Momentum huge for East playoff teams

So many factors determine how well a team will fare and how far they will go in the MLS Cup Playoffs.

How the teams performed the regular season (whether teams can accentuate the good habits and cloak the bad ones), goalkeeping, preferably the hot kind, head-to-head competition with their playoff foes, how teams play on the road and who's got Big Mo on their side must be taken into consideration.

No, we're not talking about Mo Johnston, the director of soccer at Toronto FC, one of six teams that will be fulltime spectators this MLS postseason. It's the mo in momentum, which has become sooooo important in the league's 13-year history.

Of the four teams competing for Eastern Conference glory and beyond, two are on a roll and two others aren't. Unfortunately, the two have been doing quite well -- the Columbus Crew and Kansas City Wizards -- will meet in one conference semifinal series. The two other struggling sides -- the Chicago Fire and New England Revolution -- will meet in the other.

That being said, here is one intriguing stat unearthed while researching the final playoff teams -- not one of these four teams have a player who finished in double figures in goal-scoring (in fact, out of the eight playoff teams, the only clubs that can boast a player in their lineup are the Houston Dynamo and Brian Ching and the New York Red Bulls and Juan Pablo Angel).

A quick synopsis of the two series:

No. 2 Chicago Fire (13-10-7) at No. 3 New England Revolution (12-11-7)
First leg: Thursday, Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Mass., 7:30 p.m. ET (ESPN2/Deportes)

Chicago Fire

The 5-2 drubbing of the New York Red Bulls last Thursday notwithstanding, the Fire did not play their best soccer down the stretch, going 2-3-2 in their final seven games. The team lives and dies with Cuauhtemoc Blanco. If he is on his game, then watch out. First-year coach Denis Hamlett, who replaced the hastily departed Juan Carlos Osorio, has done well keeping this team above water and with the second-best defense in the league only to the Houston Dynamo.

Strengths: Blanco (seven goals, 11 assists), with his uncanny ability to find an open teammate, is a plus, but until recently he wound up playing under the radar. Chicago needs the Mexican standout to be at the top of his game in the postseason, his flip-flops and all. He is complimented by Logan Pause, who hasn't recorded a point, but his hard work in the middle of the field has been key for the team and Justin Mapp (eight assists). Chris Rolfe (team-high nine goals) is just off his best game as a pro (hat trick vs. the Red Bulls). Late-season addition and veteran Brian McBride (five goals, two assists in 11 games) could team with Rolfe to make a lethal combination up front. Jon Busch has enjoyed a career year (league-best 1.10 GAA, 10 shutouts). Busch and his defense, led by Costa Rican international Gonzalo Segares and MLS original Diego Gutierrez (who will be calling it a career after this season), gave up a conference-low 33 goals this season. Brandon Prideaux and Wilman Conde help form one of the best, if not the best backlines in the league.

Weakness: Well, Blanco, if he pulls off another disappearing act. Can the midfield produce enough scoring opportunities?

New England Revolution

Coach Steve Nicol has his work cut out for him in the opener. The Revs enter the postseason winless in their last six games (0-4-2) as he will miss four starters, including the club's two most important scoring threats. But don't underestimate this wily and experienced playoff coaching veteran as tries to concoct a strategy and lineup to stifle the Fire and make the most of a dire situation. The Revs are undefeated at home in the playoffs (9-0-4). Yes, they fell in the 2002 MLS Cup Final to the Los Angeles Galaxy, but that was considered a neutral-site game, even though the fans were partisan to the Revs.

Strengths: After a slight midseason dip, Shalrie Joseph has bounced back to secure his position as the best defensive midfielder in the league. Michael Parkhurst is still one of the league's best defenders, playing at a high level, called for only nine fouls in 28 appearances. Jeff Larentowicz has been a mainstay in the midfield. Goalkeeper Matt Reis, who had his marathon game streak snapped this season, hasn't enjoyed the heights of previous seasons, but he still can make the big save when called upon.

