While both MLS Eastern Conference Semifinal Series are all tied up, you have to give the Columbus Crew and Chicago Fire the advantage entering this week's second legs.
To use some parlance from another sport, both teams held serve while on the road. Now, they get an opportunity to play -- and win -- in front of their fans.
As we prepare to watch the second leg, here is a tasty morsel to digest: since the league went to the total goals series to decide the conference semifinal series in 2003, home teams -- the higher seeds and usually the favorites -- in the second game own a 12-2-6 mark at their place. And, out of the 20 series, the higher seed has moved onto the conference championship 17 times. That's an impressive 17-3 record.
Now, that's not saying that Chicago should book a trip to Columbus for next week. And that's not saying the tasks of the Kansas City Wizards and New England Revolution are impossible, but they certainly face an uphill battle with those historical facts.
Of course, K.C. and New England can make history of their own if they prevail in regulation, extra time or by the dreaded penalty kicks.
With the slates of both matches being even, those lower-seeded sides are within striking distance of a victory and an upset. So, they have to enter the match with the mentality that their glasses are half-full instead of half-empty. We'll see after Thursday's and Saturday's encounters to figure out which of the four semifinalists' glasses are filled more in their quest for the MLS Cup.
No. 3 New England Revolution at No. 2 Chicago Fire
Second leg: Thursday, Toyota Park, Bridgeview, Ill., 8:30 p.m. ET (ESPN2, Deportes)
Give the Revs a lot of credit. Playing without five key players, they managed to get out of the first leg even with a scoreless draw in a dour physical game at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass. last Thursday. "There wasn't much soccer played," Fire coach Denis Hamlett said. Indeed. But the Fire got some solace from the tie, which snapped Chicago's six-game losing streak in away playoff matches against the Revs. Hopefully, the second leg will have some soccer. By the way, an interesting twist for the Fire's former U.S. international Brian McBride, who has forged a great reputation as a master of the header of the ball, was offside by a head on a goal he thought he had scored. "I'm told I was off by a head," McBride said. But at the other end of the park, he headed a clearance of a corner kick outside of the penalty area.
Chicago Fire The onus is on the Fire as the hosts are expected to open up their game on their home field, where they were a rather ordinary 7-5-3 during the regular season. On the flip side, the Revs were a decent 6-6-3 on the road, the third-best away record in the league, but scored only 16 away from Gillette. The Fire must set the pace and make the Revs pay for their physical play in the first encounter, whether it is a goal off a set piece or an early goal, which would open up the game and allow the hosts to counterattack. The defense was as solid as you could expect with goalkeeper Jon Busch living up to his MLS Goalkeeper of the Year billing, with several key stops in front of a backline that included Brandon Prideaux, Wilman Conde, Bakary Soumare, Gonzalo Segares.
It's the attack that must find a way to solve the Revs' defense. One player must step up instead of moping on the ground after he was fouled -- Mexican standout and MVP finalist Cuauhtemoc Blanco. The Fire acquired him last season to make an impact when it counted in the big match and it doesn't get any bigger than the MLS playoffs. Chris Rolfe, whose hat trick lifted the Fire to a 5-2 triumph against the New York Red Bulls in the regular-season finale, experienced a disappointing match and is under pressure to raise his game.
New England Revolution Without five starters, the Revs did as well as expected last week. But now they have to come out and try to score on the road without the likes of striker Taylor Twellman and central midfielder Steve Ralston, who missed the opener with injuries.
Revs coach Steve Nicol has some difficult decisions to make. Does he play defender Gabriel Badilla, who returns from suspension, instead of Chris Tierney, who played so well at left fullback in his playoff debut? (Jay Heaps was moved into the middle alongside MLS Fair Play winner Michael Parkhurst.) Khano Smith is serving the second game of a two-game suspension for that red card in the regular-season finale home loss to K.C. Mauricio Castro and Sainey Nyassi again are expected to provide whatever offense New England can muster through its wide play and set pieces. Star goalkeeper Matt Reis, who has saved his Revs' necks through the years in more ways that can be mentioned even in an internet column, might have to stand on his head once again if the visitors want to advance.
Since the slow pace and physical play worked at home, it would not be surprising if Revs coach Steve Nicol opts for the same strategy on the road, although Chicago might have something to say about the pace. Without that fire power against the Fire power (the team's defense), Nicol also has some difficult decisions: does he play for a draw in regulation and extra time and play for penalty kicks? All-star midfielder Shalrie Joseph felt the key to stopping the Fire was shut down Justin Mapp, Blanco and Rolfe.
"We didn't want them to come at us and get Blanco, Rolfe or Mapp involved," he said. "We didn't want these guys to get on the ball with space. We limited their space and limited their touches. They just started to fade out and we started to dominate the game." If the Fire score first and especially early, the visitors will be forced to push up and Chicago could get a counterattack goal or two.
