After the first leg of the MLS Conference Semi Finals, everything looked to be on course for the top seeds to make their way to the next round, save for the Seattle Sounders. One of the best road teams, and the first team to deal Real Salt Lake their first home loss in MLS play in over thirty games, could not replicate that and found themselves down 3-0.
Despite a valiant effort to make is a close tie, a 2-0 win was not enough and Seattle will be disappointed that all their regular season progress was for nothing. What we are left with though are two very intriguing match ups that pit old foes and a bit of old guard vs the new kids.
In Los Angeles and Salt Lake, we are getting a replay of the 2009 MLS Cup Finals that saw RSL complete what up to that point was the near impossible – come in as the bottom seed and win it all. Can Los Angeles finally get the five-year Beckham experiment off their back and get past a rejuvenated Real Salt Lake?
Kansas City and Houston has a relatively young, dynamic but largely inexperienced side up against a team that is led by a head coach who has been there, done that, and has players who’ve been along for the ride. Will experience rule the day, or will the offensive muscle from KC be too much for the Dynamo?
Sporting Kansas City v Houston Dynamo
Sunday, November 6, 5:30pm ET
2011 Head to Head: KC @ Houston 1-1, KC v Houston 3-0
While Los Angeles v Real Salt Lake looks like the main event, KC and Houston present an exciting undercard match up with countless variables to consider in determining who will move on to the finals. Since their last meeting in early August, both of these sides are on a near identical run of form, with both undefeated in their last five, and four of those results being victories. A 3-0 win for KC must be looked at as a match that was much closer than the final scoreline indicates, as a Carlos Costly red card was followed by two more goals to blow the game open.
Sporting KC have had an unusual campaign that saw them kick off with ten road games in a row as they waited on the completion of Livestrong Park. One will not know if this ultimately helped or hindered their position, as a glut of home fixtures down the stretch no doubt aided them to regain and ultimately finish top of the East. However, despite having a true fortress to call home, it has not been to Real Salt Lake proportions, as KC have dropped points against less than stellar opposition on their own field.
Their biggest strength is having a litany of potential goal scorers, as their attack is arguably the most balanced in the league. Teal Bunbury and Omar Bravo lead the way with Kei Kamara, CJ Sapong and Graham Zusi offering more than adequate cover. Houston’s defenders will be put to the test right from the opening whistle. While all the accolades have been up front, one cannot forget that KC have held a clean sheet for four straight games and have a competent backline anchored by Danish stopper Jimmy Nielson who has two international pedigreed players in Juilio Cesar and Aurelien Collin in front of him.
Houston can be seen as a bit of a surprise as the runners up to the Eastern Conference, as they had a woeful 2010 and the start of 2011, while improved did not necessarily indicate they were MLS Cup contenders. An end of season run that saw them lose only two games since the beginning of August put them in the perfect position to make a legitimate run.
The Dynamo’s biggest strength is their experience, and having a head coach who has now seen it all, but most importantly won two MLS Cups and still has players from those back to back titles. The man with the armband, Brad Davis, has lived up to his billing as one of the deadliest set piece takers in the league, as he was responsible for setting up two goals against Philadelphia in the Conference Semi-Finals. Their side does not boast a true top player in any position, which also is a strength as they are balanced throughout the entire pitch. Their one true x-factor is Honduran striker Carlos Costly, who was sent off in the last encounter between these two – Costly is a massive handful up front and him finding his touch, but also keeping his cool, could be the difference in whether Houston can stand above KC in the end.
This truly is an even match up between two teams who are an almost the exact same run of results. It’s is an interesting tilt in that it pits the youth and energy of the high flying Kansas City against the experience and grittiness of Houston. The Dynamo have the experience and leadership who know what it takes to win a game like this, as they have the players who’ve done it before. This is new territory for almost every player in the KC roster an in the end it will be their lack of experience that will bring them just short.
RNO Pick: Houston Dynamo
LA Galaxy v Real Salt Lake
Sunday, November 6, 9pm ET
2011 Head to Head: Los Angeles @ RSL 1-4, Los Angeles v RSL 2-1
With a prime-time slot on television, this match has all the makings of a classic and while it is of MLS Cup caliber, Don Garber must be pleased to see this year’s playoffs have been able to deliver huge games even before the big show on November 20. While it does look like two top teams going at it, it really is one of a consistent table-topper against one who have slipped down the stretch.
The Don was so close to seeing his Beckham Experiment fulfilled back in 2009 when the Galaxy made it to the finals against bottom seeded and apparently overmatched Real Salt Lake, but the Utah club hung on to dash the Galaxy’s dreams on penalties.
It is likely the last horrah for David Beckham and this season arguably has been the best for Los Angeles as they have done everything needed to finish the year well atop the MLS table, with only Seattle nipping at their heels. The Galaxy have everything going their way with Bruce Arena well established as one of, if not the best coach in the U.S. being the right man to manage the likes of David Beckham, Landon Donovan and now Robbie Keane.
The Galaxy might not be the biggest offensive juggernaut, but it is their defending that has got them to where they are. League leaders in fewest goals conceded, wins and losses indicates they have found the recipe to finally go the distance. New York did expose what might be weaknesses in their defenders being caught on the counter, and Josh Saunders might not be a top keeper, but when you have a handful of players who are head and shoulders above the rest, you begin to see how week in week out they finish with all three points.
Real Salt Lake have been at it for longer than any team in MLS and while they shocked the league in disposing of Seattle, the 2-0 loss away from home underlined where their vulnerabilities are and how they are not quite where they need to be to instill 100% confidence they can duplicated 2009.
A very poor run of results down the final month, as well as one of the poorest road records of the playoff contenders give RSL a mountain to climb as they head into the Home Depot Centre. Salt Lake’s biggest strength has been one of the best midfields in the league to support crafty and elusive strikers. Both Alvario Saborio and Fabian Espindola are in fine form, with the return of Javier Morales, as well as Jamison Olave and Nat Borchers, there is a sense they have the quality to match up and pull it off. The question is can they come together on this one night and shake off a terrible September and October and do they have enough left in the tank from starting their season in early March?
One cannot look at this tilt and not weigh out the overall dominance LA have shown throughout this season. Salt Lake’s run in 2009 had something special in the air where you saw them as a more than capable side who underachieved throughout the regular season. They appeared exposed this year and do not look to be firing on all cylinders, which was shown when they went to Seattle and were dispatched 2-0. Now on the road again, with a slew of road losses again, it seems unlikely they will hand the Galaxy their first home defeat of the season. Los Angeles have taken Real Salt Lake’s title for home form and will continue it through to the finals.
RNO Pick: LA Galaxy
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