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Monday MLS Breakdown: Chivas USA Seeks Return To Form

By Kyle McCarthy, Goal.com 7 hours, 50 minutes ago

The questions formed quickly after Chivas USA stormed to the top of the league at the start of the season.

How are they doing it? Is it all smoke and mirrors? How does this mangled group of players produce every week?

The answers to those questions didn't matter in early June. By the time Chivas USA had polished off its third one-nil win of the season against Western Conference rivals Seattle at the Home Depot Center on June 6, the Red-and-White stood atop MLS with a sterling 8-2-3 mark.

Deeper evaluation reveals Chivas USA's stingy defense (opposing teams mustered a pair of goals in just two of the 13 matches) and timely goals from Eduardo Lillingston (five goals) and Paulo Nagamura (his four goals equaled his four-year tally heading into 2009) fueled that surge, but the facts didn't matter to those who saw Chivas USA's fast start as a surprise even though Preki had guided his side to first (2007) and second place (200 cool finishes since taking the helm in January 2007.
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The early stretch of positive results brought higher external expectations despite the uncertainty of how Chivas USA achieved them week-after-week. That increased pressure had no impact on the team even though the results went south after the Seattle game, according to Preki.

“We always have high expectations,” Preki said the day before his team's 2-0 loss in New England on Sunday night. “I don't know what other people are thinking and I'm not really interested in that stuff. We just have a standard right here. We want to keep that standard. Lately, results haven't been as good and we haven't played as good, but we still have a group of players that understands how to play. Hopefully, we can rebound and finish strong.”

The standard certainly doesn't condone Chivas USA's current four-match losing streak in MLS play and eight-game winless streak in all competitions (0-7-1, with the draw coming after Chivas USA had lost its first two SuperLiga games) as acceptable.

Such a sharp decline in form begs the question of why things went sour so suddenly. Preki ignored the usual crutch a coach would usually employ in his situation – a crippling injury crisis that has left him patching together his team most weeks – and pointed the finger squarely at his sputtering offense.

“We're still working hard, but we're not getting the breaks,” Preki said. “Offensively, we're not dangerous, so we're trying to get a little bit going forward. That's it.”

Not dangerous also translates to impotent given the recent offensive production. Chivas has mustered just one goal during that four-match MLS losing streak, a Lillingston strike against Columbus on June 13, and has collected a mere four in that nine-match winless stretch.

Part of the problem comes from the somewhat predictable nature of the Chivas USA offense as currently comprised. Lillingston is a poacher effective only when located inside the penalty area. Maykel Galindo sits on the edge of the backline and hopes for someone to play him through behind it. Nagamura provides the only true link between midfield and attack – Chivas USA gets some width from its fullbacks but often lacks wide service from its flank midfielders – with his late runs and consistently improving distribution. If those three outlets are restricted, it becomes awfully difficult for the Goats to score goals from the run of play.

That predictability would lessen substantially if Sacha Kljestan could drag himself out of the fog that has enveloped his club campaign. Kljestan is a joker in the best sense of the word, a player who can crack open defenses with his creativity and audacity in the final third as he drifts inwards from the flank. Both of those qualities have flitted in and out this season with Kljestan seemingly disheartened by a failed move to Celtic during the close season. His form has dipped to the point where Preki has dropped him deservedly on a couple of occasions, including against the Revolution last night.

With the offense sputtering, Kljestan unable to provide the necessary spark and veteran marksman Ante Razov (ankle) still unavailable, the defense has far less margin for error. Nagamura said the inevitable mistakes – Route One goals scored by Houston and Columbus stand out as the most notable of them – are costing his side points.

“The ball is not bouncing our way,” Nagamura said. “We had a couple of mistakes in a couple of the games. We lost the games because of those mistakes. That's how the games are in this league. A couple of mistakes and you end up losing 1-0. It's always single digits. If you look at our last few games, they are all 1-0 or 2-1. We have to be aware that every single detail is important.”

In order to cut out those mistakes and restore the early season form, Chivas USA needs to draw on its strong mentality – the same mentality that presses and harries opposing team for 90 minutes – to carry them through, Nagamura said.

“In tough times, that's when you have to work hard, be committed and be strong as a group,” Nagamura said. “We are going through this stretch now, so we have to see how hard we'll work. In training, we have been pretty solid and the mentality has been pretty good.”

It isn't all bad news despite the downturn in form. Despite the four-game drought, Chivas USA would qualify for the playoffs – they are currently tied for third in Western Conference with Los Angeles on 27 points (8-6-3) – if the second season started today. Two consecutive bye weeks will give them time to banish the recent form from their minds and get healthy ahead of an August 8 trip to Colorado. A few more bodies – Bobby Burling (hernia) made his first start of the season against New England while Razov has resumed training – in key spots would go a long way to curing some of the ills that currently plague the side.

Given the seemingly interminable MLS campaign and the break that lies ahead over the next two weeks, Preki hopes that this rough patch will soon pass and the Goats can find their form as the season heads into its latter stages.

“Maybe we hit it at the right time in the middle of the season,” Preki said. “Towards the end of the season, when things really count, we can get better. We're focusing on how we can get better. Hopefully, that will happen for us sooner rather than later.”

Puzzling move adds even more depth to Chivas USA's chock-full central midfield

In a rather surprising move last week, Chivas USA sent Atiba Harris (14 games, 13 starts for the Goats on the campaign) to FC Dallas in exchange for Marcelo Saragosa. When asked about the deal, Preki said he liked Saragosa's toughness – not a quality the rugged Harris lacks in any way, shape or form – and noted he saw the Brazilian as a midfielder.

“He can press the ball, he's pretty mobile, he's pretty hard and he's got a good mentality,” Preki said.

While those qualities are typical in a Chivas USA player, those qualities also betray the fact that Saragosa is best deployed a holding midfielder, though he occasionally featured somewhat fitfully at right back for FCD. That particular fact makes the deal particularly puzzling considering Saragosa's arrival adds yet another deep-lying central player to a stable that already includes current starters Nagamura and Jesse Marsch as well as the recently acquired Kevin Harmse.

So why then did Chivas USA feel the need to acquire yet another player to fill a role that already appears suitably covered?

“We'll see what he has,” Preki said as he skipped around the question. “From what I've seen from the outside, I like his qualities. How is he going to help the team out? Well, he will help us.”

That explains that, then.

Week Eighteen – Questions, Thoughts, and Answers

Monday MLS Breakdown Player of the Week – Steven Lenhart, FW, Columbus

Despite strong bids from more illustrious contributors like Cuauhtemoc Blanco, Landon Donovan, Christian Gomez and Shalrie Joseph, the sometimes overlooked Lenhart gets the nod here for his efforts in Columbus' 3-1 win over Real Salt Lake. The spectacularly coiffed supersub made a rare start – his second of the season despite 14 overall appearances – and showed that he can contribute over a longer spell. Lenhart scored the opener – his first of the season – by tucking home Jamison Olave's scuffed clearance before hassling Nick Rimando inside the goal area in order to allow Jason Garey to bundle home the Crew's second before the break. Lenhart added a bit of class to his industry in the second half with his backheel springing Garey for his second after great interplay between Lenhart, Garey and Duncan Oughton carved open the RSL defense. Not a bad night from a guy best known as a late-match bowling ball.

Who could have used some luck? Sasha Victorine, MF, Chivas USA

Victorine – starting in central midfield in place of the dropped Jesse Marsch after playing right back last week – won't want to remember New England's 2-0 victory over Chivas USA on Sunday night. After spurning two Nagamura feeds – one shot saved by Matt Reis, one header pushed wide – in the first half, Victorine couldn't clear a difficult spinner off the Gillette Stadium turf and allowed Steve Ralston to deposit a gift-wrapped turnover inside the penalty area for the Revolution's second goal.

Eleven observations to start the week

1. With Brad Davis (flu) a late scratch from the Houston lineup, Houston head coach Dominic Kinnear had to play central defender Geoff Cameron as an attack-minded central midfielder in the Dynamo's 1-1 draw at BMO Field. Cameron once again displayed his versatility by filling the role adequately. While it probably isn't a long term spot for Cameron given his lack of vision and his defensive aptitude, he can do a job there if Davis and Stuart Holden are unavailable.

2. Kinnear has had to dip deeper and deeper into his bench in recent weeks with all of absences. A few of those contributors – left back Mike Chabala for his steadiness and winger Danny Cruz for his willingness to run at players – have made cases for continued playing time off the pine when the regulars finally return.

3. As for the Reds, they did well to ride through a rather indifferent performance from Amado Guevara and some spotty moments from Nick Garcia – pace really unsettles him at this stage in his career (a point expounded upon later in this space) – to earn a much deserved point. With better finishing from Danny Dichio and Chad Barrett, it could have – and perhaps should have – been three.

4. A 3-1 loss in Columbus may have been harsh on Real Salt Lake considering its performance, but uncertain defending hastened their demise. The visitors were probably the better side for the first 23 minutes before Olave's muffed clearance handed the Crew its opener. Once Columbus notched its second eight minutes later after more defensive reticence, it was game, set and match. Olave's performances of late beg the question of whether RSL head coach Jason Kreis will push Robbie Russell back into central defense when Will Johnson returns from his Gold Cup stint with Canada this week. Then again, Olave suggests at times – his brilliant recovery tackle on Lenhart in the 38th minute would count as one of them – that Kreis should keep the faith with his maddening hulk of a central defender.

5. Crew head coach Robert Warzycha turned to old warhorse Duncan Oughton on Saturday night and the Kiwi midfielder repaid that faith with a solid 90 minutes in a right midfield role. Oughton has almost no pace at this point – he is playing on a reconstructed right knee – but tucked inside almost exclusively to leave Frankie Hejduk plenty of room to overlap. Without pace at his disposal, Oughton relied on his industry and his passing ability to get him through. It worked well enough to force Oughton back into the picture for quasi-regular playing time, at least in this pundit's eyes. Oughton was just one of a few players to step up with Guillermo Barros Schelotto (hamstring) and Alejandro Moreno (groin) added to the Crew's too-long-to-list-here absentee list.

6. “He's a handful,” said D.C. United color commentator Thomas Rongen in his description of Colorado forward Conor Casey. “He really is.” That apt piece of commentary is just about the only positive Colorado can take from its 3-1 loss at R.F.K. Stadium on Saturday night. Colorado head coach Gary Smith had zero width with Colin Clark away with the United States and Terry Cooke out of favor. Without good wide play, the Rapids become quite ordinary on the road and it showed against United.

7. United midfielder Fred flatters to deceive most of the time. His ability is obvious, but his output rarely matches it. Not on Saturday night. He impacted the game for most of his 68 minutes on the field and caused the Rapids problems with his trickery. (We'll deal with the question of whether he should have made it to 68 minutes later in this space.)

8. Normally, it's not a good sign for a team to rack up two yellow cards within the first five minutes. In San Jose's case, there's room for an exception as those cards indicated the moribund Earthquakes finally came to play. After submitting limp performances far too often this season, the Earthquakes put in a determined and energetic shift in their 2-0 loss in Chicago on Saturday night. It shouldn't take a closed-doors team meeting on Tuesday and the hasty midweek trade of a starting forward – San Jose shipped Pablo Campos to RSL after a particularly dreadful performance last weekend – to snap a team out of its stupor, but if it works, it works.

9. If Fire head coach Denis Hamlett had left Cuauhtemoc Blanco on the bench for the entire 90 minutes, the Quakes may have earned the point they deserved. Instead, Hamlett sent Blanco (and Marco Pappa) on for the final half an hour to pull the strings and ramp up the Fire attack. The switch inspired Chicago's victory with Blanco involved in both goals. Blanco's delightful chip set up Patrick Nyarko for the opener – which ended the Fire's staggering 405-minute goalless streak at Toyota Park – before he made the points safe with another succulent chip – this time over Joe Cannon – in stoppage time. Hamlett will need Blanco now more than ever with Brian McBride ruled out for the next three to four months after shoulder surgery. On this evidence, the Mexican schemer is up to the task.

10. New England defender Emmanuel Osei didn't hurt his team with his dalliances at the back in Sunday's 2-0 win over Chivas USA, but his tendency to dribble at the wrong times and play a little too casually out of the back will eventually cost the Revs at some point.

11. While Chivas USA won't take much from yet another loss, the Goats should appreciate Chukwudi Chijindu's efforts on the right wing. His running and his willingness to use his pace to unsettle defenders caused problems for the Revolution back four, though perhaps not posers as dangerous as the ones conjured up by Nagamura with his delicate passing over the top.

BONUS: The book on MLS referees almost always includes the notation that they are often reluctant to produce a red card for a second bookable offense. Although this practice has improved somewhat over the past couple of seasons, two referees slipped back into old habits when presented with clear opportunities to rightfully send players off after picking up their second yellow card this weekend.

In D.C., Fred recklessly went through Cory Gibbs with a sloppy tackle four minutes after half time and got off scot free because he had already picked up a booking for dissent in the 27th minute. Considering the timing of the rather inexplicable let off – United had just equalized through a Jaime Moreno penalty kick – and the stunted momentum Fred's dismissal would have likely caused, it's fair to say referee Ricardo Salazar changed the course of the game by allowing Fred to remain on the field while Gibbs left with an injury.

