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."

RSL earn first-ever playoff berth

COMMERCE CITY, Colo. -- A goal in the 90th minute was enough to give Real Salt Lake the 1-1 draw they needed to reach the postseason for the first time in club history.

Yura Movsisyan's goal, from a rebound after Bouna Coundoul saved an Andy Williams shot, also kept the Rocky Mountain Cup in Utah for the second consecutive year.

Conor Casey had put the Rapids ahead in the 19th minute, and it seemed they would hold out to the very end and snatch the final playoff spot in the Western Conference away from Real.

But Movsisyan popped up for the dramatic equalizer to send RSL into a Western Conference Semifinal Series against Chivas USA. Real will play host to the first postseason game in club history next Saturday at Rio Tinto Stadium.

With both sides going after the match from the opening whistle chances came early and often. In just the second minute, RSL fullback Ian Joy was beaten by Omar Cummings along the sideline. Cummings turned the corner to goal and sent a low cross to a charging Nick LaBrocca at the near post. LaBrocca couldn't get enough on his first-time chance and pegged his shot into the side netting.

Real didn't waste any time forming an attack of their own. In the fifth minute Movsisyan broke free down the left side before sending a low, driven ball toward the penalty spot. Clint Mathis was there for RSL, but let the ball go through, where it continued to roll until it went over the sideline.

Movsisyan was pressing the issue again in the following minute. The RSL striker chased down a bouncing ball in the Colorado box and struck a shot that went inches to the wrong side of the far post.

In the following minute the game was back in the Salt Lake area as Casey turned Nat Borchers near the edge of the six-yard box. Borchers was still able to recover and block Casey's shot with a sliding tackle. The deflection fell to Cummings, who pumped his close-range shot over the bleachers behind the goal.

The scoring opened in the 19th minute when Casey received a ball over the top from Jordan Harvey and then chipped goalkeeper Nick Rimando from just inside the box.

The goal initiated a long period of possession for the Rapids as Salt Lake had a hard time stringing more than a few passes together. The RSL defense also saw much of the ball. In the 41st minute a LaBrocca shot was deflected out for a Rapids corner.

On that corner, the ball was cleared to the top of the area where Colin Clark rifled a shot that Rimando had to go completely horizontal to keep out of the net.

As the half came to a close RSL mustered a few more promising chances. Chris Wingert whipped a precise ball into the middle of the Colorado area. Mathis drove a strong header on frame that only a diving save from Coundoul could keep could keep out. The outstretched Coundoul was able to get enough on the ball to push it onto the post.

Two minutes later Wingert was attacking again, this time on his own. Wingert carried the ball in from the sideline and then cut toward the front of the goalmouth. From nearly 25 yards, Wingert's shot forced another save from Coundoul.

Rimando was up to the task again for RSL. In the 49th minute the Salt Lake 'keeper did very well to keep out a shot from LaBrocca.

Real began controlling the match around the hour mark. Wingert swung a dangerous cross in front of the goal that was put over the bar for a corner. Six minutes later Movsisyan rushed a shot on a bouncing ball coming out of the top of the penalty area and skied his chance well over the goal.

In the 67th minute Movsisyan crashed into the Colorado area with a pair of defenders hanging off him. As he sent his shot well wide of the far post, Movsisyan fell to the ground, but no foul was forthcoming from referee Alex Prus. Mathis received a yellow card for forcefully appealing the decision.

A pair of injuries occurred simultaneously, on separate plays in the 69th minute. First, Will Johnson caught Wingert in the face with his cleats. As Wingert went to the ground Javier Morales was whistled for a reckless foul on Kosuke Kimura. After several minutes, with Kimura on the ground, the referee showed Morales a yellow card.

As Salt Lake pushed forward they were caught on the counter from the Rapids in the 82nd minute. As Clark streaked toward the RSL goal Borchers brought him down just outside the area. The ensuing free kick was headed for the upper corner before Rimando flew to get a hand on it and punch it over the bar.

In the final moments, Salt Lake threw everything forward in search of the equalizing goal. A chance fell to Williams in the box, but was stopped by a firm tackle by Ugo Ihemelu.

But, in the 90th minute, the equalizer finally came. Williams took another blast that was deflected away by a diving Coundoul. The clearance fell to the right side of the goal area where Movsisyan strolled in to place his shot into the open net.

For the five minutes of stoppage time, the Rapids tried desperately to regain the lead and the playoff spot. In the added period, a chipped ball in from Terry Cooke looked menacing until it fell into the arms of a rushing Rimando.

With the final whistle the Real bench -- and their supporters who had make the trek over the mountains -- erupted into wild celebrations. The loss marked the second consecutive season the Rapids have missed out on postseason play, the first time in the club's history they've sat out the playoffs in consecutive years.

Traveling fans give Real boost

COMMERCE CITY, Colo. -- As the match between Real Salt Lake and the Colorado Rapids kicked off at Dick's Sporting Goods Park on Saturday night, a section packed with red-clad supporters could be heard throughout the stadium, singing and cheering their team while it fought for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference.

