<div id="attachment_6846" style="width: 521px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><div><figure class="external-image"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-6846" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-6846" src="/files/2009/10/houstonseattle.jpg" alt="Houston visits Seattle in MLS Cup playoffs" width="511" height="390"></figure></div>Houston visits Seattle in MLS Cup playoffs</div>
Our reward for enduring through 32 weeks of regular season matches is a fascinating final four in the Western Conference playoffs. While the Chivas USA versus Galaxy doubleheader in Los Angeles stacks up to be a tough defensive struggle for both squads, expect fireworks from the Houston Dynamo and the Seattle Sounders FC. The Sounders won twice against Houston in Seattle this season – once in the regular season and once in the US Open Cup playoffs – and will hope to repeat that result when the two teams face off in game one of their MLS Cup playoff matchup tonight at Qwest Field. Houston will have their full squad available this time around, and hope the phrase “third time’s a charm” holds true. Over 33,000 fans are expected to attend the expansion team’s first foray into postseason soccer, creating what will be a formidable home field advantage for the Sounders. Game time is 10pm on the east coast, 7pm out west – this is beyond a doubt Thursday night “Must See TV!”
Does Seattle have what it takes to win tonight? Home and home playoff series have historically been toss-ups for the #2 seed versus #3 seed pairing in MLS. The key in this aggregate goals format is a strong start in game one. After a lull during the middle of the season, Seattle has recaptured their confidence with a string of strong performances both away from home and on the artificial turf of Qwest Field. However, can this team adjust to the pressures of the MLS playoffs? The experience will be new for many of those wearing the Green and Blue, but not for two of their key players – Freddie Ljungberg and Kasey Keller. Ljungberg, from his central midfielder position, has orchestrated the last two Seattle wins, tallying four assists from their 5 goals. The Swede international should relish the chance to prove himself on the big stage that defines the American sports playoffs. On the defensive side of the ball, Keller and his defensive four finished the MLS season allowing a league low 10 goals at home. The veteran goalkeeper provides the confidence and leadership that will make it tough for Houston to break through tonight.
The key for Seattle is the play of their strikers – Freddy Montero and Nate Jaqua. The two combined for 21 goals and 14 assists this season, eye-popping numbers for an expansion team. They face a Houston Dynamo defense that should be at full strength, not the makeshift lineup they faced in their two victories earlier this season. With Ljungberg providing the service, Montero and Jaqua will need to convert on their scoring chances in order to gain the victory tonight. The Seattle defense is ready to do their part, getting a result beyond a draw will be up to the forwards.
Will Houston regain their playoff swagger after last season’s early exit? Seattle says all the right things, but they must be happy just to get to the playoffs in their inaugural season. Houston expects to be in the postseason every year, and believes they will triumph in the MLS Cup Final. The devastating loss to New York Red Bulls in 2008 – the biggest playoffs upset in MLS history – should provide ample motivation this time around. Dom Kinnear’s veteran squad was criticized for playing on cruise control during stretches of the regular season, often displaying a lack in discipline along the way. Still, the Dynamo finished the season with the second best record in the Western Conference. Players like Brian Ching, Ricardo Clark, Pat Onstad, and Brad Davis have extensive playoff experience – they can help lead their team past the overconfidence of last season toward redemption in 2009.
Let’s not forget the emerging stars on the Dynamo, midfielder Stuart Holden and defender Geoff Cameron. Look for both players to make a difference in these playoffs beyond just tonight. Confidence never seems to be missing from Holden’s game, and along with Davis, he will provide plenty of spark and energy to the Dynamo offense. Against a Seattle defense that gives up very little at home, Holden and Davis could prove to be the difference makers in stealing a result ahead of their return match in Houston.
What is the key for Seattle? Simply, Freddie Ljungberg needs to play the role of creator for the offense. Before their come from behind victory against FC Dallas in the closing game of the 2009 season, the Sounders had been held scoreless over four games. The packed house at Qwest Field should be all the motivation Seattle needs to find the back of the net. Ljungberg has the experience and verve to make that happen.
What is Houston looking for in this match? Getting off to a fast start will help immeasurably in this match. Not only will the confidence of their less experienced opponent be damaged, but an early goal would help quiet the huge sellout crowd. If Ricardo Clark can limit Ljungberg’s effectiveness, the Dynamo will be poised to leave Seattle with nothing less than a draw.
What can we expect? Seattle will want to bank as many goals as possible before the second game in Houston – no easy task given their paucity of scoring at home and the resoluteness of the Dynamo defense. Their fan base already dreams of filling up Qwest Field for the Western Conference Championship and the MLS Cup Finals, and will be loud from the opening whistle. The Houston Dynamo, not shackled with the “playoff favorite” label that weighed them down in 2008, look to survive their trip to Seattle with at least a draw, setting up momentum for the return leg in Houston next week. Expect both teams to find their scoring touch tonight, with the game ending in a pulsating 1-1 draw.

