Tonight starts the conference finals in the 2009 MLS Cup Playoffs. We all know the pairings going into the conference finals and for the most part we know who the league and ESPN are hoping to see in the MLS Cup.

We have our favorites and we certainly have our underdog. These next two games will put either a really high profile match in MLS Cup 2009 or one that sees a couple of western conference clubs battling it out like last year’s two eastern conference teams did in LA.

I’ll start with tonight’s western conference showdown out in LA, followed by tomorrow’s clash at Toyota Park in the Windy City. As always feel free to pipe in your score predictions below.

Western Conference:
Houston Dynamo – at – LA Galaxy:

The game will come down to the battle in the midfield. Each have strong defenses with solid goalkeeping while the two offenses are good in their own different ways. More than likely who ever scores first will go defensive the rest of the way out because that’s how each plays during the regular season.

Who comes up bigger will be the question. Does David Beckham and Landon Donovan rise to the big game stage or will it be Houston’s Brad Davis and Stuart Holden? For Houston they’ve been here before and you know the experience factor is huge but Bruce Arena has a good mix of veterans who’ve always been here as well.

A big X-factor for the Dynamo has to be the speed of guys like Dominic Oduro. If Dominic Kinnear’s club is going to find any success against the tough Galaxy defense it will actually have to come at the speed of Oduro. Sure Oduro has a terrible first touch that typically lets him down but every now and then he finds space in behind the defense and can cause some serious damage. Teams that have done well against the Galaxy used speed to kill their defense.

For the Galaxy they just need a big time game out of Donovan or Edson Buddle. Both can score from anywhere and at anytime.

I see this game being as rough and as physical as they come. More than likely a card or two will factor in this one which is why I am going with the home team tonight. Houston gets themselves into trouble more often than not with the cards and LA will find a way to capitalize on that mistake. It will be close but I just see LA heading to Seattle for the MLS Cup here.

WVH Prediction: LA 1, Houston 0

——————————————————

Eastern Conference:

Real Salt Lake – at – Chicago Fire:

This one is really an interesting one. We saw RSL upset the mighty Columbus Crew on the road last week and it really begs the question can they do it again against a club that hasn’t been exactly dominate at home this season?

Let’s be clear though the last couple games out of the Fire at Toyota Park have been much better than the side we saw from June-September there. Denis Hamlett has his club playing very well and the recent addition of John Thorrington into the lineup has done a number on this club’s play through the midfield. Getting him back from injury came at the right time for this bunch.

I’d imagine we’ll see the Fire offense go all out early on in this one with Chris Rolfe, Blanco and Brian McBride. They saw last week how Guillermo Barros Schelotto tore about the RSL defense by himself in a short span. They’ll use that template to go after a defense that isn’t really as good as some make it out to be. Jamison Olave has to the beast that he can be in the back or else this could be a rough game for RSL.

RSL cannot be taken lightly and I doubt Chicago will do that. The Fire are too deep to take a dangerous club like RSL lightly. Robbie Findley has to come up with a big game offensively for RSL. We’ve seen him come and good with the offense and if he has an off night so will the rest of this club.

In the end I just like the Fire a bit more than RSL here. While the underdog role is always a good one to root for I just think the Fire will be too much in the midfield for RSL to handle.

WVH Prediction: Chicago 2, RSL 1

Stuart Holden and Greg Vanney set to battle things out this weekend. (Getty Images)

It seems like every year we get a big upset in the playoffs, and 2009 was no different. Thursday night in Columbus we saw Real Salt Lake go into Crew Stadium and shock the league with their 3-2 upset of the Crew, sending them through to the conference finals. The weekend slate of games however saw no more upsets, the home teams held strong and won their series.

So now it is all set, Chicago will host RSL and LA will host Houston. All quality series and all in soccer-only stadiums. With all due respect to New England I think the league really didn’t need them to hold on to beat Chicago and host RSL in the conference finals in front of a 90% empty stadium with NFL lines on the field. Instead we get a game in a modest MLS-sized part that should be mostly full.