Members of several of RSL's supporters groups, as well as fans who just enjoy the team, loaded a bus in faint glow of the early morning to endure the daylong bus ride to Denver to do their part in helping RSL make history.

The group of nearly 60 dedicated fans who rode the bus were added upon by several who found their own way to Colorado for the match, increasing the RSL fan presence to more than double that of the bus capacity.

And although they may have been outnumbered by the nearly 15,000 Rapids fans, the band of Real supporters could be heard clearly during the course of the match.

"RSL fans have been known to be the really, really loyal to us," said Yura Movsisyan, whose 90th-minute goal gave RSL a 1-1 draw and its first-ever playoff spot. "They stuck with us through thick and thin, and I think we rewarded them today -- with everything that has been going on the past four years -- we rewarded them today with a playoff berth."

Starting in the team's inaugural season, Real Salt Lake and a group of their supporters collaborated to arrange a road trip for RSL fans who wanted to witness and take part in the presentation of the Rocky Mountain Cup -- the trophy given to the regional winner of the season series against Colorado. The initial trip was well attended and now, three years later, the trip has become somewhat of a tradition.

"The Rocky Mountain Cup represents the rivalry," said Ethan Gomberg, an RSL supporter and one of the bus trip organizers. "Whoever wins the cup wins something, and this year it means RSL is going to the playoffs!"

At the beginning of the season Merrill Page remembered conversations that RSL general manager Garth Lagerway had with fans, where he felt it was important to for the fans to come on the road and have a presence in the stands while RSL plays away from home.

It was these memories, and the regret that he didn't join the road trip last year, that motivated Page to get the ball rolling on this year's trip.

"I just started asking people to give me names and phone numbers so that we could send them on to the team and say, 'Hey, we've got these many people that want to go,'" said Page.

With little advertising the bus quickly reached about half-capacity. Once word spread that a bus was being organized, with the help of the local news outlets mentioning the trip in their coverage of the team, every seat on the bus was snatched up. The response was so positive that a second bus was talked about, but not enough deposits were made to actually pay for it.

"At a certain point, Ethan called me and told me that he talked to some of the writers of the [Salt Lake Tribune] and the [Deseret] News," said Page. "They put a blurb of it in the paper and then that bus was full. It looked like people wanted a second bus. Unfortunately, we didn't get quite enough to fill a second bus."

In cooperation with the Rapids, who donated enough tickets to Real to cover the first busload of fans, RSL was able to offer the trip at only the cost of bus fare.

For Page, it was the personal drive to travel with the team he supports that made the trip worth all the work.

"I just didn't want to miss it," said Page. "I really wanted to go! I didn't know what kind of game it was going to be when we started the ball rolling. ... I didn't know it was going to be a game where it was going to come down to the last five minutes, as to how our season was going to go."

As to why the bus had such a good response, and filled to capacity, Page feels it's the rivalry with the Rapids that lead to the turnout.

"I think the bus would have filed up with that," Page said of the regional rivalry. "There were a lot more people that came over to our section by the time the game was over. There were probably 100 to 200 more than what we came with on the bus."

Fire pour it on New York, clinch home field

BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. -- The Chicago Fire clinched home-field advantage for the first round of the playoffs Thursday, while the New York Red Bulls went home with nothing.

Fire forward Chris Rolfe scored three first-half goals and set up two others on the night as the Fire went on to record a 5-2 win against the visiting New York Red Bulls in the regular season finale for both teams at Toyota Park.

With the win, the Fire (13-10-7, 46 points) clinched home-field advantage against the New England Revolution in their Eastern Conference Semifinal Series. That means the Fire will play at home in the second leg of the two-game, aggregate goals series.

The Red Bulls (10-11-9, 39 points) could have clinched a wild card playoff spot with a win. Instead, they have to wait on the result of the D.C. United-Columbus Crew game on Sunday afternoon to find out their playoff fate. If United wins, the Red Bulls will miss out on the postseason; if United ties or loses, the Red Bulls will face Western Conference top seed Houston Dynamo in the first round. The Kansas City Wizards clinched a playoff spot with the Red Bulls loss.

The Red Bulls finished the regular season with a 1-8-6 road record.

The Fire's five goals was the most they scored since beating the Red Bulls 5-1 on May 25 at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J.

The Fire took an early lead on their first real attack on goal. Rookie midfielder Stephen King, getting a start with the absence of injured midfielder John Thorrington, ran on to a perfectly timed through ball from Justin Mapp in the penalty area to the right of the goal. King rounded goalkeeper Danny Cepero and then sent a low cross through two defenders to Rolfe, who headed it home into an unguarded net.

The Red Bulls tied the score in the 32nd minute when Dave van den Bergh dribbled past a Fire defender down the left side, then sent a ball to the right side eight yards out to Juan Pablo Angel, whose header bounced just in front of the goal line then past Fire goalkeeper Jon Busch.

