Smith lauded for Rapid turnaround

COMMERCE CITY, Colo. -- The Colorado Rapids were stockpiling momentum in the final weeks of the season, turning the page on their 6-10-3 record through the first 19 matches to ride a 5-4-2 surge tantalizingly close to an improbable playoff spot over the final 10 weeks of the campaign.

The ride came crashing to its conclusion in the 90th minute of Saturday's do-or-die finale with Real Salt Lake, when after holding a 1-0 lead for 71 minutes, the Rapids' season slipped from their grasp. RSL got the equalizer from Yura Movsisyan, finding the net off a deflection from 'keeper Bouna Coundoul, sending Salt Lake to its first postseason and bringing an early winter to the Rapids after a thrilling stretch run in their bid for an MLS Cup Playoffs berth.

There's little doubt in the Rapids locker room exactly when their season found its legs. When Gary Smith stepped in for an absent head coach Fernando Clavijo for a 2-1 win against Kansas City, then took over as interim coach for the final 10 games of the season after Clavijo and the Rapids agreed to part ways, the Rapids took an initial spark and parlayed into a firm identity and a sense of consistency that had too often eluded the Colorado side.

"Gary got handed a situation that was a mess for three-and-a-half years, and he did wonders, absolute wonders," said veteran defender Mike Petke, the shock of the sudden end to the season still heavy in the air in the Rapids locker room Saturday night. "He actually bought the enjoyment back in soccer for most of us."

Smith took the reins of a team that had sunk to sixth place by mid-August and had them battling for third on the final day of the season, keeping their spirit alive and energizing both his players and their fans over the final third of the season.

"I'm proud of what they've produced in the last 11 games whilst I've been in charge," Davis said after Saturday's season-ending draw. "The situation I came into was to try to pull a team together that were lacking in confidence, losing games, and I think at the time either bottom or joint bottom of our group. I think I did that. I think I steadied the ship. I gave a bit of confidence back to players that were maybe lacking a little bit, that were frustrated and disappointed at the same time. The fact that we've taken it to the last game of the season, and under enormous pressure in the last two games, have managed to take four out of six points - we needed more of that earlier in the season, sadly."

Whether Davis' success at reinvigorating the Rapids will lead to an offer of the vacant head coach's post should play out quickly as Colorado shifts its focus from its playoff pursuit to ensuring that the late-season surge can translate into a full season of top-flight performance in 2009.

"Gary being in here has made it unbelievable," Petke said. "I'll tell you right now, if he does not get this full-time job, then somebody up there has a screw loose, to be honest with you. For them not to give it to him because we didn't made the playoffs after he came in and did what he did over the last 10 games after [the past] three and a half years ... he deserves this job, I'll tell you right now. He's one of the best coaches I've ever had."

Though the wounds were still raw after having victory rudely snatched from their side by their Rocky Mountain rivals Saturday, there was no shortage of pride in the Rapids locker room, the abrupt conclusion all the more painful in light of their accomplishment in climbing the ladder and forcing the issue down to the season's final moments.

"You can tell that the whole end of the season, the team had a goal," said goalkeeper Bouna Coundoul. "We know what we been doing. We're almost there. If we had come through, we would have made it all the way. We just got short. It's the beginning of next season. What we have right now, we have to keep it up. When next season comes, we're going to have to worry about [not] waiting to the last days to make it to the playoff."

With a few days off to catch their breath before a team meeting Wednesday and some end-of-season training sessions before scattering their separate ways, the Rapids should waste no time answering the most important question of their offseason, resolving Smith's status and enticing the coach to accept the head coach's role as the Rapids move forward, building on their strong finish and setting their sights on raising their standard of success.

"I think I'd need to sit down, I need to take a deep breath," Smith said Saturday when asked if he'd accept an offer, were one made to him. "It's been a very interesting and strange and emotional season, all rolled into one. Lots of changes. This certainly wasn't the reason I came to the club. But I'd like to just take a couple days to think about what has happened and where we've got to, what point we're at. I'm sure at some point in that time I'll speak to [managing director] Jeff [Plush] or the powers that be, and we'll decide upon that. If someone asks me that question, it would be a nice position to be in to have to make a choice."