Did we end up with the best matchups going into the conference finals? Some would say we did but I still think the way the playoffs are set up the higher seeds are still at a disadvantage even though three of the four went through this year. But that is just the way things are set up and kudos to RSL for sneaking through and pulling the upset this year. No doubt in my mind that upset bought Jason Kreis another season in Salt Lake with the club.

So back to the matchups for a minute. I’m pretty sure the league knows what MLS Cup pairing they want out of these four (Chicago-LA) but will it happen?

Chicago won the season series in the two meetings between the clubs. Their 1-0 win at Toyota Park should hold some value for the Fire as they will lean heavy on RSL’s lack of winning on the road (up until last week of course) to get them through this game. Chicago also has the outside speed that will probably be used a bit more against RSL. It was something that lacked for Columbus in their game but when things went wide it worked for the Crew against RSL. I’d imagine we’ll see plenty of Chris Rolfe going into the box for Brian McBride.

Out west things are going to be fun. Friday the Dynamo travel to LA in what should be a packed house for the final home game of the year at the HDC. It was just three weeks ago we saw these two teams battle to a scoreless draw at Robertson Stadium. I have to wonder how much of an advantage the home field will be for the Galaxy.

Are you happy with the conference finals? Do you think RSL can pull another upset in Chicago?

Landon Donovan leads the Galaxy against rivals Chivas. (Getty Images)

One more weekend of action and we will be in the conference finals here. One club is already in and three others will move on this weekend. After last weekend’s play the pressure is on a couple home teams to rebound while one just has to keep on doing what they do best in front of their fans.

The eastern conference will finish tomorrow night as Sunday sees the two western conference games. As always feel free to pipe in your score predictions below.

Saturday:

New England – at – Chicago Fire:

Going down 2-1 on the road is never a good way to start a series and against a tough defensive squad like New England it really puts the pressure on the Fire. Chicago hasn’t been the best squad at home this season which may worry home fans even more, now throw in the news that defender Gonzalo Segares is out for this game and you really need to worry. New England just has to keep the defense strong enough for one more game here and they are through to the conference finals. I think the Revs getting over the hump again against Chicago really speaks to how well coached they are by Steve Nicol. Not having a big time offense and getting two goals on the Fire is never easy.

But will it last? The amount of injuries are still a major concern for Nicol’s team but the strong play from Shalrie Joseph last week should carry over on the road. The Revs will also have to rely on two rookies in the back (Kevin Alston and Darrius Barnes) and the sometimes suspect Emmanuel Osei. If Chicago can use their wing play and the toughness of Brian McBride to frustrate Osei early they could get back into this series.

I think Chicago will find a way to tie things up in the series and win on penalty kicks at the end. Its a close call but I just see this going to kicks.

WVH Prediction: Chicago 1, New England 0 (Fire advance after PKs)

———————————————————————

Sunday:

Seattle Sounders FC – at – Houston Dynamo:

I think had Seattle got a goal at home against Houston last week they’d win this series but now on the road and it is still a nil-nil draw I really don’t know if the expansion club can get it done in one of the hardest venues in all of Major League Soccer. There is no love between these two sides as well as the fans, expect a sea of Orange on Sunday at Robertson Stadium. Just too bad this one isn’t on ESPN2 again for the national spotlight.

This one comes down to tough defenses and offenses that need to find their way around the net again. Stuart Holden has to control things in the middle of the park and find a way to slow down the likes of Freddie Ljungberg and Fredy Montero. On the flip side a lot of pressure will be on Jhon Kennedy Hurtado and James Riley to slow down the Dynamo attack from Brad Davis and Brian Ching.

No doubt this one will remain as physical as the first game was. Expect more cards and more fouls in this one. I think Houston will find a way to grab a goal early in this one and sit on it for the rest of the game. Pressure is mostly on Seattle to score in this one but I just think Houston will be the stronger team at home here.

WVH Prediction: Houston 1, Seattle 0 (Houston advances)

———————————————————————-

Chivas USA – at – LA Galaxy:

So both scored two goals in the first game, just throw that out because it doesn’t mean a thing now since the series is still tied. Expect even more for this one as both know what is on the line here.