In the 38th minute, the Fire scored eventually off a corner kick by Cuauhtemoc Blanco. The kick initially bounced off a Red bull defender standing directly in front of Blanco, but it bounced into the penalty area. The ball was partially cleared, but only to the top of the arc, where Rolfe chested down the ball, then looped a one-time, instep volley into the upper left corner for a 2-1 lead.

Just before halftime, the Fire took a 3-1 lead on Rolfe's third goal. Fire striker Brian McBride and New York's Seth Stammler challenged for a long Busch clearance, the ball continuing on to the foot of Blanco. He sent a heel pass to Rolfe streaking in between two Red Bull defenders. Cepero came out to challenge Rolfe, but the Fire forward slotted the ball coolly inside the left post to complete his hat trick.

Rolfe became the fifth player in Fire history to record a hat trick, and the 33-minute span was the second-quickest in club history, after the 23 minutes Ante Razov took to complete a hat trick on May 6, 2000.

New York coach Juan Carlos Osorio, the former Fire coach, sent forward Macoumba Kandji into the game at halftime for Seth Stammler, and replaced Juan Pietravallo with defender Luke Sassano.

Rolfe started the Fire's fourth goal when he sent a through ball from midfield to Fire defender Diego Gutierrez streaking down the left side. Gutierrez, who was feted at halftime for his long service with the Fire, sent another long rolling cross past two Red Bulls to McBride streaking in from the far right side, who had an easy tap-in for the goal.

Gutierrez, who was playing in place of suspended defender Gonzalo Segares, has announced his retirement at the end of this season.

In the 71st minute, the Red Bulls finally had a scoring chance when Fire defender Wilman Conde slipped as the ball went through his legs and Dane Richards, who had come on for Jorge Rojas six minutes earlier, headed directly toward Busch from the right side. Richards shot went off Busch's head and out.

Fire coach Denis Hamlett made his first substitution in the 74th minute, sending defender Daniel Woolard into the game for midfielder Justin Mapp.

The Fire scored their fifth goal in the 75th minute and Rolfe earned his second assist of the game. The ball was tackled from Woolard in the midfield, but went straight to Rolfe on the right flank. Rolfe curled a cross back in front of goal were Woolard dove in to head it into the back of the net.

Kandji rounded out the scoring in the 88th minute for the Red Bulls, knocking home a Richards pass for his first MLS goal.

Reds find positives in loss to Quakes

SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- Toronto FC closed out their season with a 2-0 loss to the San Jose Earthquakes, ending a campaign that saw the Reds barely miss a playoff spot in only their second year in MLS.

"It was a huge disappointment, missing out on the playoffs after the great performance against Chicago (a 3-2 win last Saturday)," coach John Carver said. "We've been on a great run and the guys were high on confidence. We kept giving ourselves a chance. But after the results went against us last weekend we lost out on the playoffs, and it's very difficult to pick the guys up."

Toronto saw their four-game unbeaten run snapped as San Jose controlled most of the run of play Saturday night. A Ryan Cochrane header off a Ronnie O'Brien corner kick gave San Jose the lead in the 49th minute, and the Earthquakes added a second goal through a Shea Salinas penalty kick in stoppage time. On the night, San Jose outshot Toronto, 17-4.

Toronto's frustration showed late in the game, when Abdus Ibrahim came on for Carlos Ruiz in the 81st minute, and the Guatemalan international vented some aggravation by tipping over a large vat of Gatorade on his way to the bench.

"That's his prerogative. He's allowed that, to get upset," Carver said. "I just wish he'd have shown that much aggression on the pitch when he was playing. But no player's too big for me, and if I think somebody's not performing and doing what I want them to do, then they don't deserve to be on the pitch. And I felt that was the situation. I wanted to put the young lad on who has a bright future with the club and give him that opportunity."

Carver had said his team would try and end their season on a high note, but despite the loss, he saw a lot to be taken away from the match.

"I knew coming in here was going to be very difficult because of the huge disappointment last weekend," Carver said. "And if you look at our performance out there tonight, it was pretty poor. But I'm not going to get too disheartened by it. It gave me a huge amount of answers -- what I need, what I have, and what I need to go forward, so I have actually gotten something out of tonight's performance.

"And the work starts now," he continued. "We've already planned, we've already got a little black book of names that we're looking at, and now that the final game of the season's ended, we'll start work again on recruitment."

As for any concerns about the immediate future of midfielder Carl Robinson, Carver says Toronto fans shouldn't worry.

"Carl's sticking around," Carver said. "He's our player, he's under contract with us, so he's going nowhere. He's staying with Toronto."

Though they failed to make the playoffs, Toronto's 9-13-8 record was three wins more, and four losses fewer, than their inaugural year in the league.