Outlook: At this juncture, all either team needs is one goal while shutting down the opposition. A 1-0 victory would be just as good as a 4-0 rout, except for the fact a tighter game would mean more grey hairs for both coaches. New England, which has reached the conference final for six consecutive years (and MLS Cup Finalists four times since 2002), has a history of pulling things out. Since winning the MLS Cup in their expansion season in 1998, the Fire have fallen short in the championship game in 2000 and 2003. How much desire and will the Fire have to grab for the brass ring and MLS championship rings will be tested in this match.
Kansas City Wizards at Columbus Crew
Second leg: Saturday, Columbus Crew Stadium, Columbus, Ohio, 7:30 p.m. ET (HDNet, Direct Kick)
They say soccer is a 90-minute game. Well, the experts are wrong. It's more like a 95-96 minute match, with stoppage time thrown in. In other words, you should never stop playing and lose your concentration. So, what a difference a 12th-hour goal makes. After the Wizards could not clear the ball out of the penalty area despite seemingly endless attempts in the waning seconds, Steven Lenhart's goal in added time turned a one-goal deficit into a 1-1 draw for the fortunate Crew (he has five goals and three have forged ties in the 87th minute and beyond). That goal will dramatically change both teams' strategy and mental outlook entering Saturday's confrontation.
Columbus Crew Had K.C. kept Columbus off the scoreboard, the Crew would have entered the match a lot more anxious. Now, the Crew will be more confident, although like the Fire, the onus will be on the hosts to force the issue and attack, in the friendly and familiar confines of Columbus Crew Stadium. "It changes [Kansas City's] approach probably, more than anything," Columbus coach Sigi Schmid said. "If they had the lead they could come like 'Let's really sit in. Let's look to counter.' Now they have to play."
But so does the Crew, even moreso. This is where the home-field advantage comes into play, or should come into play. Columbus is 11-2-2 in the friendly confines of Columbus Crew Stadium, while the Wizards have compiled one of the worst road records at 2-8-5. Will the norm hold up on Saturday night?
In the first game, the Crew had a number of chances, but could not buy a goal on the narrow field at CommunityAmerica Ballpark. Some players had some first-game playoff jitters. Beyond that, again, like Blanco, Guillermo Barros Schelotto must step up his game and show why he is favored in many quarters to win league MVP later this month. Schmid said Schelotto must play closer to forward Alejandro Moreno to create some dangerous plays. Schmid said it best for the second leg. "On a bigger field we'll move the ball better," he said. "We just have to move it quicker."
Here are some interesting stats Columbus must put to rest: Since the Crew defeated the San Jose Earthquakes in 2002, they have stumbled with a 0-2-4 playoff record. And the Crew are 2-4-4 in the postseason since last reaching three consecutive conference final matches in 1999.
Kansas City Wizards Give Kansas City a lot of credit. Coach Curt Onalfo's Wizards battled hard and played the hosts even, but just couldn't get, ahem, a leg up on the favorites as they were bitten in their collective rears by (un)luck and poor clearing. The Wizards outplayed the Crew and did a lot of things well. It would be easy to say the Wizards have to play the same way. But it is difficult for many teams to play the same way on the road as at home, especially if the Crew has anything to say about it.
Being the road team, the Wizards have to play cautiously defensively, but must be willing to take risks up front. As was written about Blanco and Schelotto, Argentinean star midfielder Claudio Lopez has to emerge as a key figure as he did in the first match when he set up Davy Arnaud's goal. If he cannot, it could very well be a long game and short playoffs for the Wizards.
The Wizards will miss forward Herculez Gomez, who was red-carded in the 75th minute for his tackle on Crew left fullback Gino Padula. "It's going to affect the team. He's been a big part of things since he's been here, but we're not for a second going to put our heads down," Arnaud said. "We've got a game to still go and play and go win and that's our mindset."
With Josh Wolff out, firepower might be at a premium, especially on the road.
Outlook: The Wizards have to get over giving up the equalizing goal in stoppage time out of their minds and play their game. They're the ones with nothing to lose. The Crew? Columbus has the pressure of being the home team and the winner of the Supporters' Shield. If the Crew fail to get out of the opening round in one piece, the season will be considered a wasted year in many quarters. The last five Supporters' Shield winners have failed to reach the championship game. Like Chicago, Columbus should be hungry as well -- to become the first regular-season champion to reach MLS Cup since 2002. While it might not be the best way to win, sometimes fear is the best motivation. At this juncture, it doesn't matter. In playoff games this tight, survival at just about any cost is the key, not necessarily pretty soccer.
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