Kevin Stott extended the same unwarranted leniency in Toronto to lesser effect when Garcia saw Kei Kamara fly past him in the 89th minute and made sure he didn't progress into the open space by committing a tactical foul.

On the merits, both fouls were obvious bookings if the players committing them weren't already on a yellow. So why then did those players get such an unwarranted reprieve?

Monday MLS Breakdown: Preseason expectations yield to regular-season realities for RSL

By Kyle McCarthy, Goal.com
Aug 3

LEHI, Utah – Real Salt Lake general manager Garth Lagerwey wasn’t expecting to have to crunch numbers and playoff scenarios with a gaggle of reporters as his team entered the stretch run.

After advancing to the Western Conference final in 2008 and acquiring key cogs Will Johnson, Clint Mathis and Robbie Russell during the playoff push, Lagerwey thought his team represented an essentially finished product heading towards the top of the table in 2009.

“I really looked at this group and said that this group is a group that is going to be in the top half of the table of the league for the entire season,” said Lagerwey, who added Ned Grabavoy, signed and released Luis Miguel Escalada and, later, re-signed Fabian Espindola to complement that group. “I looked at the group and said we’re going to get off to a good start and we’re going to roll from there.”

Those expectations were all well and good until the season started. Then reality, so to speak, hit them straight upside the head.

“I was guilty of being a little overconfident, the same as the entire team was,” RSL head coach Jason Kreis said. “All of the players, all of the staff, we were all a little bit overconfident about what we achieved last year. We were a little bit too happy with ourselves. We thought maybe it was going to be easy. We forgot along the way that we’re not a team made up of stars.”

It didn’t take long for RSL to figure out that one playoff run didn’t translate into regular season dominance. After splitting home and road games in March and April, the good ship Salt Lake took on serious water in May after picking up just two points in six matches (0-4-2). Continued struggles away from Rio Tinto Stadium – RSL didn’t score in its first five road games and didn’t collect a road point until snapping an eight-match winless streak on the road dating back to 2008 with a 2-0 victory in Los Angeles on June 13 – exacerbated two poor home results against the Galaxy (2-2 draw on May 6) and Kansas City (2-0 loss on May 16) and plunged RSL into the depths of the Western Conference table.

The stuttering start (and a match without Kyle Beckerman and Javier Morales) forced Kreis to reevaluate his tactical approach. RSL rode a narrow 4-4-2 to the Western Conference final and continued with it in the early stages of the campaign. Although it worked like a charm during the latter half of 2008, that narrow 4-4-2 wasn’t working as well early in 2009.

“For me, the (4-4-2) system is about the midfield,” Kreis said. “When our four midfielders are clicking, they are some of the smartest and best midfielders in the league collectively as a midfield. I don’t think we were doing that over the first half of the season. I think some of those guys were not playing at the top of their game and that caused us issues.”

Kreis didn’t name names, but then again, he probably didn’t have to. RSL’s narrow diamond midfield places significant pressure on Morales to create offensive chances and the Argentine playmaker hasn’t followed up his glittering, Best XI-worthy 2008 campaign (6 goals, 15 assists) with a similar showing in 2009. Aside from a virtuoso display in RSL’s 6-0 home win over New England on May 25, Morales struggled early in the season as defensive midfielders around the league keyed in on him, scythed him to the ground consistently (Morales entered week 20 as the most fouled player in MLS and Kreis said he thinks that the referees could and should do more to protect him) and restricted his space to roam.

Kreis decided to rectify those offensive issues by switching to a 4-3-3 formation in time for RSL’s 1-1 home draw against Colorado on June 6. RSL doesn’t have the wide players to run a traditional 4-4-2, but needed to find a way to create attacking alternatives while also keeping Morales away from the burden of defensive responsibilities. The three-man front line gave RSL some width in the attacking third when Morales couldn’t drift wide effectively, allowed Robbie Findley and Yura Movsisyan more opportunities to isolate defenders one-versus-one to exploit their pace advantage and facilitated a more direct route to goal if Morales wasn’t particularly involved. The new shape also allowed RSL to pick up better spots defensively as the two wider players up top could drop in and essentially create a 4-5-1 when the opposition picked up the ball. Morales had plenty of cover with two defensive midfielders playing behind him. Most importantly, it jostled a few complacent players out of their comfort zones.

The results have improved significantly since Kreis made the change. RSL has picked up 12 points in its past eight league games (3-2-3) and had scored in every road game until Saturday’s 1-0 loss in Chicago. RSL picked up those points despite losing Beckerman and Johnson for a month to CONCACAF Gold Cup duty. Ned Grabavoy, Russell and Mathis ably stepped in to unfamiliar spots to fill the breach in defensive midfield, but the versatility of that trio hasn’t necessarily translated into other areas (the wide players in the three-man forward line have struggled to provide good service consistently, for example).

With the slide halted and RSL back in the playoff picture, Kreis is now trying to fix the perplexing consistency issues that have plagued his side all season. Looking at RSL’s statistical breakdowns is an exercise in contradiction. RSL has scored three, four and six goals in a half this season, but has also been shutout six times. The same team that has posted five wins by two or more goals has also lost six matches by a similar margin.

If Lagerwey’s mathematical computations are any indication, RSL will need to find that elusive consistency heading into its final 11 matches in order to secure a playoff berth. Lagerwey estimates that it will take 43 points to book a playoff place – more than has ever been required to make the postseason – in 2009. With 23 points already in the bag, RSL will have to pick up another 20 points (1.8 points per game) to book a playoff place. With visits by Chicago and Seattle, a trip to Toronto and a home and home with Houston included in that final stretch, RSL may soon lament dropping all three points to New York at Giants Stadium and Kansas City at Rio Tinto earlier this season.

Lagerwey said he knows his team has enough talent to reach that 43-point mark (entering the season, Lagerwey established 45 points as RSL’s floor based on its form at the end of last season), but recently added Dutch winger Rachid El Khalifi (“He’s played the 4-3-3 his whole life,” said Lagerwey about his new right-footed, left-sided player. “He’s a ten-year vet in this system and he can play on either wing, which is where we’re the weakest of anywhere on the field. It was a no brainer.”) to bolster the front line just in case.

Now that he has altered his preseason expectations, added to the squad and crunched all the scenarios to discern what RSL will need to accomplish to return to the playoffs, Lagerwey said he’s left with just one question as the season enters the final stretch.

“From my chair, we’re capable, but are we capable consistently,” Lagerwey said. “That’s the one thing our guys have to go out and prove. It’s one thing to say that we’re talented, but it’s another to prove it.”

Movsisyan’s positive mentality a must for RSL’s playoff push

If Real Salt Lake manages to find its way back to the playoffs, Findley (7 goals) and Movsisyan (6 goals) will have to provide the firepower. In early July, it looked like Movsisyan wouldn’t be around to propel the playoff chase. Movsisyan signed a pre-contract agreement to join Randers on Jan. 1, 2010 and the Danish side submitted a transfer bid to acquire his services early.

Lagerwey said Randers’ offer – pegged in the neighborhood of $250,000 by the Salt Lake Tribune – wasn’t enough to tempt RSL into selling one of its prized strikers. Kreis said the decision to turn down the offer became a simple case of economics once the Danish club rejected RSL’s counteroffer – pegged in excess of $700,000 by the same source – and didn’t return to the bargaining table.

“To have Yura here is extremely important,” Kreis said. “I don’t think he’s a player we can easily replace and could certainly never replace for the type of money we were offered to sell him in the middle of the season. The decision became a simple one. It was an economic, simple decision.”

Kreis and Lagerwey praised Movsisyan’s attitude and application since RSL rejected the move, but the key is how Movsisyan – a streaky goalscorer prone to ups and downs – will react as the rest of the season progresses. Although Movsisyan said he wants to focus on helping out his teammates and doesn’t care where he’s playing, he also revealed a glimpse of his internal struggle with the situation when asked last week whether he had expected the move to Randers to go through immediately.

“Yes and no,” Movsisyan said. “It’s difficult to answer that question. Whatever I say is going to sound bad and I’m sure you guys are going to make it even more juicy. I’ll just not answer that question.”

Whether Movsisyan answers the question or not, he needs to find a way to keep his head in suburban Salt Lake City and shake off a strained right rotator cuff suffered in Saturday night’s 1-0 loss in Chicago in order to support Findley and keep RSL’s playoff push well stocked with goals.

Week 20 – Questions, Thoughts, and Answers

Monday MLS Breakdown Player of the Week – Jeff Cunningham, FW, FC Dallas

Just one day after losing Kenny Cooper to 1860 Munich, FCD watched as Cunningham picked up the slack for its departed franchise player. Cunningham’s four goals – including a second-half hat trick – powered FCD to a shocking 6-0 home win over Kansas City on Saturday night and broke a tie with Kreis for third in the all-time MLS goalscoring chart.

“Tonight was a celebration,” Cunningham said to the Dallas Morning News. “Tonight was one of those nights every striker dreams of. Everything you do goes well…I’ve got to thank my teammates. They were looking for me, you know?”

Who should have diverted his attention elsewhere? Chad Barrett, FW, Toronto FC

Barrett fixated on New England fullback Kevin Alston early in Saturday’s 1-1 draw at Gillette Stadium. The oft-maligned TFC forward struggled to beat the rookie defender time and again in the first half and often took out his frustrations by fouling the puffy-haired former Hoosier. After picking up a 36th minute yellow for a tackle on Alston, Barrett picked up his second card five minutes into the second half after sliding right through Alston unnecessarily on the right wing. Barrett left the field with five fouls committed and one angry coach on the sidelines.

“Chad (Barrett) was being unprofessional tonight and got himself sent off,” TFC interim boss Chris Cummins said after the Revs erased TFC’s 1-0 lead while up a man. “I told him there are no second chances. He’s let the team down tonight and he’s let myself down. He’s a young kid and as long as he learns from it, then it’s not a problem. There are games where he does good things for us and scores the goals, but he’s let us down tonight and he knows that.”

Unenlightening Exchange of the Week

As the pool reporter at Gillette Stadium, I have the opportunity to submit three questions (with the chance to submit one followup question after the first three questions have been answered) in writing to the referee after the game. Since I have to hit both locker rooms after every game, I try to avoid invoking the privilege because it tends to distract from my other duties. On this night, the two dismissals in the game (Revolution boss Steve Nicol earned his walking papers shortly before the match ended) indicated that I needed to followup on a couple of points of confusion.

Here is the transcribed version of my post-game game written exchange with referee Terry Vaughn:

KM: “What, if any, impact did the four fouls Chad Barrett had previously collected in the first half have on the decision to issue the second yellow card for Barrett’s tackle on Alston?”

TV: “Commits a Direct Free Kick Foul in a reckless manner while tackling for the ball from any direction.”

KM: “What prompted Steve Nicol’s dismissal?”

TV: “Irresponsible behavior.”

KM (followup): “What is irresponsible behavior?”

TV: No written answer, but an explanation conveyed through the (quite helpful) referee liaison that the behavior would be defined in the written report handed to both teams after the game.

While the opportunity to question the referees after the match is potentially a great way to glean insight, this exchange probably wasted the time of everyone involved. It’s tough to blame Vaughn for his answers because there isn’t much incentive to answer expansively – he’d only get himself in more trouble if he happened to say the wrong thing, a point seemingly reinforced by the MLS referee who reportedly answered his questions in yes and no form earlier this season – and he already has to submit a written report, but it’s also fairly clear that those answers won’t provide much information to anyone.

It all begs the question of whether there is a better way to accomplish the same function. The best answer would be to make the referee’s full report available in the days after the match, but that simply won’t happen for more reasons than I can recap in a short space here. Barring a stunning display of transparency, something has to be done – whether that means asking U.S. Soccer to take the same proactive stance it takes in its weekly MLS refereeing reviews by encouraging the referees to talk freely or perhaps including the post-match interview as part of an official’s match duties with corresponding repercussions should it not be carried out pursuant to the spirit of the rules – to make this a worthwhile exercise for both referee and writer.

The Starting XI

1. The questions about whether New England striker Edgaras Jankauskas can contribute at this level should have ended after Saturday’s 1-1 draw with TFC. Jankauskas scored the equalizer and submitted a clinical performance in holding up and distributing the ball. Jankauskas’ finishing probably isn’t quite where he wants it right now, but he adds significantly to the Revolution attack by effectively performing in his target role.

2. Give TFC interim coach Cummins some credit for breaking free from the shackles of a rigid formation and allowing Dwayne De Rosario and Pablo Vitti plenty of license to express themselves. Both players possess ample skill on the ball and operate best when given the freedom to roam and create opportunities for Ali Gerba – a handful of a target forward, at least in this pundit’s eyes – and others. While Vitti didn’t submit his most influential display on Saturday night, De Rosario’s constant movement gave the Revolution fits in the first half and scored TFC’s only goal.

3. I agree wholeheartedly with fellow MLS pundit Steve Davis on Houston’s Geoff Cameron: the All-Star First XI central defender should play central defense. It’s not that Cameron can’t or won’t play right mid – he put in an admirable shift there in Saturday’s 4-3 win over D.C. United – or fill any other position Dominic Kinnear needs filled but why hand a spot in your central defense to the perpetually shaky Julius James when you’ve got Cameron shunted onto the right wing for the injured Brian Mullan? Cameron has distinguished himself at the back this season and should remain there despite his versatility.