Weaknesses: The Revs already have four strikes against them without their two most important players in Steve Ralston (right fibula fracture) and Taylor Twellman (concussion-related symptoms). They each had eight goals. Without them, the Revs will be stretched to produce many dangerous scoring opportunities. Forward Adam Cristman (six goals) also is out after right toe surgery. So their top goal-scorers are Kheli Dube (four) and Larentowicz (four). Add the absence of defender Gabriel Badilla and midfielder Khano Smith, who were red-carded in the meaningless regular season finale loss (3-1) to the Wizards, and the opening match will be an uphill battle. Mauricio Castro could get the starting nod for Smith in this encounter and Kenny Mansally (three goals) is expected to start with Dube up front.

Outlook

The Fire won the season series, winning all three encounters by a combined score of 9-1. These teams know each other quite well, as they have met six of the last seven postseasons (except for 2004). New England's prospects look bleak, especially in the first game, as it will be missing four key players. The Fire should be favored in this series. If the Revs fall, it would be the first time in Nicol's coaching career that he failed to reach at least the conference final.

No. 1 Columbus Crew (17-7-6) at No. 4 Kansas City Wizards (11-10-9)
First leg: Saturday, Community America Ballpark, Kansas City, Kan., 7 p.m. CT (HDNet/Direct Kick/MLSLive.TV)

Columbus Crew

Before the season few fans, observers and media gave the Crew much love as Columbus was expected to be watching the playoffs from the outside. After all, Columbus hadn't reached the postseason for three consecutive seasons, so you could understand why many people did not have much confidence in the team. But coach Sigi Schmid, thanks to the patience of the Hunt family, the team's owners, did a marvelous job of putting the team together with experience and youth. The Crew started out 1-1 and then got everyone's attention with a five-game winning streak and never looked back. Columbus went on to win the Supporters' Shield. The Crew are 8-1-2 in their last 11 games. Their only loss during that span was a 3-1 defeat by the New York Red Bulls on Oct. 18.

Strengths: Where do you begin? Let's start with the fabulous Guillermo Barros Schelotto (seven goals, league-best 19 assists), who has enjoyed an MVP-type season as the team focal point. The attack (league-best 50 goals), which is led by its midfield, can leave its calling card in many ways behind the likes of Alejandro Moreno (nine goals), Robbie Rogers (seven) and Brad Evans (five). The Crew knows how to attract fouls and free kicks as Rogers (73), Moreno (69) and Schelotto (63) wound up among the top four in fouls suffered in the league. Moreover, Columbus has played well as a team and that's what it's all about. The defense has been solid behind Chad Marshall, Frankie Hejduk, Danny O'Rourke and left back Gino Padula (the Crew is 11-1-2 with him in the lineup) in front of goalkeeper Will Hesmer (1.14 GAA, 10 shutouts). Schelotto is complimented in the midfield with a hard-working bunch, including Robbie Rogers, Eddie Gaven, Brad Evans, Nigerian Olympic silver medalist Emmanuel Ekpo and holding midfielder Brian Carroll, who has been a force starting counterattacks. Versatile Pat Noonan (one goal, two assists, could very well be a playoff wildcard for this side. He has a history of scoring key goals.

Weaknesses: They do not have many, if any. There isn't one go-to man up front as Moreno is the top goal-scorer (nine). But the Crew have made out just fine by sharing the wealth, thank you.

Kansas City Wizards

Like the Crew, the Wizards are playing well recently. They are 5-1-1 in their last seven matches and unbeaten in their last four games (3-0-1), their last loss 2-1 to Chivas USA on Sept. 27. And, they have been difficult to beat at home, sporting a 7-0-3 mark in their last 10 games. Give coach Curt Onalfo high marks for lifting his team out of some horrible mid-season doldrums. The Wizards went 1-4-4 during a nine-game stretch from July 17-Sept. 9 before rebounding to their current, dangerous form.

