Underdog Red Bulls buck the odds

SANDY, Utah -- The music blared, the players danced and Juan Carlos Osorio was doused by some combination of water and Gatorade. Champagne? Nah, that's reserved for the MLS Cup Final.

Unlike last week at Robertson Stadium, when the Red Bulls were business-like after eliminating the two-time defending MLS Cup champion Houston Dynamo, the players celebrated the first conference championship in club history in style.

"It's phenomenal," Juan Pablo Angel said. "That's what you work for. All the effort, all the training sessions, the hard work during the year and it certainly paid off. Nobody gave anything to us, nobody expected us to be where we are, but we're absolutely delighted."

Sure it could be weird that the Western Conference title goes to the East Coast team, but that didn't matter inside the locker room. The Red Bulls got to celebrate on a dais, pose with a trophy and book their ticket to The Home Depot Center.

"To get to the MLS finals and have a chance to win the MLS Cup, you don't really have words for it," defender Carlos Mendes said. "We've got one more game left. Obviously this is a big moment for the franchise, but we want to win it. We'll enjoy it tonight, but tomorrow we get back to work."

It was a difficult journey to their first-ever MLS Cup Final. After losing to Chicago 5-2 in its final game of the regular season, New York had to wait and hope that the Columbus Crew would beat D.C. United just to advance to the postseason.

And yet, against the odds, this ragtag group, which battled adversity for nearly the entire regular season, is in the final.

"It was like a second chance and we all realized that it was one," Dave van den Bergh said. "We just took it, took full advantage of it and for a lot of these guys it's the first final that they're in. It's just a great atmosphere right now in the locker room and around the team."

It wasn't easy on Saturday night, either. Real Salt Lake attacked relentlessly in the second half, desperately trying to net the equalizer. RSL had 16 of its 24 shots after the break, but the Red Bulls weathered the storm. It was a similar situation last Sunday when Dynamo peppered the Red Bulls net with chance after chance, unable to put anything behind Cepero.

"An ugly win is better than a pretty loss," Dane Richards said. "I'm so happy for everyone. Nobody had an outstanding game, but we defended with our life and we got the victory. ... It happened in Houston and I knew it could happen again. The important thing is that we got the lead."

The Red Bulls also got a bunch of luck along the way.

"We have to congratulate all the guys and the post," Red Bulls coach Juan Carlos Osorio said. "I have been disappointed sometimes with our luck, but I think we got it today. The man upstairs has helped us today, but I think in general the guys deserved it."

The Red Bulls got the only goal it would need from van den Bergh, who struck for his eighth goal of the year in the 28th minute. The Dutch midfielder started the sequence by playing a great ball up the left sideline to John Wolyniec, who ran free of an attempted slide tackle by Jamison Olave.

Wolyniec ran inside the box, crossed the ball from the edge of the six-yard box. RSL goalkeeper Nick Rimando got a hand on the ball, but it trickled to van den Bergh, who hammered home the game's only goal.

"It was ugly, it was lucky, but this franchise is going to have to take it anyway it comes," van den Bergh said. "I tell you what, we won this title and next year around this time nobody will know how the game went. They'll just see the result -- New York Red Bulls won the Western Conference."

After surviving a few scares, especially late in the second half, the Red Bulls players let their hair down in the locker room, the Red Bulls will enjoy a chartered flight back to New Jersey. And somewhere over the middle of America, Osorio will start preparing for the biggest game in Red Bulls history.

"Jeff just told me that he had something to give me and he gave me the video of Chicago and Columbus' last game," Osorio said referring to Jeff Agoos, the club's sporting director. "We will watch the game and start deciding. We will go back tomorrow, recovery right away. There's not too much time to celebrate."

Padula finishing successful first year

CARSON, Calif. -- Gino Padula doesn't see Sunday's MLS Cup against New York as a chance for payback on the one blemish to his season.

The Argentinean defender, signed by the Crew on March 24, struggled through early injuries to appear in 17 regular and postseason matches. The Crew are 13-1-3 when he plays -- with the lone setback coming Oct. 18 at Giants Stadium.

In that match, the first for the Crew after clinching the Supporters' Shield, Padula was one of only six regulars to start. The Red Bulls won 3-1.

"No revenge because we won the Supporters' Shield," Padula said of the impending rematch. "They're a very difficult team. When they play at home they have the advantage because of the turf."

NEWSNov. 21 headlines
• Carroll is Crew's unsung hero
• Goldthwaite stabilizes Red Bulls
• Crew expect strong support
• Red Bulls train in California
• Rogers, Marshall make impact
• Angel, Red Bulls chase history
Nov. 20 headlines
• Backline is Crew's backbone
• Angel key to Red Bulls' success
• LA weather sweet as Crew train
• Padula finishing successful year
Nov. 19 headlines
• In spotlight, Cepero stays level
• Van den Bergh's finest season
• Revs are relaxed and ready to go
Nov. 18 headlines
• Lewis: Red Bulls like superheroes
• Fourth time the charm for Noonan?
• Red Bulls utilize second chance
SIGHTS & SOUNDS

Red Bulls conf. call preview

Crew arrive in Los Angeles

Crew practice Thursday

Padula, 31, has filled a need at left back with his club experience beginning with River Plate in his homeland. He also spent some time in Spain and seven years in England.

"He's been that rock for us defensively," right back Frankie Hejduk said. "We have an understanding that when I go forward he stays and when he goes forward I stay. Sometimes on teams you see both backs flying forward and it unbalances the team.

"He knows when to go forward, when to go back and vice versa for myself. It's good to have a natural left footer out there. He's calm. He's collected and he's experienced."

Coach Sigi Schmid credits the acquisition of holding midfielder Brian Carroll and Padula for filling the final pieces that helped the Crew go from a perennial non-playoff team to the best record in MLS this season.

"Gino helps us because he's a passing fullback where Frankie's a running, active up and down the line fullback," Schmid said. "Gino is a fullback who positionally is very stable and he's a very good passer of the ball. Left fullback and defensive midfield were the two positions we were searching for the longest when I came to Columbus and to be able to add Brian Carroll and Gino and really stabilize those positions were very important."

The Crew had the third stingiest defense this season and goalkeeper William Hesmer tied a club record with 10 shutouts.

"Gino, and you have to throw Brian Carroll in there as well, made us a really strong, solid team," he said. "Granted you had the emergence of Robbie Rogers and Eddie Gaven this year in playing their roles and stepping up their games, not to mention Chad Marshall.

"Gino has been a tremendous leader on the backline for us. Not only is he a tremendous tackler and good positionally but he's a strong communicator and helps us get organized."

Padula will be a factor in trying to stop the New York counterattack that has proven to be so effective in playoff wins against Houston and Real Salt Lake.

"We know they are a very good team. We have already seen that but we have to stay the same way we've played all season," Padula said. "They will run at us so it is important I am in position to stop them if I can, but we have to do it as a team."

He's made a quick adjustment to the league but figuring out the playoff system is another story.

"It's very strange. I think if we won the Supporters' Shield we don't have to play the playoffs until maybe the finals. But here it's very, very difficult," he said. "New York finished eighth and they play in another conference. This is quite a change for me. This is the league and we have to accept that."

Padula thinks the top team should get added benefits.

"If you have a very good season and win the Supporters' Shield you should at least go straight and play the final for the conference or the MLS Cup," he said. "I hope the league can change some rules. It's very important because after 30 games you are the best but you have the same chance as a team that was 10, 20 points behind you."

Missed opportunities haunt RSL

SANDY, Utah -- Moments after a 1-0 loss to New York knocked Real Salt Lake out of the race for the MLS Cup, missed opportunities dominated the thoughts of several players in the RSL locker room.

Some, like team captain, Kyle Beckerman, wondered if some kind of mystical hex caused RSL to hit posts on one shot or another. Others, like midfielder Will Johnson, bemoaned their own ability to make a game changing play when the opportunity presented itself.

Johnson had one of the best scoring chances for the Utah side when he attempted to put a finishing touch on a cross from Robbie Findley in the 81st minute. But the ball careened off the left post and bounced away.

"The ground was so wet and I could never catch up to the ball until it was on an angle where it wasn't possible to get in the goal, and the best I could do, obviously, was hit the post," Johnson said. "That'll replay in my head over and over again until I get to play again next season, so it's going to be frustrating."

The temporary feelings of frustration should ease with time when RSL looks back on a season that exceeded nearly every set of expectations inside or outside the club.

For the first time ever, Real capped off a season by qualifying for the MLS Cup Playoffs. And RSL was not content to merely be spectators upon arrival. They picked up a conference semifinal series victory against expansion counterpart Chivas USA to also hand the team its first-ever playoff victory.

Beckerman, like his teammates, possessed sky-high hopes once RSL reached the postseason. But he also saw from a long-term perspective how much it meant to go as far as the team did.

"I thought it was our year, and we were going to win it all," Beckerman said. "But, I don't know, you can't ask for anything else -- have a home game (with a chance) to get into the finals."

As disappointing as it was to finish with a loss to New York, RSL can look forward with full confidence in what the future holds.

Many key players, like Beckerman and Javier Morales, are still under contract in 2009. And RSL coaches believe this is simply the first stage to an eventual move into the MLS elite.

"For a long time, I felt like this club was headed in the right direction," Real coach Jason Kreis said. "Even in my first game here, I thought there was a lot of fantastic people involved in this club. It should go right at some point. You can't have that many good people in one room and not have things go right."

In the weeks ahead, RSL must decide which players to protect and which ones to leave exposed for the expansion draft. It will be a tough decision. Because of their status as Generation adidas players, Tony Beltran and Chris Seitz are automatically exempt from the draft.

