<div style="width: 510px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a title="Dynamo vs Rapids by William Holtkamp, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/holtkampw/2483297767/"><div><figure class="external-image"><img loading="lazy" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3296/2483297767_40c28c9272.jpg" alt="Dynamo vs Rapids" width="500" height="375"></figure></div></a>Photo by William Holtkamp</div>
One would be tempted to overlook the two matches going on tonight in MLS and focus on an incredible slate of games this weekend, with LA/NY as the headliner. &nbsp;To do so would be to miss some important storylines as the four teams taking the pitch tonight are all in a critical stretch of games that could define their place in the playoff race.
Each match is analyzed&nbsp;separately&nbsp;below, and feel free to offer your own pre- and post-game thoughts in the comments section.
DC United v. Seattle Sounders, 7:30 PM ET
Fun Fact: Seattle has never lost at RFK
Momentum: Momentum is all on Seattle’s side, as the team is winning despite high-profile injuries to their starters. &nbsp;The Sounders have not lost since March and are coming off a 3-0 stomping of woeful Toronto this weekend. &nbsp;Fredy Montero looks to finally be getting on track and the club is actually undefeated on the road this year, winning once and drawing twice. &nbsp;They are also third in the Western Conference and can create some daylight between themselves and Colorado/Dallas with a good road trip.
The Black-and-Red, meanwhile, are struggling of late. &nbsp;They were thumped by New York and Houston in MLS play and dumped from the Open Cup by New England last week. &nbsp;The defense is in shambles and, <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/united/united-hopes-to-change-its-tune-though-the-tune-is-starting-to-sound-familiar/2011/05/03/AFygxoiF_story.html" target="_blank">as Steven Goff points out</a>, the same buzz words used last year during DCU’s dreadful campaign are beginning to surface again. &nbsp;They still sit sixth in the standings, two points behind New England and five behind Columbus, so if they can get it together they can make their own playoff run.

Key match-up – Brad Evans/Osvaldo Alonso v. Clyde Simms: There are rumors that Simms could sit this match as a result of his poor play the past few weeks, so we could see Kurt Morsink here or Dax McCarty drop back. &nbsp;But the key match-up regardless of who starts is the midfield of DC stopping the midfield of Seattle. &nbsp;For all the flack the DC backline has received, the midfield has done a poor job of controlling possession and playing a holding role, something they&nbsp;absolutely&nbsp;have to do against Seattle. &nbsp;If Seattle is able to get on the run and create quick scoring chances, like they did against Colorado, this game could be over quickly.
Prediction: This is not the same DC team as last year and it has more talent, so I do not expect an implosion here. &nbsp;Seattle also may be peeking ahead to Columbus on Saturday and may not start their entire best XI. &nbsp;Regardless, I think Seattle controls possession and creates plenty of scoring chances, but the DC defense does just enough to hold on for a 2-2 draw.
Houston Dynamo v. Colorado Rapids, 8:30 PM ET
Fun Fact: Houston has never lost to Colorado in Robertson Stadium
Momentum: Colorado finally stopped their losing streak with their 1-1 draw with Chicago this weekend. &nbsp;The fact is this team is banged up and their absences have hurt them. &nbsp;Getting Pablo Mastroeni back helps the midfield but they are still thin up top without Conor Casey or Quncy Amarikwa. &nbsp;Added to that is the fact that starters like Matt Pickens and Caleb Forlan are banged up, and Brian Mullan is out for a while, and you’ve got a team struggling to keep up in the West. &nbsp;Colorado has fallen out of the top three and is being caught from behind by Dallas. &nbsp;They need to right the ship and get a result against Houston.
Houston is playing the exact opposite right now. &nbsp;The Dynamo are coming off a dominating performance at home against DC where Will Bruin and Brad Davis had their coming out parties. &nbsp;They sit on 12 points which is third best in the East and if they can keep their momentum going can go a long way towards securing a playoff spot in the inconsistent East.
Key Match-up – Brad Davis/Pablo Mastroeni: &nbsp;Davis recently took over the league lead in assists and played very well in the DC match. &nbsp;He looks to be the kind of difference maker in the midfield that can help a team with inconsistent forwards find good chances to score. &nbsp;If Mastroeni or the Rapids midfield can shield him from getting the ball to Bruin and Weaver, they have a chance to win.
Prediction: Houston’s tough at home and on a roll, but Colorado is too good to just roll over. &nbsp;The Dynamo edge the Rapids 2-1.

