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."

Lewis: Red Bulls' upset one for ages

You have to see it to believe it.

The New York Red Bulls did not just win a playoff game on Sunday.

They did not just win a rare road game.

And they did not just record their first playoff road shutout -- ever.

They made MLS history.

Insert the most appropriate verb you want to use: The Red Bulls (stunned, surprised, jolted) the two-time defending champion Houston Dynamo in Robertson Stadium. It wasn't just scoring a lucky goal near the end of a tight encounter and managing to eke out a one-goal victory, it was a three-goal triumph on the road that ranks as the greatest upset in MLS playoff history. This happened in the opening round at the Dynamo's house. If there are any doubters out there, please name another. When two-time champion D.C. United was toppled in 1998, it lost to a worthy opponent in the Chicago Fire at MLS Cup.

Let's face it. Given the abysmal history of the Red Bulls/MetroStars, superlatives aren't usually thrown around the team. Definitely not these ones.

When the playoffs come around, the words usually used include early elimination, horror, collapse, disappointing, frustrating and playoff futility, among others.

In other words, the same old, same old.

This year promises to be different. It already is.

All of a sudden an appearance in MLS Cup is not out of the question. Real Salt Lake, the Red Bulls' opponents, certainly are beatable (and before anyone prints out this column and tacks it onto RSL's locker room wall, the Red Bulls certainly are beatable as well). Which makes Saturday night's winner-take-all Western Conference Championship that much more alluring. Regardless who emerges victorious, one thing will be certain -- a first time MLS Cup finalist will emerge and play at The Home Depot Center for all of the MLS marbles on Nov. 23.

If New York gets that far, the championship game scenarios certainly are intriguing -- the Red Bulls vs. the Columbus Crew (a rematch of the Oct. 18 match in which goalkeeper Danny Cepero scored a goal against the Crew in his MLS debut) or the Red Bulls vs. the Chicago Fire (a grudge match between the two teams). Red Bulls coach Juan Carlos Osorio was pried away from the Fire by the Red Bulls to coach at the Meadowlands, which did not make the Fire ownership and management very happy.

But we're getting ahead of ourselves.

Let's talk about the present and even the recent past before we peer into the future.

You have to give Osorio and the Red Bulls credit, a ton of credit. They defied the experts and many of the team's faithful fans who felt that there was no way they could topple the heavily favored Dynamo.

But they did -- with a ton of grit and determination and with members of the team's no-name club, such as rookie midfielder Luke Sassano and second-year pro Sinisa Ubiparipovic.

The poster child of the "unknown brigade" has been Cepero, who is on the ride of his young life as the unlikely goalkeeper thrust into the spotlight after spending a good portion of the season in the minor leagues of U.S. soccer -- on loan with the Harrisburg City Islanders of the USL Second Division, two rungs below MLS. Now, he is only one game away from MLS Cup and two wins away from MLS glory.

And give the much-maligned Osorio a lot of credit as well. He has been bashed by fans and some of the media for his lineups and the foreigners he acquired midway through the season. They started out on an encouraging note, but have struggled lately.

For the first leg of the total goals series against Houston, Osorio benched Venezuelan international captain and playmaking midfielder Jorge Rojas, who was brought in to add some creativity in the midfield. He has benched Argentinean Juan Pietravallo, who got off to a promising start but has taken the hard role of a defensive midfielder way too seriously. And he has benched Venezuelan international defender Gabriel Cichero, who recently has been good for a goal a game -- for the opposition.

In his short stint with the Fire last season, Osorio forged a reputation as a master tactician in the first-round playoff series upset of Supporters' Shield winners D.C. United, moving players in and out of the lineup and around the field in various positions. It worked marvelously.

And so far, so very good with the Red Bulls.

Prior to the first leg against the Dynamo at Giants Stadium, while he was walking toward tunnel for pre-game practice, Osorio talked about his plans for using Sassano and Ubiparipovic in the central role over the aforementioned foreigners. A bold move indeed.