Outside of those two, however, the Utah side can only protect 11 players and at least three of those must be from outside the United States.

Kreis declined to comment on what direction the organization will take just yet in regards to player moves. But it is the hope of everyone involved that RSL can keep much of its primary core intact for the 2009 campaign.

"This is the start of a deep core here on our team and I'm excited about that," Beckerman said. "I think this is the first team I've been on that's really kept a main core like this."

Crew rally past Fire to reach MLS Cup

COLUMBUS -- Quick goals from Chad Marshall and Eddie Gaven early in the second half overcame a goal by Brian McBride and carried the Columbus Crew to a 2-1 Eastern Conference Championship victory Thursday against the Chicago Fire and the first MLS Cup berth in club history.

Marshall scored off a header in the 49th minute and Gaven scored six minutes later. Guillermo Barros Schelotto assisted on both. The Crew will play in MLS Cup 2008 on Nov. 23 at The Home Depot Center against the winner of Saturday's New York Red Bulls at Real Salt Lake match.

McBride, a former member of the Crew, scored on a header in the 29th minute for the Fire lead, but he was beaten on the tying goal by defender Marshall 20 minutes later.

The Crew have never been afraid of falling behind. No other team had as many points after giving up the first goal. Columbus has forged at least a tie 11 of 18 times after trailing 1-0.

A hard tone was set 15 seconds in when Marshall tackled Cuauhtemoc Blanco along the right touchline without a foul being called. Chicago produced the first chance in the eighth minute when Mapp dribbled through several Crew defenders and fired from 25 yards. Crew goalkeeper William Hesmer had no trouble making the save.

Fire defender Bakary Soumare was issued a yellow card in the 22nd minute for tackling Gaven to stop his run down the left flank in the final third. The ensuing free kick nearly put the Crew ahead but Marshall's glancing header went just left of the goal. Schelotto followed three minutes later with a strike from 28 yards that pinged the crossbar at the left corner.

McBride then stunned the Crew in the 29th minute with a patented header that Columbus fans had seen so many times throughout his career.

A quick throw-in by Blanco in front of the Crew bench allowed Justin Mapp to go unabated toward the left flag. He sent a floater into the box where McBride got behind defender Danny O'Rourke for a looping header that left Hesmer grasping for a ball that was already by him.

McBride left the Crew before the 2004 season for Fulham of the English Premier League. His 62 goals for the Black and Gold are tied for the team career high with Jeff Cunningham. McBride returned from England in August to play for his hometown Fire.

This was McBride's first game in Columbus as an MLS opponent although he played for Fulham in the 2005 MLS All-Star Game. He scored twice for the Fire on Oct. 12 in the home tie against the Crew.

Any thoughts of a warm homecoming were quickly dispelled when he was greeted by a banner that read "Wanted. McBride. Treason" and chants of "Traitor' when he was introduced. He was booed every time he touched the ball.

Frustration continued after the goal for the Crew. Schelotto went along the left goal line and feathered the ball in front of goal but Alejandro Moreno made was unable to make anything of it.

But the Crew pulled level just four minutes after the second half kickoff. The tying sequence started with a free kick on the right wing after Gaven had drawn a foul and a yellow card on Gonzalo Segares.

Schelotto then whipped the free kick to the 6-4 Marshall, who had position on McBride at the top of the goal area. Marshall headed in his fifth restart goal this season, his first in the postseason.

Momentum was with the Crew and so was the lead in the 55th minute, thanks to some aerial work. Moreno headed the ball to Schelotto 25 yards away from goal. He headed it back to Moreno and Gaven sprung free and received Moreno's header in full stride inside the right side of the penalty area.

Gaven slotted the ball past a charging Jon Busch and it rolled into the left netting for his first career playoff goal, in his sixth season in the league.

Busch preserved a one-goal game with a chest save on Robbie Rogers in the 59th minute.

It was Hesmer's turn to shine in the 73rd when McBride redirected a Blanco service from four yards but the 'keeper was in the right spot. Chicago substitute Marco Pappa had two chances after entering in the 90th minute but Hesmer stopped the first and the second was off target.

Chicago had more success in the league semifinals with three wins in 10 previous appearances. It won MLS Cup in its inaugural 1998 season and lost to Kansas City in 2000 and San Jose on '03. Columbus reached the three-game Eastern Conference finals from 1997-99 but lost to D.C. United each time. It also lost a semifinal series to New England in 2002.

The teams played to a pair of 2-2 draws in the regular season and each team boasted postseason award winners befitting their defensive play. Busch won the Goalkeeper of the Year award while Hesmer of Columbus was a finalist. Busch played in Columbus from 2002-06 before an acrimonious parting with coach Sigi Schmid. As well, Marshall was MLS Defender of the Year with Chicago's Bakary Soumare a finalist.

After going 11-2-2 at home during the regular season, the Crew won both playoff games, giving them eight in a row at home, outscoring the visitors 18-3 with five shutouts.

It was a boisterous thunder stick-bashing crowd. Several hundred Fire supporters were put in the south bleachers. The Crew's massive Nordecke in the northeast strong was more than 2,500 strong. Weather was not a factor after a morning of chilling rain. The skies cleared and it was 52 degrees at kickoff.

In the end it didn't matter to Columbus.

Lewis: In spotlight, Cepero stays grounded

Perhaps one reason why Danny Cepero wasn't rattled by his emergency start for the Red Bulls against the Columbus Crew last month is because he literally had been there and done that some five years prior -- with much less prior notice.

As a freshman goalkeeper at the University of Pennsylvania, on Nov. 1, 2003, the starting goalkeeper for the Quakers went down to an injury only moments before the team's Ivy League match at Brown University in Providence, R.I.

Penn coach Rudy Fuller turned to his freshman 'keeper and said: "Get your gloves on. You're starting."

"No problem," Cepero said.

"He wound up standing on his head," Fuller said.

One thing that Penn failed to accomplish that day was to win, as Cepero did in his MLS debut. And the only thing Cepero failed to do was to score a goal in his college debut -- as he did against the Columbus Crew on Oct. 18.

Today, the 23-year-old Cepero finds himself in a much higher orbit with much more at stake -- the league championship in MLS Cup 2008 at The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif. this Sunday.

That Cepero has proven time and again that he can handle pressure and is mature past his years (23) did not surprise Fuller one iota.

"Even at Penn he was a mature kid," he said. "He had a great head on his shoulders."

In fact, for his parents, former coaches and current coaches, the theme of Cepero's soccer career -- amateur, college and pro -- and his life, for that matter, has been calm, cool, collected, committed and confident.

NEWSNov. 20 headlines
• Backline is Crew's backbone
• Angel key to Red Bulls' success
• LA weather sweet as Crew train
• Padula finishing successful year
Nov. 19 headlines
• In spotlight, Cepero stays level
• Van den Bergh's finest season
• Revs are relaxed and ready to go
Nov. 18 headlines
• Lewis: Red Bulls like superheroes
• Fourth time the charm for Noonan?
• Red Bulls utilize second chance
SIGHTS & SOUNDS

Red Bulls conf. call preview

Crew arrive in Los Angeles

Crew practice Thursday

"He is the most fun and most intense kid I have ever trained," said Dani Braga, the goalkeeper on St. John's 1996 national championship team who is a goalkeeping coach and trainer and owner of LIFT (Long Island Fitness and Training) on Long Island. "There nothing greater to train a kid who's humble and works hard instead of these All-America prima donnas."

Danny was born to Robert and Ana Cepero on April 22, 1985. Robert, a Cuban native who came to this country in the late '50s, and Ana, an Mexican, are avid soccer fans. Cepero grew up in Baldwin, L.I., excelling in several sports, including baseball, basketball and soccer.

His parents are now divorced, but they still share a common thread on how proud they are of their children -- Veronica, who is a producer at Nickelodeon, and Danny, who has been thrust into the spotlight.

"What makes me more proud is that Danny has such character," Ana said. "You can find a good soccer player, but character can carry you away."

"He's such a meticulous worker," Robert said.

The 6-2, 180-lb. Cepero began playing soccer when he was about 4 or 5 years old in the Baldwin Police Athletic League. He was a forward for this first several years before his team's goalkeeper failed to show up for a match. The coach took volunteers and Cepero, then about 10, played in the first half.

"His father was kind of crushed because he wanted him to score goals," Ana said. Little did everyone know that Cepero would someday score one of the most famous goals in U.S. soccer history.

He liked it and remained there, moving up to the Baldwin Eagles S.C. and eventually to Oceanside United.

Ana remembered when she took Danny to a game that pit the MetroStars against the Long Island Rough Riders. She remembered he was excited getting Giovanni Savarese's autograph and meeting Tab Ramos.

When it came time for college, there was a full ride from Seton Hall -- some $27,000 -- in the offing. Cepero, a high school honor student, wanted to go attend Penn instead. And that cost $43,000.

"It wasn't that it was an Ivy League school," said his father Robert, who will retire as a Long Island Railroad conductor next month. "He liked the college and always wanted to go to a school like this."

He is still close to his parents, talking to them regularly.

Prior to each game, Ana e-mails Danny an inspirational message to her son.

Before the Houston upset two weeks ago, Ana, inspired by President-elect Barrack Obama's speech, and reminded Danny, "Yes, we can."

And yes, Cepero and the Red Bulls did it, as he made several key saves in what is considered by some the biggest upset in MLS playoff history. He followed that with an encore performance at Real Salt Lake Saturday.

At Penn, Fuller made Cepero his starter in his sophomore season and the native Long Islander never looked back.

"Almost every game Danny would be called on to make a save," Fuller said. "Time and again he would come up with that save."