"I'm looking for good players to take this club to the next level. We're only in our second season, and we've made progress over two years," Carver said. "From last year, we've picked up 10 points. If we make the same progress next year that will almost certainly get us in the playoffs."

Wizards continue magical run vs. NE

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Symmetry ruled the Kansas City Wizards' away form this season.

In their opening road game of the season, the Wizards beat Chicago 1-0 at Toyota Park. Kansas City didn't win again on the road until a 3-1 win at Gillette Stadium to close out the regular season.

It continues the success the Wizards have had in New England -- the Wizards are 6-1-4 all-time at Gillette and have gone 8-1-4 in their past 13 overall meetings in Foxborough -- but bucks the trend of road fecklessness this season.

"We don't worry about the past," Wizards head coach Curt Onalfo said. "We're a different team. We made a lot of changes eight weeks ago, nine weeks ago. Those changes have proven to really help us. We don't compare the results. It was a different time."

Times certainly have changed. The Wizards sealed a date with Supporters' Shield winner Columbus in the first round of the playoffs with the victory.

"Anytime you get three points, it's a good thing," Onalfo said. "Our team has played very well over the last seven or eight weeks. I thought we had a very disciplined game plan. I thought we executed it well."

Discipline eluded the Revolution after Gabriel Badilla and Khano Smith picked up first-half red cards.

"The game becomes a lot easier," Conrad said. "They have one or two spells of coming at you over a 20-minute period instead of five or 10. You have to keep focused."

Claudio Lopez scored a first-half penalty kick before Davy Arnaud and a Michael Parkhurst own goal ensured the Wizards would leave Gillette as winners. Jeff Larentowicz tallied a late consolation goal for the Revolution.

The win upped the Wizards record to 5-1-1 over their last seven games heading into the playoffs.

"We've been playing at a high level," Wizards midfielder Herculez Gomez said. "We have an understanding of each other. We're playing at our best. I think we've been doing the right things. We need to keep doing those things."

Heading into the playoffs in good form was one of the team's goals, Wizards defender Jimmy Conrad said.

"We wanted to have good form going into the playoffs," Conrad said. "We're 5-1-1 in our last seven games. We'd be considered one of the hotter teams going into when it counts. Columbus has been very very good this year. We haven't beat them yet. We're looking forward to it. It should be fun."

The fun starts next weekend with a home date at CommunityAmerica Ballpark against the Crew in the first leg of their Eastern Conference Semifinal Series. The Wizards boasted a 9-2-4 record at CAB this season and will look to gain an advantage heading into the second leg.

"It's not just one game," Gomez said. "It's two games. We're not only playing two games, we're playing two games against the best team in the league. We're excited about the challenge at hand."

Angel, Cepero embolden Red Bulls

E. RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- The day before a massive game with playoff implications, Juan Carlos Osorio called the timing of the suspensions of starters Jeff Parke and Jon Conway for testing positive for performance enhancing substances "the worst possible scenario."

On Saturday, the Red Bulls coach had the best possible one, getting a pair of goals from Juan Pablo Angel and a remarkable long distance strike from Danny Cepero, who capped a memorable debut with the first goal by a goalkeeper in MLS history in a 3-0 victory against the Columbus Crew at Giants Stadium.

Cepero received all the attention in the locker room for his 81-yard free kick that bounced at the top of the 18-yard box and over the head of Columbus Crew goalkeeper Andy Gruenebaum for a much-needed insurance goal seven minutes from full time. But the Red Bulls are still talking about the playoffs because of yet another brilliant performance by Angel.

"I think sometimes we sacrifice him because we play him by himself," Osorio said of Angel. "I think with the right service he is the top striker in this league."

After a scoreless first half, Angel stuck for the game's first goal three minutes after halftime, getting on the end of a Mac Kandji through ball and tapping it past the onrushing Gruenebaum.

The Crew equalized in the 62nd minute on a goal by Steven Lenhart and the Red Bulls entered the final 20 minutes needing another goal to keep their playoff hopes alive. Once again, the Red Bulls captain delivered, this time hitting a side volley after taking Seth Stammler's header off his chest for his 13th goal of the year.

"It was a matter of getting the job done. We're very pleased. (This) is the night to enjoy, but we have a big match on Thursday," Angel said, referring to the regular-season finale at Chicago. "It is far from over, we still have a job to do. We have to enjoy today after a very difficult week. I think the team stood up and we played really well today. We deserved to win."

Despite Angel carrying his team on his back, the Red Bulls still needed a historic goal by Cepero for some breathing room. After referee Michael Kennedy booked Dave van den Bergh and Pat Noonan for unsporting behavior, Cepero pushed his team up the field and prepared to take a kick from about 10 yards outside the New York penalty area.

The 23-year-old from Baldwin, N.Y., launched his kick 60 yards in the air before the ball bounced at the top of the 18-yard box and over the head of Gruenebaum. So when did Cepero know it was a goal?