4. As a former defender, United coach Tom Soehn probably looked upon his team’s first half display in Houston with palpable disgust. United’s real defensive problems stemmed from the lack of coverage in the corners on Houston’s wide players. The outside defenders in United’s usual back three – Bryan Namoff on the right and Marc Burch on the left – can’t make a habit of tracking out there all of the time because it will stretch out a backline that is supposed to concede that space. The idea is for the outside midfielders to track back and fill those spots. Fred and Santino Quaranta just weren’t doing it well enough in the first half and allowed Brad Davis and Cameron plenty of room to operate.

5. As for Dejan Jakovic’s suggestion to The Washington Post that United should shift permanently to a four-man backline, I’m not sure I’m willing to buy it just yet because I’m not sure the personnel really accommodates the shift in defense and midfield. Namoff and Jakovic are pretty steady at the back, but questions start to pop up soon after that. Burch can play left fullback, but his defending is up and down and he really isn’t suited to center back. John is a rugged veteran, but he too has vacillated between decent and not so decent this season. Greg Janicki doesn’t often fare well in a three, but could play centrally in a four. Maybe David Habarugira can step right into the breach, but that’s asking a lot of a 20-year-old Burundian defender who has barely stepped foot in the country. But those questions mask the real problem: who sits in United’s midfield if you cut its allotment from five to four? Once Clyde Simms (hernia) returns, United already has six players for five spots. Depth’s great and all, but the allocation of resources appears questionable when Fred or Rodney Wallace is cooling his heels on the bench while Janicki or John starts. Whatever Soehn decides to do, it’s clear the defense needs some help.

6. Another decent road performance goes unrewarded for RSL in its 1-0 loss in Chicago. It’s beginning to become a bit of a pattern, though it’d be tough to say they deserved much more than a point out of a relative snoozer at Toyota Park.

7. After posting his fourth consecutive shutout, Chicago goalkeeper Jon Busch extended his shutout streak to 374 minutes. Chicago’s defensive stinginess – and the contributions from veteran squad players like C.J. Brown and Brandon Prideaux – explains why the Fire managed to hold out Cuauhtemoc Blanco and Wilman Conde and still grab maximum points.

8. “You guys can ask questions,” Kansas City head coach Curt Onalfo said after his side lost 6-0 in Frisco. “I’m not going to give you my general thoughts. It will have so many profanities in there that you won’t be able to publish it.”

9. What a poor goal Colorado conceded to hand Columbus a 1-0 victory in Commerce City on Saturday night. Cory Gibbs’ foul – two hands, straight to Steven Lenhart’s back – didn’t need to happen because Lenhart’s not posing any danger in that spot. Chad Marshall’s resulting free kick – aided by a little start from Robbie Rogers – didn’t pose significant danger either until Matt Pickens caught it late through Gibbs’ screen. The Rapids goalkeeper should have found a way to push it around the post, but instead pushed it into his own net. “We’re talking about a defeat on the back of a bad goalkeeping error, if you like,” Rapids head coach Gary Smith said. Omar Cummings’ profligate finishing didn’t help either.

10. “We got embarrassed, and I hope they feel the way I do,” Seattle head coach Sigi Schmid said after his Sounders FC got pasted 4-0 by Western Conference cellar dwellers San Jose in NorCal.

11. Big, big difference for San Jose in the center of the park with Andre Luiz and Ramon Sanchez in the engine room for the Earthquakes. The ball actually moved through the middle of the park instead of getting turned over or sprayed to a less-than-ideal location. “I think the new players did a good job of not so much making the spectacular play, but keeping the team moving the ball and being in the right spot at the right time,” Quakes coach Frank Yallop said. “It makes a difference. You have the confidence to play into them and run off of them because they’re not going to lose the ball.”

Monday MLS Breakdown: Constant Changes Unsettle Earthquakes Defense

San Jose built a rock-solid defense in 2008, but hasn't enjoyed the same defensive success in 2009. Kyle McCarthy talks with Earthquakes coach Frank Yallop and defender Chris Leitch to figure out why one of the league's most consistent units has struggled in 2009.

By Kyle McCarthy
Aug 31, 2009

There are multiple reasons why San Jose has transformed from one of MLS' best defensive teams in 2008 to one of its worst in 2009, but the most demonstrative of those factors showed up yet again ahead of Saturday night's 2-1 loss in New England.

In a season full of changes in San Jose, no spot on the field has felt the lack of continuity more than the Earthquakes' back four.

Over the past three games, the revolving door had stopped. A rejuvenated defense had picked up its first two shutouts of the 2009 campaign – clean sheets against Seattle (4-0) and Kansas City (1-0) sandwiched a loss to Columbus (3-0) – in its past three games before trekking across the country to face the Revolution. In each of those three games, Earthquakes head coach Frank Yallop had the luxury of naming the same back four: Bobby Convey at left back, Jason Hernandez and recently converted midfielder Brandon McDonald in the middle and Chris Leitch at right back.

With Hernandez suspended against New England after picking up his fifth booking of the year against the Wizards last Saturday, Yallop knew he had to make one change and planned to insert utility man Ramiro Corrales in a straight swap for Hernandez. Those plans changed considerably when Convey felt his hamstring tweak in Friday's training session and wasn't deemed fit enough to go on Saturday night.

Instead of making one change, Yallop had to make a series of changes. Convey's absence pushed Corrales over to his natural spot at left back and forced Yallop to drop versatile Brazilian midfielder Andre Luiz into a central defensive role. Losing Luiz from central midfield meant Simon Elliott came into alongside the restored Ramon Sanchez in the middle of the park.

Those changes didn't necessarily contribute to San Jose's demise – though Luiz marred an otherwise decent game at centerback by flubbing a clearance for Steve Ralston's opener and Corrales endured a rather torrid night at left back – but they did display exactly how difficult it has been for Yallop to put out a settled back four this season.

Continuity, whether in central defense, central midfield or anywhere else, has been difficult to find for the Earthquakes and has contributed to the defensive struggles, according to Yallop.

“There's a little bit of continuity (now) in the team and in the belief in the defensive duties for everybody on the team,” Yallop said after the Earthquakes finished up a light training session on Friday. “Up until two or three games ago, I haven't had the same lineup for 17 or 18 games. That's a product of reality, but now we believe a little bit more in each other defensively and we've clued in on that.”

Clued in would accurately describe the back four Yallop fielded for most of 2008. No member of Yallop's defense – Eric Denton on the left, Jason Hernandez and Nick Garcia in the middle and James Riley on the right – played less than 24 games. The back four combined with the often-spectacular goalkeeper Joe Cannon and central midfielders Francisco Lima (an inspired mid-season acquisition) and Corrales to permit opponents to score a meager 38 goals in 30 games, good enough for fourth in the league.

That unit didn't come back in tact for 2009. Seattle selected Riley in the expansion draft and made him its starting right back. Lima opted for a return to Europe with Taranto (Italy Serie C1) after his deal expired. Other key attacking cogs like Ronnie O'Brien (free agent) and Scott Sealy (moved to Maccabi Tel-Aviv (Israel), though reports in Turkey have indicated he was on trial with Ankaragucu as of last week) left on free transfers as well.

“We know it's not easy,” Yallop said. “You're starting from scratch. The first year was tough, but the second year, we lost a lot of guys that we wanted to keep and couldn't keep for whatever reason.”

Without Lima to boss things in central midfield and with Hernandez sidelined for four months with a calf injury, the Earthquakes floundered defensively to start 2009. The aging Garcia didn't have Hernandez's pace to cover for his lack of it, leaving him ruthlessly exposed in central defense when others couldn't fill Hernandez's boots. Denton, too, found it hard to cope at left back, though Chris Leitch, acquired from New York in the close season, more than ably filled in for Riley on the right side.

The defensive difficulties prompted substantial changes. Garcia (shipped to Toronto FC for cap relief) and Denton (released) were eventually sent packing in June, with oft-injured centerback Ryan Cochrane (sent to Houston, where he has recovered from persistent ankle problems and settled in nicely, for an international slot) soon to join them in August

Others tried to step up and fill in the gaps. Aaron Pitchkolan came in from FC Dallas to compete for time at center back, while Michael Zaher stepped up from the reserves and claimed the left back spot for a spell. With Convey struggling on the left wing and in central midfield, he eventually moved to left back once Darren Huckerby returned from a hip ailment. Central defender Fabio da Silva joined in August, but he has yet to feature with his fitness a concern at this point.

Those defensive changes – combined with the trades of forwards Pablo Campos (Real Salt Lake) and Cam Weaver (Houston) – needed to happen sooner rather than later to move the team onwards, Yallop said.

“I've tried a lot of guys,” Yallop said. “Some players that we've moved on, I felt, didn't quite work out. You get caught hoping they're going to work, but you can't get too hung up on leaving it and hoping they'll get better. You have to make a change. We've moved a few guys for the better. Now we're starting to look better and we've added in the right areas. We still need to add some players, but it's a process (as an expansion team).”

That process has led to a lack of continuity. After fielding four players with 24 or more appearances at the back (plus Cannon's 30 starts), the Quakes have had to rely on Leitch (21 out of 22 games with the only game missed due to suspension) and Cannon (22 starts) to provide the consistency in a rotating backline. San Jose's 40 goals conceded in 22 matches is second-worst in the league, though New York has allowed one more goal in two more games.

All of the chopping and changing isn't enough to dismiss the on-field problems, according to Leitch.

“There has been some shuffling going on during the year, but you're going to get with every MLS season,” Leitch said. “There's always injuries, people out of form, people coming back into form. The bottom line, for the majority of the year, is that we haven't found the right combination of personnel, chemistry and team shape.”

Leitch said the Earthquakes have performed better defensively in recent weeks because they have started to work through those issues. With a more coherent and consistent lineup, Yallop has been able to work more on the team shape and make the Earthquakes a bit more difficult to break down. The key, Leitch said, is to find a way to accommodate all of the team's attacking talent while also striking the correct balance between attacking endeavor and defensive responsibility.

“We've identified and worked on it recently,” Leitch said. “It's made us a little bit more comfortable back there. Everyone is connected and is on the same page. That has helped tremendously.”

So has the now-renewed consistency in player selection. Hernandez's return to full fitness from the nagging calf injury has restored his explosiveness (“He looks back to the Jason of old,” Yallop said.) and McDonald's emergence (Yallop said he thinks the former Los Angeles defensive midfielder has the chance to go all the way as a center back if things break right.) have steadied the central defense. Convey has taken to left back fairly well and said he expected to return from that hamstring injury for the Earthquakes' next game against Colorado on Sept. 18. Former Brazilian international Luiz has filled the hole Lima left ably with Sanchez another promising addition in central midfield.

With the playoffs all but a distant hope, Yallop and the Earthquakes are trying to win games now while also figuring out how to approach things for next year.

Changes are likely to beckon once again in the close season. Yallop said he hopes to turn Luiz's loan into a permanent deal, while doubts revolve around the futures of Arturo Alvarez (Yallop said a foreign club is interested in acquiring his services), Convey (a suburban Philadelphia product who might interest the Union if the price is right, though Convey and Union coach Peter Nowak didn't always see eye-to-eye when they were together as coach and player in D.C.) and Huckerby (out-of-contract at the end of the season with a nagging hip ailment and persistent rumors about a return to his beloved Norwich City continuing to plague him). Though Yallop lauded Cornell Glen's contribution since joining, the Earthquakes are expected to dip into the market for a high-end striker and, perhaps, another center back as well.

Those alterations are in the future. For now, Yallop said he's focused on trying to build his team to compete now and compete next year. Those plans take a hit in second halves like the one his side suffered through on Saturday night, leaving Yallop to lament how he had seen other matches just like it during the course of a lost season.

“We looked a little bit stretched, if that's the right word,” Yallop said of his team's second half performance. “We put a lot into the first half and we got a little stretched and out of shape. But, again, it's the same old story, really. It's tough to take.”

Road dogs have their day

D.C. United (1-5-6, 9 pts.), Real Salt Lake (1-8-2, 5 pts.) and Toronto FC (2-5-3, 9 pts.) entered the weekend with a combined total of 23 out of a possible 99 points from 33 road games.

With two wins (United's 1-0 win in Chicago and Real Salt Lake's 1-0 win in Kansas City) and a draw (Toronto FC's 0-0 stalemate in Seattle) this weekend, the trio collected seven points in three road games. In one weekend, the trio matched nearly a fourth of its combined efforts (30 points in 36 games – D.C. 2-5-6, 12 pts; RSL 2-8-2, 8 pts.; TFC 2-5-4, 10 pts.) on the season in approximately eight percent of its total games.

Week 24 – Questions, Thoughts, and Answers

Monday MLS Breakdown Player of the Week – Bryan Namoff, defender, D.C. United

Namoff wins the gong over Real Salt Lake's Pablo Campos (two goals in two games) and Chris Seitz (seven saves in the absolutely vital 1-0 win over Kansas City on Saturday night) for setting up and scoring the goal that handed United its second road win of the season in Saturday night's critical 1-0 victory in Chicago. Namoff's diagonal ball to Santino Quaranta drew a foul from Chicago's C.J. Brown. Namoff then headed home Christian Gomez's tantalizing free kick to give United all the cushion it would need after 11 minutes. In addition to his game-winner, Namoff helped United's new-look bend-but-don't-break back four pitch its first road shutout of the campaign and snatch its first road win since April 26.

