Preki said.

Early goal too much for Wizards to overcome

COLUMBUS -- Playing the best team with the best home record in MLS was going to be a tough task for the Kansas City Wizards from the start.

Giving up an early goal to break the tie on aggregate after the first leg the previous week at home was downright impossible as the Wizards discovered Saturday at a chilly Crew Stadium.

Midfielder Brad Evans scored in the seventh minute and midfielder Robbie Rogers added a crushing blow in the 58th and the Columbus Crew downed Kansas City 2-0 to win their Eastern Conference Semifinal Series 3-1 on aggregate.

"It's always going to be an uphill battle," K.C. goalkeeper Kevin Hartman said. "We had a chance directly after that, maybe two yards out, maybe a sitter. Unfortunately, we were unable to put it away. When those things happen you wonder if it's going to be your day or not."

The Crew will face visiting Chicago Nov. 13 for the right to play in MLS Cup 2008. The Wizards have the offseason to ponder the turning point against the Crew.

While the goal by Evans officially will be the series winner, it was really the Game 1 goal in stoppage time by Crew rookie forward Steven Lenhart to tie the match at 1-1 that changed the entire complexion.

"It gave them a jump in their step coming back home," Wizards coach Curt Onalfo said.

Columbus took advantage early on in the second leg when midfielder Brian Carroll looped a ball past the Wizards backline that Evans ran onto. He then chipped the ball over a charging Hartman from just outside the top of the box.

"We were disappointed to give up the first goal," said Hartman. "I think we might have stepped the line when we should have been dropping. I tried to cover the space but he did a good job of steering it over me."

Kansas City settled down after the score and nearly got the tying marker in the 15th minute when midfielder Kevin Souter's service from the right side landed at the feet of forward Abe Thompson at the goalmouth. As Thompson struck the ball, goalkeeper William Hesmer went to his knees and grabbed it before nestling it to his chest.

The Wizards didn't have another shot until Jimmy Conrad laced a low drive from 20 yards that missed the left post by a yard in first half stoppage time.

"We continued to fight. We continued to battle," Hartman said.

With Kansas City looking for the equalizer, the Crew started a counterattack with Guillermo Barros Schelotto leading Alejandro Moreno down the right flank. Moreno slipped a rolling pass to the far post where Rogers banged in the insurance tally.

"On the second goal we tried to step the line again. I think Alejandro beat the offside trap," Hartman said. "They're a good team, no bones about it. We knew that coming in. We're also a good team. When you have a series like this it's always going to come down to one or two opportunities and tonight they had the better finishing.

"They got the result. It was one of those things where maybe if we were able to come in with a goal advantage that we coughed up at home," he continued. "You're always going to say what could have been at the end of the season but I have a ton of respect for the guys I played with this year. Even when we were down 2-0 we continued to fight. There weren't guys arguing with each other. It's a really class act and I'm proud to be part of the organization."

Columbus won the Supporters' Shield as the best team in the regular season and have now won seven consecutive games at home in league and cup play since tying the Wizards on July 17.

"They've been a very good time all year. They're all on the same page. I wish them well," Onalfo said. "We knew it would be a difficult challenge. We just fell short."

Onalfo noted that his team is getting better just as coach Sigi Schmid has steadily improved the Crew the past two years.

"We have a lot to be proud of. Our team finished two points better than it did last year with what, quite frankly, is a very, very young team; similar to what Sigi has been able to do here the last couple of years in playing a lot of young players and giving them experience," Onalfo said. "We've been able to do that as well. This is a step in our progression as a group. Obviously, it stings. It hurts. You never want to have your season over but we look forward to continuing to get better next season."

Hartman is also eyeing next year after the Wizards finished strong down the stretch with a 5-1-1 record to qualify for the playoffs on the last weekend.

"It took us awhile to figure out what works. Now that we've found guys that can continue to do that on a consistent basis, next year it will be a situation where we'll be able to accumulate more and more points," he said. "It won't be a feeling-out period like we went through this year."

Gameplan key to Revs' attack success

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Life without Steve Ralston, Taylor Twellman and Adam Cristman has changed how the New England Revolution approach the game offensively.

Ralston, Twellman and Cristman were the top three scorers for the Revs during the regular season. Cristman underwent season-ending toe surgery on Sept. 4, while Ralston (broken fibula) and Twellman (post-concussion symptoms) hold out some hope of returning if the Revs advance.

Without the combined 22 goals and 10 assists those three contributed in 2008, the Revolution attack has changed its focus.

"It's different," Revolution defender Chris Albright said. "The importance is put on defending and keeping our organization. A goal is a bonus at this point."

In a 0-0 draw in the opening leg of their Eastern Conference Semifinal Series with Chicago, the Revs created chances occasionally by trying to get the ball wide and flighting crosses into the box. But the crosses often went astray and the Revs created very little through the center of the park without Ralston's attacking presence to complement Shalrie Joseph and Jeff Larentowicz.