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

While Cepero gains notoriety for being the first goalkeeper in MLS history to score a goal, the rookie came up huge filling in for Conway, who along with Parke, have been banned 10 games.

"In a massive game and a must-win for us, he came up massively when we needed him to and showed maturity beyond his years," Andrew Boyens said.

Osorio went with a 4-3-3 formation and used the same backline (Goldthwaite, Diego Jimenez, Boyens and Chris Leitch) that recorded shutouts against Houston and D.C. this year to protect Cepero and provide a little extra cover.

Cepero had to wait until the final moments of the first half to make his first MLS save, but what a save it was, as he pushed Ezra Hendrickson's point-blank header of a Guillermo Barros Schelotto corner kick over the crossbar.

"I don't know if it was on camera, but I took a huge sigh of relief when I saw that I can get this one, I can finally make a save and get it out," Cepero said. "There's nothing like getting that first save and breathing that sigh of relief and being like I've been here before."

Cepero didn't get to finish his statement because Boyens snuck around the horde of media surrounding Cepero's locker and pushed a shaving cream pie into the rookie's face.

It was one of the only things Cepero couldn't stop on his dream debut.

As if it wasn't eventual enough of a night, before the match Parke issued a statement through the team apologizing to "family, teammates, coaches, friends and fans ... for the events that have taken place that have led to this decision by Major League Soccer."

While he has yet to speak publicly about his suspension, Parke said he accepts full responsibility for purchasing the over-the-counter supplement that contained androstatriendione (ATD), the central defender said the banned substance wasn't on the list of ingredients of the supplement he purchased at a "nationally recognized retail chain."

"It is important for me to share with you that I was unaware of the fact that the supplement I took had any ingredients that would put me in the place that I am today," Parke said.

As well, New York Yankees outfielder Bobby Abreu participated in a ceremonial pre-game kick. The native of Venezuela has gotten to know Red Bulls midfielder Jorge Rojas since "El Zurdo" arrived in New York in July.

"We shared shirts and right now we keep in touch and just starting a friendly relationship," Abreu said. "He's good. He's one of those guys that put our team in Venezuela in a good way; he knows how to make things happen. He's one of the guys for us."

Loss could be devastating for New York

BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. -- The New York Red Bulls had their playoff destiny on the line Thursday in Chicago, needing a win to clinch a spot and a tie to improve their chances of advancing.

Instead, they put together perhaps as poor of a performance as they did against Chicago earlier this year, when they lost 5-1 to the Fire back on May 25 at Giants Stadium.

This time, the final score was 5-2, thanks to three goals and two assists by Chris Rolfe, but the effect of this game was even more devastating.

The Red Bulls could have clinched a wild card playoff spot with a win. Instead, they have to wait to see what happens with the D.C. United-Columbus Crew game on Sunday to find out their playoff fate.

"After a performance like that, I have a very big question mark as to if we deserve to be in the playoffs," Red Bulls coach Juan Carlos Osorio said. "I think it is unacceptable. We let everybody down, mainly ourselves."

Rolfe scored his goals all in the first half, and became the first Fire player ever to get a hat trick in one half. Juan Pablo Angel had a first-half goal for the Red Bulls, but they played very poorly on defense in the first half and staged no sort of comeback in the second.

"In any league in the world, against any team, it is very hard to come back when you are down like that," Angel said.

Rolfe headed the Fire into the lead after just 11 minutes, after Stephen King pulled Danny Cepero out of the goal and sent a cross into the open goalmouth. The Red Bulls tied the score in the 32nd minute when Angel headed home a Dave van den Bergh cross.

But Rolfe chested down a half-clearance from a corner kick and volleyed home his second in the 38th minute, then just before halftime, a Cuauhtemoc Blanco backheel sent Rolfe in alone on Cepero and he calmly passed the ball into the lower left corner.

"I could criticize every single goal," Osorio said. "From the first goal, I thought we were not doing what we were supposed to do. We were making (grade) school errors. We played very bad today."

It might not have seemed possible for things to get worse in the second half, but they did. Both of Chicago's second half goals were easy scores.

Rolfe started the Fire's fourth goal in the 53rd minute when he sent a through ball from midfield to Fire defender Diego Gutierrez streaking down the left side. Gutierrez sent another long through ball past two Red Bulls to Brian McBride streaking in from the far right side for an tap-in.

The Fire scored their fifth goal in the 75th minute and Rolfe earned his second assist of the game, when Daniel Woolard dove to head home a Rolfe cross from the right, after the ball was knocked away by a Red Bulls defender -- but right to the Fire forward.

"In my opinion, they are the best team in the league, and if you concede plays like that, they have a couple of players who can really kill you," Osorio said.

Now the Red Bulls must wait until late Sunday afternoon to know if they have any more games to play. If D.C. United ties or loses in their season finale with Columbus, then the Red Bulls will earn a meeting with the Western Conference top seed, the Houston Dynamo, in the first round of the MLS Cup Playoffs.