Namoff has now tallied two of his four career goals in a little over a month after converting a diving header in July 18's 3-1 home win over Colorado. Gomez has also collected two of his four assists on the season by setting the table for Namoff.

Peculiar Refereeing Decision of the Week – Hilario Grajeda, referee, Colorado - Houston

Grajeda was presented with two separate incidents involving the use of an elbow in Colorado's 1-0 win over Houston on Sunday afternoon:

1. Colorado captain Pablo Mastroeni flew through the air and used excessive force in planting an elbow in Andrew Hainault's mouth after 63 minutes. Mastroeni then suffered an apparent arm injury and limped off the field, only to return moments later. The incident had Houston head coach Dominic Kinnear signaling for Grajeda to go to his back pocket, an indication that Kinnear thought the challenge deserved a red card.

2. Houston midfielder Brad Davis used excessive force in his aerial challenge on Mehdi Ballouchy with five minutes to play, planting his knee into his back and his forearm into the back of his head.

The first incident appeared far more serious than the second incident at first glance, but Grajeda showed a yellow card to Mastroeni and a yellow and a red card to Davis for the respective challenges. Disregarding his rather odd decision to show a yellow and then a red (MLSnet has the dismissal as a straight red for violent conduct) on Davis' ultimately correct dismissal, Grajeda appeared rather inconsistent in wielding his plastic given his surprising leniency towards Mastroeni and his ensuing lack of it towards Davis.

MVP Tracker

1. Landon Donovan, Los Angeles midfielder – Still the leader by a long, long way.

2. Shalrie Joseph, New England midfielder – Joseph notched his team-leading eighth assist on Steve Ralston's opener after switching to a target role with just under a half an hour to play in Saturday's 2-1 win over San Jose.

3. Omar Cummings, Colorado forward – The lively Colorado forward earned Telefutura's man of the match honors in Sunday's 1-0 win over Houston after another threatening display.

Next in Line: Guillermo Barros Schelotto, Columbus midfielder; Chad Marshall, Columbus defender; Dwayne De Rosario, Toronto FC midfielder; Fredy Montero, Seattle forward; Conor Casey, Colorado forward.

The Starting XI

1. Toronto FC should make the two-day travel cushion standard fare for its West Coast journeys after its first-half performance in Saturday afternoon's 0-0 draw with Seattle. TFC left the Toronto area on Thursday instead of Friday, one day earlier than it had departed for its 2-0 submission to Chivas USA a week prior. Instead of wandering through the match, TFC used its fresher legs to create chance after chance in the first half, including Amado Guevara's effort off the crossbar. The extra night in a hotel might cost the Reds some extra coin, but it's a tactic worth considering ahead of Saturday's trip to Colorado given the drastically improved performance.

2. “It'll be a must-win when we need points to make the playoffs,” Seattle coach Sigi Schmid said after a disappointing home performance netted Sounders FC a point it scarcely deserved. “We're not at that stage yet. We want to win games at home, so we're disappointed that we didn't win. I'm actually a little bit happy that we got a point because I think we could have walked away from this game with nothing.”

3. “We can't take anything out of it because we lost the game on the road,” San Jose coach Frank Yallop said after a decent first-half performance – particularly from Arturo Alvarez – petered out in a 2-1 loss at New England. “We had a chance to get something out of it. The performance in the first half was encouraging, but you have to play for 90 minutes. That's what we've not done.”

4. After a rough opening period in which Chicago probably should have taken advantage of some tenuous moments, the rejiggered D.C. United back four settled in rather nicely and pitched its first away shutout of the season in Saturday night's 1-0 win over Chicago. Though the end result was everything D.C. could have wanted, Tom Soehn will want his defenders to stop giving away those needless free kicks in and around the penalty area in future games.

5. My amateur lip-reading skills told me that United goalkeeper Josh Wicks confronted Marc Burch in stoppage time because he wanted some room to breathe. Wicks was trying to push his backline out ahead of John Thorrington's free kick from the right wing to allow himself some space to come out for the cross if it entered into his six-yard box. In Wicks' estimation, Burch wasn't listening to what appeared to be full-throated yells to push the line out. Wicks ended up having to push Thorrington's cross away with a man in his face, likely prompting the confrontation. It's tough not to like Wicks' fire, but perhaps there's a better way to handle the situation than grabbing your defender and excoriating him in the waning minutes while protecting a 1-0 lead. Wicks didn't comment on the incident after the game, while everyone who would speak on it offered platitudes, according to the Washington Post.

6. Real Salt Lake head coach Jason Kreis needed to change up his side's road mojo ahead of a must-win game against Kansas City. Kreis opted to play a reserve-infused side in RSL's third game in seven days with Raphael Cox and Chris Seitz included from the start and Jean Alexandre inserted at halftime after Ned Grabavoy's 42nd minute ejection. The move worked as RSL held out gamely in the second half – Fabian Espindola's goal line intervention on Zoltan's stoppage-time header certainly helped – to grab a much-needed 1-0 win. “There had to be some rotation,” RSL coach Jason Kreis told the Salt Lake Tribune. “I don't feel like there's too many of the guys that should and could be trying to play 90 minutes three times in six days. We've got a lot of guys we believe in. Chris Seitz is somebody that we think has been training extremely well for quite a few weeks now and deserved an opportunity and he took full advantage of it tonight.”

7. “I anticipated the ball bouncing and going through where it did,” Los Angeles midfielder David Beckham said after his 80th minute one-hopper gave the Galaxy a 1-0 win over Chivas USA and the SuperClasico crown for a fourth time in five tries. “And obviously it did on a wet night and a wet pitch, I had to hit it down because it was bouncing awkwardly. Sometimes they can end up in the back row, luckily this time it ended it the back of the net. It wasn’t the prettiest thing, but three points is three points.”

8. Another inauspicious effort from Houston in its 1-0 loss in Colorado. No spark or zip in the attacking third. Fatigue or no fatigue, the Dynamo has to improve with Los Angeles steadily gaining ground in the Western Conference playoff race. Fortunately for the Dynamo, they don't play again until traveling to Columbus on Sept. 13.

9. Colorado provided decent value for its win, but had to overcome the first-half injury withdrawals of Cory Gibbs and Jamie Smith. That's the risk Rapids head coach Gary Smith takes every time he puts those star-crossed players together on the field, though both were injured in clashes with Dynamo players rather than picking up strains or niggles.

10. The warning signs were there for the Crew moments before Dane Richards tore down the field on the counterattack and fired home to give New York a 1-0 victory on Sunday evening. In the space of a few minutes, the Crew gave up two quick counters directly from Gino Padula's poor service on corner kicks from the right wing corner. On the first occasion, in the 51st minute, Padula hit an easily-cleared inswinging corner, Emmanuel Ekpo's subsequent cross was eventually cleared out and Richards engineered a four-versus-three counterattack that ended when Richards somewhat surprisingly fired a deflected shot towards goal with John Wolyniec calling for the ball to his right. In the buildup to Richards' 63rd minute winner, Padula played it short, Frankie Hejduk had his attempted cross blocked down and Richards ended up one-versus-one with Brian Carroll. Richards used his speed to gain separation and fired home at the near post. Though Columbus had escaped moments earlier when John Wolyniec hit the left post minutes earlier, one has to wonder whether the Crew would have earned a point in a rather drab game if Guillermo Barros Schelotto had been on the field to take the corner kicks.

11. While Barros Schelotto may have prevented the game-winning-goal with better service into the penalty area, he probably should haven't taken the field much before his late cameo as the Crew pressed for an equalizer. The health of Barros Schelotto's hamstring for the playoffs is far more important than a point in New York, especially with Chicago's surprising home loss to D.C. on Saturday night.

BONUS: Columbus is 0-8-3 at Giants Stadium since 2003 and has won just once on artificial turf (in New England on Sept. 27, 200 cool since 2007, according to the Columbus Dispatch. Those two facts could make a first-round tie with New England, Seattle or Toronto FC quite interesting for the Eastern Conference leaders.

The Playoff Picture

Eastern Conference

1. Columbus (10-4-9, 39 pts.)
2. Chicago (10-6-8, 38 pts.)

Western Conference

1. Houston (11-7-7, 40 pts.)
2. Los Angeles (9-4-11, 38 pts.)

Wild Cards

1. Seattle (8-6-10, 34 pts.)
T2. New England (9-6-6, 33 pts.)
T2. Colorado (9-7-6, 33 pts.)
T2. Chivas USA (10-9-3, 33 pts.)

==

T2. Real Salt Lake (9-9-6, 33 pts.)
D.C. United (7-5-11, 32 pts.)
Toronto FC (8-8-7, 31 pts.)
FC Dallas (6-11-5, 23 pts.)
Kansas City (5-10-6, 21 pts.)
San Jose (5-12-5, 20 pts.)
New York (4-16-4, 16 pts.)

Monday MLS Breakdown: Cunningham's Renaissance Sparks FC Dallas

By Kyle McCarthy, Goal.com
Sep 14


LOS ANGELES – As I sat in the all-too-cramped and hopelessly outdated waiting area at LAX in preparation for my redeye flight back to Hartford (via Cleveland) on Sunday night/Monday morning, I wondered whether there would be enough space in the often interminably long Monday column to hit all of the high points from the weekend that was.

Fortunately, it was a long flight and I was hopped up on caffeine, so I had time and sugar-enhanced energy on my side. The travel plans pushed the column posting back a little further than usual (apologies, but the wireless in Cleveland is a bit spotty), but I hope you'll indulge me this once.

From a long-awaited clash of conference leaders to a soporific Sunday matinee in Carson, Week 26 offered a little bit of everything. Although the playoff-influencing games and the pre-roster-freeze frenzy of personnel moves (the freeze date is tomorrow) merit significant attention, the best place to start is with a 33-year-old forward on a team lingering on the distant outskirts of the playoff race.

Cunningham explodes as FCD stuns L.A.

Just a little over a year ago as FC Dallas striker Jeff Cunningham was going through a miserable and ineffective spell at Toronto FC, former TFC manager John Carver rhetorically asked the media how Cunningham had scored so many goals in MLS.

As Los Angeles central defenders Gregg Berhalter and Omar Gonzalez would probably attest after Cunningham torched them for two goals and two assists in FCD's surprising 6-3 victory over the normally stout Galaxy on Saturday night, Cunningham's blazing pace had a lot to do with it.

What Carver never seemed to get was that Cunningham needs the confidence of his manager and a regular starting berth to make his impact. For better or for worse, Cunningham is a streaky player both with his pace and his finishing. With Kenny Cooper now at 1860 Munich, FCD head coach Schellas Hyndman didn't have an alternative to showing confidence in Cunningham and handing him the responsibility of scoring goals. Cunningham has responded in a big, big way.

“The guy's brilliant,” FCD midfielder Atiba Harris said. “He does his job. He scores goals.”

Right now, there is no one hotter than the now second-leading goalscorer in MLS history (116 goals). Cunningham has scored in seven of the Hoops' past 10 games, racking up 11 of his 12 goals on the season since July 4. With able and mobile sidekick David Ferreira operating in the hole just behind him and Harris, Dax McCarty and Dave van den Bergh keeping the supply lines open from the midfield, Cunningham is tearing defenses apart like it's 2002 or 2006 (a career-high 16 goals in each year) all over again. Cunningham may still need four or five chances to get a pair of goals, but he's converting more than his fair share and silencing those doubters who thought his best days were well past.

“You wouldn't think Jeff is thirty-however old he is,” McCarty said. “You'd think he's in his mid-20s. He's in fantastic shape. He takes great care of himself and he still has some of the best speed in the league. Omar Gonzalez and Berhalter, their better traits are their positioning and their height. I think they're a little bit susceptible to the speed guys and we (wanted) to exploit that. Jeff did a fantastic job of finding space and he ran at people.”

As for Carver's frustration-borne comment regarding Cunningham's goal-scoring prowess, it's worth noting that Cunningham's 17 goals in 33 appearances since joining FCD on Aug. 8, 2008 bests Danny Dichio's TFC club record of 14 goals amassed over 59 games.

Hernandez finally returns home to Dallas

Newly acquired FC Dallas midfielder Daniel Hernandez sat at his locker in the Home Depot Center and just smiled. After a long and circuitous journey, he had found his way back to Dallas.

“The day I got drafted, I was trying to get back to Dallas,” the former Galaxy, Metrostars and Revolution midfielder said. “Seriously. It didn't work out for whatever reason, but better late than never. I'm glad to be there with family and be reunited with Schellas (Hyndman, FCD coach). Things are good. I can't complain.”

Hernandez, 33, recently spent a couple of years in Mexico playing for Puebla and Jaguares after New England waived him in 2007. When his contract expired with Jaguares, Hernandez couldn't find the right fit south of the Rio Grande, so he opted to return to his family and friends – a priority for Hernandez – in Texas (Hernandez is from Tyler, which is just under a two-hour drive to the east of Dallas) and link up with former SMU coach Hyndman.

“That was a big part of my decision,” Hernandez said. “If he hadn't have been there, it probably wouldn't have happened.”

Though Hernandez isn't anywhere near full fitness after playing sparingly since the Mexican season ended in May, Hyndman threw him in for fellow recent signing Marvin Chavez at halftime to help tighten up a game that didn't seem to want to tighten. Hyndman said he expects Hernandez to aid in his quest to develop the mentality FCD needs to create a winning side.