Chivas has to find a way to slow down Landon Donovan and the Galaxy attack. For once they were able to match the Galaxy goal for goal but you can’t count on that for two games in a row. I’d imagine Chivas will go a little more defensive in this game while the Galaxy offense will be in all out attack mode to get a goal, especially early on in this one.

If LA gets up early then look out, I’d imagine Bruce Arena will get his side to camp on any lead they get. Preki will do the same if the tables turn his way but they have their work cut out for them if they have to trail in this game. I like the Galaxy to advance mainly because of Donovan. I think when you have the best player on the field you are more likely to advance here.This one will remain close but the Galaxy will come out on top in the end.

WVH Prediction: LA 2, Chivas 1

Eric Brunner and Columbus try to slow down Yura Movsisyan and RSL tonight. (Getty Images)

Tonight the second leg of the first round playoff matches kickoff in Columbus as the Crew host Real Salt Lake. RSL holds a slight 1-0 lead in the goals department in this two-legged series thanks to the late goal from Robbie Findley last weekend.

Now is really where the fun begins for each side. Columbus went defensive in the first game by sitting Guillermo Barros Schelotto and Alejandro Moreno. Each should see plenty of time in this game as the Crew will be gunning for goals to take the advantage back. Most figure RSL will go defensive in this game and bunker down as much as possible.

To come away with a victory on the road won’t be easy as the Crew were one of the best home teams in the league this year while on the flip side RSL was one of the worst road teams. RSL’s lone game at Crew Stadium this year was a 3-1 loss back in July. Going defensive means they will have to rely more on the play of guys like Jamison Olave and Chris Wingert. I’d also imagine we’ll see a little more Clint Mathis in this game as well from Jason Kreis.

RSL has to continue to hope that the Crew stays cold. Its been a few games since the Crew have scored a goal and one has to figure that streak will end at home. The pressure is on the Crew to score but it is also on a very much on the RSL defense to do well in this one. During the regular season RSL gave up 24 goals on the road while the Crew scored a mean 25 goals at home.

I think having a rested Schelotto goes far for the Crew in this one. It was a big gamble sitting him in game one but he sees the field like no one else out there. RSL will rely a lot on the speed of Robbie Findley and Yura Movsisyan up top but with Chad Marshall a little more fit going into this game I just like the Crew at home. Its still very hard to pick RSL on the road anyways. Columbus escapes this series but only by a slim margin.

WVH Prediction: Columbus 2, RSL 0

The playoff version of the SuperClasico got off to a bang with a 2-2 draw. (Getty Images)

Some could say the results we saw in the first week of the playoffs were fairly expected. The SuperClasico ended in a draw that I think most folks expected to get; Real Salt Lake found a way to get a win over the Crew at home; Seattle and Houston battled it out to a scoreless draw; and maybe the only real shocker of the weekend was the Revs beating Chicago 2-1.

Indeed the first leg of the conference semi-finals saw some expected results. Now the higher seeds get the homefield advantage (except for LA who technically were already home for their first game). Just how big of a deal will games at Robertson Stadium, Crew Stadium and Toyota Park be for the other three clubs? Well for Chicago and Columbus they will need to be everything as those two have to find a way to win at home by a couple goals. For the Dynamo it should be a welcome thing as I kind of believe they have the biggest upper hand of any clubs going into the next leg of the series.

One thing we can bank on is no one is dead in the water yet. Away goals mean nothing in the MLS playoffs as it is all about total goals scored. The two western conference series are still way to close to call right now. In the east I would imagine we’ll see both RSL and New England head on the road with a very defensive look to them. I fully expect RSL to just bunker the hell out of the game this weekend in Columbus. Even as awful as they’ve been on the road that’s about all they can hope for against a very strong Crew team at home.

Does anyone believe RSL can knock off the champions? I know a few folks in Salt Lake that certainly think so. I’d imagine we’ll see more of Guillermo Barros Schelotto in the next game for Columbus, weird to think that he wasn’t even used for the game in Salt Lake. Same goes to Alejandro Moreno.

What did you think of the first weekend of the playoffs?