With so little separation between the teams in the league, it's a natural instinct to look for a way to bottle the formula that drove Colorado through its final third of a season. But rarely is the secret ingredient so clearly packaged, so easily identifiable in one man striding the sidelines.

Taking control of a team that has seemed perpetually in transition, Davis was steadfast in sticking to a game plan and insisting on consistency - even when it called for bold moves like benching former MLS MVP Christian Gomez shortly after the midfielder appeared in his fourth consecutive All-Star match in July.

The result was evident in a cohesive team that pulled together and salvaged their season, only to see it glance off the upright at the last possible moment.

"The last six or seven, eight weeks, we've started really understanding each other as players and we really had an identity as a team," Rapids midfielder and team captain Pablo Mastroeni said Saturday. "We had 28 guys all on the same page. And that hasn't been the case here. Off and on it was the case, but it was solid for the last eight weeks. It's been a real treat. To have everyone show up tonight, to execute the plan almost to a 'T', and to be robbed of that is so unjust.

"This team has a lot of great things to build on. We won a game on the road [against Chivas USA last week] where people didn't think it was possible. We put ourselves in a position [Saturday] to win this game, and a lot of people didn't think that was possible," he continued. "The sad thing is that we've come a long way in eight weeks, and just to have it end so quickly is one of those cruel realities."

Colorado came so close it could taste that playoff spot, only to be left with the bitter aftertaste of a draw to Salt Lake lingering on the palate. It marked the first time in club history that the club has missed the postseason in consecutive years, but having found their identity and shown the ability to sustain a level of excellence over the season's final third, the Rapids appetite for success has been stoked, replacing the empty gnawing feeling of frustration and futility with a hunger demanding satisfaction.


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Dynamo turn attention to defending title

CARSON, Calif. -- Leading by a goal late in Saturday's match, the Houston Dynamo had a bounce go against them as a failed clearance resulted in a Chivas USA equalizer.

Houston thus settled for a 1-1 draw against Chivas USA and will now turn their attention on defending their MLS Cup 2006 and 2007 crowns.

With the Western Conference top seed already in the bag well before Saturday's game, the result then might not have been quite as important. But Houston midfielder Dwayne De Rosario said the team did not go to The Home Depot Center content with the first 29 games of the season.

"That's not our mentality," De Rosario said. "Every time we play there is always something on the line. That's pride. We always want to win."

De Rosario scored Houston's goal in the 52nd minute as he converted a penalty kick. But in the game's waning moments, Chivas USA defender Jim Curtin scored on a rebound. Carey Talley sent a ball into the penalty area from the right side and Eddie Robinson tried to clear it. However, the ball went straight at the goal. Pat Onstad saved it but the ball fell on the goal line and Curtin raced in and poked the ball across the line.

"Not the result we wanted, especially with the chances we had. In saying that I thought we played well. The ball movement was sharp," De Rosario said. "Defensively we did well. One funny bounce and they scored. We got punished for not punishing them."

Houston went up a man after Chivas USA goalkeeper Dan Kennedy fouled Nate Jaqua inside the penalty area to set up the 52nd-minute opener. On the play, Jaqua was the beneficiary of a turnover deep in Chivas USA's defensive third.

"I was able to get through. It was kind of a miscommunication between Curtin and (Claudio) Suarez," Jaqua said. "I was able to kind of bounce through there and get the ball out."

Kennedy clipped Jaqua as he went by and referee Terry Vaughn pointed at the penalty spot before showing Kennedy a red card. Although Chivas USA coaches and players vehemently protested the call, Jaqua said the call itself was justified.

"I tried to jump over him. He got my foot but very, very minor and it was enough to keep me off balance a little bit. I tried to keep my feet and I felt like I would have stayed on my feet in stride I would have gotten to that," he said. "It's a harsh PK and it's definitely a harsh red card but I also felt like I was impeded somewhat in my process to get to the ball."