Strengths: Like the Crew, the Wizards do their scoring by committee, but they haven't scored as many. Davy Arnaud (seven goals) leads the way, followed by central defender Jimmy Conrad (six, mostly off set pieces), which is excellent for a defender, and Argentinean standout Claudio Lopez (six). During their recent seven-game span, the Wizards have found the back of the net 13 times, thanks to the additions of Herculez Gomez and Abe Thompson, who came from Colorado and FC Dallas, respectively. Veteran John Wolff (three goals, three assists in 12 games) has played well when healthy. Wouldn't the Los Angeles Galaxy love to have goalkeeper Kevin Hartman (1.30 GAA, nine shutouts) back? Second-year pro Michael Harrington has been a plus on the backline.

Weaknesses: With Wolff (fibular stress reaction) injured, that will be a minus. While Conrad's goals has been impressive, his defense hasn't been as consistent as it has been in the past. The U.S. international and five-time MLS all-star has struggled at times without Nick Garcia (who was sent to the expansion San Jose Earthquakes) and vice versa, according to MLS insiders who have seen him play several times this season. The Wizards' 39 goals is the lowest of the eight playoff teams.

Outlook

It's too bad these two teams have to meet this early. They are two teams who playing well and unfortunately someone will have to go home early after the second weekend in November. The magic number for the Crew could be three, as in the number of goals the club has scored against K.C. while compiling a 2-0-1 record. For the Wizards to win, they will have to keep the series a low-scoring one. A shootout favors the Crew. All things being equal, Columbus might have too much for the Wizards. In fact, the Crew might have too much for everyone this year.

Win at Kansas City sparked Crew season

COLUMBUS -- As the Columbus Crew prepare for the Eastern Conference Semifinal Series against Kansas City, there's a good possibility they wouldn't be in position to defend the Supporters' Shield if not for their first trip to CommunityAmerica Ballpark.

The Crew were reeling when they faced the Wizards on June 14. After opening the season with a surprising six wins in seven games, the club fell on hard times and entered the game with a tie and three consecutive losses in its previous four games -- and had not scored in any of them.

Also, it had been eliminated from the U.S. Open Cup four days earlier after losing in overtime to Chicago in Peoria, Ill. Midfielder Eddie Gaven suffered an ankle sprain in that match and joined defenders Ezra Hendrickson and Gino Padula and midfielders Adam Moffat and Stefani Miglioranzi on the disabled list while midfielder Brad Evans was suspended for the K.C. match.

Facing that adversity the Crew needed a positive start. Defender Chad Marshall came to the rescue, scoring a header off a corner kick by Guillermo Barros Schelotto in the fourth minute to end a club-record 370-minute goalless streak. Alejandro Moreno added two more scores and William Hesmer needed to make only two saves in the 3-0 victory.

"It was an important game for us at that time of the year," coach Sigi Schmid said. "We had the Open Cup game in between where we scored a couple of games but we were struggling in league games. Getting an early goal by Marshall off a corner kick and Alejandro getting goals against Kevin (Hartman) gave us momentum. It was a big road win."

The Crew followed with a 3-3 tie at Los Angeles, a 2-1 win vs. Colorado and a 2-2 with Chicago.

"We went on a big run after that. Before that we had been on a stretch we were tying a few games and maybe losing one or two," Evans said.

Schmid said the turnaround at Kansas City helped ease the sting from what had been the pivotal moment of the 2007 season when the Wizards scored two goals in stoppage time to turn a 2-1 defeat into a 3-2 victory in Arrowhead Stadium in the 25th game of the season.

Columbus was victimized in the 93rd minute by a controversial penalty kick that Eddie Johnson converted, then Scott Sealy scored just after play resumed to enable the Wizards to become the third team in MLS history to trail at the 90-minute mark and win in stoppage time.

The loss extended the Crew's winless streak to seven games. The six-point swing in the final moments proved costly as the Wizards edged the Crew by three points for the last playoff spot.

Contrast the Crew's spiral then with this season's post-K.C. turnaround. They were 6-4-1 going in but 11-3-5 over the final 19 games. And that long scoreless streak? A distant memory. The Crew were second in MLS with 50 goals, the most in the post-shootout era (since 2000).