When Cepero entered Penn the school's career shutout record was 15. When he left, he owned it at 23.

"He just shattered a record that had been around for over 100 years," Fuller said. "On paper, statistics-wise, we were a very good defensive team. The guys in front of him were confident. They knew he would make a big save in back of them."

Beyond his goalkeeping abilities, Fuller was impressed with the fact that Cepero kept his mouth shut and never complained about sitting for most of his freshman year. "It never affected him," he said.

Cepero still wanted to turn pro, but he was neglected in the 2007 MLS SuperDraft. Fuller made many phone calls to coaches and general managers, one to then-Red Bulls coach Bruce Arena and his assistant, Richie Williams. Obviously, he got his message across because the Red Bulls selected Cepero as the 46th overall pick (fourth round) in the supplemental draft about two months later.

Not many players chosen in the supplemental draft survive to see the season, let alone become a starter in his second season. Before that, Cepero was loaned to the Harrisburg City Islanders in the USL Second Division.

"He came back as a better goalkeeper with better experience and when the chance came he grabbed it with two hands and have gotten the most out of it," Red Bulls coach Juan Carlos Osorio said during a conference call Monday.

Indeed he did. As it turned out Harrisburg was looking for a goalkeeper after Matt Nelson, who backstopped the City Islanders to the league title last season, left the team. Coach Bill Belcher and his assistant coach spoke to Osorio and Williams and a deal was worked out to have Cepero play with the team from April through August.

"From Day One he made a statement he was going to be a very good goalkeeper for us and not miss a lot in goal," Belcher said.

The veteran defenders told Belcher on that first day: "OK, coach, it's all right."

"The other unknown coming in was, now that he's being told he's going to play in the USL Second Division on loan, you don't know how he's going to react to that ... riding the buses. From Day One, he showed he was going to do what he needed to improve himself. He worked hard after practice.. From Day One, he was one of the guys and fit in perfectly."

It seems that most of Cepero's best games came under duress. When the City Islanders played in Richmond earlier this season, a player was red-carded in the 10th minute.

"We got out of there at 0-0," Belcher said. "He made some spectacular saves that day."

Columbus Crew coach Sigi Schmid certainly won't forget Cepero.

"I can't remember, did he score against us in that game?" he playfully asked.

"He's obviously stepped up and he's responded. He's been very refreshing for them in goal. He's had a really positive attitude. That's been very noticeable. And right now, because of the success they've had in the playoff games, there's a confidence that's built between him and the team that has helped them."

While in Harrisburg, Cepero commuted to and from Penn in Philadelphia once a week to take a course so he could graduate. He is a history major with a concentration in diplomatic history. He is taking last one now -- The End of European Empires.

Cepero wants to be either a history professor in college or a diplomat, his mother said, although those goals might have to be put off for a couple of years.

"That's his passion," Ana Cepero said. "I'm the same way. I believe we have to look at history to learn what we should not do again."

In a little more than a month, Cepero's story has become a legend and some unique history in itself. A backup goalkeeper who was loaned out to a lower league. He returns to the team as a bench sitter, but is called into action on the eve of the playoffs and not only wins, but becomes the very first goalkeeper to score a goal in the league's 13-year history. During the playoffs, he has surrendered only one goal in three matches, which includes a pair of back-to-back shutouts.

Whether the legend will continue in Carson on Sunday, it remains to be seen.

But here's an intriguing parallel to the very first MLS Cup. At the time, D.C. United rookie defender Eddie Pope commuted to and from the nation's capital to Chapel Hill, N.C. to finish his degree at the University of North Carolina. Pope's reward? Scoring the game-winning goal in extra time to cap a miraculous two-goal comeback by United in the rain.

Will history repeat this time around with the college graduate-to-be emerging as a hero?

Hmmm. Making history instead of reading about it. Now, would that be some ending for a history major.

Crew relishing chance to play for MLS Cup

COLUMBUS -- Columbus Crew fitness and strength coach Steve Tashjian said he had ticket requests from high school friends he hadn't heard from in 15 years.

Welcome to the week leading to MLS Cup.

It's an exciting time for the Crew and people such as Tashjian, a Pasadena native, who have California connections because the team will face New York on Sunday in Carson, Calif., with the championship on the line.

Tashjian said he cut himself off at 15 tickets for his family and a few close friends and joked that he was going to leave a message on his cell phone for all others to order tickets and not bother him.

Being his first MLS Cup, as it is for nearly all of the Crew, he doesn't want to be overwhelmed by the attention and, yes, distractions.

Defender Ezra Hendrickson, who has two championships in four previous trips to the MLS Cup Final, knows the feeling.

"This is my fifth trip here. I tell the guys to just relax. It's going to be a little hectic for everything from ticket requests to just being at The Home Depot [Center] at practice. There's going to be a lot of media there. You put that past you and focus on what's at stake," he said. "It's one of the biggest moments they're going to realize and be a part of. It might not happen again.

"Some of us have been fortunate enough a couple of times but to get there the first time is an awesome feeling. From my first time going in '99 until now it's gotten bigger. It's an event. It's easy to get caught up in all that hype and media stuff but it's a game, just like a normal game, but it's a winner-take-all."

The Crew got a small preview of what lies ahead before the team departed Wednesday for a warmer climate. The reporters from the local TV stations, who are fairly scarce once Ohio State football starts, braved 32-degree temperatures and flurries to interview players Tuesday despite it being Michigan Week (for the uninitiated, the annual rivalry between OSU and Michigan is so big it merits capital letters).

Later that night the Crew were honored during the first period of the NHL game between the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Edmonton Oilers in Nationwide Arena. This weekend the Blue Jackets are running a half-page ad wishing the Crew well. Five hockey players appear wearing Crew jerseys.

"It's a different week," said Crew forward Alejandro Moreno, a two-time MLS Cup winner (Los Angeles, 2002; Houston, 2006). "There's more people around the team and a lot more media. There's a lot more scrutiny on what we're doing in training and what we're doing in the game.

"The key for us is to enjoy the experience, embrace it and know it doesn't happen very year and to make the most of it. In order for us to make the most of it we've got bring the championship home."

Hendrickson said even the players who have been in the league for a while but never been to an MLS Cup have noticed a different vibe.

"If it's your first time, no matter how old you are it's exciting," he said. "It's the biggest prize in our sport as far as league. It's something you can cherish the rest of your life. It's not just OK to get there. Winning it is really what matters."

He was a teammate of Moreno's on the 2002 Galaxy coached by current Crew coach Sigi Schmid, and with D.C. United when he and current Crew midfielder Brian Carroll took the title in 2004.

"We've had shared experiences," Hendrickson said. "We have an opportunity to do it again. This morning Ollie and I were talking about being on three teams and winning three different championships and how great that would be. If that happens Sunday that would really be something we can tell our kids, grandkids."

Moreno wants no part of that now. "It would be something special for us but let's not get ahead of ourselves," he said. "Of course, New York is a team that we respect and certainly have earned their way into the final and is a team that poses lot of challenges for us. It would be very special but I'd rather talk about it after the game."

The Crew have two other players who have been to MLS Cup but came up empty. Forward Pat Noonan was with New England for losses from 2005-07 and goalkeeper William Hesmer was on the Kansas City developmental roster in 2004 when the D.C. downed the Wizards 3-2 at The Home Depot Center.

Carroll obviously has good memories of playing there.

"We got out there in advance, kind of like we're doing now. We had good training. I don't remember too much of it. It was a good nervous feeling then the game happened and it was a great feeling to be on top afterwards and we're hoping to do the same thing this time," he said.

The Red Bulls are in the way. Columbus was supposed to be the feel-good story of the year after coming from three non-playoff seasons to win the Supporters' Shield. It's still an inspiring tale but New York has stolen the spotlight by qualifying on the last day -- after the Crew downed D.C. United -- then upsetting two-time defending champion Houston and Real Salt Lake on the road.

"I don't know if they're a Cinderella team," Moreno said. "They're a team that got hot in the end and even though they backed into the playoffs thanks to a result we got here at home against D.C. United, they made the most of the opportunity. They earned their way into the final. They certainly can be very dangerous on Sunday. We're very happy with what we've done this year and what we've accomplished and now we want to do it on Sunday."

He is relishing the opportunity to play for the MLS Cup again.

"I've been around this league for awhile and I've heard from a lot of people who are good friends of mine who are giving us support and wishing me the best," Moreno said. "I appreciate that very much. It shows the friendships that you make in professional sports and professional teams last a lifetime."

Fourth time the charm for Noonan?

COLUMBUS -- The third time was not a charm for Pat Noonan, so he's hoping for a better result with a different team.

Noonan came oh-so close in the past three MLS Cups but New England suffered one-goal losses (one in overtime, another on penalty kicks) each time.

He's back for a fourth straight try but this time it's with Columbus as the Crew makes their first MLS Cup Final appearance.

"I've been there but it never gets old. I still haven't won one. Hopefully, this will be the year and I'll finally get the first one," he said.

Noonan's rights were dealt to the Crew in August after leaving the Revolution in January to play in Norway. After a short and largely unsuccessful stint there he decided to return to MLS but not for New England.

The Crew were happy to get the veteran forward who had 37 goals and 29 assists in 119 matches for the Revolution.

NEWSNov. 18 headlines
• Lewis: Red Bulls like superheroes
• Fourth time the charm for Noonan?
• Red Bulls utilize second chance
SIGHTS & SOUNDS

Red Bulls conf. call preview

Crew conf. call preview

It took awhile for Noonan to get back into playing shape but over a three-game stretch in September he had assists against his former club and New York and a tying goal at Toronto FC.

