Crew look for first MLS Cup appearance

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Only three players remain from the 2004 club.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Real advance to Conference Championship

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Lewis: Red Bulls on cinema-worthy run

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

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

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

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

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

Believe it.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Cepero, defense carry New York to Cup

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Confident Red Bulls defy doubters

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Fire open flood gates after first goal

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Schmid rewarded for Crew's success

COLUMBUS -- The MLS Coach of the Year award given to Columbus Crew head coach Sigi Schmid on Tuesday is for the team's mercurial rise from a non-playoff team in 2007 to the best in the league.

The honor covers only this season's success but the way Schmid views it, the recognition is a culmination of three years of hard work since being hired by general manager Mark McCullers nearly three years ago, on Oct., 20, 2005.

Since then the roster has been gutted with just three players left from the 2005 team that went 11-16-5 under Greg Andrulis and interim coach Robert Warzycha. Just seven players remain from Schmid's first team in Columbus that was 8-15-9 in 2006.

"The first year ended up being a lost year with all the injuries, going through all those players and five or six goalkeepers, losing so many man-minutes," Schmid said. "You wanted to build part of that base in year one but you really couldn't build any of the base. We got the base built in year two. In my mind this is sort of like year two of a three-year project because of what happened the first year.

"It's a tribute to the team and the staff for everybody's hard work. It means we've had a good season."

A glimmer of what Schmid was developing was seen last season when the Crew improved to 9-11-10 and came within a win of making the MLS Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2004.

Still, few expected the leap from that point to a 17-7-6 record and the 2008 Supporters' Shield.

"It's phenomenal. It's a testament to his hard work," midfielder Brad Evans said of Schmid's award. "He's put in his work here with McCullers and his assistants the past few years to bring in players he feels comfortable with it."

The addition of forward Guillermo Barros Schelotto in May 2007 gave the team its first superstar since the departure of Brian McBride before the 2004 season. Schmid then made sure he had the right components around the playmaker.

Forward Alejandro Moreno was obtained from Houston just after Schelotto's arrival and the pair meshed this season -- Moreno had a career-high nine goals, many off Schelotto's league-leading 19 assists.

Schmid trusted young players such as midfielders Brad Evans, Robbie Rogers, Emmanuel Ekpo, Eddie Gaven and defender Andy Iro. He put his faith in goalkeeper William Hesmer, who tied a club record this year with 10 shutouts, and rookie forward Steven Lenhart, the super sub who had three tying goals in the final minutes of matches.

Chad Marshall was pushed by Schmid to take a bigger leadership role and he responded by earning his first MLS Defender of the Year award last week.

"He really has a lot of superstitions and he's kind of a quirky character but he's also someone who knows the game extremely well," said Kansas City goalkeeper Kevin Hartman, a member of Schmid's 2002 MLS Cup champion Los Angeles Galaxy. "You talk about young players. He can identify with them very, very well."

The Crew survived a midseason slump to go 8-1-2 in the last 11 games of the regular season, then defeated K.C. in the first round of the playoffs. The Crew play host to Chicago Thursday in the Eastern Conference Championship.

"The team's been consistent throughout the year," said Warzycha, now a Crew assistant. "We've had players develop here under him. I wasn't thinking of anybody else other than Sigi getting this award."

A hallmark throughout the season was the ability to rally. Deficits were as inconsequential as yesterday's weather forecast. The Crew forged at least a tie 10 of the 17 times they gave up the first goal.

"It comes from their spirit," Schmid said. "One of the things we talk about all the time is that the most important thing is the next play. It's something I learned from Bora Milutinovic when I was coaching with him in the World Cup in '94.

"That was always his favorite saying, 'Next play.' It doesn't matter what happens, it only matters what's going to happen. The team has taken that attitude on the field as well. It's, 'If we're faced with an obstacle, OK, we can't change that. Let's move onto the next thing. Let's change the next things we have control over.' That's been our approach all season."

Schmid, who also won the award in 1999 with Los Angeles, is more than the coach. In the popular vernacular of the presidential election, he was a (soccer) community organizer. He could often be spotted hoisting a few at the favorite bars of the supporter groups to drum up interest.

When the three main groups had some disagreements this season after being moved from the north end zone to the northeast corner of Crew Stadium because of the construction of a concert stage, it was Schmid who organized a forum with himself and a few players present to bring everyone together.

Today, the Nordecke (German for north deck) is as vibrant as any supporters section in MLS and Schmid credits them for the 12-2-2 home record in league and cup play.

"He's someone who's a huge asset," Hartman said. "It's not only what he does in the locker room with the players. I'm sure he was a huge impetus for what goes on down there in the crowd in the corner of the field. He really takes it to heart and really, really enjoys the game and loves it and wants to live it and be a part of it for a long, long, time to come."