“We're trying to work a lot on our team spirit,” Hyndman said. “What Daniel brings to us is that he supports me and he's got my back. He's very positive. Even though he's not as fit as he wants to be or as we want him to be, I thought (on Saturday) he was disciplined to hold his spot. He's holding people accountable and that's what we need. We're looking for better and better from Daniel.”

Pearce's arrival creates left-sided glut in Frisco

FCD used the number one overall allocation to acquire United States international left back Heath Pearce on a free transfer last week. Pearce recently saw a two-year deal with Bursaspor (Turkey) fall through and immediately turned his attentions to MLS in order to seal regular first-team action ahead of next summer's World Cup.

Pearce is already in Dallas and will link up with the Hoops on Monday. Hyndman said he was tempted to fly Pearce into Los Angeles for Saturday night's game, but resisted the urge to do so.

Once Pearce finds his match fitness, the question then becomes where exactly Hyndman will slot him into a side that already has Jair Benitez entrenched at left back. Pearce really only projects as a left back, so perhaps Hyndman could slide Benitez up to left midfield and move van den Bergh inside or, in a move Hyndman has tried occasionally this season, over to the right side. Though the move appears curious at first glance given FCD's depth on the left side, it's hard to argue against adding a defender of any flavor to a side in desperate need of some defensive competency.

Conway resurfaces in southern California

It may have taken a short layoff after being released by New York, a two-week trial and a stint coaching soccer back in New Jersey, but Jon Conway is back in MLS. Chivas USA swapped a fourth-round SuperDraft pick in 2011 to New York in order to acquire Conway's rights on Friday.

After spending most of the year in the cellar and a portion of the year watching on television, the former Red Bulls goalkeeper is happy to leap into the playoff chase.

“Obviously, things weren't going so well there,” Conway said. “It definitely gives you a second life. You were down in the dumps each week with the results and how things were going. This gives you a little breath of fresh air right now. I can't wait to take advantage of the situation.”

Conway will have to bide his time with Zach Thornton's calf now healthy enough to permit him to return to the lineup, but he'll provide some much-needed veteran insurance should Thornton fall prey to injury again. Given Lance Parker's shakiness when pressed into the action, the move looks like a shrewd one for a Chivas USA side fighting for a playoff place.

“Zach's having a great year, so whatever I can do to help him continue that run he's having, I'm willing to do it,” Conway said. “If an opportunity presents itself to get in there, I'll do what we need to do to get some Ws.”

In order to free up the roster spot required to bring Conway into the fold, the Goats sent Bobby Burling to San Jose in exchange for a third-round pick in 2010. Chivas USA head coach Preki said the addition of Colombian youth international Yamith Cuesta gave him the defensive depth he needed in order to deal Burling.

“We had to make a move to get the goalkeeper,” Preki said. “Bobby's a good guy. He did well when he was here. We wish him luck.”

Number 22 gets his chance for the U-20s

When United States Under-20 head coach Thomas Rongen named his 21-man roster for the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Egypt later this month, Chivas USA defender Gerson Mayen ranked number 22 on the list.

As the first alternate, Mayen needed someone to drop out to seal a spot on the plane, but didn't want to see one of his prospective teammates get hurt to create the vacancy.

When FC Dallas defender Anthony Wallace had to withdraw due to a left knee injury last week, Mayen received a call on Thursday from his agent asking him if he still wanted to go. Rongen followed up and Mayen said he couldn't wait to accept his belated place in the squad.

“It's a dream come true,” Mayen said. “I've been trying to work for it and now I've finally got the chance. I'm going to try to take advantage of it.”

de Guzman signs, but is it the right move for TFC?

Toronto FC finally completed its protracted move for Julian de Guzman on Friday, making him the first Designated Player in TFC's short history. I wrote at length on this topic on Wednesday, so a brief note will suffice here.

De Guzman is one of the best players in CONCACAF and will almost certainly succeed in MLS, but TFC should have gone in another direction. After not playing for most of the summer aside from Canada's brief Gold Cup stint, de Guzman's fitness may not allow him to make the short-term impact TFC needs to push them towards the playoffs. In the long term, TFC would have benefited more from acquiring a top-class striker or centerback and instead spent far too much money (a reported three-year guaranteed deal in excess of $6 million) to buy Canadian at a position that was already well covered by Sam Cronin, Dwayne De Rosario, Amado Guevara, Carl Robinson and Amadou Sanyang.

Hip surgery likely writes sad ending to Huckerby's stint in San Jose

San Jose midfielder Darren Huckerby finally gave into the inevitable on Friday and underwent season-ending surgery on a torn labrum in his right hip. The problem had plagued the veteran Englishman for the majority of the season and clearly impacted his explosiveness when on the field.

After a pulsating debut season that led everyone in the San Jose area to ask what exactly is a Huckerby, the former Norwich City star looks headed out the door at the end of the season as the Earthquakes continue to retool their side heading into 2010. Huckerby's two-year deal ends after the 2009 campaign and San Jose coach Frank Yallop said recently that Huckerby “could go” at the end of the season, perhaps even back to his beloved Canaries.

If this injury ends Huckerby's MLS career, it will be a sad farewell for a player who made the Earthquakes worth watching every time he stepped on the field in 2008.

Fortuitously timed back spasms add to United's defensive depth

D.C. United defender Greg Janicki sure has a good sense of timing off the field after displaying a lack of it on the field over the past month or two.

Mere days before the roster freeze date, Janicki missed practice on Thursday and Friday last week and ended up on the Disabled List with back spasms. Given the fact that Janicki is so far down the depth chart that Clyde Simms is now playing some centerback for United, the move appears curiously timed at best, even if the intentions are pure as the driven snow for the defensively challenged side. Whether this move ranks as an actual health concern is somewhat irrelevant considering teams have the liberty to move players on and off the DL as they see fit, though one can only hope it is legitimate for propriety's sake.

Janicki's DL stint paved the way for D.C. to acquire Lawson Vaughn, a versatile defender United coach Tom Soehn may actually want to throw into a match at some point if he has finally overcome the injury troubles that ended his stint with Chivas USA earlier this season. In that sense, the move's clearly a win for United as it seeks any eligible and competent defender to help its playoff push.

Week 26 – Questions, Thoughts, and Answers

Monday MLS Breakdown Player of the Week – Jeff Cunningham, forward, FC Dallas

Cunningham tore the Galaxy backline apart for 90 minutes on Saturday night with ample help from Ferreira and McCarty. Two goals and two assists may actually underestimate the carnage Cunningham wrought on the Galaxy back line.

“He was a constant threat,” Hyndman said. “The guy's [] 33, but he's as fit as I've ever seen him. He's just a very, very healthy and strong man. He looks like he's probably 25 or 26. He's been huge for us.”

MVP Tracker

1. Landon Donovan, Los Angeles midfielder – That little kick on Ferreira as the whistle blew to end that embarrassing 6-3 home loss to FC Dallas wasn't MVP-worthy, Mr. Donovan.

2. Shalrie Joseph, New England midfielder – Look at the tape of New England's dreadful performance in Sunday afternoon's 2-0 loss to Chivas USA to show just how important Joseph is to the Revolution offense. The Revs are 0-2-1 with zero goals scored when Joseph doesn't play this season.

3. Dwayne De Rosario, Toronto FC midfielder – The Canadian international may keep the Reds in the playoff chase by himself.

Next in Line: Omar Cummings, Colorado forward; Guillermo Barros Schelotto, Columbus midfielder; Chad Marshall, Columbus defender; Conor Casey, Colorado forward; Fredy Montero, Seattle forward.

The Starting XI

1. Marvell Wynne's crosses often leave much to be desired, but one of his typically mishit services from the right wing actually handed De Rosario the opportunity to score the opener in TFC's 3-2 win over Colorado on Saturday afternoon. Most players would have tried to serve the ball ahead of De Rosario as he made a run towards goal into a crowded sea of powder blue defenders. Instead, Wynne's cross ended up well behind the play, allowing De Rosario to use his awareness to adjust to the cross first, create separation from his marker and thump home at the near post.

2. What is it with Colorado central midfielders and playacting? Pablo Mastroeni feigned injury a couple of weeks ago to draw a yellow card when he should have been sent to the showers for an elbow on Andrew Hainault. In Toronto, Nick LaBrocca picked up where Mastroeni left off and fell theatrically to the ground in front of the fourth official when Nana Attakora made the slightest of contact with him shortly after De Rosario's opener. Attakora picked up a yellow card, though justice would have been served if LaBrocca (an able fill-in for Mastroeni in the middle, by the way) saw plastic as well.

3. One notable thing came out of Kansas City's rather meaningless 1-0 win in New York on Saturday night: the Red Bulls are now (finally!) mathematically eliminated from playoff contention. Thank goodness.

4. Another rather limp performance from D.C. United on Saturday night in a game that required far more. Fredy Montero's late, near-post strike handed Seattle its second consecutive 2-1 at R.F.K. Stadium. On the balance of play, Seattle more than deserved it. United can't afford to replicate the two performances it had at home against Kansas City and Seattle in its next three home games and needs considerably more from Fred and Christian Gomez to spark its attack.

5. What a well-taken opener from Chris Rolfe in Chicago's 1-1 draw at Real Salt Lake on Saturday night. Marco Pappa played in a decent ball from the left side, but Rolfe did the rest with a deft touch off the chest between two RSL defenders and a magical flick with the outside of his right peg inside the far post. Chicago will miss him desperately when he leaves for Denmark in January.

6. Fire forward Brian McBride started alongside Rolfe for the first time since undergoing shoulder surgery in July, returning to the lineup months ahead of schedule. McBride's return should boost the Fire's playoff chances considerably because he gives the Fire an aerial target and allows them to bring Patrick Nyarko off the bench as a change of pace guy late in games against tired defenses. As Cunningham, Omar Cummings and others have shown time and again this season, speed kills in this league, especially late in games.

7. “David Ferreira and Jeff Cunningham are two guys that are really in sync right now and creating havoc,” McCarty said after FCD's second-half explosion blew the doors off the Galaxy. “I thought in the second half that we were really finding the space really well. It's a matter of finishing our chances. We create plenty of chances every game. I think anyone that watches us will admit that. We're not always the best defensive team, but we'll create plenty of chances. It's just a matter of putting them away and tonight, what can you say? We put away every chance we had, pretty much.”

8. How exactly was Berhalter not sent off after scything Cunningham to the ground just six minutes into Saturday night's goal fest? Cunningham had turned Berhalter and was on the way to goal before Berhalter felled him from behind. The ferocity of the tackle could have elicited a red card. The location and Berhalter's status as the last man would have warranted it as well. Instead, referee Hilario Grajeda showed Berhalter a yellow card. Next time, Grajeda should just save Berhalter the misery of the ensuing 84 minutes as Cunningham or another speedy forward bursts through the center of the Galaxy defense time and again.

9. Count New England coach Steve Nicol among those who doesn't like noon kickoffs out in Los Angeles. “When you have a performance from both teams like that when there are so many players that aren't on it, there has to be another reason other than the fact that they just haven't prepared properly,” Nicol said. “There's got to be other reasons. If there are 22 players on the field, you'd struggle to figure out who you thought did well today. That tells you all you need to know about when we were playing.”

10. “He looked me right in the eye and told me he dove,” Revolution goalkeeper Matt Reis said after Eduardo Lillingston flopped in stoppage time and somehow conned referee Ricardo Salazar into pointing to the penalty spot. “If that's a penalty, there should be about five penalties in every game.”

11. That's a pretty naïve tug by Houston defender Geoff Cameron to concede Eddie Gaven's game-winning penalty kick in Columbus' 2-1 win on Sunday. Alejandro Moreno is absolutely going to ground in the 90th minute if he feels even the slightest bit of contact. Was the type of penalty one wants to see decide a game? Absolutely not, but Cameron put himself in the position by grabbing Moreno and setting the stage for the Venezuelan veteran to make the most of it.

The Playoff Picture

Eastern Conference
1. Columbus (11-4-9, 42 pts.)
2. Chicago (10-6-9, 39 pts.)
Western Conference
1. Houston (11-8-7, 40 pts.)
2. Los Angeles (9-5-11, 38 pts.)
Wild Cards
1. Seattle (9-6-10, 37 pts.)
T2. Colorado (10-8-6, 36 pts.)
T2. Chivas USA (11-9-3, 36 pts.)
T2. D.C. United (8-6-12, 36 pts.)
==
Toronto FC (9-9-7, 34 pts.)
Real Salt Lake (9-9-7, 34 pts.)
New England (9-8-6, 33 pts.)
FC Dallas (7-11-6, 27 pts.)
Kansas City (7-11-6, 27 pts.)
San Jose (5-12-5, 20 pts.)
New York (4-17-4, 16 pts.)

Monday MLS Breakdown: Joseph Presents Compelling MVP Case

Sep 28, 2009 8:46:32 AM

By Kyle McCarthy

This is supposed to be the year that Landon Donovan finally lifts his first MLS MVP award.

It may come as a surprise to most that Donovan, perhaps the finest American field player ever produced, has never captured the honor given to MLS' preeminent player in a given season. The fact that Donovan has made the final three on only one occasion (200 cool appears almost laughable given his contribution to the league over the years, though his production has veered more towards steady brilliance (in the five seasons prior to 2008's stellar 20 goal, nine assist haul, Donovan averaged ten goals and nine assists per campaign) than eye-popping statistics.