Dynamo coach Dominic Kinnear protested in favor of Chivas USA after Vaughn sent Kennedy off.

"I didn't want to see the guy get sent off. That was it," Kinnear said. "I just thought that the Kennedy guy was trying to play the ball. I know what the rule is but you don't want to see the guy miss his first playoff game."

After De Rosario converted the spot kick, Houston settled into a groove and had multiple chances to put the game away. Replacement goalkeeper Zach Thornton made two clutch saves to keep his side on the team and without converting their opportunities, Houston eventually let Chivas USA back in the match.

Still, the result won't taint the high spirits the club has entering the playoffs, players said.

"I thought we played good soccer tonight and had our chances. It was unfortunate we weren't able to put them away," Jaqua said. "We're confident right now and were playing well and that's all that really matters, being confident and playing well. The result -- obviously you don't want to tie 1-1, but that's fine. We'll put it past us and just concentrate on the playoffs."

Rapids' heroic effort falls short against RSL

COMMERCE CITY, Colo. -- The Colorado Rapids locker room on Saturday night after losing their season finale was about as dark as it gets in professional sports. So were their hopes for a spot in the MLS Cup Playoffs.

The team had made a Herculean effort, climbing from the depths of their conference to within inches of the final playoff spot over the final third of the season and leading their rival Real Salt Lake side until the 90th minute of a do-or-die match.

RSL finally found the back of the net in those final moments, tying the game and robbing the Rapids of a return to postseason soccer.

"It was like somebody put a set of socket spanners around me guts as the ball went into the back of the net," interim coach Gary Smith said of the leveler. "It's completely deflating for everybody. I don't think you've seen any player in that changing room who hasn't given every ounce of energy, of their heart and soul. Sadly, we just had too much to do. I thought we had enough. Knowing that we conceded it in the 89th minute -- maybe that mountain was just slightly too steep to climb."

As the Rapids waited for their coach to address them following the final bell tolling the end of their season, players sat in front of their lockers, shell-shocked at the sudden turn of events, crushed at having their moment of triumph snatched from their grasp as the last seconds on the clock ticked away.

"It's hard, man," said defender Mike Petke, a veteran of four seasons with the Rapids. "It's hard to swallow. One of the toughest losses I've ever had.

"We fought hard. We came out strong. We did everything right but put more goals in and keep the one goal out. We were doing anything we could to get a goal. I thought until the last second that we were going to get it," Petke continued. "That final whistle blows, and it's like a bullet to the head. I hate to say it like that, but that's what it feels like. I wanted to win this game more than anything. I wanted to win last weekend's game more than anything, and we did that. I wanted that feeling again. I wanted that feeling to get to the playoffs like we deserve since Gary's taken over."

If there were any regrets in the Colorado locker room, they were few and far between. The team took pride in the way they played sudden-death soccer over the season' final two weeks, bringing themselves to a precipice few believed they could reach.

But to get so close after playing so well down the stretch and dominating their opponents to the degree that even RSL head coach Jason Kreis admitted his side probably didn't deserve the point they won Saturday night -- to win so much in their long climb up that mountain only to find themselves swept away in a season-ending landside just steps from the summit, made the pill all the more bitter.

"To be honest with you, I felt like there was only one team on the field today," said Rapids captain Pablo Mastroeni. "We initiated the game, we found the game, we maintained the game, we created the better chances. Soccer's a cruel sport. If you don't find a way to get that second goal, there's no insurance. There's no reprieve.

"I think we're on the short end of the stick. That's the game. That's the way it goes. That's why you play the game," he continued. "We did everything we possibly set out to do. Got a goal early in the first half, put pressure on them, didn't let them get into their possession, their flow that they enjoy doing. Made it tough for their forwards up top. Basically we imposed our will upon them. For 89 minutes it was great. But it's a 90-minute game."

A near-capacity crowd was as numb as the team they'd come to root into the postseason when the final whistle blew. It was another frustrating loss on a home field the Rapids feel should be their "fortress," as Terry Cooke put it.