Columbus needs a big game from Robbie Rogers at Rio Tinto Stadium. (Getty Images)

While last night’s game in Seattle got the playoffs started with a 0-0 bang, the rest of the playoff clubs get ready to join the Dynamo and Sounders in the fun. One series kicks off tomorrow night while the other two wait it out for Sunday.

For a brief thought about last night’s game here I thought it was one of the most entertaining nil-nil draws I’ve seen in a long time. I know some folks hate a scoreless draw in our sport but last night’s game showed a lot of excitement and I only hope the Dynamo’s fans return the favor to Seattle and cover Robertson Stadium orange in a big time sellout. Boy those two clubs are building one hell of a rivalry too, one that could definitely be good for years to come here.

But speaking of rivalries we have a couple good ones in the playoffs this year both on Sunday believe it or not but tomorrow night’s game will certainly be good too.

Saturday:

Columbus Crew – at – Real Salt Lake:

RSL is in the playoffs for a second straight season and you have to believe they see this shot against the Crew as a big time deal. I’d expect Rio Tinto Stadium to be a happening place tomorrow night. Jason Kreis’ club has always been good at home and against the Crew there. They need to build some massive momentum in this game if they want to shock the league and win this series. To do that they have to take advantage of some banged up defense the Crew has right now and now get themselves in foul trouble early. Robbie Findley and Yura Movsisyan have to step up and play well in front of the net because the Crew are sure to want to get the taste of that 4-1 blowout from back in April out of their mouths.

Columbus on the other hand just needs to play to their strengths. Even on the road this season they’ve been solid. They certainly need a big game from their MVP Guillermo Barros Schelotto. If he fails to show up in this game you might be able to kiss the Crew’s chances of repeating good-bye. Columbus needs to work the ball in space and allow Robbie Rogers and Alejandro Moreno to get open around the box. Columbus stumbled into the playoffs with two straight shutout losses, I would imagine things will be corrected in time for tomorrow’s game offensively for this bunch.

This first leg will be close but I think a draw comes out in the end. RSL knows this game is big while Columbus knows they just need to hold them to a draw and win at Crew Stadium next week.

WVH Prediction: RSL 1, Columbus 1

————————————————————————————

Sunday:

Expect a tight series with the Revs and Fire. (Getty Images)

Chicago Fire – at – New England Revolution:

For some reason this I think this series will be closer than any other out there. New England pretty much has no offense while the Fire are too hot and cold to really feel good about picking right now. Throw in the fact that these two have played each other seemingly every year since the turn of the century in the playoffs and it makes for one nasty pick.

I’ll be honest with you, the Fire are a mess in and out despite the roster they have. Blanco is going away after this season, possibly for good, and others are sure to leave as well. But this club does play better than any other on the road and they know New England like the back of their hand. Yet Steve Nicol and the Revs know the Fire just as well. I see this series staying tight, with loads of fouls, possibly loads of cards and very few goals. Neither have blown up the scoreboard in recent weeks and I wouldn’t expect it to happen in the playoffs.

I’m oddly enough taking the Revs in this opening game. Something about them getting into the playoffs last week by beating the Crew just makes me believe the Nicol has this club playing on a higher level than the Fire right now. Yes I know the Fire look good in their season finale but something just strikes me the wrong way about this bunch. I like Shalrie Joseph in this series to prove yet again why he was an MVP candidate this season.

WVH Prediction: New England 1, Chicago 0

——————————————————————————–

We get our first SuperClasico playoff edition in 2009. (Getty Images)

LA Galaxy – at – Chivas USA:

This is another series that I expect more cards than goals from. Neither club like one another and throw in the rivalry factor and this makes one interesting series. I think the league probably pissed themselves when they saw that this was going to be a matchup for the first round. But then they probably got even more giddy when they realized for probably the millionth time that David Beckham would finally be in the playoffs with the Galaxy. I guess now we will hear how well the DP system works huh?

Back to this game though, if you look at how these two played this year in the regular season you can’t expect much more than a load of fouls and cards and possibly a sneaky goal by either Maykel Galindo or Landon Donovan. The thing Chivas needs to do to win here is get Galindo in space and allow him to use his speed to expose a defense that can easily get burned by good speed. Expect LA to sit back a little in this one and go for their typical long-ball approach to scoring. Sadly this one will end in a draw as well.