Wednesday Matches are Good Appetizer to Weekend Feast

Wednesday Matches are Good Appetizer to Weekend Feast - World Soccer Talk

<div style="width: 510px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a title="Rio Tinto Stadiom by onkelshark, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/onkelshark/5619170184/"><div><figure class="external-image"><img loading="lazy" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5029/5619170184_f64337e01a.jpg" alt="Rio Tinto Stadiom" width="500" height="297"></figure></div></a>Photo by Onkelshark</div>

Fabian Espindola knocked in a loose rebound late in stoppage time to give Real Salt Lake a 1-0 victory over the Colorado Rapids and a leg-up in the 2011 Rocky Mountain Cup. &nbsp;Espindola also gave MLS fans the only goal of the evening, as the other match between the Los Angeles Galaxy and Toronto FC ended 0-0.
Colorado was again without Conor Casey and Pablo Mastroeni, and while the midfield was able to play well against the home team, missing both of these players is obviously a problem for the Rapids. &nbsp;Colorado created few chances this match, mainly relaying on hitting RSL on the counter using the speed of Omar Cummings and Caleb Forlan. &nbsp;But with Cummings coming off in the 64th minute for Quincy Amarikwa, and Amarikwa coming off five minutes later with an injury, the Colorado attack was hampered throughout. &nbsp;Their best chance of the match may have been Nate Borchers early in the first half who was unmarked on a header but his angle put the shot wide of the goal. &nbsp;Jamie Smith had a good chance the minute prior, as his looping shot outside the box befuddled the RSL defense but was easily handled by Nick Rimando.
Espindola had seemingly put Real Salt Lake ahead in the first half scoring on a free kick but he was ruled offsides. &nbsp;RSL dominated possession in the first and had numerous scoring chances. &nbsp;Credit to Matt Pickens and the Colorado fullbacks for keeping RSL off the scoresheet; Colorado played a high line that led to eight offsides’ calls on Real and when they got behind the line Pickens made some great saves. &nbsp; In stoppage time, Javier Morales lined up a great free kick that was initially saved by Pickens but he was unable to punch it clear. &nbsp;It landed in front of a mostly empty net and after a brief scramble Espindola kicked it home.

The win keeps RSL’s perfect start to the season just that – still perfect. &nbsp;Hats off to the teams for finding a way to win against a good opponent in bad weather. &nbsp;Hats off as well to the Rapids, who despite missing two starters had a pretty good game plan and almost escaped Rio Tinto with a point. &nbsp;However, without Conor Casey to compliments Omar Cummings and Caleb Forlan, and with Pablo Mastroeni to provide some defense in the midfield, this team needs to find ways to win.
MLS was minutes away from having possibly their three best teams play on the same night and score zero goals, as the earlier match in the double-header ended in a scoreless draw. &nbsp;For the second time in a week, higher-than-normal home crowds came out to see David Beckham and the Galaxy, and what they saw was Beckham pick up his fifth yellow card on the year, meaning he will sit the next Galaxy game. &nbsp;They also saw the Galaxy hit the post three times this game and have more scoring chances than the home team. &nbsp;But the best chance to break the scoreless draw may have been Danleigh Borman’s free kick that found an unmarked Joao Plata in front of Donovan Ricketts. &nbsp;Plata, however, could only weakly head the ball into the keeper’s arms. &nbsp;Overall both teams had excellent chances to win this match but saw their opportunities missed or denied by the pole.
For Toronto, this is a good result and fans should have been thrilled to see Julian De Guzman back in the starting lineup. &nbsp;The more and more I see of the Reds, the more and more I think they could make a late run at a playoff spot once they get everything together. &nbsp;As for the Galaxy, the team really needs to find a finisher. &nbsp;Mike Magee had another chance to score off a Beckham corner but unlike in DC, he missed the shot. &nbsp;Maybe it is missing Landon Donovan, but LA needs someone to either step up (Angel, Magee, Barrett) or find a forward who can finish in front of the net.