"Our season the year before sort of got derailed in Kansas City and this year it probably got reignited in Kansas City," Schmid said.

He was not surprised the Crew broke out of their scoring funk against the Wizards.

"Sometimes when you look at a team and they're not scoring you're looking at: 'Are we creating chances? Are we getting close?'" he said. "We were around there. We were getting close. Sometimes you've just got to be patient. We were still playing all right. I thought we were moving the ball better in training and it was just a matter of time before we got goals."

The Crew, who had beaten Kansas City 2-1 at home on May 3, also scored three on the Wizards July 17 in a wild game in Crew Stadium. The Wizards went up 2-0 by the 24th minute but goals from Schelotto, Moreno and Marshall over the next 12 minutes put the Crew in the lead. Josh Wolff got the equalizer in the 75th to complete the scoring.

"I don't think the 3-3 game will be reflective of the series," Schmid said. "Usually you don't have those offensive outbursts in a playoff game unless it's a Game 2 or a deciding game and one team takes the lead and the other has to throw everything out.

"Kansas City has changed their lineup an awful lot. They're a much different team than they were in the three games we played them. Our season series with them ended early. They've added Herculez Gomez and Abe Thompson to the starting lineup. Davy Arnaud is playing central midfield now. Jack Jewsbury is in there now. They've got a lot more workers on the field than they had before."

The playoff series, the first between the charter members, features two of the hottest teams in MLS. Columbus is 8-1-2 in the past 11 and carries a 7-0-2 home mark since June 7. Kansas City is 3-0-1 in the past four and 5-1-1 over seven matches while going 7-0-3 at home since the loss to Columbus.

Kansas City hosts the first game Saturday in the converted baseball park that has become its fortress because of a smaller pitch.

"It's narrower. Sometimes it can be box-to-box because it only takes a couple of passes to get from one box to the other," Moreno said. "It's very similar to what the stadium (Spartan Stadium) used to be in San Jose. The game is going to be pretty physical, not a lot of space; a lot of one-two touches. There's going to be opportunities simply because of how many balls get into the box because of a lack of space. It's important for us to be sharp in front of the goal and certainly be organized in the back as we have been the whole year."

The second leg of the aggregate-goals series is Nov. 8 in Columbus.

Dynamo settle for road draw with Firpo

On Sunday morning, the Houston Dynamo reserves clinched the MLS Reserve Division title in Carson, Calif. In San Salvador Tuesday night, they were three minutes from becoming the first Major League Soccer team to win on the road in the CONCACAF Champions League.

But Luis Angel Firpo rallied for a 1-1 draw on a goal by Fernando Leguizamon after Stuart Holden, who wore the captain's armband, put Dynamo in front on 16 minutes.

Dynamo had the chance to move into sole possession of second place in Group B, one point behind Mexican side Pumas UNAM, which has already booked its passage into the knockout stages. Instead, Houston, which remains unbeaten in three road matches in the inaugural competition, is still in third place with six points, two points behind Luis Angel Firpo.

The final match of the group stage is Nov. 26, three days after MLS Cup, when Dynamo plays host to Luis Angel Firpo at Robertson Stadium. Houston needs a win to advance.

With the first leg of the Western Conference Semifinal Series set for Saturday at Giants Stadium, Dynamo coach Dominic Kinnear decided to reward his reserves, which defeated Chivas USA 3-0 to win the reserve championship, with a game against a Luis Angel Firpo squad that was unbeaten in three consecutive games and entered the game in second place in Group B with seven points from four matches.

Many of the team's starters, as well as Kinnear, remained in Houston while assistant coach John Spencer went with a starting XI that, with the exception of Holden, started against Chivas USA.

That team took the game to the hosts from the opening kickoff and deservedly led when Holden got on the end of a Geoff Cameron throw-in and, after Luis Angel Firpo defender Carlos Calderon whiffed on a clearing chance, tucked the ball to the left of goalkeeper Henry Hernandez in the 16th minute.