The exact words he used weren't recorded, but Osorio said something to the effect that we would now see how this tactician would fare with these moves.

It would seem he's done pretty decent, huh?

Sometimes the best moves you make are the ones that aren't made. Osorio, who has a history of tinkering with the lineup, let well enough alone for the second leg in Houston, using the same lineup as in the first game.

Osorio obviously understands the philosophy of "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."

Today he is considered a genius.

Today his team is only two wins away from MLS Cup glory and making some more headlines and MLS history.

Longtime rivals meet in postseason for first time

BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. -- The Chicago Fire and Columbus Crew meet again Thursday, for the first time.

The Crew have been in Major League Soccer for 13 years, the Fire for 11. The Fire have been in the playoffs 10 of their 11 seasons, but have never faced the Crew in the postseason.

Until Thursday night, when the Crew play host to the Fire for the Eastern Conference Championship and a berth in MLS Cup 2008.

This is the fourth meeting between the teams this season, two regular season matches and one U.S. Open Cup tilt. The two regular season games ended in 2-2 draws, and the Fire won the Open Cup qualifier 3-2 on a wild night at Bradley University in Peoria, Ill.

"I actually thought in both (league) games we played them that we had good starts," Fire coach Denis Hamlett said. "We were up 2-0 on them at their place, which gives us the confidence that we can score on this team if we play our game.

"At our place, we go up by one, then they got two real quick ones and we were the team that got back in the end," he said. "We came away from both games knowing they don't quit and keep plugging away. It makes for real good games. Both teams respect each other and are similar teams in the way they like to play."

There are two sidebars to the game, and one of them is Brian McBride, the former Crew member who left in 2003 to go play for Fulham in the English Premier League. He returned to MLS this summer and requested to play for his hometown Chicago Fire.

In the Fire-Crew game Oct. 12, McBride scored both Fire goals. But it was McBride himself who called the "hero returns home as a villain" storyline a "sidebar."

"The Columbus thing is sort of a sidebar," McBride said. "I have a lot of history with them. But the most important thing is playing well as a team. I will play this team as you would any other conference final."

The other storyline for the Fire is Chris Rolfe, who has been very hot of late. He had a goal and an assist in the Fire's 3-0 win against New England Thursday that propelled them into the Eastern Conference final, and he had three goals and two assists in the Fire's 5-2 win over New York in the regular season finale at home.

Rolfe in from Kettering, Ohio, played at the University of Dayton, about 90 miles from Columbus, and expects to have his own personal cheering section at the game Thursday.

The forecast for Thursday's game is about 55 degrees and rain. The temperature is not an issue for the Fire players, who will have dealt with much colder temperatures all week in training. The rain, which was also a factor for the Fire all week, is the key ingredient to the weather conditions.

"The worst, most difficult weather you can play in when it is 38 degrees and raining," said McBride, who grew up playing in cold conditions in Chicago. "But the weather is not going to be a big factor. Both teams are training in the same weather, and have played in cold weather before. Both teams want a good field, a fast field and one where the surface is smooth. Everybody knows it is probably going to be cold."

The Fire remain amazingly healthy. With no injuries reported to any front-line players, Hamlett is expected to go with the same lineup he has used for the last two playoff games, which has former Crew goalkeeper Jon Busch between the posts, defenders Segares, Wilman Conde, Bakary Soumare and Brandon Prideaux in front of him, midfielders Justin Mapp, John Thorrington, Rolfe and Logan Pause patrolling the middle, Cuauhtemoc Blanco in his usual free attacking role and McBride listed at forward.

This game appropriately pits the teams that finished first and second in the Eastern Conference, and the fact they tied each other twice indicates the possibility for a terrific conference final.

"Now it is the team that is going to make the least mistakes and who is going to punish the team when they make those mistakes," Hamlett said.

Positive 2008 lends TFC bright future

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Franklin earns Rookie of the Year honors

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

California ties strong for Schmid, Crew

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

First XI: Honor roll

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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