Those numbers aren't appreciably different in 2009 (10 goals, six assists), but Donovan has played a pivotal role in lifting the Galaxy out of the doldrums, meandering it through the furor surrounding The Beckham Experiment and laying the foundation for MLS Cup glory. Without him, the Galaxy would transform into a marginal playoff team solely reliant on its organization. Common wisdom has all but placed the trophy in Donovan's hands, particularly after reigning MVP Guillermo Barros Schelotto missed time with a balky hamstring during the summer.

Even though Donovan has deserved the praise he has garnered this year and even though he will likely take home his first MVP award at the end of the season, he probably isn't the most deserving candidate despite his (former) weekly perch at the top of the MVP tracker located in this column.

That title goes to New England midfielder (and occasional forward) Shalrie Joseph.

Quantifying what makes a candidate the “most valuable player” presents a particular and persnickety challenge. In the face of a difficult and nebulous term, MLS MVP voters often rely too much on stats and too little on actual influence.

The best and most literal interpretation of the phrase directs voters towards the player who is most valuable to his team. Joseph, with perhaps a quibble or two from Donovan and Toronto FC's Dwayne De Rosario, stands above every other player in MLS when evaluated on that criteria.

“Goals, assists, work rate, you name it, he's got it,” New England coach Steve Nicol said.

Joseph has needed those qualities and more to carry an injury-ravaged and, at times, quality-challenged Revolution side to the cusp of the playoffs. De Rosario (mostly in the Reds' loaded midfield) and Donovan benefit from a considerably stronger supporting cast than Joseph has at the moment, a byproduct of New England's inability to retain players like Clint Dempsey, Andy Dorman and Michael Parkhurst in recent years. New England's comparative lack of proven talent when contrasted with most of its playoff-chasing brethren places considerably more emphasis on Joseph to deliver week-in and week-out to fuel a playoff challenge against better-equipped sides. He has delivered in kind.

Those who prefer to use statistical measures can certainly find plenty of data to back up Joseph's sizable contribution. The Grenada international midfielder leads New England with eight goals and eight assists on the campaign, both new career highs. Combine the two totals and Joseph has contributed to just over half of the Revolution's tallies on the season (16 of 31). The splits between when Joseph takes the field (10-6-6, 31 goals scored) and when he sits (0-2-1, zero goals scored) merely serve to reinforce Joseph's importance.

Joseph's influence on the Revolution extends far beyond his contribution to the scoresheet. He remains the league's preeminent defensive midfielder, controlling matches alongside central midfield partner Jeff Larentowicz. His passing range – particularly when he hits long diagonal balls over distance – is matched by few others in the league and perhaps no player without the words Designated Player attached to his name.

Most importantly to his side's once-flagging playoff chances, Joseph has displayed the versatility to play as a striker. Talismanic striker Taylor Twellman played twice this season before succumbing to a concussion and the Revolution's sole remaining creative force, Steve Ralston, has missed time on and off with a variety of ailments, though perhaps none as serious as the right knee injury he suffered in Saturday night's 2-1 in over Seattle.

With his best two attacking players unavailable, Nicol has shunted Joseph up top for stretches this season to play in a target role. The defensive midfielder, a former forward at St. John's, turned into a bona fide target man and consistent goal threat when deployed in the attacking third, earning praise from teammates and coaches alike.

“He's one of the best soccer players in this league,” Revolution defender Jay Heaps said. “Put him at forward. Put him at defensive midfield. If you put him at center back, he'd still be one of the best players.”

Joseph once again proved his worth by contributing two second-half goals in Saturday night's critical 2-1 win over Seattle to lift a New England side stunned by Fredy Montero's sixth-minute wonder strike and Ralston's potentially serious knee injury (early signs weren't promising as Ralston limped out after the game on crutches and more information is expected today) halfway through the first half.

The second of those goals, a deceptively difficult header tucked just inside the far post from Larentowicz's unchallenged cross, grabbed all three points and prompted Nicol to note goals similar to Joseph's conversion were why “proper strikers get paid a lot of money.”

“He's a game changer, regardless of whether he's playing the ball forward or he's up there scoring goals,” Larentowicz said. “I'm happy he's on our side.”

Joseph's case presents the most compelling MVP claim, but the nuanced nature of his candidacy and the voting electorate's reticence to recognize players who contribute defensively (Tony Meola won the award in 2000, while Jeff Agoos is the only defender to make the final three) likely means Donovan (or perhaps even De Rosario if TFC makes the playoffs and he continues to score) will take home the gong.

Awarding Donovan or someone else won't be unjust or undeserved. Ignoring Joseph's claim may, however, overlook the true meaning of value and the player that best displayed it in 2009.

Week 28 – Questions, Thoughts, and Answers

Monday MLS Breakdown Player of the Week – Shalrie Joseph, midfielder/forward, New England

Two second-half goals. One season rescued from the edge of the abyss. Any questions?

Best righty-lefty combo that never truly took hold – Matt Reis, goalkeeper, New England and Greg Vanney, retired defender and Sounders FC color analyst

Vanney called Sounders FC's 2-1 loss to New England for KONG-TV on Saturday night and then made a post-match pitstop in the Revolution locker room to check on former teammate Reis. The duo played together under current Seattle head coach Sigi Schmid for three years at U.C.L.A. (1993-1995) and four years with the Los Angeles Galaxy (1998-2001).

When asked about his favorite memory of playing with Vanney, Reis pointed to Vanney's left peg.

“His ability to hit a ball 60 yards on a dime with his left foot,” Reis said. “I can do it with my right foot. I just can't do it with my left.”

MVP Tracker

1. Shalrie Joseph, New England midfielder – Is any more proof required at this point?

2. Landon Donovan, Los Angeles midfielder – Second on the tracker, but likely first when it counts.

3. Dwayne De Rosario, Toronto FC midfielder – Veteran attacker notched a goal (11 on the campaign) and an assist in a surprising 2-2 draw in Chicago.

Next in Line: Omar Cummings, Colorado forward; Guillermo Barros Schelotto, Columbus midfielder; Chad Marshall, Columbus defender; Conor Casey, Colorado forward.

The Starting XI

1. New England coach Steve Nicol will have to hold his breath as he assesses the fitness of aging strike duo Edgaras Jankauskas (groin) and Steve Ralston (knee) ahead of Wednesday's match at FC Dallas. There isn't a ton of attacking depth after Kheli Dube (seven goals), so Nicol will be pleased to see how well Dube combined with Joseph in the second half. The Zimbabwean striker performs considerably better when playing off a target player.

2. Peculiar to see Seattle obtain an early goal and then subsequently slow the tempo and almost invite New England on to them. Keeping the banks tight in front of goal and daring the Revs to break them down isn't a bad strategy, but Sounders FC squandered its considerable early momentum and allowed the Revs to gain a foothold in the game by taking its foot off the gas. Considering Sounders FC's tenuous playoff placement, the visitors could have benefited from a touch more aggression.

3. Interesting to see Columbus head coach Robert Warzycha rest many of his starters ahead of Tuesday's home match with Deportivo Saprissa (Costa Rica) and still obtain a 2-0 victory over Los Angeles on Saturday night. I wrote last week in the Wednesday Musings that Columbus sits atop MLS on the strength of its depth and Saturday night's victory proved another case in point after Kevin Burns and Emilio Renteria made their MLS debuts and contributed to the victory.

4. With the victory and D.C. United's 2-1 loss at home to San Jose on Sunday (more on that later), the Crew became the first team to clinch a playoff berth. As if the defending champions were in any danger of missing out on the postseason show.

5. “I heard a couple guys saying, ‘Hey, if we’d played like this all year long, (things) would be a little different right now,’” Kansas City head coach Peter Vermes said after his Wizards bossed the play, but settled for a 0-0 draw with Colorado on Saturday night. If only those regrets could revive the Wizards' all but extinguished playoff hopes.

6. In perhaps its most important game of the season, Real Salt Lake mustered yet another poor start and gave up goals in the 5th and 10th minutes on its way to a 3-0 loss at FC Dallas. Time and again, RSL has not answered the bell this season. This particular instance in the unfortunate pattern may just have extinguished the Claret-and-Cobalt's viable playoff hopes.

7. With his two goals against RSL, Jeff Cunningham has now scored 12 times in his past nine games and 15 on the season. Who possibly could have expected that?

8. Talk about a crucial point for Toronto FC in Saturday night's 2-2 draw with Chicago. Two home wins against San Jose (frisky) and Real Salt Lake (perhaps not so much) would put the Reds on 41 points heading into an increasingly difficult road finale against New York. The schedule sets up nicely for the Reds to make a late, late playoff push.

9. “We're gift-wrapping goals,” Fire goalkeeper Jon Busch said after his side handed TFC two soft goals in that game. “It's like ... Christmas time. If they beat us with a good goal, fair enough, but quit giving away easy goals and putting ourselves behind the eight-ball. That's the bottom line, again.”

10. “I have the chance on the PK in the last minute,” Chivas USA midfielder Sacha Kljestan said after missing a 90th minute penalty to force the Red-and-White to settle for a 1-1 draw with New York. Kljestan had rifled home from distance after 64 minutes, but couldn't convert from 12 yards to make the points safe. “Obviously it doesn't go in so I'm disappointed I didn't help the team win tonight. I think, and we all think, we should've won the game before we let (Juan Pablo)Angel tie it. We had multiple chances and obviously we didn't put the game away."

11. Only United could conjure up a way to submit a dismal second half and fall to San Jose (previously winless on the road) 2-1 at R.F.K Stadium mere days after dispatching Marathon (Honduras) 3-0 at the same venue. “We came out flat in the second half on a day where – on any day you can’t afford it – but on a day when we’re trying to make the playoffs, it’s still disappointing,” United head coach Tom Soehn said afterwards. “I have to go back and evaluate whether I had the right blend of guys on the field.”

The Playoff Picture

Eastern Conference
1. Columbus (12-4-10, 46 pts., 4 games remaining)
2. Chicago (10-6-11, 41 pts., 3 games remaining)
Western Conference
1. Houston (12-8-7, 43 pts., 3 games remaining)
2. Los Angeles (10-6-11, 41 pts., 3 games remaining)
Wild Cards
1. Colorado (10-8-9, 39 pts., 3 games remaining)
T2. Chivas USA (11-9-5, 38 pts., 5 games remaining)
T2. Seattle (9-7-11, 38 pts., 3 games remaining)
4. New England (10-8-7, 37 pts., 5 games remaining)
==
D.C. United (8-7-12, 36 pts., 3 games remaining)
Toronto FC (9-10-8, 35 pts., 3 games remaining)
Real Salt Lake (9-11-7, 34 pts., 3 games remaining)
Kansas City (8-11-7, 31 pts., 4 games remaining)
FC Dallas (8-12-6, 30 pts., 4 games remaining)
San Jose (6-12-7, 25 pts., 5 games remaining)
New York (4-17-6, 18 pts., 3 games remaining)

Monday MLS Breakdown: The Elusive Final Playoff Spot

By Kyle McCarthy

The final wild card berth resembles a poisoned chalice with two weeks left in the campaign.

Sure, it looks all nice and shiny on the outside, but there's something inside keeping the most likely challengers from taking advantage of the moment and grasping the cup with both hands.

Need proof? Just take a look at the recent results.

D.C. United started the trend of promising playoff prospects backsliding away from the playoffs a few weeks ago. With a five-match homestand (longest in MLS this season) during its final six games, United looked like the best bet to steal the final playoff bid. One somewhat fortunate home win over Kansas City and three consecutive home losses – including a particularly embarrassing and insipid 2-0 reverse to Chivas USA last weekend – later and those dreams look in tatters with newly-crowned Eastern Conference champions Columbus in town on Saturday and a trip to Kansas City on tap to close the season.

As the weekend started, New England and Toronto FC were first and second on the list to fill that final remaining playoff berth. Both possessed the opportunity to stake a serious claim to a date with Chicago in the opening round of the playoffs – five Western Conference teams are likely to qualify, pushing the third East playoff qualifier into a clash with the Fire even if it finishes in eighth spot – by obtaining a positive result as most teams rested during the international break.

Much like United had stuttered over the previous few weeks, the Revs and the Reds fumbled away the opportunity.

TFC enjoyed what appeared to be the easier of the two assignments as a battered San Jose team hauled as many spare bodies as it could find north of the border to provide the opposition. The Earthquakes hadn't lost in four of their previous five matches, but more of their first choice players were available in previous games. Without its top three central midfielders and without much motivation after FC Dallas snuffed out its faint playoff hopes with a 2-1 win at Buck Shaw Stadium on Wednesday night, San Jose looked like an easy mark for the Reds.

Perhaps the opportunity appeared a little too facile for TFC as the tentative home side never really found its stride or its killer instinct in the 1-1 draw on Saturday afternoon.

Nana Attakora poked home Dwayne De Rosario's cross a minute after halftime to hand TFC all the cushion it expected to need, but the Reds never found the killer second goal because they didn't grasp the initiative provided by the ample possession permitted by the visitors. Instead of finishing off the match by dominating the proceedings in the latter stages, TFC sunk further and further back into its defensive half and shifted its focus from winning the match to not losing it. All that shrinking ended in disaster after Cornell Glen scored the equalizer in second-half stoppage time to limit TFC to one point and keep the Reds two points behind New England.