He had six starts among 10 appearances but enters Sunday's MLS Cup 2008 in Carson, Calif., against the New York Red Bulls in an unaccustomed role.

Noonan started all three MLS Cups for the Revolution but has not been off the bench in the Crew's three playoff games.

"Pat's been great," coach Sigi Schmid said. "For a player like himself, I know there's a certain level of frustration because he hasn't gotten on the field yet.

"His attitude at practice has been super. His attitude in the locker room and around the guys has been great. That experience he brings, having been there, the calm, the knowledge of knowing what's going on is something that other guys can learn from and bank on."

Noonan acknowledges that watching instead of playing has not been easy but the overriding factor for him is he has another crack at a championship.

"Obviously, I'd love to be out there in the starting lineup. That's not the way it is right now. I'm going to be supporting the guys who are out there like they would for me," he said. "They've done a great job getting us to this point and so have the reserves who've come in when needed. It's a team effort. Hopefully, I'll get a chance late in the game if need be. If not, I hope it will be a victory for the Crew at the end of the day."

Schmid has the same wish. "You never know," he said, "he might be the guy who comes off the bench in the final game and makes the difference."

As for being a good luck charm that brought some of the Revolution's success to Columbus, Noonan will have none of that.

"I don't know. Good luck is when you win it but it's nice to get there. We're not done yet," he said.

What he has learned from three previous Cup matches that he can forward to his new teammates?

"Losing stinks," said Noonan. "The first go-around is probably the hardest but when you get there again you're happy to be there but you want it more. Until you finally win one, you haven't finished it. For a lot of guys -- other than a few -- we haven't won one. It would be nice to win it not only for ourselves but for the organization."

Many of the Crew players are relying on Noonan and past MLS Cup winners midfielder Brian Carroll, defender Ezra Hendrickson and forward Alejandro Moreno for guidance.

"I'll be talking to those guys throughout the week just to get their thoughts and some of their input," midfielder Eddie Gaven said.

Noonan said the routine will be different because the team is traveling Wednesday rather than the day before a match. When the team practices Thursday it will discover there's more media and scrutiny.

"Once the whistle blows you forget about it. It's a regular game with a little more importance," he said. "You have a little more anxiety getting there and then you're happy you're there but then you need to go out and perform the same way that got you there.

"Some guys have been there before. For some of the new guys they can learn from some of the others that have been there. Or, do what they need to do personally to get ready for the game."

The players are pulling for Noonan to claim a championship. Moreno and Hendrickson were teammates on the Schmid-coached 2002 Los Angeles Galaxy when it won the MLS Cup and Hendrickson and Carroll were on the 2004 D.C. United title winners. Moreno won a second title with Houston in 2006.

"Pat and I have known each other for a long time just playing through the league," Hendrickson said. "We talked about it. Maybe this time will be the charm for him -- I get my third, he gets his first and we all go home happy."

"Hopefully, we can get him one," said Carroll. "That's the goal but then again we're not really thinking about that. We're thinking about enjoying the journey, practicing hard and going in and performing well in the game on Sunday." Noonan knows nothing comes easy when a title is at stake.

"We have a tough task ahead of us. New York is playing well but so are we. We want to get on them early and hopefully keep the game in our favor," he continued. "They're on a roll. They beat us two out of three. It's going to be a tough matchup. You've got to forget about those past games. It's one game for the MLS Cup."

Maybe this time Noonan will be drinking champagne instead of tasting the bitterness of defeat.

Red Bulls making good on second chance

Before he danced on a dais at Rio Tinto Stadium, Dane Richards was celebrating in his New Jersey apartment after watching the Columbus Crew defeat D.C. United 1-0 on the final day of the regular season.

"I remember watching the D.C.-Columbus game and I was so nervous because D.C. hit the post," the Jamaican midfielder said. "When Columbus scored I was rejoicing like we won the MLS Cup."

That victory not only ended United's season, but it breathed new life into the Red Bulls, which three days earlier were trounced 5-2 by the Chicago Fire in their final regular-season game.

"It was just a second chance and we all realized it was one," Dave van den Bergh said. "We took it and took full advantage of it and for a lot of these guys this is the first final that they're in. It's just a great atmosphere in the locker room and around the team. We just figured it takes 11 guys working very hard to get a result. That's what we do."

The Red Bulls might have been the final team to make the MLS Cup Playoffs, but they are one of two still standing heading into Sunday's MLS Cup 2008.

NEWSNov. 18 headlines
• Lewis: Red Bulls like superheroes
• Fourth time the charm for Noonan?
• Red Bulls utilize second chance
SIGHTS & SOUNDS

Red Bulls conf. call preview

Crew conf. call preview

"We didn't have the right momentum going into the playoffs from the 5-2 loss, but you know you just have to get there and put everyone together and point the ship in the right direction," Kevin Goldthwaite said. "We've done that and we've done it well."

Goldthwaite said Red Bulls coach Juan Carlos Osorio deserves the credit for the stunning about-face.

Osorio expressed his disappointment with the result to the team, made drastic changes to his lineup. He benched prized South American signings Jorge Rojas, Gabriel Cichero and Juan Pietravallo and started two midfielders with little playoff experience in Luke Sassano and Sinisa Ubiparipovic and a veteran up front in John Wolyniec who hadn't scored a goal during the regular season.

"A lot of teams talk about momentum and playing well going into the playoffs, but sometimes learning a good lesson is a good opportunity to improve your team," said Wolyniec, who has one goal and set up two others in the playoffs. "We got shellacked but we learned our lesson from that."

By backing into the playoffs and with the two-time defending MLS Cup champion Houston Dynamo their foe in the Western Conference Semifinal Series, the Red Bulls had no pressure. After all, few outside of their locker room gave New York a chance, especially after a 1-1 draw in the opening leg at Giants Stadium.

But the Red Bulls stunned Major League Soccer with a 3-0 victory at Robertson Stadium and followed that with a 1-0 win against Real Salt Lake in the Western Conference Championship on Saturday.

The team that was third worst in the league with 48 goals against during the regular season and had just one victory away from Giants Stadium has conceded just one in the playoffs and has posted back-to-back road shutouts.

"It's a fresh start, mentally as well as on a piece of paper," goalkeeper Danny Cepero said. "Everybody is equal in the playoffs, in this league any team, as I think we showed, can beat any other team on any given night. I think it was just that mental freshness, I guess you can call it, that allowed us to make a run here."

And now the Red Bulls are in their first-ever MLS Cup Final and, after 12 years of playoff futility, have an opportunity to win the first major trophy in club history. That seemed doubtful three weeks ago.

"After that game against Chicago it seemed very unlikely," Mike Magee said. "The feeling right now is, I seriously can't even explain it. I didn't even play the last two games and I don't even care. This is absolutely incredible, the best moment of my six years here."

Real won't sit back with chance to advance

SANDY, Utah -- When it comes to producing good results in dramatic fashion, Real Salt Lake have cornered the market in the past couple of weeks.

Yura Movsisyan has become the team's last-minute man with his 90th-minute goals that boosted RSL into the MLS Cup Playoffs over Colorado and gave the team a 1-0 victory in the first leg of its playoff series with Chivas USA last weekend.

As good as dramatic wins feel, Movsisyan and RSL hope to not have to wait around so long for good things to happen in the second leg of their Western Conference Semifinal Series against Chivas USA on Saturday.

"Like I said to the guys, maybe we should just start playing the last five minutes of every game and then the next 85," Movsisyan said. "We just seem to get it done."

Getting a last-second goal for a second consecutive week helped RSL get one important thing done. Real protected Rio Tinto Stadium and seized an advantage that will help greatly at The Home Depot Center.

Because the two-game series is decided on aggregate goals, RSL can settle for a draw and still punch a ticket to the Western Conference Championship next week.

One reason why RSL find themselves in such a good position is that they were able to flip the switch and turn a round of bad soccer against the Rapids into a solid 90 minutes against the Red-and-White.

Real outshot Chivas USA by an astounding margin, allowed no corner kicks and controlled possession and tempo for a sizeable chunk of the match.

"For me, that was one of the best soccer games we've played all year, and it's interesting that it comes on the heels of one of the worst soccer games we played all year," said Real coach Jason Kreis. "But that goes to show you that our team can absolutely play the game and they are fun to watch."

Team captain Kyle Beckerman thinks RSL can get the result they need if the team just approaches the second leg of the series with a calm demeanor.

"We learned we needed to relax a bit more," Beckerman said. "We needed to kill the game (at Colorado) and that's what we're going to try and do (at Chivas). Let's get on the ball and try to go after it and get the second [goal], but let's concentrate on playing good soccer and being relaxed."

For Chivas, the way things are playing out is producing flashbacks to a year ago. The Red-and-White were eliminated from the playoffs a year ago after losing the first leg of their semifinal series with Kansas City 1-0, then following up with a scoreless draw on the second leg at home.

Don't expect RSL to sit back and coast to a series win. Real want to leave nothing to doubt and plan on putting together an attack similar to what Chivas experienced at Rio Tinto Stadium.

"If we were up 2-0 or 3-0, we could certainly talk about changing (our strategy)," Kreis said. "But I do think this team has shown time and time and time again that we're a better team when we are aggressive."

One thing that should play into RSL's favor once again is the hobbled state of Chivas' roster. Seven players are either sidelined or considered questionable for Saturday's match.

Another factor that should not be discounted is the success that RSL has already had at The Home Depot Center this season. One of their two road victories in the regular season came against Chivas in a 1-0 result on June 14, the club's first win ever on the road against their expansion brethren.

Repeating such a feat won't be hard, according to Movsisyan, because the team has expunged its road woes for good.