"The first half we took some really good chances," Cooke said. "I was looking at [RSL's] body language, and they looked a bit despondent, because they thought they had it wrapped up last week. They came out the second half throwing everything at us - the kitchen sink, the dog and cat. We got deeper and deeper. It's just the law of averages, the more and more you keep defending for 45 mintues, sooner or later they're going to get a clear chance. The clear chance came in the 89th minute, and there's no way of coming back."

Though the Rapids never let up in their intensity, outshooting their rivals 10-6 in each of the halves and looking like the better team throughout, a momentary lapse after a 45-minute assault at their lead ended up costing them their season. Even those on the field weren't sure how it unraveled so quickly.

"I'm disappointed," said Colorado 'keeper Bouna Coundoul. "We almost made it to the playoffs. They got lucky with the goal. These things happen in soccer. You can dominate the whole game and when there's a little breakdown, they tied the game, and that's all they needed. They needed just to come out here and get a point."

Mastroeni, the team's longest-tenured player, summed up the feeling permeating a clubhouse that had been nothing short of heroic, only to go home empty-handed.

"Playoffs come and go," Mastroeni said. "I've yet to win a championship and the likelihood of me winning one in my career - it's eluded me up to this point. But that's not the disheartening part. The disheartening part is coming to work every day, enjoying what you do everyday, being in the locker room with 28 guys that you really enjoy everyday, putting a result out, putting an effort out in the last game when you have to win, doing that for 89 minutes and then coming up short - that for me is the kick in the [gut]."


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Home struggles hurt FCD in '08

FRISCO, Texas -- Over the last three seasons, it was almost expected that FC Dallas would make the playoffs. In fact, heading into this campaign, only twice in club history had the Hoops missed out on the postseason. And there was every reason to believe that the 2008 team wouldn't add themselves to that list.

However, looking back, the '08 campaign took on an almost ominous tone in the season opener against Chivas USA on March 30. FCD took an early lead on a 21st-minute goal by Juan Toja, who would leave for Romania later in the year. However, a gaffe by new center back Duilio Davino just six minutes from full time allowed Maykel Galindo to net an equalizer and the Hoops had to settle for a 1-1 draw and just a point.

It was a scenario that replayed itself time and time again throughout the season. FCD finished the year at just 5-4-6 at home. To put the mark in historical perspective, even the 2003 team, which finished just 6-19-5 overall and missed the playoffs for the first time in FCD history, won five times at home in an otherwise abysmal season. And the '04 team, which also missed the postseason, won six times at home.

FCD's struggles at Pizza Hut Park are something current head coach Schellas Hyndman, who took over in mid-June after Steve Morrow was fired in May, is well aware of.

"I don't know if this team ever really got the support that other teams get at home," he said. "(It was a case of) not fulfilling our job at all, not getting it done at all. When I talk to the players because we always have to have a closure after the game (at Real Salt Lake on Oct. 18), I said it should have never come down to this game, it should've been decided earlier. We should've been in the playoffs earlier.

"I think if we had taken care of some of our home games, we'd have been fine," Hyndman continued. "Right at this point in time, we have 11 ties and if you take half of those into wins, then we're in the playoffs. So, we're a team that had to come back and tie or either people caught us."

Four disappointing results in particular stand out: A May 28 match with Houston that saw FCD blow two leads and settle for a 2-2 draw with the two-time defending league champs. Others were a 1-0 loss to Colorado on Sept. 4 and a 1-1 draw with San Jose on October 2 and a 2-2 tie with Toronto FC nine days later. The Hoops were headed for defeat in both of those before being bailed out by late penalty kicks.

And Sunday at The Home Depot Center, FCD finished the year in disappointing fashion. After trailing early after a goal by the Galaxy's Edson Buddle, the Hoops got unanswered tallies from Drew Moor and Victor Sikora to lead 2-1 at the break. However, that lead didn't hold and late in the game, Landon Donovan tied it on a penalty kick and the sides finished tied 2-2. FCD also had a player sent off for the second consecutive week when Aaron Pitchkolan was sent to the locker room after getting a second yellow in the final half of play.