Ten minutes later, Cameron played a give-and-go from Holden and had an open shot from just inside the 18-yard box, but his attempt bounced wide of the target. Both players were also booked two minutes apart late in the first half.

Dynamo had two golden chances to put the game away early in the second half, but Kei Kamara put an open header well over the crossbar in the 53rd minute and Holden's driven free kick from 24 yards out was inches wide of the target eight minutes later.

In the 69th minute, Emerson Velez chipped the ball into the middle of the 18-yard box, but Patricio Gomez's bicycle kick from the penalty spot was wide to the left of Houston goalkeeper Tony Caig.

With the hosts dominating possession and getting the better of the scoring chances, the Dynamo nearly snuck in the insurance marker in the 72nd minute, but Hernandez did well to push Corey Ashe's attempt over the crossbar and out for a corner kick.

Three minutes later another combination between Holden and Cameron nearly resulted in a goal, but Manuel Salazar cleared Cameron's chip off the line and Kamara was unable to get to the loose ball before Hernandez gobbled it up.

Finally, in the 87th minute, Firpo netted the equalizer when substitute Ramon Avila beat Caig to a cross from Carlos Monteagudo and Leguizamon picked up the scraps in front of the goal, putting the ball through the legs of Mike Chabala, who was on the line.

Luis Angel Firpo nearly took all three points, which would have eliminated Dynamo from advancement, when Holden was whistled for a handball deep into second-half stoppage time. But Dennis Alas' free kick from 28 yards out deflected off the wall on the game's final kick.

Wizards clinch berth, may lose Wolff

KANSAS CITY, Kan. -- Thursday was a good news, bad news day for the Kansas City Wizards.

The Chicago Fire's 5-2 win against the New York Red Bulls on ESPN Primetime Thursday means the Wizards are guaranteed a place in the MLS Cup Playoffs as a wildcard. But they might have to do without forward Josh Wolff for their last regular season game on Saturday in New England and the duration of their playoff run.

The injury has been labeled a fibular stress reaction in his lower leg. Basically, it's similar to a stress fracture, "but not quite to that point," according to Wizards head coach Curt Onalfo.

"He got a knock a couple of months back, and it just got progressively worse and worse to the point where before the New England game (on Oct. 11) it was a game-day decision because he wasn't able to train," Onalfo said. "He was able to go play (in that match), but he took a turn for the worse after he played. It's one of those things. He's in lots of pain."

After returning to Kansas City in mid-July following a year and a half at 1860 Munich in Germany, Wolff has tallied three goals and three assists in 12 games helping to rejuvenate the Wizards attack.

"It wasn't good news to hear. Josh is important to the team. Everyone sees the stuff he does for us offensively, and also defensively he works hard, which maybe a lot of people don't see," said Davy Arnaud, Wolff's closest friend on the team. "Having said that, we have to move on. Injuries happen, and we have to deal with it. And we have to go out there and get results."

Wolff sat out the Wizards' dramatic 3-2 home win against the San Jose Earthquakes last Saturday, witnessing Claudio Lopez's masterful goal and two assists performance at forward in his stead.

"A lot of guys are ready to step in when needed. Last week Abe [Thompson] and Claudio did a great job up there, and Ivan [Trujillo] was ready when Abe went down [with an abdominal strain]," said Jack Jewsbury. "We have 18 guys ready for the game. You never know when your number is going to get called, so everybody's got to be alert and ready."

Thompson is ready to go for Saturday, but the Wizards remain hopeful Wolff will be ready soon.

"That's why we have depth," said Onalfo. "It's unfortunate, but we're going to stay optimistic that [Josh] will heal quickly and be able to contribute at some point down the line."

United start hot but hit wall against Marathon

WASHINGTON -- D.C. United finally concluded their CONCACAF Champions League campaign with a 4-2 loss to CD Marathon at RFK Stadium on Wednesday night, a frustrating defeat that in many ways represented a microcosm of their entire ill-fated season.