Houston Dynamo and Seattle Sounders FC Playoff Preview

Houston Dynamo and Seattle Sounders FC Playoff Preview - World Soccer Talk

<div id="attachment_6798" style="width: 326px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><div><figure class="external-image"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-6798" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-6798" src="/files/2009/10/MLSCup.jpg" alt="The MLS cup is up for grabs" width="316" height="440"></figure></div>The MLS cup is up for grabs</div>
A thrilling weekend of MLS matches ended Sunday evening with the New England Revolution claiming the final playoff spot after their 1-0 win at the Columbus Crew. Needing only a draw to advance, given the string of events that took place on Saturday, the Revs made sure they would advance when Jeff Larentowicz hammered home a spectacular and unstoppable 79th minute free kick that is sure to garner significant Goal-of-the-Week consideration. If New England had somehow faltered at Crew Stadium last night, the Colorado Rapids were poised to claim the last available playoff spot. Instead, the Western Conference has to settle for 3 of 4 wildcard slots – with Real Salt Lake moving over into the Eastern Conference bracket as the fourth seed.
Five teams from the West and three teams from the East – the opposite of what we saw in last season’s MLS Cup playoffs. The consensus in 2008 was that the Eastern Conference was clearly superior to their western counterpart, an opinion backed up by the stunning run of the New York Red Bulls to the Cup Finals out of the Western Conference bracket. (They also claimed a small piece of silverware as the “Western Conference Champions” – explain that one to the casual soccer fan!) This season, momentum has swung out West, where undoubtedly 4 of the best 5 teams in MLS reside. Apologies to the Chicago Fire, but only the Columbus Crew can stand toe-to-toe with the West’s Big Four. So while I expect the Crew will be flying into Seattle later in November to defend their MLS Cup win of a year ago, three weeks of mouth-watering matches out west will determine their opponent.
Top seed LA Galaxy faces their intercity rival CD Chivas USA; the Houston Dynamo takes on the expansion darlings Seattle Sounders FC. What fan of MLS doesn’t want to see these intriguing and fascinating pairings. Some of the league’s biggest stars will be on display in these matches – including the biggest one of all, David Beckham. But let’s not forget Ljungberg, Donovan, Holden, Kljestan, Keller, Ching, Bornstein, Clark, and Montero – the faces of Major League Soccer doing battle in a quest for the Cup. Two straight Superclassico matches at the Home Depot Center – two straight chances to watch Beckham and Donovan avoid the hardest tackling team in MLS. Two standing-room-only crowds urging on their clubs, with all the noise, chants, drums, banners, and taunts a soccer fan could ask for. Up north at Qwest Field, the Sounders fans will put on their own brand of frenzied support – c’mon Houston, time to rally around your club and fill up Robertson Stadium for the return leg. There is no doubt we are in for an exciting time watching the Western Conference bracket draw down to one.
How about this scenario: by the end of the second weekend in November, the dust will have settled on the Western Conference playoffs, and for the third time in four years, the Houston Dynamo will be poised to win the MLS Championship. After exacting their revenge on Seattle in the second leg of their first round tie, the Dynamo will travel to Carson, California and methodically break down the defense of the Galaxy in a 3-1 triumph. The class of the Western Conference in this decade – including their years in San Jose – will cap off 2009 with another MLS Cup.
Of course the regular season matters – congratulations to the Columbus Crew on winning the Supporters Shield for the second season in a row – but the playoffs are where memories are made. This past weekend gave us a taste of that win-or-go-home sensation across the Week #32 schedule – the perfect appetizer for the MLS Final Eight. However, the regular season is behind us, and the playoffs begin this Thursday. While I’ll have an eye on what is happening out east, my focus will be squarely on the battles in the west. For the teams involved in the 2009 edition of the MLS Cup playoffs, the West is surely the best.

The West is the Best

The West is the Best - World Soccer Talk

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Houston Dynamo and Seattle Sounders FC Playoff Preview

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The West is the Best