The FCD players are also well aware of how many points they left on the table this year.

"Bottom line is that we had opportunities, we had chances and we put ourselves into a good position to make the playoffs at the end of the season," defender Drew Moor said. "It wasn't as easy as we wanted the road to have been but we put ourselves into those spots and just didn't take advantage of them. We had some missed opportunities where we had to get a point or three points but we didn't. It's a long, tough season and we play a lot of games in a lot of competitions but to not make the playoffs is disappointing."

This year has been nothing short of a rollercoaster for FCD and their supporters. Things started off with the team in a 3-5-2 under Steve Morrow but ended with the Hoops being coached by midseason hire Schellas Hyndman, who employed a 4-4-2 system.

A number of players came and went, including two-time MLS all-star Toja, now in Romania, and Arturo Alvarez, who was traded to San Jose. FCD also acquired veteran striker Jeff Cunningham and he performed well down the stretch.

But this promises to be a busy offseason in Frisco. A coaching change won't happen and FCD president/general manager Michael Hitchcock is down for another year but on the player front, there could be a lot of comings and goings. That list could start with Kenny Cooper, who finished second in MLS scoring with 18 goals. He could be leaving for Europe. But then again, the Dallas native could be staying. That would be one sweet tune for FCD supporters indeed.

"Bottom line, it was wins," defender Adrian Serioux said. "It could've been not getting the results that we needed at certain times when we should've gotten results. Fortunately for us, we had an opportunity coming down to the end of the season but still, you shouldn't have to wait until then and it came back to bite us. Now, we have to look forward to next year."


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Fire pour it on New York, clinch home field

BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. -- The Chicago Fire clinched home-field advantage for the first round of the playoffs Thursday, while the New York Red Bulls went home with nothing.

Fire forward Chris Rolfe scored three first-half goals and set up two others on the night as the Fire went on to record a 5-2 win against the visiting New York Red Bulls in the regular season finale for both teams at Toyota Park.

With the win, the Fire (13-10-7, 46 points) clinched home-field advantage against the New England Revolution in their Eastern Conference Semifinal Series. That means the Fire will play at home in the second leg of the two-game, aggregate goals series.

The Red Bulls (10-11-9, 39 points) could have clinched a wild card playoff spot with a win. Instead, they have to wait on the result of the D.C. United-Columbus Crew game on Sunday afternoon to find out their playoff fate. If United wins, the Red Bulls will miss out on the postseason; if United ties or loses, the Red Bulls will face Western Conference top seed Houston Dynamo in the first round. The Kansas City Wizards clinched a playoff spot with the Red Bulls loss.

The Red Bulls finished the regular season with a 1-8-6 road record.

The Fire's five goals was the most they scored since beating the Red Bulls 5-1 on May 25 at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J.

The Fire took an early lead on their first real attack on goal. Rookie midfielder Stephen King, getting a start with the absence of injured midfielder John Thorrington, ran on to a perfectly timed through ball from Justin Mapp in the penalty area to the right of the goal. King rounded goalkeeper Danny Cepero and then sent a low cross through two defenders to Rolfe, who headed it home into an unguarded net.

The Red Bulls tied the score in the 32nd minute when Dave van den Bergh dribbled past a Fire defender down the left side, then sent a ball to the right side eight yards out to Juan Pablo Angel, whose header bounced just in front of the goal line then past Fire goalkeeper Jon Busch.

In the 38th minute, the Fire scored eventually off a corner kick by Cuauhtemoc Blanco. The kick initially bounced off a Red bull defender standing directly in front of Blanco, but it bounced into the penalty area. The ball was partially cleared, but only to the top of the arc, where Rolfe chested down the ball, then looped a one-time, instep volley into the upper left corner for a 2-1 lead.