"In the beginning we kind of had a hard time playing away, but we've improved week in and week out, and we can do it anywhere -- home or away -- as long as we play good soccer," Movsisyan said.

Dynamo not resting on laurels

HOUSTON -- The Houston Dynamo are unbelievably good when the level of competition is at its highest. There really isn't another way of describing the team that is three wins away from a third consecutive MLS title.

Sunday, in front of what surely will be another frenzied crowd at Robertson Stadium, the Dynamo will try to shut down the New York Red Bulls in a place where they have never lost a playoff match.

All year long the Orange have talked about their home-field advantage and what it means playing in front of an loyal throng that has been spoiled by one success story after another.

Now it's win or go home, and the Dynamo's all-time home scoring advantage of 11-2 in the MLS Cup Playoffs means nothing. Ask either team in front of an audience, and they will tell you that it doesn't matter.

That is the right thing to say with so much at stake, but the numbers don't lie.

"I think when the playoffs start everything gets thrown out the window because anything can happen," said Dynamo head coach Dominic Kinnear. "Attention to detail, minor errors, things like that always tend to get magnified. Records mean nothing."

In 2006, the Dynamo dropped their opener at Chivas USA before winning two in a row at home to reach the MLS Cup Final, as Houston dismantled Chivas in the second leg and then Colorado to reach its first championship game against New England.

At Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, Texas, the Dynamo fell behind only to tie the match and win the MLS title on penalty kicks.

Last year was eerily similar. The Orange dropped their playoff-opening match at Dallas before rallying for a 4-1 win at home in the second leg. Then, a week later the Dynamo dropped the Kansas City Wizards 2-0 in front of a record crowd at Robertson Stadium to earn a rematch against the Revs.

Now, for the first time in team history, the Dynamo do not trail entering the second leg of a playoff series. Last week, they earned a draw in the first leg when Kei Kamara poked a shot into the net in the 85th minute.

Even though they are heavily favored to beat a New York team that won just a single match away from home in 2008, they are not relying on numbers to get them to the Western Conference Championship.

"We weren't enthralled with our performance, but now it's not about the performance, it's about the result," said Houston defender Bobby Boswell. "And now, coming home, where we have played really good all year, I think we have put ourselves in a great position. We realize the importance of that, and hopefully we can get the job done."

Stuart Holden assisted on Kamara's goal and is part of what is arguably the deepest bench any MLS team has employed in a long time. The Orange have rallied to tie or win games in the latter stages at least a half-dozen times this year, and Holden said that is just part of the team's mental makeup.

The modus operandi, he said, is never say die.

"The team mentality is that we are never out of a game," added Holden. "We know we're never out of it, and even when we are down two-nil or something like that, we just keep battling to get a goal."

As for taking New York lightly, a team that was outscored 28-12 away from Giants Stadium this year, Holden just shrugged off the suggestion that his team wouldn't be prepared for what is sure to be a desperate visitor.

"Anything can happen in the playoffs, and we have seen it before," Holden added. "We know the numbers, we know the stats and we know there are a lot of people that are going to count us as a favorite entering the match this weekend. But we always know that they have some weapons and that on any given day they can beat us. We're not going to take them lightly, and we are going to come out Sunday and take it to them from the get-go."

Kinnear pushed his team with several long practices this week. He knows his squad has allowed just two goals in four home playoff matches while scoring 11. Kinnear, like the team he leads, is level-headed and calm as his team prepares for the latest installment of the biggest game in team history.

He knows that no MLS team has ever won three consecutive titles. Even before the team caught fire after sputtering out of the game, Kinnear wanted no part of any championship talk.

Kinnear only brings that up when he is discussing team goals and where the squad would like to be when if they are rewarded with the chance to play at The Home Depot Center on Nov. 23.

Sunday, the Dynamo have their best positioning ever after one playoff match. Instead of trailing in their first home match to start the playoffs, the team has a clean slate and a full bill of health.

But to Kinnear, none of that matters.

"We got the draw in New York, but now we have to come back here and win," said Kinnear. "We still have to win."

Win and move on for Crew vs. Wizards

COLUMBUS -- A successful 30-game regular season and one leg of the MLS Cup Playoffs comes down to this Saturday night in Crew Stadium: One-and-done.

After 90 minutes and possibly extra time and penalty kicks, either the Supporters' Shield-winning Crew or the No. 4 seed Kansas City Wizards will advance to face Chicago in the Eastern Conference Championship on Nov. 13.

The aggregate series is tied 1-1 following last Saturday's game at Kansas City. In theory, the teams should have an equal chance but the Crew hope their trump card will be their gold- and black-clad fans.

Columbus is 7-0-2 at home since a June 7 loss to San Jose and has won six in a row there after tying the Wizards 3-3 on July 17.

"This is our reward for having a good season. We get to come home and do it in front of our fans. Now is why the home-field advantage matters," goalkeeper William Hesmer said. "We've been talking since February about making our home a fortress. Our fans have rallied behind that and we've rallied behind or fans."

The Crew made it a point to improve on their five home wins last season and as this season progressed so did their confidence -- witness their 11-2-2 record.

"As we gained momentum at the start of the season we really started to believe nobody is going to come in here and beat us and we took a lot of pride in that," forward Alejandro Moreno said.

K.C. thought it had the edge in the first game because it was unbeaten in 10 home games. While the game ended in a tie to extend the streak, the Wizards let the lead slip away in stoppage time when rookie Steven Lenhart scored.

History suggests the lower seed has almost an equal chance of advancing despite playing the deciding match on the road. Of the past 13 first-round series, since 2005, the team playing the first game at home has won six.

"It's what we worked for the whole year," Moreno said. "Once it became apparent we were going to be in the playoffs the second goal was home-field advantage. Our intention is to take advantage of it to get through to the next round."

The Crew were happy to get out of Kansas City with a point. They didn't play particularly well on the narrow field and exhibited some nerves in their first postseason clash since 2004.

"I was excited. I'm sure the guys were as well," Crew coach Sigi Schmid said. "There was a little nervousness and tentativeness that entered into it for both teams. To get that first game under our belts and not have given ourselves a more difficult situation coming into Game 2 was very important. We're relaxed but eager to get work on Saturday.

"There's more excitement going into this game because it's one-and-out. The first game you know you have a second game so it's a little bit different."

Veteran defender Ezra Hendrickson thinks the young players on the Crew will be appreciably better.

"You saw it the last game. We came out a little tight. A lot of players had never been in a playoff game before," he said. "It's a whole new season. You try to tell the younger players that nothing is going to be come easy. Every game is going to be a fight.

"It's going to take a whole team effort. There haven't been any blowouts. That's the way it's going to be because everybody is fighting for their life."

The question for the Crew is how to approach the match. As the home team and favorite, is the pressure there to dictate the pace?

"We want to do it because we feel that's what's best for us," Moreno said. "If we're carrying the rhythm of the game and we're carrying what we think is going to be good opportunities on goal and we're able to convert those opportunities it becomes a non-issue.

"Now, if the game gets dictated to us and we're not able to get into the rhythm we want to then obviously we're going to find ourselves in a real tough game and a bit of struggle."

Schmid was asked to address three scenarios with the match at the 75th minute:

If it's tied, "a lot depends on how the game's going. If we're tied but creating chances you probably let guys go out there," he said. "If it's the 75th minute and were tied and they're all over us and we're not creating chances maybe we've got to get some other bodies out there to help turn the thing.

"It's something that I always have an idea in my mind going into game as to what are the possible subs used if these scenarios happen but then you have to see which scenario is out in the game."

If the Crew lead by one: "Have they decided to go with three forwards? Have they tried to push and bring (Ivan) Trujillo in and just have a big body? Do we come and bring in an (Andy) Iro just to clear headers off the line? Are we, again, controlling the tempo of the game and stay where we are at? Do we bring in, maybe, a more defensive player for one of our wide guys or one of our forwards?

"That's going to be dictated by how the game is going but certainly if we're up 1-0 with 15 minutes to go they're going to have to push and we're going to get opportunities to counter so you want guys on the field who can put away a counterattack and ice the game."

And if the Crew trail by one? "If we're down a goal with 15 to go you've got to get the equalizer or you're season is over," Schmid said. "You've got to make the right decisions whether that's coming with a second striker or going into a more of a 3-4-3 or going into a 3-5-2. The game, again, will dictate that, then we'll decide which way to go."

Cepero comes long way in short time

Four months ago, as he was riding a bus from Harrisburg to Pittsburgh, Danny Cepero didn't think he'd be where he is now. Heck, four weeks ago, he didn't think he'd be the starting goalkeeper for the New York Red Bulls, helping lead the club to its first appearance in the MLS Cup Final.

But the 23-year-old from Baldwin, N.Y. is taking it all in stride -- the notoriety that came with becoming the first MLS goalkeeper to score a goal, on his debut no less, making critical saves in stunning playoff wins on the road against Houston and Real Salt Lake.

"In terms of thinking I'd be thrust into playoff situations and be looking at an MLS Cup Final, absolutely not," Cepero said. "At the same time, though, it's a dream come true. I'm having fun with it. I'm on the field and having fun and enjoying the guys around me."

Cepero, who was on a season-long loan with Harrisburg of the USL Second Division, was the center of attention in a media conference call on Monday afternoon. He was asked a bevy of questions, from how he's handled the performance-enhancing drug suspension of Jon Conway, who had played every minute of every game before Cepero started against the Crew on Oct. 18, to his education and his father's Cuban heritage. Just as is the case on the field, Cepero handled it with aplomb.