"It was the most important game of the season," Angel said. "I thought our confidence was high enough for us to play well here, but we didn't do it."

Hoops find meaning in finale vs. LA

FRISCO, Texas -- On Sunday afternoon at The Home Depot Center, FC Dallas will face the Los Angeles Galaxy in a matchup featuring two teams that will not advance to the MLS Cup Playoffs. Many might call it a meaningless affair but don't say that to the Hoops, who are treating their final installment of the 2008 season as another big game.

"I think it's good for a couple of reasons," FC Dallas head coach Schellas Hyndman said. "One, it's to finish the season on a good note, on a win because playing with pride shows character. Another reason is this is another opportunity for us to evaluate players. I still have to evaluate Victor (Sikora). He's been injured and has only has an opportunity to play a couple of games. I've got to decide if Victor is going to be part of this for next year."

FCD will be without their top two holding midfielders after both saw red cards in last week's 3-1 loss to Real Salt Lake at Rio Tinto Stadium. Marcelo Saragosa, who had the Hoops' only goal in the loss, was sent off in the first half after getting a second yellow card, and Pablo Ricchetti was ejected in the second half with a straight red.

In Ricchetti's place, Hyndman will likely use Adrian Serioux, who normally plays in the back four but did man the holding midfield spot for Houston during their run to the 2006 MLS Cup.

"I think he has a lot of great qualities for that position," Hyndman said of Serioux. "He's a defensive-minded player. He's got great size on him, good athletic ability and can win 50-50 balls. In the attacking phase, he's a good distributor of the ball and has good vision."

The Canadian international and national team mainstay is clearly ready to return to his old spot.

"That's the thing, it's obviously a position that I love to play," Serioux said. "I'll be able to see how quickly I will be able to adapt to it once I get into it. It takes a while for some players to get into the transition of playing a new role. Even though it is a new position that I have played previously, it will still be difficult to get back in the middle there and be as quick as I used to be. We'll see. I'll keep my fingers crossed and hope that everything goes well."

Serioux moving up the field will allow Hyndman to plug Aaron Pitchkolan, who performed well while captain Duilio Davino was out for seven games late in the year, into the other center back spot.

"He (Serioux) really brings the qualities that we need there with Pablo (Ricchetti) not being here," Hyndman said. "It also gives us a chance to get (Pitchkolan) back on the field. So, it's a one-for-one change, put Pitch on the field and move Adrian. I think it's the right move for us at this point and time."

Sunday's affair will be the last game in MLS for Bobby Rhine, who has been with the club since 1999 and announced his retirement earlier this week. The longest-tenured player for the Hoops will be involved in the game but it remains to be seen whether it will be as a starter or a substitute.p> Another interesting sidebar is that this game could determine who wins the 2008 Budweiser Golden Boot, which is given to the league's top scorer. LA's Landon Donovan is the current leader with 19 goals but FCD striker Kenny Cooper is hot on his heels with 18.

Cooper would need to score twice with Donovan being scoreless but the Dallas native has already had four two-goal games this year. Donovan, on the other hand, has three two-goal games and a pair of hat tricks for the Galaxy in 2008.

But the scoring title isn't even on Cooper's radar.

"I'm sure they want to finish off the year strong just like we do," he said. "It's going to be a tough game even though we're not playing for the playoffs. We're playing for pride and it's the last game of the season, so we want to finish it strong. I'm really looking forward to it. They obviously have a lot of good players, a lot of dangerous players going forward. It's just a good opportunity for us to finish the year on a positive note."

His teammates agree there is much more to play for than a scoring title.

"There's still three points to play for and positioning in the table for the end of the season," FCD defender Drew Moor said. "Obviously, we're not where we want to be at this point in the season having not qualified for the playoffs. But I think that's the little bit of motivation that we need to go into the game on Sunday in a tough place. We haven't played the Galaxy at their place yet this year, so it will be a good experience. We're going in to try and get the three points to finish the season on a win."

Serioux agreed.

"It's just a game to end the season on a positive note," he said. "For us right now, obviously being out of the playoffs is a tough one to swallow. But we're just going to go in there and do what we should've been doing all season long, is getting wins. Some of the pressure has been taken off, which will kind of be fun for a change. We can just go in there and kind of just be free, do what we want to do and what we're capable of doing. We'll see what happens. Hopefully we get the result that we deserve."

Dynamo play Chivas to physical draw

CARSON, Calif. -- The Houston Dynamo and Chivas USA exchanged second-half goals before the teams settled for a regular season-ending 1-1 draw Saturday at The Home Depot Center.

Houston's Dwayne De Rosario scored on a penalty kick in the 52nd minute, just after Chivas goalkeeper Dan Kennedy was sent off, while Chivas USA's Jim Curtin knocked in a rebound in the 90th minute to help a 10-man Chivas USA squad salvage a point.

Although three points were on the line, not much else was. Houston entered the game having already clinched the Western Conference regular season title while Chivas USA was locked in second place well before the start of the match as well.