Espindola Gives Real only MLS Goal of the Night

Espindola Gives Real only MLS Goal of the Night - World Soccer Talk

<div style="text-align: center"><a href="http://view.picapp.com/pictures.photo/sports/mls-portraits/image/10255511?term=jeff+larentowicz" target="_blank"><div><figure class="external-image"><img loading="lazy" src="http://view2.picapp.com/pictures.photo/image/10255511/mls-portraits/mls-portraits.jpg?size=380&amp;imageId=10255511" border="0" alt="TORONTO, ON - NOVEMBER 21: Jeff Larentowicz of the Colorado Rapids poses with the Philip F. Anschutz MLS Cup trophy following the MLS Cup final at BMO Field on November 21, 2010 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)" width="380" height="253"></figure></div></a></div>
In any sport, a championship season depends on getting some breaks at the right times. &nbsp;Some of those breaks occur in the offseason, when the current season’s roster is composed of trades scrutinized by the media as well as those that fly under the radar. &nbsp;The trade of Jeff Larentowicz to the Rapids was the former, one noted by the press. &nbsp;But its true impact wasn’t seen until November when the former Revolution midfielder, who arguably was the MVP of the MLS Cup, helped lead Colorado to their first championship.
The Larentowicz trade this offseason was not a surprise; the Brown graduated needed to get out of town to fully realize his potential. &nbsp;After some overseas try-outs that he admits were not as promising as they seemed as well as offseason surgery, he and Wells Thompson landed in Gary Smith’s lap in a trade both teams needed. &nbsp;Colorado had been watching Larentowicz for some time and was ready for an offer as soon as the overseas possibilities fell through. &nbsp;He was a playoff veteran who would stabilize the Rapids’ midfield.
And stabilize it he did. &nbsp;The 2010 All-Star had a banner year, providing the midfield stability needed for Smith’s team and serving as a defensive stopper. &nbsp;His presence also allowed Pablo Mastroeni to be more involved in the offense where he matched his career high in goals. &nbsp;Plus his stellar season earned him a call to Bob Bradley’s January camp for a shot at making the U.S. national team. &nbsp;Undeniably, acquiring Larentowicz was key to Colorado’s unexpected MLS Cup run.
But what is Colorado had not been able to acquire him this past offseason? While Larentowicz acknowledged that overseas offers were not forthcoming, the trade could have fallen through. &nbsp;Despite his unhappiness playing in Foxborough, the Revolution could have kept him as they went through somewhat of a transition year after their great runs in the late-2000s. &nbsp;If keeper Matt Reis would not have been hurt, the Revolution would not have needed Rapids’ keeper Preston Burpo, an important part of the trade. &nbsp;Or maybe another club, like Philadelphia where he went to high school, could have swept in with a better offer.
A Colorado without Jeff Larentowicz would have been a vastly different team. &nbsp;Without his pairing with Mastroeni, I suspect the Rapids would still be without an MLS Cup. &nbsp;Their defense, which was a team weakness this season, would have been even worse. &nbsp;As for Larentowicz, he may have still been struggling in his career and not have been able to reach his full potential. &nbsp;On the other hand, maybe Philadelphia could have paired him with Sebastian Le Toux. &nbsp;Talk about an interesting midfield pairing!
But what do you think would have happened had Colorado not traded for Larentowicz?

WHAT IF 2010: What If Colorado Hadn't Landed Jeff Larentowicz?

WHAT IF 2010: What If Colorado Hadn't Landed Jeff Larentowicz? - World Soccer Talk

<div style="text-align: center"><a href="http://view.picapp.com/pictures.photo/sports/toronto-bids-hard-for-the/image/3068745?term=toronto+skyline" target="_blank"><div><figure class="external-image"><img loading="lazy" src="http://view1.picapp.com/pictures.photo/image/3068745/toronto-bids-hard-for-the/toronto-bids-hard-for-the.jpg?size=380&amp;imageId=3068745" border="0" alt="391776 02: (FILE PHOTO) The CN Tower and the Skydome highlight the Toronto skyline in his undated file photo. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) meets in Moscow July 13, 2001 to decide between front runners Beijing, Paris and Toronto for the site of the 2008 summer Olympics. (Photo by Carlo Allegri/Getty Images)" width="380" height="253"></figure></div></a></div>
To kick off our MLS Cup 2010 Preview, I am pleased to share that we will be live blogging the match on this site Sunday night beginning at 8:30 PM Eastern.&nbsp; For those of us not in Toronto, please visit this site to share thoughts on the two teams, ESPN’s coverage, or the warmth of your home as opposed to those at the stadium.
On Sunday night, two American teams will invade a Canadian pitch to resolve which is the best team in Major League Soccer.&nbsp; Oddly enough, only one player on either roster is actually Canadian – FC Dallas defender Edson Edward, who was born in Ottawa.&nbsp; BMO Field previously hosted the 2008 MLS All Star Game, so it is not a stranger to large MLS matches.&nbsp; In honor of Canada’s national winter sport (hockey), below is a breakdown of the match up face-off style.