United already had no chance of advancing to CCL's knockout rounds and their season had effectively coasted to an unhappy end over the weekend with a 1-0 league loss to Columbus that snuffed out their playoff hopes. But the Black-and-Red nonetheless hoped that a positive result against their Honduran guests would bring joy to their fans and offer some consolation on the eve of a long, soul-searching offseason.

Francis Doe's 10th-minute opener boded well for those intentions and the visitors, chasing a place in the next round, were often second-best to United in the first half. Yet just like so many of their previous CONCACAF matches this year, D.C. were once again stung by the referee's notebook as Santino Quaranta earned a startling ejection in the half's dying moments.

So often United's heart and soul during this trying season, Quaranta had begun the sequence that led to Doe's goal and was putting in a solid performance along the right flank. But when he saw Marathon defender Oscar Bonilla deliver what looked like an unpunished elbow to Doe's head just moments before he himself was whistled for a soft foul on Mario Berrios, the Baltimore native briefly lost his composure and was harshly punished by Mexican referee Benito Archundia.

"I just said it was a joke," Quaranta said afterwards. "I lost my head, I guess. But still, I didn't get a yellow card for the tackle. He gave me two yellow cards in a row and he didn't understand English, either, so I don't know. I was surprised. I was angry about the call -- I didn't touch the guy and he fell."

He also admitted to being influenced by several weeks' worth of accumulated frustration.

"Listen, it was an intense game as it was. What just happened this weekend, everybody was a little on edge," he said. "I guess it's the buildup to this whole year, man -- you go into a game like that and then the referee is calling fouls like he was. You get to a point where you just can't take it anymore, and I lost my head a little bit. The biggest thing for me is not the red card, it's letting the guys down, watching them have to play with 10 and run around because of my stupidity, you know?"

Quaranta's team surrendered the go-ahead goal less than a half-minute into the second stanza and Marathon's task was straightforward from there, as "The Green Monster" made good use of their numerical advantage to secure the three points that enable them to advance from CCL Group A.

"What we have to understand as a team is that when you have international refs, they treat things differently. I'm not sure how far Santino pushed it there," said D.C. head coach Tom Soehn. "He's got to control himself. It was a good game up until that point; we were knocking [the ball] around pretty well. Any time you go shorthanded, obviously it makes it a heck of a lot harder."

Marathon had already found plenty of holes in the United back line with both sides on level terms, and their lively strike force, prompted by Honduran international Milton Nunez, only prospered more in the final 45 minutes as the hosts tried valiantly to chase the game.

"We held a flat line and we didn't cover each other well enough, at least in the first half," said Soehn. "In the second half we went with three backs and we were just pushing to get goals back so we opened ourselves up a little bit for the [counterattack]. We just have to build an understanding of what it takes and make sure our line's even higher, or cover each other defensively so that if we do break down, everyone's got cover behind them."

The night still had one final sour note left, as Doe was ejected for his second yellow card in injury time. Their disciplinary record in league play hardly suggests that D.C. are a band of hard men, but after Wednesday night United have racked up six red cards in CCL play.

"Another CONCACAF night," said defender Devon McTavish, who saw red in his team's CCL opener against Deportivo Saprissa last month. "The way the season has gone, the way CONCACAF has gone, getting a red card in the first half again set the mood for the rest of the game, and they took advantage of it."

Watson impresses against former team

FRISCO, Texas -- When he came on the field for the final 11 minutes last Saturday against Real Salt Lake at Rio Tinto Stadium, FC Dallas forward Jamie Watson saw his first MLS action in more than a year. Last with RSL, where he did not see any action before leaving the Wasatch Front earlier this year, his last league minutes came Oct. 15, 2007, when he played the final 44 minutes of a 1-0 RSL loss to eventual MLS Cup champion Houston.