The game stood in stark contrast to last year's season finale when Chivas USA held Houston to a scoreless draw to clinch the 2007 Western Conference regular season title.

Still, despite the playoff positioning having been set, neither side fielded a reserve-laden squad. Houston coach Dominic Kinnear sent out Dwayne De Rosario, Brian Ching and Nate Jaqua while counterpart Preki started Ante Razov, Jesse Marsch and Sacha Kljestan.

And the players didn't exactly take it easy on each other either. Ching picked up a yellow card in the 14th minute after a rough challenge on Razov while Brian Mullan drew Marsch's ire after Mullan appeared to have clipped Atiba Harris after fouling him.

Alecko Eskandarian nearly put the hosts ahead in the 19th minute when Razov sent a through ball to Eskandarian, who ran onto it some 30 yards out and carried the ball inside the penalty area. However, Pat Onstad did well to dive and stop Eskandarian's attempt.

Chivas USA continued putting pressure on Houston's backline and nearly broke through in the 23rd minute. After a great bit of buildup, Kljestan found Talley inside the penalty area. Talley fired a shot on goal that might have given Onstad a tough time had Houston's Wade Barrett not blocked Talley's attempt with his own sliding effort.

Kennedy took his turn turning away a forward on a clear breakaway. In the 41st minute, Ching beat Chivas USA's offside trap and walked toward the penalty area alone. He tried his luck from the top of the penalty spot but Kennedy was in good position and kicked the ball clear.

The ball eventually went out for a Dynamo corner kick and Ricardo Clark knocked a header on goal that Kennedy turned away as well.

Still, Chivas USA was dealt a blow in the 50th minute. Jaqua broke into the penalty area alone. Kennedy charged off his line in an attempt to stop Jaqua. The two players made contact and Jaqua nearly fell but collected himself before hitting the ground.

Defender Jim Curtin cleared the ball away but referee Terry Vaughn pointed to the spot and awarded Houston a penalty kick. Then, he gave the hosts a double whammy as he sent Kennedy off. Kennedy will now miss Chivas USA's road playoff match at Real Salt Lake as he must serve an automatic one-match ban.

De Rosario stepped up and slammed the ball past Zach Thornton, who replaced Eskandarian after Kennedy's red card. The goal was De Rosario's seventh of the season.

With a man advantage, Houston quickly settled into a rhythm. Whereas Chivas USA were the aggressors in the first half, Houston regained their swagger with the hosts reduced to 10 men.

But Thornton did well to quell any fears of Kennedy's playoff absence. Thornton made several solid plays as Houston peppered Chivas USA's goal with an array of shots. Thornton turned away Jaqua in the 76th minute as he tested Chivas USA's goal from point-blank range.

It wasnt until stoppage time that Chivas USA struck. Onstad made a reaction save in the 90th minute but the ball fell to the goal line and Curtin raced onto it and bundled it over the line into the back of the net.

Lopez, Gomez join list of K.C. heroes

KANSAS CITY, Kan. -- There has been no shortage of heroes for the Kansas City Wizards in their rebound from last place in the Eastern Conference to the verge of clinching a playoff berth. The maturing defense, led by veterans Jimmy Conrad and goalkeeper Kevin Hartman, the fortitude and pure heart put in by midfielders Davy Arnaud and Jack Jewsbury, and the various contributions by numerous other players.

Now add Saturday night's performances by Claudio Lopez and Herculez Gomez in K.C.'s wild and woolly 3-2 win against the visiting San Jose Earthquakes.

Lopez had a foot in all goals with a goal and two assists while Gomez scored the match-winner three minutes deep into stoppage time after San Jose had tied the game in the 71st minute.

"I felt good," said Lopez through an interpreter. "My teammates did a good job of supporting me and played a good game. I'm happy we're a step closer to the playoffs."

With one week remaining in the season, the Wizards stand at 39 points after the win, on top of the wildcard race, holding one of the two places with the New York Red Bulls. D.C. United is two points behind, while the Colorado Rapids are at 34 points, still yet to play this weekend.

Lopez started for the first time since Sept. 7, in place of an ailing Josh Wolff.

"Five weeks ago, he hit a point where he was just tired," said Wizards head coach Curt Onalfo. "It's normal of a player of his age, with the amount of minutes he had played all year, to hit that. He was able to get less minutes in games, which gave him a little bit more of freshness. He hurt himself, which gave him some more time off."

Lopez showed all night that he was ready to lift his side in the pivotal match. He had five shots on goal as he time and time again penetrated the San Jose penalty area. "El Piojo" ("The Louse") was back.

"I told our people in the booth on TV that he was going to have a great week. He was unbelievable in training -- scored two goals in our intersquad game in 35 minutes," Onalfo said. "He looks fresh again. He looks just like he did when we first brought him here."