"I think it's a credit to the guys as a whole, the team as a whole and coaching staff for preparing us to go into hostile environments you can literally feel that pressure coming down and you can feel the fans and everybody going against you," Cepero said. "To kind of withstand that, get through it and hold onto a lead and play 90 minutes of football, I think, is a tribute to their mental toughness and strength. It's so important at this level."

Coming off the biggest win in the history of the club, it was back to work for the Red Bulls on Monday. They were back at Montclair State University for training, back preparing for a game on the weekend.

Despite a mediocre regular season, which saw the Red Bulls give up 48 goals in 30 games, the club has made a dramatic turnaround in the postseason, giving up just one goal in three games and have back-to-back clean sheets heading into the MLS Cup.

"I think it's a tribute to the whole team the mentality we're not going to give up a goal today," Cepero said. "That's the most important thing, where if you don't give up a goal you're not going to lose. It gives us a chance to absorb some of the pressure that they're going to throw at us especially on the road."

That attitude has a lot to do with Osorio, who prides himself on having his team be responsibly defensively while picking its chances to attack -- as was the case in road playoff wins at Houston and Real Salt Lake.

"If we defend properly, we are competitive," Osorio said. "We play within the rules, we're aggressive in a controlled manner, if we play for each other, we play with each other, we compete for each other and we just keep clean sheets, we'll always have a chance to score goals, as we proved in the last games."

Osorio also defended himself against critics who claim his team plays negative soccer.

"Some people out there have said that I'm a very defensive minded coach and I take it as a compliment," Osorio said. "I think, as Danny mentioned and as I always say to the players -- if we keep it to zero, keep a clean sheet, we'll always have good chances because we also work very hard in attacking topics and in top-level football, as I keep saying to the players, you only have to win one-nil."

Osorio defended his philosophy by using Chelsea FC as an example, that the Blues might have spent millions of pounds on attacking players, but won the English Premier League crown with 18 1-0 results.

His team has done the same of late, but it has taken a while.

"I think it has taken some players longer than others to realize that that's what it takes to play professional and to get results at the professional level," Osorio said. "And I just have to be responsible enough and intelligent enough to make the decisions that we need to do at any game."

Crew look for first MLS Cup appearance

COLUMBUS -- The majority of the Columbus Crew players have only heard about past playoff failures and how close the club has came on four previous unsuccessful attempts to advance to the MLS Cup.

Midfielder Robbie Rogers was 10 in 1997 when the Crew reached the first of the three consecutive Eastern Conference finals.

"Our biggest problem was we always hit D.C. when they were in their prime," Crew assistant coach and former Columbus player Mike Lapper said. "We were probably the second-best team in the league at those times but we never were able to get past D.C. to get to the final."

Each year the Crew thought they had the makings of a championship team but from 1997-99 they were thwarted by D.C. United. The Crew also reached the league semifinals in 2002 but lost to New England in a three-game series.

"Over the years, it's frustrating. You're so close to going to the finals and something came up and stood in your way and you didn't make it," said assistant coach Robert Warzycha, a midfielder for the club from 1996-2002.

The Crew will take another crack at making their first MLS Cup Final appearance Thursday when they play host to the Chicago Fire in the Eastern Conference Championship.

"Old timers" such as Warzycha and Lapper tell the players to seize the moment. While it appears the Supporters' Shield winners are built for a long and prosperous run over the next few seasons, Warzycha knows there are no guarantees.

"For the many, many years I played I won only one championship," said the 16-year pro. "I played for a team in Poland that I thought would win year after year after year. It never happened again. You have to grab your chance when you have it. It's very, very close and realistic to win the championship but we have to win this game first.

"That's why we have to concentrate a lot and win this game. Look at the history. When's the last time we put ourselves in position to get to the finals?"

It was in 2002 although the Crew thought they were creating something special two years later when they won their first Supporters' Shield but lost in the opening round to New England.

"We had the second game at home but we missed two penalties," said Warzycha of the 2004 two-game series. "That was a team that could have gone a long way but we missed two penalties in one game, which is unusual."

Crew broadcaster Dante Washington had joined the team for a third time late in the 2004 season and played one regular-season game. Much to his surprise and that of the Crew faithful, coach Greg Andrulis started him in the playoff finale instead of forwards Edson Buddle or Jeff Cunningham.

"To be honest I didn't think I was going to be part of it," Washington said. "When I came back from being in the A-League, they had been on an unbelievable run and all of a sudden I'm starting a playoff game. As a player you do what you've got to do but to be quite honest I didn't think I would be starting in game. I thought I would be coming on as a sub, maybe."

He was also part of the Dallas Burn in 1997 when they lost the Western Conference finals to Colorado.

"I've been close a couple of times and it hurts not getting there (to MLS Cup)," Washington.

No one in the Crew organization could have imagined in 2004 that the Crew would not qualify for the playoffs again until this season. Instead of following the path of New England (three consecutive MLS Cup appearances from 2005-07) or Houston (titles in 2006 and '07), the Crew blew up the roster after Sigi Schmid took over in October 2005.

Only three players remain from the 2004 club.

"It's been a lot of frustrating years but we've had some good years, too," Lapper said.

The teams in the late '90's included the likes of Brian McBride, Thomas Dooley, Stern John and Jeff Cunningham -- yet they couldn't get over the D.C. hump.

"With Stern and McBride and all those guys we were thinking every year we had a chance to win it all," Warzycha said.

The Crew are in that position again but Lapper said comparisons to the past are unwarranted.

"This year is a totally different feeling. The guys are confident but not cocky. That's a big difference, obviously. Everyone is truly happy when someone else succeeds," he said. "We're not dependent on one or two people. It used to be either Stern John or Cunningham and if they didn't show up we struggled.

"Now, we're getting goals from Robbie, Alejandro (Moreno), everybody. It makes it a formidable team."

While many former players want to wallow in the "good old days", Lapper isn't one to say the Crew teams he played for are better than the current edition.

"This is the best year. The days of Dooley and Stern John and when we had it clicking, those were definitely some good teams. We had one or two stars but there was a big drop," he said. "Here, I don't see a big drop. You go through the lineup and there's good players all through the lineup doing their job and doing it well."

Washington hopes the players appreciate the opportunity before them. When they take to the field Thursday night it will mark the first time in the 13-year history of the team that the Crew will play at home with a berth in the MLS Cup at stake.

"It means everything. This city, this team deserves to be in the Cup after so many close calls and the disappointments," Washington said. "You go through the highs and lows. At some point you've got to say, 'All right. These guys deserve a chance to bring an MLS Cup to Columbus.'"

Lapper thinks the match features the league's best teams.

"Chicago is a very good team, a very good team, and they've had a great year," he said. "This should be MLS Cup. If the world was right this would be MLS Cup ... but it's not."

Real advance to Conference Championship

CARSON, Calif. -- Real Salt Lake went from longtime Western Conference cellar dwellers to earning a spot in the Western Conference Championship after playing Chivas USA to a thrilling 2-2 draw Saturday night at The Home Depot Center. The result saw RSL through to the conference final after winning the series 3-2 on aggregate over their former expansion brethren.

With the series win, RSL sent Chivas USA crashing out of the first round of the playoffs for the third consecutive year. RSL now will face off against the winner of Sunday's Houston-New York match next week for a spot in MLS Cup 2008.

Dema Kovalenko and Javier Morales scored for RSL after Sacha Kljestan gave Chivas USA an early lead off a penalty kick. Justin Braun scored for Chivas USA in the final 10 minutes of the match but the RSL defense withstood a frenetic end to hold off Chivas USA.

The match started off at a fast pace with Chivas USA playing the aggressor from the outset to try to erase RSL's goal from the series opener a week ago.

In the 10th minute Clint Mathis was given a yellow card for taking Jonathan Bornstein down after the referee's whistle had stopped play.

RSL had the first look at goal when Yura Movsisyan tried to flick the ball over the head of Chivas USA goalkeeper Zach Thornton from inside the penalty area in the 16th minute. But the attempt from Movsisyan, the last-minute hero in the 1-0 first-leg win, was too strong and the ball went over the goal.

Then Chivas USA increased the pressure and were rewarded for it. First, Sacha Kljestan hit a hard shot from inside the penalty area that was blocked just wide of the goal by Nick Rimando.

Chivas USA pulled even for the series in the 29th minute. Ante Razov dribbled the ball into the RSL penalty area where he was hauled down by Javier Morales. Referee Michael Kennedy immediately pointed at the penalty spot and Kljestan stepped up to take the spot kick. Kljestan sent his shot into the upper right corner of the goal, just out of the reach of Rimando's outstretched arms.

The goal snapped a 411-minute scoreless streak as Chivas USA last scored a playoff goal in the second half of their first-ever postseason encounter, a 2-1 win against Houston in 2006.

RSL nearly pulled one back in the 37th minute. Kyle Beckerman beat the Chivas USA defense to an in-swinging ball inside the penalty area and headed the ball inches wide of the goal.

Kovalenko made no mistake about it two minutes later, though. Morales sent a cross inside the penalty area from the right flank to an onrushing Kovalenko, who lunged to get his head on the ball and knock it past Thornton inside the far post.

The goal put RSL back on top in the series and shifted the pressure back on the hosts.

Chivas USA made one change to start the second half, adding more offense by substituting Alecko Eskandarian for defender Jim Curtin.

RSL continued to attack into the second half. In the 53rd minute, Movsisyan dribbled into the Chivas USA penalty area and hit a low shot that Thornton was just able to swat away with his left hand.

Chivas USA countered moments later, Kljestan sending a pass to Ante Razov 15 yards from goal. Razov hit a soft, bending shot over the head of Rimando but inches left of the post.

Chivas USA coach Preki went to his bench again in the 57th minute when he inserted forward Justin Braun in place of defender Carey Talley.