"We're looking for the same commitment," Nicol said. "We just need better quality at the right time. That's it in a nutshell."

That quality will come, Nicol believes, because the team hasn't deserted its offensive game plan and continues to create some chances.

"The positive is that we're on the verge of it," Nicol said. "If we looked as though we didn't have any idea whatsoever, then we'd have some problems. I think we do [have an idea] and I think we'll give them some trouble."

With less offensive options, Nicol knows his team will have to look to complement that game plan with other ideas.

Strikers Kheli Dube and Kenny Mansally have been charged with finding that goal. Changing the forwards means changing how the front two attacks. Mansally and Dube will look to use their pace to get in behind the defense more often than a Twellman-Dube pairing would and will likely hold the ball up less consistently. The two interchange frequently in order to confuse defenses.

The onus doesn't just rest on the strikers. Set pieces -- whether corner kicks or free kicks -- helped the Revs win SuperLiga earlier this season. With Jay Heaps, Albright and Joseph in the side, New England can point to at least three aerial threats.

Even with those possible targets, Nicol admits that those players needs good service -- likely from Mauricio Castro -- from dead ball opportunities in order to turn those chances into goals.

"It's a free ball in the box," Nicol said. "It's a combination of a good ball and somebody that has more desire than the next guy to get on the end of it. It's those two things. If you only have one of those things, it doesn't work."

Nicol could also ask his fullbacks to help out more in the attack. Albright and Chris Tierney didn't get forward much in the first leg to overlap the wingers. More overlapping could provide additional opportunities for service in the box.

Tierney thinks his side will be more willing to send the fullbacks forward in the second leg as it searches for the vital goal it may need to advance to the Eastern Conference Championship.

"That's something we'll be definitely looking to do on Thursday night," Tierney said. "That's the way a 4-4-2 is. We can go forward a bit. We were focused on getting a clean sheet. Having done that, we're going to look to get forward a bit more in the second leg."

Davis: Managers' moves mark leg one

More than any other sport, it's the players, not the managers, who decide soccer matches.

But that doesn't mean that a man with a plan -- in this case, a manager with a plan -- can't make a big mark once the anthems are over and the opening whistle blows. That's even more true in matches as close as the ones we saw over the weekend.

Shrewd moves with second-half subs had a major influence in two matches during Major League Soccer's opening round of the "second season." Three ties and a one-goal squeaker told the story of the first leg of the home-and-away conference semifinals. They were tightly played, with just five goals in the four matches.

Replacements struck for late equalizers in two of the contests, both of which leave the series favorites (the higher seeds) in good shape for return legs coming up this weekend.

Columbus manager Sigi Schmid nailed the weekend's perfect note with Steven Lenhart's late introduction as the Black & Gold trailed 1-0 at fourth-seeded Kansas City. Lenhart's quickly unleashed shot in added time prevented the Crew from returning to Ohio on the wrong side of a one-goal deficit.

Lenhart's 83rd-minute introduction, Columbus' first change, was an intriguing choice by Schmid. Pat Noonan, with plenty of playoff experience, was available on the bench. Noonan has five goals in 17 postseason matches, all for New England. Also on the bench was potential game-changer Emmanuel Ekpo, a crafty attacker who struck twice this year as a reserve.

But Lenhart is more of a scrapper, a big body who can mix it up inside the penalty area. That seemed even more important on smaller field at CommunityAmerica Ballpark. So he was first off the bench and his choice seemed prescient as the well-placed equalizer bounced past Wizards 'keeper Kevin Hartman. The rookie Californian from unheralded Azusa Pacific University was in the right place, but still needed the nerve to hit a solid first-time shot from inside a crowded penalty area.

Similarly, Houston manager Dominic Kinnear made clever moves, which paid handsomely in the 1-1 draw at Giants Stadium. The tone of his subs, all of which were fairly offensive-minded, might have seemed to some managers as a bit of a risky move on the road.

The Dynamo trailed 1-0 when Kinnear made the first of his three changes. In one school of thought, the manager could have simply protected the goal difference, kept the general team shape and mentality and gone back to Robertson Stadium in search of a one-goal victory, at least. It wouldn't have been such a daunting task. After all, the Orange was down by a goal after the conference semifinal first legs in both of the last two seasons. And we all know how that worked out; Houston rolled in the home half of the set and used the momentum as a catapult right to the MLS championship.

So what did Kinnear do? He removed starting striker Nate Jaqua in favor of speedy and powerful Kei Kamara. That was a fairly straight swap. Then Kinnear removed Brian Mullan, the two-way workhorse in favor of Stuart Holden's younger legs.

That was a move intended to pep up the attack. Red Bulls left back Kevin Goldthwaite, with lots of help from left midfielder Dave van den Bergh, had done a good job of denying Mullan with opportunities to serve from the right wing. Holden, more prone to drift inside, gave the Red Bulls defense, which was bunkering increasingly as the second half wore on, something different to deal with.

Finally, in the 83rd, Kinnear removed offensive linchpin Dwayne De Rosario in favor of rookie Geoff Cameron.