In the 18th minute, Lopez took a pass from Abe Thompson and touched a first time left-footer past San Jose goalkeeper Joe Cannon for the lead. The goal was equaled in the 27th minute by his backheel flick to Davy Arnaud through two Earthquakes defenders. Arnaud put on the finishing touch to pull the Wizards ahead again after a 20th-minute San Jose leveler.

"He was great. He's been chomping at the bit to play," said Conrad. "We've been playing well, so he has to wait his turn. He's been a good professional the whole time. He came in and made a goal and an assist, probably could have had a few more. Just buzzing tonight."

The Wizards created plenty of chances on the night (13 shots on goal), but failed to give San Jose the knockout punch.

"We created a lot of chances, and I thought we were very good," said Onalfo. "But, as I turned to my assistant coach after we missed a whole bunch of those chances in the second half, I said, 'I don't feel good about this.'"

San Jose hung on, and in the 71st minute won a scramble in the box after Hartman failed to control a cross. Rookie Shea Salinas drove a loose ball into the net for the tie. But the Wizards switched to a 3-4-3 formation from their 4-4-2, kept on plugging, and made room for Lopez and Gomez's final heroics.

"The guys' heads were down, and we were yelling and screaming to try and get them to believe. And we found a way. Fantastic," said Onalfo.

After a few strong chances as full time approached and passed, the Wizards won a corner on a hustle. As the near-sellout crowd urged them on, Lopez played in a curving and dipping ball just outside the six-yard box, and Gomez got there.

"You can't really describe something like that. I found myself in a good spot, made a hard run, and Claudio had a good ball in," said Gomez. "It was really his service. I got something on the ball, and the ball wound up in the back of the net. After that, it was utter chaos. Very blessed that it went our way."

It was a storybook celebration, receiving an encore when the whistle blew after the ensuing kickoff.

"We haven't had one of those games in a while," said Conrad, who drew comparison's to last season's 3-2 win against the Columbus Crew on Sept. 15. "We had the same kind of game. That victory propelled us into the playoffs, and you need that little bit of good fortune. We were disappointed to give up the second goal, but we feel great right now."

"They didn't give up ever, and our will to win ended up being the difference," Onalfo said. "We've put so much time and effort into this. You work so hard for a few moments of that kind of feeling. ... We're a team that, in crunch time over the last six games, that has compiled a 4-1-1 record. That's a tribute to the guys in the locker room and how hard they are working and that they believe in what we're doing."

The 2008 Kansas City Wizards are becoming a team of heroes. Lopez and Gomez are just the latest stars.

"Curt made a point that we're not really getting a lot of respect from the league, so we need to come out here and work hard for ourselves. And that's what we've been doing," Gomez said. "Everybody on the field is fighting for each other. When you put out that mentality and put out that work, good things happen."

Fire look to clinch home-field with win over NY

BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. -- The Chicago Fire, a team already in the Major League Soccer playoffs, play their last regular season game Thursday against the New York Red Bulls, a team that is desperate for a win in order to make the postseason.

The Fire, with 43 points, would secure home-field advantage for the first round of the playoffs with a win against the Red Bulls. They are tied with New England, which plays against Kansas City on Saturday, and the Fire hold the tiebreaker, so they really only need to match what the Revolution do to gain the advantage of having the second playoff game at home.

But it would be better for the Fire not to have to wait to see what happens Saturday to know where the games with the Revolution will be played.

That's it: every possible implication from Thursday's result at Toyota Park. Of course, Fire coach Denis Hamlett is going to tell you the victory is the thing.

"The most important thing is for us to get three points," Hamlett said. "(Home-field advantage) was a goal, after we made the playoffs, that we were trying to get."

Arguing the value of home field advantage in a two-game series is a great way to kill time. Some say it's better to play the first one at home to build an advantage that you can protect in the second game, but that assumes that the home team will automatically "win" that first game.

Hamlett has said for weeks he would rather be at home in the second game, hoping the game would be on the line one way or another and the home crowd would motivate his team to better performance.

But of far greater concern for Hamlett is the play of the Fire's defense, which is now tied with Houston for best defense in the league after giving up three goals in a 3-2 loss to Toronto FC on Sunday.

Although he had his best back four out there (Brandon Prideaux, Wilman Conde, Gonzalo Segares and Bakery Soumare) in front of Jon Busch, the Fire fell behind 3-1 by halftime and could not recover in front of TFC's rabid fans.

The Fire will not have Segares against New York due to yellow card accumulation. Diego Gutierrez and Daniel Woolard could serve as his replacement, although Gutierrez is dealing with a heel contusion. Marco Pappa could also start and the Fire could go with three in the back.

The Fire also have to be ready for New York, which will have perhaps more motivation to win than the Fire. With 39 points, tied with Kansas City and two points ahead of D.C. United in the wild card race, the Red Bulls would clinch a wild card spot with a victory.

"To begin, the game is going to be tight, but as the game progresses, obviously they are going to take some more chances," Hamlett said.