Just before halftime, the Fire took a 3-1 lead on Rolfe's third goal. Fire striker Brian McBride and New York's Seth Stammler challenged for a long Busch clearance, the ball continuing on to the foot of Blanco. He sent a heel pass to Rolfe streaking in between two Red Bull defenders. Cepero came out to challenge Rolfe, but the Fire forward slotted the ball coolly inside the left post to complete his hat trick.

Rolfe became the fifth player in Fire history to record a hat trick, and the 33-minute span was the second-quickest in club history, after the 23 minutes Ante Razov took to complete a hat trick on May 6, 2000.

New York coach Juan Carlos Osorio, the former Fire coach, sent forward Macoumba Kandji into the game at halftime for Seth Stammler, and replaced Juan Pietravallo with defender Luke Sassano.

Rolfe started the Fire's fourth goal when he sent a through ball from midfield to Fire defender Diego Gutierrez streaking down the left side. Gutierrez, who was feted at halftime for his long service with the Fire, sent another long rolling cross past two Red Bulls to McBride streaking in from the far right side, who had an easy tap-in for the goal.

Gutierrez, who was playing in place of suspended defender Gonzalo Segares, has announced his retirement at the end of this season.

In the 71st minute, the Red Bulls finally had a scoring chance when Fire defender Wilman Conde slipped as the ball went through his legs and Dane Richards, who had come on for Jorge Rojas six minutes earlier, headed directly toward Busch from the right side. Richards shot went off Busch's head and out.

Fire coach Denis Hamlett made his first substitution in the 74th minute, sending defender Daniel Woolard into the game for midfielder Justin Mapp.

The Fire scored their fifth goal in the 75th minute and Rolfe earned his second assist of the game. The ball was tackled from Woolard in the midfield, but went straight to Rolfe on the right flank. Rolfe curled a cross back in front of goal were Woolard dove in to head it into the back of the net.

Kandji rounded out the scoring in the 88th minute for the Red Bulls, knocking home a Richards pass for his first MLS goal.


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Wizards top Revs, will face Crew in first round

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- The Kansas City Wizards will face Columbus in an Eastern Conference Semifinal Series after clinching the fourth seed in the conference with a 3-1 win Saturday against a nine-man New England Revolution at Gillette Stadium.

Claudio Lopez scored on a penalty in the 26th minute after Gabriel Badilla drew a red card for preventing Lopez's goal-scoring opportunity. Khano Smith saw red three minutes before halftime for a harsh tackle on Herculez Gomez. Davy Arnaud added the killer second eight minutes after the break to seal the victory before Michael Parkhurst scored an own goal. Jeff Larentowicz scored in second-half stoppage time for New England.

Kansas City extended its hex over the Revs at Gillette Stadium -- the Wizards have gone 6-1-4 at the venue -- and picked up only its second road win of the season while New England saw its winless streak reach six games.

Revolution head coach Steve Nicol named an unchanged side from last Thursday's 2-1 defeat in D.C. That meant Sainey Nyassi had to settle for a place on the bench with Mauricio Castro preferred once again on the right wing. Gabriel Badilla once again partnered Michael Parkhurst in the middle of the team's four-man back line.

Kansas City also opted to stick with the same 11 players who toppled San Jose 3-2 at CommunityAmerica Ballpark last Saturday. Argentinean striker Lopez hoped to add to the goal and two assists he notched against the Earthquakes as the Wizards tried to garner their first away win since Apr. 20 in Chicago.

The two teams struggled for meaningful possession in the opening stages. Neither team could establish a rhythm going forward and the passing in midfield looked choppy rather than crisp. This led to a period of aimless play with little on the ball possession.

Out of nothing, Kansas City found the opener. Goalkeeper Kevin Hartman launched the ball forward from inside his own penalty area. Parkhurst misjudged the distance and the ball bounced over Badilla's head. The gaffe allowed Lopez in behind the defense. The Costa Rican defender wrapped his arms around Lopez's collarbone and tugged him to the ground.

Referee Kevin Stott issued a red card for the tug as Badilla denied a clear goal-scoring opportunity. Lopez dusted himself off and drove the resulting penalty straight down the middle of the goal to give the Wizards a precious lead.