Dallas Attack vs. Colorado Defense:&nbsp; Anyone who has followed any bit of the playoffs knows the Dallas attack starts with David Ferreira.&nbsp; The key to stopping the Dallas attack is stopping the presumptive MLS MVP, which no team in the playoffs has done so far.&nbsp; The Rapids duo of Mastroeni and Larentowicz are next up, and their contribution will be critical to the Rapids’ game plan.&nbsp; Of course the Dallas attack does not stop with Ferreira; the midfield duo of Dax McCarty and Brek Shea are also playmakers who can threaten the Colorado defense.&nbsp; Despite a 1-0 win in their last match and a solid keeper in Matt Pickens, they will be hard pressed to slow down a high-powered Dallas attack.&nbsp; Advantage – Dallas
Colorado Attack v. Dallas Defense:&nbsp; The Dallas defense can be summed up in one word – Hartman.&nbsp; The keeper has been unworldly in the regular season and especially in the playoffs; his first-half saves against the Galaxy kept the momentum with the visiting team.&nbsp; His back line will have a hard time containing the best forwards in MLS, especially Omar Cummings on the wing.&nbsp; If Kevin Hartman wasn’t in goal, I’d give this advantage to the speed and skill of the Rapids.&nbsp; But until the Dallas keeper proves me wrong, I’ll bet on him to keep this category even.&nbsp; Advantage: Push
Hyndman v. Smith: Again, it’s tough to bet against the MLS Coach of the Year.&nbsp; Hyndman’s gameplan against the Galaxy was excellent, using the speed of his team to exploit weaknesses in LA defense.&nbsp; Gary Smith is also a good manager, but usually excellent beats good.&nbsp; Advantage: Dallas
Intangibles: My initial thought is that Colorado would be better equipped to play in a cold match, but they lost their only visit to Canada this year while Dallas drew FC Toronto 1-1.&nbsp; Neither club has won a championship, so that is a push.&nbsp; But their roads to Toronto have been very different.&nbsp; Colorado overcame a scrappy Columbus team and a solid San Jose team to make it this far.&nbsp; Dallas beat the defending champions and the Supporters Shield winners.&nbsp; Advantage: Dallas
Prediction: Dallas looks to have the upper hand in the matchup, but Colorado is a very talented team.&nbsp; I expect a back-and-forth match with Dallas pulling away in the end.&nbsp; Dallas wins 3-1.

2010 MLS Cup Preview &#8211; Canadian Style

2010 MLS Cup Preview - Canadian Style - World Soccer Talk

2010 MLS Cup Preview – Canadian Style

<div style="float: left;margin-right: 5px"><a href="http://view.picapp.com/pictures.photo/sports/columbus-crew-colorado/image/10080856?term=Columbus+Crew" target="_blank"><div><figure class="external-image"><img loading="lazy" src="http://view.picapp.com/pictures.photo/image/10080856/columbus-crew-colorado/columbus-crew-colorado.jpg?size=234&amp;imageId=10080856" border="0" alt="DENVER, CO - OCTOBER 28: Andy Gruenebaum with the Columbus Crew reacts to allowing a goal during the first half of the first leg of the MLS playoffs against the Colorado Rapids at Dick&apos;s Sporting Goods Park on October 28, 2010 in Denver, Colorado. The Colorado Rapids defeated the Columbus Crew 1-0. (Photo by Nathan W. Armes/Getty Images)" width="234" height="316"></figure></div></a></div>
With San Jose’s <a href="http://www.majorleaguesoccertalk.com/new-york-1-3-san-jose-bobby-convey-takes-down-new-york/10597#more-10597" target="_blank">dramatic victory</a> last night, they will await this weekend’s slate of matches to see who their next round opponent will be.&nbsp; Their upset victory has set the stage for an interest weekend of matches where we could conceivably see three more lower seeds win their playoff matches and once again throw the MLS playoffs into unexpected territory.&nbsp; After all, the defending champions were an eighth seed (oops, fourth seed in the East) last year.
With that in mind, below are the remaining first round matches and the possibility of an upset (upset defined as the lower seed winning the series).&nbsp; All times are Eastern:
Colorado Rapids v. Columbus Crew (Saturday, 4 PM, Telefutura)
Colorado leads 1-0 on aggregate
The storyline of the&nbsp; first leg of this matchup was simple: Colorado failing to exploit opportunities to increase their lead and Columbus hanging on just enough to have a chance back home.&nbsp; As a reminder, it was an Omar Cummings cross to Pablo Mastroeni that was the difference in the match.&nbsp; However, Cummings was creating chances the entire first half by roaming wide around Chad Marshall and the Columbus defense.&nbsp; For Colorado to win, it will have to keep doing what it did in the first game – allow Cummings to attack and create opportunities for Conor Casey and the Rapids’ midfield.