"He did fine," FCD head coach Schellas Hyndman said. "He was active. He was running forward, was trying to get open and dropped a great ball back to Drew (Moor) that he put onto the crossbar. I just think that we needed something a little bit more inspirational and somebody that was willing to get into the goal box at all costs to score a goal in spite of the risk of injury. I thought he brought that with his enthusiasm. I thought he played very well against Tigres, so it was kind of a reward for him."

For Watson, he couldn't have drawn up any better circumstances to make his first-team debut with FCD.

"If I had to pick one team to make my debut against, it would definitely be Salt Lake for personal reasons and also for this being the biggest game that this club has had in the year," he said. "So, I was glad to be able to be part of it. The circumstances weren't the best, being a man down and at 2-1, we were just pushing forward. When they scored the third one that was going to happen because we were pushing numbers forward.

"Personally, it was pretty cool because there were a lot of people within that organization and outside of it in the fan base that kind of wrote me off," he continued. "To kind of prove some people wrong that I can't play at this level and can't contribute to a team as big as Dallas, it was nice to put it back on some people and say that you can't put a period where there should be a comma."

The Dallas-area native has been on a good run of form lately. Watson played well in a reserve game prior to last Tuesday's friendly with Mexican side Tigres UANL, a match in which he scored a goal. That performance helped land him on the travel squad for the RSL game.

"I think he's a player that plays on emotion and drive," Hyndman said. "He's got a lot to prove. He was let go by (RSL), so this was a great opportunity for him to come back. He did have a good game against Tigres, who was a very good defending team. He matched them physically and scored a goal. He's somebody that I think has some soccer tactical sense."

Even though the Hoops will not be going to the playoffs for the first time since 2004, Watson admits considering the run he is on, he wishes the season was a bit longer.

"I'm sad the season is ending right now," he said. "I've done well. You get a run of form, just go with it and try to do the things that you've been doing that are working. The coaches were good about talking to me because I did well for a while when I first got here but then, I don't know what happened but I kind of got into a lull. Maybe I'm blacked out right now and don't know what I'm doing. Maybe that's why it's going well. I don't know."

Watson attributes his good form to a high fitness level.

"Right now, I think part of my run of good form is being so fit," he said. "I feel like I am in some of the best shape I've been in a long time. I do a lot of stuff on my own in the afternoons when we have time off. I stay up all night and can't sleep during the day. So, I have all this extra energy and have been running a lot. It's weird but it's also good because I'm in shape now."

He also wants to carry that over into the offseason. "I thought about going to Salt Lake and training out there," Watson said. "It's weird because when I was there, I always came back to Dallas to train in the offseason. Now I want to change it up, so I might go back there to train. It will be good to get into shape at altitude because once you come back there, everything is so much easier."

FCD finishes the season on Sunday against the LA Galaxy at The Home Depot Center. But Hyndman plans to train his club for another two weeks in order to evaluate personnel and Watson definitely wants to be with the Hoops again in 2009.

"I mean I hope so because I don't (think) the coaches would have brought me in if they didn't see me making it through the end of the season," Watson said. "If that was the case, they probably would have told me to just train on my own and look for a team next year. You never know because there are going to be a lot of changes, so it's hard to say how each person is going to match up until you get into the meeting with Schellas (Hyndman) and John (Ellinger).

"It's an issue too of this being my fifth year in the league and I need to be in a situation where I'm challenging for playing time," he continued. "That's on me. I can't expect them to give it to me but at the same time, I need to put myself in a good situation and kind of find a role within the team whether it's here or anywhere else. I'd like it to be here. This is where I wanted to be in the first place. I loved my time in Salt Lake but Dallas is my hometown and this is the team I grew up watching. Why wouldn't I want to be here?"

Late score finally goes in RSL's favor

COMMERCE CITY, Colo. -- It wasn't pretty, but Real Salt Lake will take their draw in Colorado on Saturday night and gladly play in their first postseason in club history next week.

Real Salt Lake were forced into an uncomfortable situation where they needed at least a point while playing at the home of their bitter regional rivals. The Rapids started the match as the aggressors, controlling the tempo and even getting an early goal.