Nicol elected to remain with the personnel on the field. The transition meant the Revs returned to a back three with Parkhurst sliding into the middle.

The dismissal seemed to spark the Revs momentarily. Castro saw his shot deflected wide en route to goal before Jimmy Conrad poked away an opportunity before Taylor Twellman could fire on goal.

Things went from bad to worse three minutes before the break when Smith lined up Herculez Gomez in the corner and slid in with a high, two-footed tackle on Gomez. Stott issued his second red card on the evening for the reckless tackle as the Revs watched any possibility of dragging out a result skitter away after being reduced to nine men.

The game turned into a war of attrition after that as Nicol withdrew Shalrie Joseph to avoid a second booking and both teams set up shop for the most part.

Onalfo sent on Kerry Zavagnin with nine minutes to play so the retiring midfielder -- a key cog for the Wizards in the center of the field in Kansas City's MLS Cup run in 2000 -- could enjoy a last swansong in his final regular season game.

Parkhurst added a late own goal before Larentowicz tallied to provide an exclamation point as the Wizards sealed a date with Columbus next Saturday to open the MLS Cup Playoffs.


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Real look to clinch vs. rival Rapids

SANDY, Utah -- Clint Mathis has seen both ends of the spectrum in his pair of stints in a Real Salt Lake uniform.

Mathis was with the club in its inaugural season -- when RSL's playoff hopes were extinguished well before the final month. Now, after rejoining the Utah team during its stretch run this time around, he stands on the brink of seeing history and feels excited at the possibilities ahead.

"It would be great to be part of a team making its first playoffs," Mathis said. "You never know what could happen if we get there."

To finally reach that milestone, RSL must come away with at least a draw when it hits the road to face Colorado on Saturday. The stakes are always high for each combatant in the annual Rocky Mountain Cup. But so much more is riding on this single game than in any from past seasons.

A win or tie for Real clinches the third seed from the Western Conference and sends them to the playoffs. A loss, on the other hand, will catapult the Rapids right past their archrival and leave RSL sitting home with the sting of knowing they missed out on reaching the playoffs by the slimmest margin.

It adds a new dimension to a rivalry where extra incentive to secure a victory is not needed. Still, RSL players acknowledge that Saturday's game will mean more with something greater than pride on the line.

"It's definitely going to be heated," defender Chris Wingert said. "But, more than anything, it's going to be heated because of the playoffs, not because of what has gone on in the past."

Indeed, Real values clinching a playoff berth much more than simply locking down bragging rights for a second consecutive season in the quest for the Rocky Mountain Cup.

Veterans like Mathis, Wingert and midfielder Kyle Beckerman -- who have suited up for both sides -- have even gone to great lengths to insist the rivalry isn't infused with the same degree of venom and meaning to them than what fans assign to these games with Colorado. "In the past, the rivalry was all there was to play for," Beckerman said. "This game, it will just be what it is. It's a playoff game pretty much. It's great that we'll get that cup. But it's a bigger thing when that's the only thing you're playing for."

When RSL takes the field against the Rapids, they will be at full strength for the first time in several weeks. Oft-injured stars like Dema Kovalenko and Fabian Espindola are fully healed from recent injuries that sidelined them. Nat Borchers is expected back from the neck strain that sidelined him against FC Dallas last week.

For RSL coach Jason Kreis, it means he will have a host of tactical options to consider on who he starts and who he brings in as a substitute and what formations he will use against Colorado.

"It will be the first time in a long time I can remember that we have everyone in consideration for the 18 and everybody in consideration for the starting 11," Kreis said. "There's going to be some difficult choices to make."

While the stakes are high for RSL in this match, the outcome is equally important for the Rapids on several levels.

Real cost Colorado a playoff berth with their 1-0 road victory in the 2007 season finale to claim the Rocky Mountain Cup for the first time. For the Rapids, revenge would be twice as sweet because they are more than simply a spoiler.

A win this time would not only take back the Rocky Mountain Cup, but thrust Colorado into the MLS Cup Playoffs over their resurgent rivals.


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