Movsisyan nearly scored in the 66th minute, firing a shot from 12 yards out that hit the side netting.

Morales blew a golden chance to seal the match in the 71st minute. After taking a pass from Movsisyan at midfield, Morales raced unmarked toward the goal but opted to take a 19-yard shot over Thornton, who had come off the goal line. Morales' shot went wide left of the goal.

Five minutes later Morales made up for it. Robbie Findley corralled a loose ball near the left corner before passing to Morales who was standing just inside the penalty area. Morales controlled the pass, raced past a defender and hit a low shot across the goal and past Thornton to give RSL the two-goal lead on aggregate.

Chivas USA would not go without a fight. In the 83rd minute Braun took a perfect through ball from Francisco Mendoza at the top of the penalty area and slotted a shot past Rimando to pull Chivas USA to within a goal of sending the match into overtime.

The RSL bench watched the final agonizing minutes of the match on their feet.

Findley nearly took advantage of Chivas USA sending everyone forward on the attack. Findley took a deflected ball and raced half the distance of the field before hitting a close shot that Thornton saved.

Kljestan kept the Chivas USA attack going and two minutes from full time he hit a 15-yard shot just over the crossbar.

Five minutes of stoppage time were added on but RSL was able to fend off the furious Chivas USA attack and book a date in next week's conference championship.

Lewis: Red Bulls on cinema-worthy run

A writer walks into a movie producer's office and throws a script down on the desk.

"Do I have a movie for you," he says.

"It's about this down on their luck soccer team that can do very little right for the first dozen years of their existence. They have average almost a coach a season. Players come and go in a revolving door. In their most current season, they stumble, can't win on the road. They lose their captain to retirement. Their teenage prodigy goal-scoring star is sold to a Spanish club for millions. And they lose their goalkeeper and leading defender to drug suspensions on the eve of the playoffs. They barely make the playoffs and go on a run that includes eliminating the defending champions, reach the championship game and ..."

The producer interrupts the writer before he can finish his spiel.

"That's the most incredible, preposterous story I have ever heard," he says. "No one is going to believe it."

Believe it.

It has happened. The New York Red Bulls are only a victory away from winning MLS Cup. It might sound like fiction to many sports and soccer fans who have followed the exploits and misadventures of the original MetroStars and the Red Bulls. It seemed the club could do very little right from the onset.

After yet another amazing, incredible -- whatever adjective you want to use -- the Red Bulls are on the precipice of capturing the 13th MLS title on a run not even a writer with the most imaginative mind could conjure up.

This from a organization that, quite frankly and like it or not, has been a point of some derision in the league, regardless of their name (remember, they started out as the MetroStars before Red Bull purchased the club in 2006). They have had more coaches (11 in 13 seasons) and used more players (202) than any other club. They have found it very difficult to gain any traction in the New York market.

But underachieving has been the club's mantra -- until recently.

Strange forces are working here. It is difficult to fathom exactly what they are, but there are unusual things happening. First came the stunning elimination of the two-time MLS Cup champion Houston Dynamo in their Western Conference Semifinal Series, climaxed by a surprising 3-0 win at Robertson Stadium in Houston, where the Dynamo have been virtually invincible. The came the 1-0 victory against Real Salt Lake in the conference championship at beautiful Rio Tinto Stadium Saturday night.

Look at the youngsters who have stepped up, to name just a few:

• Goalkeeper Danny Cepero, 23, a fourth-round pick in the 2007 supplemental draft (46th overall), the after-thought, less publicized draft, has become the individual story of the postseason. Cepero stepped up after Jon Conway was suspended for 10 games for using banned substances. In his MLS debut, he became the first 'keeper in league history to score a goal in a 3-1 win over the Crew. After a hiccup or two in the 5-2 loss to the Chicago Fire (most of the goals were not his fault), Cepero has stood on his head in the playoffs, surrendering but one goal in three games while accruing a pair of back-to-back road shutouts in the playoffs (a rare achievement, indeed, in the postseason). He was just as brilliant at RSL, making seven saves. And he might have been a bit lucky, watching three balls bounce off the left post.

• Rookie midfielder Luke Sassano, who turned 23 on Oct. 14, hadn't started a game since the 2-0 win against Toronto FC on Aug. 17 ane then became a forgotten Red Bull, appearing in two more regular season games as a second-half substitute. But after the 5-2 regular-season ending debacle of a loss to the Chicago Fire in which Juan Pietravallo played poorly and after Seth Stammler learned he would miss the postseason with a knee injury, coach Juan Carlos Osorio decided to use Sassano in the defensive midfielder role. He could not have done any better, limiting two-time MLS MVP Dwyane De Rosario to no goals or assists in the upset of the two-time defending champion Dynamo and playing very well Saturday night.

• Midfielder Sinisa Ubiparipovic, a second-year pro and 25 years old, had last seen the starting lineup Sept. 6, when the Red Bulls lost at the Fire. Ubiparipovic played some 25 minutes of the 1-1 draw at Real Salt Lake on Oct. 9. When Venezuelan international midfielder Jorge Rojas, the team's playmaker, underachieved, especially in the regular-season finale, Osorio decided to turn to Ubiparipovic to run the show at central midfielder. Like his good friend Sassano, Ubiparipovic has done a tremendous job, not only on the attack, but on defense as well.

And the "old guard" has done its job and then some.

• Juan Pablo Angel, 33, might be best known as a goal-scoring machine, but his presence in the locker room has been vital to the team's success. According to Red Bulls players, Angel is the last thing from a foreign player who is a diva. He may be talented, but he has a blue collar mentality, setting an example as the hard-working player. If Angel can do it, the rest of the team has to fall into line.

• Midfielder Dave van den Bergh -- the other David in the news on the same day the Los Angeles Galaxy signed David Beckham on Jan. 11, 2007 (the Kansas City Wizards traded van den Bergh to the Red Bulls for a third-round supplemental draft choice) -- has been the team's most consistent player since literally the first minute of the season, scoring seven regular-season goals and one in the playoffs (yeah, the game-winner against RSL). Actually, make that the 47 seconds. In the Red Bulls' season opener on April 5. Van den Bergh, 31, stunned the Giants Stadium crowd by connecting for the fastest goal in club history. After taking a pass from Ubiparopovic, van den Bergh found himself with the ball on the left side and let loose a 24-yard shot for a 1-0 lead the game only 47 seconds old en route to a 2-0 triumph.

It just goes to show what can happen when a team bands together in the locker room and out on the field. Yes, it sounds like a cliche, but Osorio, who forged a reputation for his strategy and tactics, has done a marvelous job of rallying his troops, especially after the drug suspensions, which could have ripped apart many a team.

In MLS Cup 2008, the Red Bulls take on the Crew, who are coming off one of the best regular seasons for any MLS club. The Supporters' Shield winners are directed by Sigi Schmid, a crafty, wise veteran coach who knows his X's and O's and how to deal with players. Schmid has an array of weapons at his disposal, including Guillermo Barros Schelotto, who should be the MLS MVP (the winner will be announced Thursday).

The Red Bulls aren't exactly outmatched against the favored Crew. They actually lead the season series, 2-1, winning that home opener and the Cepero goal game. Columbus prevailed 3-1 at their place on Sept. 18.

The Crew is expected to be favored in the Home Depot Center confrontation in Carson, Calif. next Sunday. And if you look at it logically, that seems to make sense.

But just remember this: logic hasn't always prevailed during these topsy-turvy playoffs (no matter which team prevails, the MLS Cup winner will be the first Eastern Conference team to win the championship other than D.C. United, although the Red Bulls have played in the Western Conference in the playoffs).

And being this close, the Red Bulls smell a league championship and are not about to rest on their laurels just yet.

Cepero, defense carry New York to Cup

SANDY, Utah -- As the New York Red Bulls have reached a first MLS Cup Final in club history, leaving highly favored and higher seeded teams in their wake, their charge through the postseason has come from a most unlikely source -- thanks to a patched-up defense.

They're not only winning, but also getting shutouts along the way, while playing on the road.

Last week, while upsetting the top-seeded Houston Dynamo, the Red Bulls defense absorbed an extraordinary amount of pressure from the defending MLS Cup champions. While Dane Richards was running past the Houston defense, New York's backline kept 16 Dynamo shots from finding the back of the net.

Saturday's Western Conference Championship against Real Salt Lake was no different. The Bulls saw just as many shots in the second half alone in Salt Lake as they did during the Houston game last week. RSL finished with 24 attempts on goal.

The Red Bulls have allowed just one goal total in their three postseason games, the fewest among the eight teams to reach this year's MLS Cup Playoffs.

"It felt like there was a wall at midfield," said goalkeeper Danny Cepero about the second half against RSL. "That's the way the game is going to be played. Their backs were against the wall, so they're going to bring everything they can to try and equalize."

It was situation that Red Bulls head coach Juan Carlos Osorio was expecting when facing a team like Salt Lake.

"We knew that's what would happen," said Osorio. "They are a very good attacking team. I think we weathered the storm. When we didn't clear the ball the post helped us today. The post is part of the goal. I'm very pleased for everybody including Danny [Cepero], he was magnificent today, too."

Cepero, of course, was playing in just the fifth game of his MLS career. He was forced into the lineup after goalkeeper Jon Conway -- who had started all previous 28 league games -- and starting center back Jeff Parke, were suspended for 10 games for violating the league's substance abuse policy.

While Cepero was called upon to make a few acrobatic fingertip saves, he deflected all praise to the efforts of his teammates in front of him, and the work that they put forth. "The clean sheets are all a credit to the guys in front," said Cepero. "I make a few saves, but it's those guys that cut out most of the chances and make my day a little bit easier. They played their tails off today, and last weekend, and for most of the season. They've worked as hard as I think they've ever worked on a soccer field, so kudos to them."