For much of the opening half, and for large stretches in the second, the Rapids looked the better team. In fact, RSL head coach Jason Kreis felt his team was lucky to get the vital point needed to secure the final playoff spot in the Western Conference, and that it was poetic justice for the many results this season that they have dropped in similar fashion.

"I would say that's the first point that we picked up all year, that I would say, maybe we didn't deserve," said Kreis. "There've been a lot of points out there this season that we feel like we deserved and didn't get. For me, this is the first time, perhaps, that the ball bounced our way."

After surrendering a goal in just the 19th minute, RSL spent the rest of the match searching relentlessly for the equalizing goal. The Rapids remained compact in the back, and offered few chances to score. In addition to the Rapids pressuring RSL all over the pitch, Kreis felt his team, possibly, subconsciously, started the game with a defensive mindset.

"I really, really believe that no matter how many times we preached during the week that we were going to go out and be aggressive, I really believe that they kind of felt like we were going to keep numbers back," said Kreis. "And, we were just keeping too many numbers back. In midfield they were kind of running over us because we had two extra guys in the back. We didn't play with the same aggressive mentality as we have all year. And, I think in the end, that hurts us.

"We're a team that has to be the aggressors; we're a team that has to go out there and be full of confidence and vigor and get at them. When we don't do that we get out played."

After repeated attempts to break down the Colorado defense, when the match seemed all but out of reach, a high ball was sent into the box that Robbie Russell flicked on with a header in the 90th minute. It was a touch that Andy Williams was anticipating.

The Jamaican international fired a shot that was parried by Colorado goalkeeper Bouna Coundoul. Luckily for Real, the deflection fell to Yura Movsisyan, who tucked the loose ball into the open net.

"I knew Robbie was going to go up ... and I knew that he was going to get a piece of it," said Williams. "I was just hoping that it was going to fall my way. After it bounced, it kind of had a topspin heading to the goal.

"I was thinking that if Bouna was coming out -- I had no clue where he was -- so I turned around and just got a toe on it, and [Coundoul] made a great save, again. And, Yura just cleaned up the mess."

Movsisyan was also thinking one step ahead of the play in order to be ready to make the most of his opportunity.

"All I thought was, Andy was in the box and I knew that either he scores or the goalie's going to give up the ball," said Movsisyan. "Fortunate enough for me, the goalie saved it and I was there to put it in."

The goal surprised everybody, including Kreis. The way the game was progressing it looked as though Salt Lake would fall just short of the postseason. But Kreis pointed out that his players never gave up, even though they were in the midst of possibly their worst showing of the season. The falloff in form could not have come at a worse time, but they still were able to pull it off.

"I couldn't believe it," said Kreis of the result. "I thought we played poorly tonight, really, to be completely honest. Overall, it was probably one of our worst games all season. And to see the guys to continue to stick with it, and to continue to believe, I kept telling them that I felt from the bench that it was going to come, it was going to come. But, I don't know if all of me really believed that."

With a spot in the MLS Cup Playoffs now secured, Kreis admitted that at the beginning of this season the postseason was never really an honest goal. The main point of the year was to improve, which he feels Real Salt Lake has done quite well. The playoffs are the gravy to an amazing season.

"Honestly, and I haven't said this publically, before the season I don't think there is anybody, even in our own staff, that would have said that we're going to make the playoffs," said Kreis. "I really felt that we believed we were going to be a much, much better team. We set goals for ourselves, but one of them was not to make the playoffs. I think it's full credit to the players, because they've come together better than any other group of players I've ever been around.

"To have so many new players and to have them come together and gel, as they have this season, full credit to them."

While Kreis was directing praise to his players, they were singing high praises to the large and boisterous group of RSL supporters who made the trip over the mountains to witness history.

"That was awesome!" said Russell of the RSL supporters present at Dick's Sporting Goods Park on Saturday. "That was great! As an athlete, when your fans are behind you like that, it literally is an extra guy on the field. Today, they were like two extra guys."