TFC's stumbles handed the battered Revolution a significant opportunity to push five points clear of the three-headed chasing pack (D.C., FC Dallas and TFC all sit on 36 points – more on those pesky Hoops later) with a victory over Columbus on Saturday night. Although the Revs couldn't call on an illustrious assortment of injured players, they faced a depleted Crew side robbed of five starters through injury, suspension and international duty and one brilliant playmaker – Guillermo Barros Schelotto – through prudence. If there was a good time to face the Crew, this appeared to be it.

In the battle of the weakened lineups, Columbus showed its considerable strength in depth by grinding out a 1-0 victory at Gillette Stadium. New England lacked verve in the attacking third without Steve Ralston, displayed a lack of tidiness in midfield and suffered from a stunning communication breakdown between Emmanuel Osei and Matt Reis at the back to concede Gino Padula's long-distance winner. In a match New England probably had to win to assure that the final-day trip to Crew Stadium wouldn't mean a thing, it submitted a limp and ineffective performance. The silver lining: the Revs still ended the day with a two-point cushion (and a winnable home match against Chicago next weekend) because TFC couldn't take care of business either.

With all of the likely challengers fumbling around with a playoff opportunity in their grasp, is there room for a dashing late aspirant willing to seize the opportunity?

FC Dallas might just prove that there is.

Jeff Cunningham and David Ferreira have carried the Hoops from the depths of irrelevance and disorganization to the periphery of the playoff race over the past two months. A three-match winning streak has lifted FCD right into the thick of the battle despite the thin margin for error. In that do-or-die tilt in San Jose on Wednesday night, Cunningham tallied yet another goal (his MLS-leading 17th on the season and his 16th in his past 13 games won the match on 81 minutes) and an assist to lead the Hoops to a 2-1 win at Buck Shaw Stadium to keep FCD's playoff hopes burning brightly.

Momentum can make all the difference at this time of year and FCD enjoys considerably more mojo than any of its competitors. The schedule remains favorable – draw-happy Colorado (40 pts., a number that appears increasingly safe considering the chasing pack) visits Pizza Hut Park on Saturday before FCD travels to sudden home strugglers Seattle to close out the campaign – but one wonders if it's just asking too much for FCD to rip off five consecutive victories to end the season. Columbus (the likely top seed and probable opponent) probably hopes that is indeed the case, particularly if the Crew has to enter the playoffs without the injured Chad Marshall around to help cope with Cunningham and Ferreira.

In the end, one of the five teams chasing that final berth – a group that also includes a Real Salt Lake side that probably needs a result in each of its final three games to enter the reckoning because it sits a further two points behind D.C., FCD and TFC – will somehow earn the opportunity no team located outside of Texas wants to claim right now.

Given the continued stumbles by most of the challengers over the past few weeks, the first team to make a positive step towards grasping the final playoff spot next weekend may just end up hauling it away.

Week 30 – Questions, Thoughts, and Answers

Monday MLS Breakdown Player of the Week – Jeff Cunningham, FW, FC Dallas

The Breakdown doesn't usually like to reach back into Wednesday's matches for the player of the week nod, but the truncated slate and Cunningham's contribution (one game-winning goal, one assist in Wednesday's 2-1 win in San Jose) merited the switch.

MVP Tracker

1. Shalrie Joseph, New England midfielder – Joseph's candidacy would take a considerable hit if the Revs miss the playoffs.

2. Landon Donovan, Los Angeles midfielder – If international appearances counted, Donovan would have sealed the gong in June.

3. Jeff Cunningham, FC Dallas forward – If FCD somehow finds a way to make the playoffs, is Cunningham's stellar second half enough to inject his name into the discussion?

Next in Line: Omar Cummings, Colorado forward; Dwayne De Rosario, Toronto FC midfielder; Guillermo Barros Schelotto, Columbus midfielder; Chad Marshall, Columbus defender; Conor Casey, Colorado forward.

The Starting XI

1. Those of you who may have only caught a glimpse of Toronto FC's 1-1 draw against San Jose may have been taken aback by the home side's pink jerseys. The odd sight wasn't a result of a malfunctioning television feed. TFC donned the tops as part of Pink Ribbon Weekend, an initiative created by the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation to help celebrate Breast Cancer Awareness Month. If you'd like the chance to own an autographed pink jersey and support the CBCF in the process, you can bid for one of the thirteen pink TFC jerseys now up for auction.

2. The uniform switch caused referee Mark Geiger problems in the first half because both teams wore black shorts and black socks to start the match. How did Geiger solve the problem? He asked the Earthquakes to change into white socks at halftime.

3. After watching Lesly Fellinga provide width and service down the left in his first MLS start, one question comes to mind: why did it take so long for TFC to hand him the opportunity to balance out the side?

4. While both goals in Toronto were the result of horrific defending, TFC interim boss Chris Cummins will be particularly aggrieved that veteran defender Nick Garcia couldn't hack Joe Cannon's long hoof up the field clear when the ball dropped right to him. The resulting sequence of events probably caused some consternation as well, but Garcia's muff set the table for disaster when a clearance probably would have all but ended the match and sealed the victory.

5. In a game where the Reds really needed to push the tempo and conjure some creative attacking movement through the middle, Dwayne De Rosario (aside from the assist on Nana Attakora's goal) and Julian de Guzman were strangely silent.

6. Columbus forward Steven Lenhart showed again in the Crew's 1-0 win at New England that he makes defenders work for 90 minutes. What he does isn't flashy and isn't always potent, but he bruises center backs because he competes for everything in the air and wins more than his fair share. The Crew fielded a potent front pairing that caused New England problems all night with the bright Emilio Renteria providing ample strength and ingenuity beside Lenhart.

7. Then again, the Revs caused themselves plenty of issues by struggling in possession and lacking any sort of creative thrust. Without Steve Ralston in the lineup and without any viable wide play to stretch the field, the Revs couldn't carve open the Crew even when handed a man advantage for the final 25 minutes.

8. With six regular starters unavailable, Columbus relied on its shape to hold out after Emmanuel Ekpo was rather harshly sent off for an errant forearm to Kevin Alston's nose in the 65th minute. From Lenhart and Renteria on back, the Crew toiled for the cause and remained compact. The determination paid off as the Revs never really earned a serious sniff at goal.

9. Chivas USA coach Preki handed Claudio Suarez a surprise start in central defense for Saturday night's 2-0 win over Kansas City. Suffice it to say that the gamble didn't work out as Suarez looked completely out of sorts in his 45 minutes on the field. Will that be the last time Suarez sees the field in for the Red-and-White?

10. Preki wasn't pleased with his side's performance in the first half and showed his displeasure by making three changes between the end of the first half and the 55th minute. Jesse Marsch (for Jesus Padilla) and Mariano Trujillo (for Suarez) came on at the break, while Eduardo Lillingston entered ten minutes later for Michael Lahoud. The changes spurred the Goats to life by injecting some urgency and adding Marsch's bite and nous in the middle of the park. Justin Braun and Sacha Kljestan eventually converted that improvement into the goals required to ensure the Goats would seal a berth in the playoffs.

11. If Claudio Lopez's sumptuous 30-yard full volley had dropped just a couple of inches lower when it struck the crossbar in the 57th minute, the Argentine would have submitted a worthy candidate for goal of the year.

BONUS: Four refereeing decisions made this observer go hmm: (1) Waving away New England's protests that Andy Iro handled Kenny Mansally's shot after a half an hour; (2) Sending Ekpo off for the type of innocuous blow that would draw red four or five times per match if consistently deemed worthy of a dismissal; (3) Ignoring Yamith Cuesta's positioning behind the Wizards defense as Kljestan struck the free kick that led to Braun's opener; and (4) Brandishing only a yellow card for Davy Arnaud's two-footed lunge on Paulo Nagamura with the match already decided in the 90th minute.

BONUS #2: After chiding Real Salt Lake and Toronto FC for unnecessarily harming their playoff chances in the Friday MLS Forecast, it only seems fair to point out that Houston scheduled a charity fundraiser on Sunday night – the Dynamo defeated Monterrey 2-1 – and suffered the consequences when Corey Ashe left the match with a knee injury. Add in a second-half skirmish and the Dynamo deserves to join the dubious list compiled on Friday.

BONUS #3: If you're in the D.C. area this week, check out the four films presented by Kicking and Screening at sites across the District. For more information, head over to kickingandscreening.com.

The Playoff Picture
(X – denotes clinched a playoff spot)

Eastern Conference
1. Columbus (13-5-10, 49 pts., 2 games remaining) - X
2. Chicago (10-7-11, 41 pts., 2 games remaining)
Western Conference
T1. Chivas USA (13-9-5, 44 pts., 3 games remaining) – X
T1. Houston (12-8-8, 44 pts., 2 games remaining) - X
T1. Los Angeles (11-6-11, 44 pts., 2 games remaining) – X
Wild Cards
2. Seattle (10-7-11, 41 pts., 2 games remaining)
3. Colorado (10-8-10, 40 pts., 2 games remaining)
4. New England (10-10-8, 38 pts., 2 games remaining)
==
FC Dallas (10-12-6, 36 pts., 2 games remaining)
D.C. United (8-8-12, 36 pts., 2 games remaining)
Toronto FC (9-10-9, 36 pts., 2 games remaining)
Real Salt Lake (9-11-7, 34 pts., 3 games remaining)
Kansas City (8-12-8, 32 pts., 2 games remaining)
San Jose (7-13-8, 29 pts., 2 games remaining)
New York (4-18-6, 18 pts., 2 games remaining)

MLS Playoffs - Monday MLS Breakdown: Dramatic Conclusion Unfolds Minute-by-Minute

By Kyle McCarthy

There's only one solution for a weekend involving six teams fighting for two playoff spots, four teams tied for the final wild card spot playing on the road in search of one of those berths and a trip to Columbus.

Buckle up and grab a large cup of coffee. It's time for the return of the running diary.

Saturday

2:15 (approximate): Hello, Columbus. Time to pick up the rental – thought about the Lexus, but opted for the Toyota instead – and scamper off to my downtown hotel to hack away at a couple of preview stories that could be rendered obsolete by the end of the day.

7:30: I had to suffer through a long commute to find a bar with Direct Kick to take in the night's action. Total travel time: 30 seconds to walk down the elevator and descend ten floors. Time for food and footy. There is a good chance I'm the only person in the bar with a pad and paper.

7:33: Ohioans take their football seriously. Every TV in the bar is on the Ohio State postgame show or the Michigan State-Iowa game. Point of reference: Ohio State defeated Minnesota several hours ago. As for New York-Toronto FC, the heavens have opened…

7:40: …and the match won't start until 7:55. Weather delay? We don't need no stinkin' weather delay.

7:54: The teams trot onto the field for the last MLS match at Giants Stadium. Toronto FC opts for Emmanuel Gomez again at the back after his less than impressive performance last weekend. Interesting decision. Guess that deal for Nick Garcia worked out well for everyone, right?

7:56: Squeegee time! Bouna tries to wade his way through standing water along the goal line. Bouna time apparently does not mesh well with squeegee time.

7:58: GOAL. New York 1 – Toronto FC 0. Mac Kandji storms right down the middle of the park through Gomez and Adrian Serioux and fires home the opener. Tidy buildup play and a nice flick by the retiring Albert Celades to play Kandji in behind.

8:03: Glad to see midseason signing Walter Garcia make a contribution before his inevitable offseason release. He comes on for his first MLS appearance of the year after Mike Petke limps off with an apparent thigh injury.

8:08: Bouna time! Coundoul dives to push away Amado Guevara's far post effort.

8:14: Bouna time! Coundoul rushes off his line to plow into Chad Barrett and clear a potential breakaway with a two-footed tackle. Attention to aspiring goalkeepers: Bouna time! is not your technical role model.

8:29: GOAL. New York 2 – Toronto FC 0. Juan Pablo Angel with the goal, Serioux with the mistimed step to allot him the ample space. Maybe TFC is cursed after all.

8:34: As kickoff approaches in Kansas City, Guevara nearly drags one back for the Reds. Does anyone trust the Red Bulls with a two-goal lead? Didn't think so.

8:35: Groans ring out in playoff chasing cities across MLS as Jimmy Conrad is ruled out with a hamstring complaint. In related news, Vegas just raised the over/under on the Wizards/United game by a goal prior to kickoff.

8:43: Shot of a bemused looking Ben Olsen pops onto the screen. D.C. United head coach Tom Soehn selected Christian Gomez and Danny Szetela in his starting XI and omitted Olsen and Jaime Moreno. Szetela joins the starting XI on loan from Soehn's doghouse, by the bye.

8:50: Wondering what I would have to do to my recently cropped mane to make it look like Kei Kamara's ridiculous mohawk.

8:57: TFC and New York just spent 15 minutes in the locker room getting dry as United and Kansas City ease into their encounter. Doesn't look like the Wizards want to roll over and die.

9:00: WWJMHD? That's what popped into my head as Christian Gomez drags inexplicably wide with his left foot from 12 yards after he gets in behind the makeshift Wizards defense. For those of you who can't peek inside my head, that acronym stands for What Would Jaime Moreno Have Done?