The young goalkeeper also credited the mental toughness of his teammates -- most of whom he really got to know just a few weeks before being pressed into duty, after spending much of the year on loan with Harrisburg of the USL Second Division.

In the face of such an overwhelming attack, he pointed out that it was a team effort to keep RSL at bay. Although it wasn't always perfect, the end result was enough to move on to next Sunday's MLS Cup Final against the Columbus Crew.

"There were times when it gets a little bit erratic," said Cepero. "That's where the mental game comes into it. I think, these guys, it's a credit to them, to have that mental strength to continually focus for that last 45 minutes, and know that we may not get many chances; we may not keep the ball up for that long. But we're going to have to play hard-nosed defense and hold on to the lead."

The Red Bulls also acknowledged that a bit of luck helped pushed them through to the final. There were at least two occasions on Saturday night when Javier Morales curled a free kick into the area for RSL, beating everyone but the post. Then, in the 81st minute Will Johnson only needed to tap a rolling ball into the open net, but instead somehow pushed the ball onto the back post.

Osorio mentioned there could have also been a little divine intervention.

"I think we have to congratulate all the guys, and the post," said Osorio. "I have been disappointed, sometimes, with our luck. But, I think we got it today. The man upstairs has helped us today."

Cepero was grateful for the woodwork on the night, and he hopes the ball continues to bounce the Red Bulls' way next week against Columbus.

"It's a funny game that way," he said. "Sometimes, a quarter of an inch one way and those go in. Luck is on our side. Hopefully, the luck doesn't run out and we bring it with us to LA. Sometimes, you need that luck because you can only work so hard. There are times when the ball is just going to have to bounce your way. Fortunately for us, it did bounce our way."

Confident Red Bulls defy doubters

HOUSTON -- When nobody else gave them a chance, the New York Red Bulls believed.

They believed they could beat the Houston Dynamo at Robertson Stadium when the two-time defending champions had never lost a playoff game here. They believed they could win on the road even though they had only done so once this season.

When it was over, and the Red Bulls had stunned a throng of orange-clad Dynamo fans, advancing in the MLS Cup Playoffs for only the second time in club history thanks to a 3-0 victory Sunday afternoon in the second leg of the Western Conference Semifinal Series, the Red Bulls weren't boisterous inside their locker room.

"It's not over," Juan Pablo Angel said. "We know that we're on the doorstep of the big party of the year. We would like to get it right, but we have a very difficult challenge ahead."

It was the greatest victory in the club's 13-year history and one of the biggest upsets in the history of the MLS Cup Playoffs. Few gave the Red Bulls a chance in the series and former president/general manager Alexi Lalas said, "New York is done," on ESPN's MLS Primetime Thursday at halftime of the Chicago-New England game.

"The locker room was really enthused for this game," Dane Richards said. "We knew we just needed to stay disciplined and we got a shut out. That's amazing in the playoffs. That was a big motivation. (The critics) said our season would end today and we need better players. We proved to ourselves and our fans that we do it for them."

Richards was massive for the Red Bulls, playing a part in all three goals. Before the semifinal series started, the Jamaican winger said he would "run that left back into the ground," referring to Wade Barrett. And while Richards caught heat for his incendiary comments, he backed them up on Sunday.

"He was great. He was a threat from the very first minute," Angel said. "When you have Dane on one of those days, you have to make the most of him. ... I would take Dane every day when he's performing like that."

After the two teams played to a 1-1 draw at Giants Stadium last Saturday, Richards gave the Red Bulls the lead when he took a pass from Sinisa Ubiparipovic, raced past Barrett and scored from 12 yards out in the 25th minute.

Ten minutes later, his cross deflected off the hand of Ricardo Clark, leading to Angel's penalty kick that gave the Red Bulls a two-goal cushion heading into halftime.

"Credit to Dane, he played with controlled aggression," Red Bulls coach Juan Carlos Osorio said. "I think he's doing a lot better work now. You can see he comes inside and looks for the pass, now his combination play is better and we always know he is a threat in behind and I'm very pleased with his performance today."

Richards also iced the game in the 81st minute with a remarkable 65-yard run to the end line, forcing Pat Onstad to stay on the near post. Richards then slipped a pass to an unmarked John Wolyniec, who tapped home his first career MLS playoff goal and first tally of the season.

"It's funny because I think Barrett got in his head a little bit in the first 10 minutes and then I think Dane just took it upon himself to say this guy's not going to beat me," Wolyniec said. "He got behind him a bunch of times early and really made the difference on the first two goals, obviously and on the third. He was the key cog in all three goals."

If Richards wasn't the first star, it was Danny Cepero. The rookie goalkeeper was only credited with five saves, but each were of the spectacular variety. Perhaps his biggest was a left-footed kick save off a Stuart Holden attempt from 12 yards out in the 78th minute.

"There were some times when I kind of laughed to myself when Danny made some of those saves because those are the ones that keep us in the games, especially big games," Andrew Boyens said. "He was quality tonight. Hopefully he can keep on doing that for us."

Now the Cinderella Red Bulls head to Rio Tinto Stadium to take on Real Salt Lake Saturday night in the Western Conference Championship. For only the second time in club history, they find themselves 90 minutes from the MLS Cup Final.

"We had guys who were willing to execute the game plan, willing to battle for 180-plus minutes and that was the difference," Chris Leitch said. "It was unbelievable effort by every single guy, which is why it feels so rewarding right now. If we can continue doing this, who knows?"

Fire open flood gates after first goal

BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. -- It took nearly three complete halves of soccer to get a goal in the Chicago Fire-New England Revolution Eastern Conference Semifinal Series.

When Chris Rolfe tapped in a rebound of a save by Revolution goalkeeper Matt Reis in stoppage time of the first half Thursday, it not only opened the scoring for the series, it changed the entire atmosphere of the deciding game.

Rolfe later added an assist on a goal by Gonzalo Segares and defender Wilman Conde added a header off a free kick by Justin Mapp to create the final 3-0 difference that sends the Fire into the Eastern Conference Championship against either Columbus or Kansas City. The two teams played to a 0-0 tie in the first leg of the two-game series at Gillette Stadium last Thursday.

The victory extended the Fire's domination of New England this season, following three regular season wins by an aggregate score of 9-1. The Revolution had eliminated the Fire from the MLS Cup Playoffs the last four times the Fire qualified -- in 2003, 2005, 2006 and 2007.

The first goal came in the two minutes of stoppage time in the first half, and was a result of a key non-call by referee Jair Marrufo. Contact along the left sideline could have resulted in a foul against New England, but Marrufo let the play continue and the ball came out to Segares, who passed to Cuauhtemoc Blanco, on an angle out from the left side of the goal.

Blanco dribbled between two defenders and fired to the far post, forcing Reis to extend himself to push the ball away. Rolfe touched the ball at the right corner of the 6-yard box and had an easy tap-in into the right corner while Reis was still on the ground.

"I saw Temo sizing up the shot," Rolfe said. "He usually likes to curl it to the front post, but it being wet, I thought it might be deflected and sure enough it came right to me."

"I think that goal was the most important play of the night," Fire coach Denis Hamlett said. "It rewarded our guys for the way they played in the first half."

Timing is everything, they say, and that was certainly the case with the first Fire goal. It changed the game at a very significant time.

"That was huge," Rolfe said. "I can't tell you how much that meant to us, and they had to come out to push the game. If it had been 0-0, they would have been somewhat content keeping it like that and have the game go to penalty kicks."

"It is always great to score right before the end of the half, and vice versa, it is no good to give up a goal and go in the locker room," Fire forward Brian McBride said. "That played a big part, but the most important thing was the first 15 minutes of the second half."

The Fire and Revolution have developed a healthy rivalry over the past years anyway, and when Blanco thrust his fists in the air several times, directing them at the Revolution defense, immediately after Rolfe's score, the rancor turned up a couple of notches. In the first two minutes of the second half, the Revolution were called for a pair of hard fouls, an indication they were not going to go quietly into the wet Chicago night.

"We knew they would do that, trying to set the tone for the second half and get back into the game," midfielder Justin Mapp said. "We knew the first few minutes of the second half were crucial. We had to withstand any push they made."

The second foul of the second half, two minutes in, gave the Fire a free kick 23 yards out to the left of the box. Mapp sent his service into the 6-yard box where Conde took advantage of his height to get a head on the ball and send it into the left corner for a 2-0 Fire lead.

"We went up 2-0, and we kept our heads," McBride said. "They tried to push people forward and we had to make sure we kept playing poised rather than falling into a defensive shell and taking wave after wave."

"That kind of broke their spirit a little bit," goalkeeper Jon Busch said. "It was great timing for us and bad timing for them."

The Fire got their third goal in the 74th minute on Rolfe's assist. With New England defender Jay Heaps in front of him, Rolfe danced on the ball on the right edge of the area, then dribbled to the end line, sending a sliding cross past Heaps to Segares charging into the middle.

"I was waiting to see what was going on in the box, and I was moving to keep Heaps from tackling me," Rolfe said. "I saw Gonzalo making his run and that is when I made my move."

"I was waiting and waiting for him to beat the guy to the line," Segares said. "I knew he was going to take it to the line and cross it, so I waited for that moment."

The Fire have scored 13 goals in their last four home games. They have recorded 11 shutouts, six at home.

"It's a big relief to win this series because [the Revolution] have knocked us out of the playoffs so often. New England has shown a consistency of being a good team. But tonight our guys showed the will to move on," Hamlett said.