Cameron has played all over the field. In this case, he went to the right midfield spot, while Holden came into the center. So, in this case, there wasn't much a defensive slant on De Rosario's replacement.

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Kei Kamara's score validated Dominic Kinnear's master strategy.

With five minutes remaining, the younger legs of Holden and Kamara were close to goal during a bit of a scramble, with Kamara poking home an important goal in his first playoff appearance.

Of the weekend's five goal scorers, three came from playoff debutantes: Kamara, Lenhart and Yura Movsisyan.

TACTICAL CORNER

• Revolution manager Steve Nicol has a couple of options for the return leg at Toyota Park on Thursday, in a series deadlocked after a scoreless draw in New England -- a result that surely favors the Fire.

Nicol can either scheme up a way to conjure a goal or two, or he can set up the side in a defensive crouch, hope for 120 minutes of low-scoring soccer, and then try to claim the series in penalty kicks.

The Revs are injury-smacked along the front line, with their top three scorers out due to injury. Not surprisingly, his young strikers looked overmatched by Chicago's salty back line for most of the match. The Revs managed just four shots on goal at home, and even that is a little deceptive. Two of those came after the 87th minute as New England pressed matters in a late flurry.

Starting New England forwards Kenny Mansally and Kheli Dube just couldn't get much going against Chicago defenders Gonzalo Segares, Bakary Soumare and Wilman Conde. Lesser-heralded right back Brandon Prideaux had a nice match, too. So don't look for any changes along the back line for Chicago manager Denis Hamlett when the sides meet in Bridgeview. That means another tough night looms for the Revs' young attackers.

• This might have been in the back of Kinnear's mind, too, as the Dynamo manager removed his attacking midfielder in the 83rd minute. De Rosario had six fouls at that point, and was already a bit lucky not to have collected a caution for persistent infringement. "De Ro" had four fouls, including a couple of pretty tough ones, within the game's first 25 minutes, although he did settle down some after that.

• Manager Juan Carlos Osorio's made some interesting choices for the opening leg as his Red Bulls attempt to escape the first round for the second time in club history.

Upset by the team's flagging performance in final regular-season match (a 5-2 loss in Chicago), Osorio kept decorated midseason additions Jorge Rojas, Gabriel Cichero and Juan Pietravallo on the bench.

Rojas and Pietravallo looked like they could form the core of the side, a balanced pair of central midfielders, when Osorio brought them in during the summer transfer window. Instead, they were on the sidelines as Osorio preferred a pair of youngsters for the 2008 Giants Stadium playoff opener.

Osorio's choices at attacking and defensive midfielder: MLS sophomore Sinisa Ubiparipovic and rookie Luke Sassano.

It worked to a point, as an energetic midfield largely denied space and opportunity to the Dynamo's stable of skillful midfielders. On the other hand, without the passing and possession skills of more experienced type, the Red Bulls struggled to feed useful balls into Dane Richards on the right or to Juan Pablo Angel up front.

• Injuries forced manager Preki to shuffle the deck at Chivas USA -- and what else is new?

Jonathan Bornstein, a natural left back who has also played in the midfield during this injury-troubled year for Chivas, was moved to a center back spot.

And Sacha Kljestan, who has been the Red-and-White's main midfield attacking conduit, usually lining up on the right side, slid over to the left to start Saturday's match beneath the mountains at Rio Tinto. Instead, Alex Zotinca manned the right side for Chivas.

But the midfield wasn't working early as Real Salt Lake overwhelmed the center of the park, leaving Chivas USA with precious little possession. Within 15 minutes, Kljestan had moved back over to the right, where he seems a little more comfortable. It also served to get Zotinca matched against RSL's Andy Williams, a more potent offensive force for RSL than young Will Johnson on the other side.

It helped the visitors a bit as a firestorm of an attack was tamped down slightly. Still, Real Salt Lake outshot the visitors 21-3 and generated a huge edge in shots on goal at 8-1. The lack of ruthless (or accurate) finishing could eventually crunch Jason Kreis' side; RSL put only one past Chivas goalkeeper Zach Thornton, and that 1-0 lead looks a bit thin as the series moves back to The Home Depot Center.

• Kansas City rookie Jonathan Leathers hasn't gotten much press this year. But he did hold his own against Columbus flanker Robbie Rogers. Rogers did managed to cause some trouble, but Leathers was able to limit the damage, at least, surely assisted by the smaller field in Kansas City.

• Lenhart obviously deserves credit for uncorking the Crew's equalizer on the road. But this must be said, too: Kansas City's calamitous inability to clear the ball on a sequence that lasted 20-30 seconds might eventually prove ruinous for the Wizards' postseason ambitions.

Wizards defenders had three or four chances (maybe even more) to knock the ball from danger, then regroup and ensure that everyone was adequately organized. Instead, balls went high into the air or, in one case, the wrong way. It all served to keep the danger looming, and Kansas City finally paid the price.