WVH Prediction: Chivas 1, LA 1

Fredy Montero leads the charge for the expansion Sounders. (Getty Images)

The playoffs are finally here and tonight they kickoff with a bang up in the Pacific Northwest as the Houston Dynamo travel to Qwest Field to face the Seattle Sounders FC in a big first leg western conference semi-final series.

Seattle comes into the playoffs as one of the league’s hottest teams and with the opening game at Qwest you have to believe Sigi Schmid and company will pull out all the stops to make sure the expected large crowd stays happy. Schmid will have to rely heavily on Jhon Kennedy Hurtado and Leo Gonzalez in the back to slow down the attack from Brian Ching and Stuart Holden.

The Dynamo need to find a way to get a goal early and then rely on their strong defense to carry them in this game and in the series. Catching Seattle off guard on corner kicks or free kicks could go a long way for the Dynamo. However the most important thing for Dominic Kinnear’s bunch is staying out of card trouble. These last couple months have been nothing but yellow and red cards for Kinnear’s team. Make no mistake if they get into card trouble it will be another early exit for the Dynamo this year in the playoffs. You can’t beat a club like Seattle with ten men, you just can’t do it.

I think tonight’s game will be physical as Houston will want to use guys like Geoff Cameron and Bobby Boswell to keep Fredy Montero and Freddie Ljungberg off the boards. Look for Seattle to play the wings a lot in this game and also look for Ljungberg to try to live up to his DP status with the Sounders.

I like the homeside by a slim margin in this one. These two played two exciting games in the regular season and I don’t see anything different here tonight. Goals by Ching for the Dynamo and goals by Montero and Nate Jaqua for the Sounders.

WVH Prediction: Seattle 2, Houston 1

Don’t you just love it when you begin something and think you are close to finishing when you realize you are better off starting all over again? I’ve had that happen here with what I thought was going to be a new look for this place. I had spent a couple weeks on a new design when I just basically hit a wall with it and couldn’t get myself to go any further with it. I have started over with the new look and have completely taken it to another direction. Who knows when it will be finished though. Just a status update for those who have asked.

Anyways, time to get into a couple links for the evening. First up is a big stinkin’ look at the playoffs and why there will be upsets. With things kicking off tomorrow night I wouldn’t be shocked to see a couple upsets this year myself.

I’ll be up front and will say that this may be a year that the top seeds actually do well for a change though. Which in itself is  an upset considering we have to go back to 2003 to find the last time the two number one seeds reach the conference finals.

I do see a chance for an upset as most probably do. First up is RSL and Columbus. Look if Real can get a lead at home in the first leg this weekend they do have the defensive abilities on a given night to be able to hold someone for a game, even on the road. My concern still remains with RSL is that they just lack the confidence on the road to actually get it done, especially against a good side like Columbus who know how to win. RSL just doesn’t have enough veteran leaders I think at the end of the day to get the job done but they certainly can pose problems for the Crew and could spring an upset.

Second upset may not be an upset if you consider how hot the club is coming into the playoffs. Yes I am talking about the Seattle Sounders upsetting the Houston Dynamo. A No. 3 seed over a No.2 see doesn’t seem like an upset but it will be an upset nonetheless. Houston isn’t playing their very best right now and Seattle certainly is based on their recent form.

I’ll have more on these games tomorrow though.

—————————————————-

League Attendance Hurting The Old

Link

There is no getting around it the older clubs in this league are hurting for butts to come sit in seats at their stadiums. New York, Dallas, Colorado, and Kansas City to name a few aren’t doing well at all in the attendance numbers this year and it doesn’t all boil down to performance on the field if you ask me. But what is getting worse is seeing strong clubs like DC and LA struggle at the gate now. Their dip in attendance has to worry everyone if you ask me. I know the DC issue stems from their stadium issues but for LA one has to wonder what the deal is there for a club that could normally sellout their stadium without David Beckham.

————————————————————

MLS Stat Pack

Link

Who likes stats? We all do! Lots of good figures in there by Jack Bell at the New York Times.