9:05: Ridiculous lunging tackle by Davy Arnaud sparks a little skirmish along the sidelines. I move to ban all attacking players from making tackles; they just aren't very good at it, as a general rule. Ricardo Salazar properly handles the situation by ignoring the root cause of the problem (Arnaud's foolish lunging tackle) and brandishing a yellow card to Zoltan for grabbing him to protest the foul call instead.

9:06: Julius James hits the post with a header from a Christian Gomez corner kick. Well, at least Gomez can still strike a dead ball.

9:09: GOAL. Kansas City 1 – D.C. United 0. Kei Kamara scores his first goal for the Wizards with a neat diving header. No word on whether the hairdo had any impact on the finish.

9:14: GOAL. New York 3 – Toronto FC 0. Angel grabs his second and the Reds start to make alternative plans for next weekend. The interested viewers in this Columbus bar start to make alternative plans to flip on the Colorado-Real Salt Lake match right now.

9:19: Moreno comes on for the injured Gomez in the 40th minute. Glad to see injury has forced United to play the veteran schemer it should have started anyways.

9:25: GOAL: Real Salt Lake 1 – Colorado 0. Robbie Findley heads home at the far post. Take that, Jason Kreis. Findley and Andy Williams – RSL's two best players in recent weeks – both earned starts tonight after coming off the bench in Toronto. Wise move.

9:30 (approximate): FINAL: New York ends Toronto FC's season with a 5-0 thumping to close Giants Stadium. I did not see the resolution, but many said it was an ugly way for Chris Cummins to end his interim tenure as Reds boss. On a related note, how much does it cost to purchase a first-class stamp in Canada?

9:38: If Hollywood decides the world needs more chapters in the Goal! Trilogy, the casting director should give Nick Rimando a shout to fill in between the pipes. Always theatrical, that Rimando fella. The RSL stopper does well here to parry Omar Cummings' volley over the bar with a flourish.

9:42: GOAL: Real Salt Lake 2 – Colorado 0. Game, set and match in Sandy as Williams springs Findley over the top and he tucks home. Findley's sure going to make a lot of money in Scandinavia in the not-so-distant future.

9:48: Kevin Hartman reminds people that he's having a decent year by pulling a one-handed save out of the top drawer to deny Olsen's volley from entering into what appeared to be a vacated net. In keeping with his usual custom of halftime switches, United coach Tom Soehn threw Olsen on for Szetela at the break.

9:56: Soehn makes his third and final switch by inserting Boyzzz Khumalo in place of Luciano Emilio. United can clearly lean on its Designated Player when his contribution is most required.

10:03: GOAL: D.C. United 1 – Kansas City 1. Fred drew a penalty after Matt Marquess tugged him on his way to goal. The Brazilian made the most of the contact and Moreno made the most of the opportunity as his 326,478th penalty kick conversion for United barely eludes Hartman to draw D.C. level.

10:14: The mohawk didn't bring Kamara the same luck this time around as he blasts Claudio Lopez's cut back miles over the bar from 12 yards. And D.C. United breathes again.

10:17: Lopez brings a fine save out of Steve Cronin with a dipping shot. The fine stop does not change the fact that it is utterly ridiculous that D.C. could bring in the USL-1 goalkeeper of the year with two games remaining when there are pool goalkeepers available. Even if the goalkeeper in question is Steve Cronin.

10:19: GOAL: D.C. United 2 – Kansas City 1. Julius James and his recently injured hamstring leap over Marquess to head home Hartman's weak punch. Yes, Matt Marquess, you just got beaten in the air by a guy playing on one leg. Can United hold on for eight minutes?

10:26: Lopez forces Cronin into a diving save from a free kick. On the bench, Milos Kocic is probably muttering to himself.

10:27: PENALTY KICK: Lopez's resulting corner kick sparks chaos in the box. The ball bounces around, eventually falling to Roger Espinoza at the far post. He fires towards the empty goal…but…Fred handles it off the line! In stoppage time! Fred made the right call to handle the goalbound effort, but he's off and United's season is on life support. The Brazilian immediately tromped to the locker room and instructed his agent to phone every A-League club in search of a new home in time for next season.

10:29: GOAL: D.C. United 2 – Kansas City 2. Lopez just about ends United's season by firing straight down the middle as Cronin stumbles to his left.

10:31: WOW. United nearly grabs a game-winner at the death as Rodney Wallace hits the near post with a right-footed blast. Another two inches to the right and United would have had an unlikely third goal.

10:32: FINAL: United has to settle for a 2-2 draw in one of the most pulsating matches of the season. If this is it for United, they'll be gutted to have conceded so late. They'll need a draw between FC Dallas and Seattle to stay alive.

10:35: Hastily trying to get the television changed over to FC Dallas-Seattle with Colorado-Real Salt Lake still on the other TV. Since Los Angeles-San Jose doesn't have any bearing on the wild card race, that game doesn't make the cut on our two televisions. These are the difficult choices that have to be made when there are three people half-a** watching Michigan State-Iowa on the big projector screen. Football rules all, apparently.

10:36: Actually, it's “Replace Lamp” on the field instead of the Hawkeyes. My bad.

10:45: A great combination move by Sounders FC through midfield springs Brad Evans behind the FCD defense. Evans caps off the move, but he started the play a step or two behind the Hoops' backline. FCD exhales and braces for the next ten times Evans storms through midfield unmarked.

10:50: GOAL: Real Salt Lake 3 – Colorado 0. Javier Morales collects a loose ball in his own half and sends a diagonal ball to Yura Movsisyan on the right wing. Movsisyan jukes Drew Moor out of his shoes, but the Rapids defender recovers enough to force Movsisyan to fire home from a wide angle. Neat finish, all things considered.

10:52: GOAL: FC Dallas 1 – Seattle 0. Sounders FC invites Atiba Harris to shoot from 22 yards by backing off of him and allowing him plenty of room to shape and fire. Harris then tucks his effort inside the far post. Will the FCD fairy tale end in the playoffs after all?

10:58 (approximate): FINAL: Real Salt Lake 3 – Colorado 0. With the other results on the night, RSL can clinch a playoff berth if Seattle comes through at home.

11:01: With the results from the early games revising the playoff scenarios completely, I need to hack out an updated version for the late edition of the Boston Herald. Trying to keep an eye on the Seattle game while I'm at it…

11:25: How many media members, television gurus and Revolution team staffers does it take to work through the playoff permutations? Answer: it depends on whether we have Greg Lalas' iPhone to allow us to peruse Goal.com's playoff scenarios page.

11:35: Random thought as I reflect on Ljungberg's penchant to draw fouls: how does he walk after games? The Swedish midfielder gets hacked up and down the park for 90 minutes. Makes his recent uptick in form all the more amazing, quite frankly.

11:45: Phew. Beat the deadline by 15 minutes or so. Former Revs beat writers Tim Bresnahan and Mike Biglin are on the Herald desk tonight, so they've got the FCD-Seattle match on and will update the piece with the final scenarios.

11:58: GOAL: FC Dallas 1 – Seattle 1. Nate Jaqua sends those on the Revolution payroll to their feet with a simple tap-in finish provided to him by Fredy Montero's sliding square pass. Montero had plenty to do to turn Ljungberg's cross back across the face of goal and managed to do it.

11:59: Montero may have his flaws in terms of temperament and maturity, but the kid's a bit special, isn't he?

12:00: He wasn't particularly special in this instance after Dario Sala beat away Nate Jaqua's header and the rebound fell to him from close range. Instead of firing home, the Colombian lashes wide.

12:04: The tide looks like it has turned against the Hoops as Steve Zakuani forces Dario Sala to parry his drive away.

12:07 (approximate): Biglin calls and asks why a FCD draw would allow the Revs to draw Columbus tomorrow and still make the playoffs. Even the Cliff Notes version takes a a couple of minutes to explain. In my next life, I'm coming back as Will Hunting. The mathematical equations he works through are far less complicated.

12:10: Oh. My. Word. Did Montero just have his face taken off by David Ferreira's cleat?

12:11: Further inspection shows that Montero slid in needlessly from behind, committed a foul and then writhed on the ground in order to simulate apparent contact by Ferreira's cleat. Yellow card for simulation not forthcoming, however.

12:12: When I discussed Montero's flaws earlier, did I mention his dreadful playacting?

12:14: GOAL: Los Angeles 2 – San Jose 0. Someone flipped on his computer and just announced that Landon Donovan had scored in the 78th minute. Glad to hear it. Looks like the Galaxy will win the Western Conference. Worst to first. Who'd have thunk it? What a great job by Bruce Arena and company.

12:17: If Zakuani could finish, Seattle would have the lead. Zakuani blazes over a fantastic chance from eight yards after Montero lets Jaqua's cross roll through. Then again, if Zakuani could finish consistently, he wouldn't be playing in MLS. So it's a win some, lose some proposition for Seattle right now.

12:21: GOAL: Seattle 2 – FC Dallas 1. Ljungberg pops free down the left and slides the ball in for Evans at the near post. Evans jinks the ball over Sala and into the net. Guess how many FCD players tracked Evans' run through the penalty area? If you guessed zero, you'd be absolutely correct.

12:26: Fantastic block by Jhon Kennedy Hurtado to keep Dave van den Bergh from equalizing from close range. Not that a draw would do the Hoops any good right now.

12:32: FINAL: Seattle 2 – FC Dallas 1. The dream is over for the Hoops as Seattle picks up its first home win since July 11. The result also eliminates D.C. United, marking the second consecutive year in which Evans officially ends its season.

12:35: After a wild and wacky night, here's what we know: Real Salt Lake is in, D.C. United, FC Dallas and Toronto FC are out, New England has new life and Colorado is on life support. One spot remains available: if New England wins or draws against Columbus tomorrow night, the Revs are in; if New England loses, Colorado sneaks in as the eight seed. Time to leave the bar and start preparing for tomorrow.

Sunday

4:15: Welcome to Crew Stadium. The Bengals are on the television in the press box, so there's not much of a chance you'll see anything in this diary on the Houston-Chivas USA game. Them's the breaks.

4:45: When I think Columbus, I think tacos. That's the press box fare tonight. I'd call it acceptable, though not up to the Gillette Stadium gold standard.

5:00 (approximate): FINAL: Houston 3 – Chivas USA 2. The Dynamo takes the two seed and plays Seattle in the first round, while Los Angeles will face Chivas USA. I suspect ESPN will pick up both of these series in approximately 2.2 seconds.

5:20: Lineups arrive and Crew head coach Robert Warzycha springs a surprise by handing Kenny Schoeni his first MLS start while also naming a strong side including Guillermo Barros Schelotto. Guess he'd rather see Colorado than Real Salt Lake in the first round. Considering the warmed-over death look the Rapids have assumed in recent weeks, can you blame him?

6:09: The 225th and final match of 2009 is underway. For the second season in a row, the campaign will end at Crew Stadium with the visiting team jockeying for a playoff berth.

6:17: Andy Iro nearly hands the Revs their first goal in 248 minutes as he directs a Kenny Mansally corner kick back towards his own net. Schoeni clutches it thankfully.

6:26: This is a fun battle between Robbie Rogers and Kevin Alston. Rogers just likes to run by people, but there isn't any way he's running by Alston, who is just as fast. Since Rogers doesn't seem to have a plan B, it looks like Alston has the battle won on this evening.

6:32: Emmanuel Osei and Jay Heaps can't communicate in the middle, leaving plenty of space for a cross that Osei eventually heads clear. In recent weeks, Osei has struggled to communicate with Revs goalkeeper Matt Reis and now Heaps. Reis and Heaps are two of the chattiest soccer players you'll ever meet on and off the field, so it's fair to say Osei isn't much of a talker.

6:42: Iro heads over the bar. That makes two chances for the burly English centerback in the first half.

6:47: When you can't score from the run of play, just lump it long. Reis does just that and it nearly results in a goal. Zayner and Schoeni can't deal with the long hoof and the ball falls to Joseph on the edge of the penalty area. Joseph can't direct his harder-than-it-looked chip into the empty net. A real chance goes begging for the Revs, who have improved going forward but still aren't what one would call potent in the final third.

6:57: The halftime whistle blows on a relative snoozer of a first half.

7:13: We're ready to go again and word leaks out that Osei won't be on the field to start the second half. We find out later later that Osei sustained a left ankle injury in the pre-match warmups and gutted through the first half. Amaechi Igwe comes on at left back and Jay Heaps slides to the middle.

7:33: There goes Iro again, missing narrowly. How many goals would Chad Marshall have scored tonight if he was healthy enough to play in that spot?

7:45: GOAL: New England 1 – Columbus 0. The match looked destined for nil-nil until Jeff Larentowicz stepped up and lashed home a free kick from the edge of the penalty area. Larentowicz's first goal of the season was more than enough to hand the Revs a playoff spot for the eighth consecutive year.

8:00: FINAL: New England 1 – Columbus 0. This won't go down in the annals of history as the most exciting match ever played, but the Revs did more than enough to earn safe passage through to the playoffs at Colorado's expense.

8:02 (approximate, give or take eight hours): One of the most hectic weekends you'll ever see in MLS comes to a close. The final dates and times will leak out on Monday, but these are the first-round matchups: Columbus – Real Salt Lake, Chicago – New England, Los Angeles – Chivas USA and Houston – Seattle. It is also time to finally (!) conclude this running diary and get on a plane back to Hartford. The best news? We get to do it all again next weekend…minus the incredibly long, minute-by-minute recap, that is.