Columbus, as I mentioned in my post-match summary, should feel very lucky to have escaped only giving up a goal.&nbsp; Now they will have to write-up a game plan that can help them score their own goals, and the key is as always Schelotto.&nbsp; He looked his age in the first match, but the team has to have him involved to create scoring opportunities.&nbsp; The Crew also have to solve Jeff Larentowicz, who controlled the midfield and disrupted the Columbus attack.&nbsp; Of course they have to do this while stopping the Rapids’ forwards, but with the home crowd on their side this is a doable proposition.
Upset potential: High, because of two names.&nbsp; The first is Brian Mullen, who was the silent partner for Cummings and Casey in the first match, but was critical to the attack.&nbsp; The second is Andy Gruenebaum, who had a good first game but is still the backup keeper playing in his second MLS match this season.
Real Salt Lake v. FC Dallas (Saturday, 10 PM, Fox Soccer Channel)
FC Dallas Leads 2-1 on aggregate
FC Dallas and MVP candidate David Ferreira set up two Dallas goals to overcome an early Espindola score to make this an intriguing return leg and possibly give FC Dallas some breathing room.&nbsp; Everyone knows Real Salt Lake has not lost at home this season, but Dallas can draw 1-1 or even “lose” 1-0 and still advance.&nbsp; To do so they will need Ferreira to again turn in an excellent performance, where he makes plays against the RSL midfield and set up his strikers to beat the impressive RSL defense.
The story of this match is who is not going to be on the pitch.&nbsp; For the home club, they will be missing the red-carded Javier Morales, an important absence.&nbsp; However, when he was injured during the month of September, Real Salt Lake went 3-0-1.&nbsp; But coming back from injury will be Will Johnson, who Jason Kreis can use to shadow David Ferreira.&nbsp; The visitors will be missing Atiba Harris to red card, Milton Rodriguez to a hip injury, and George John to a hamstring.
Upset potential: Moderate, simply because Dallas has the lead, an MVP candidate, and a quality keeper.&nbsp; Salt Lake City is a very hard place to win, and RSL should be considered a slight favorite, but Dallas is positioning itself for an upset bid.
Los Angeles Galaxy v. Seattle Sounders (Sunday, 9 PM, ESPN2)
LA leads 1-0 on aggregate
The team with the questions heading into the playoffs may have answered them with their first leg win on Sunday, but the Sounders are still a quality team to contend with.&nbsp; And for them to pull off the upset, they desperately need their star Montero as well as Zakuani and Nyassi to create quality scoring chances.&nbsp; In Seattle, a combination of the Galaxy defense and only a few legitimate scoring chances led to the current deficit, and they need to create those chances in this match.&nbsp; Sigid Schmid has said the larger dimensions of Home Depot Center will help his club create space and find holes for his team to exploit.
On the other side, the Galaxy played a near-perfect match to win in Seattle.&nbsp; Their defense was outstanding, with DeLaGarza playing an unfamiliar position exceptionally well.&nbsp; David Beckham received tons of praise for playing the entire match and playing it well, and the entire Galaxy squad looked fit and played their roles exactly as drawn up for the first time in a while.&nbsp; Can they do it again is the million dollar question.&nbsp; Also keep in mind it took a miracle strike from Edson Buddle for LA to have this lead, and while they had their own chances and settled for a defensive game plan in the second half, Seattle’s defense should still get some credit for the outcome being 1-0.
Upset potential: Low to moderate.&nbsp; LA likely will not play the perfect match like they did in Seattle, and Seattle will find space to score.&nbsp; But LA may not need to be perfect when playing at home and with the lead, maybe just good enough.

Which Team(s) Will Pull the Upset This Weekend?

Which Team(s) Will Pull the Upset This Weekend? - World Soccer Talk

<div style="text-align: center"><a href="http://view.picapp.com/pictures.photo/sports/columbus-crew-colorado/image/10080088?term=colorado+rapids" target="_blank"><div><figure class="external-image"><img loading="lazy" src="http://view.picapp.com/pictures.photo/image/10080088/columbus-crew-colorado/columbus-crew-colorado.jpg?size=500&amp;imageId=10080088" border="0" alt="DENVER, CO - OCTOBER 28: Omar Cummings with the Colorado Rapids makes a move around Brian Carroll of the Columbus Crew during at Dick&apos;s Sporting Goods Park in the first leg of MLS playoffs on October 28, 2010 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Nathan W. Armes/Getty Images)" width="451" height="311"></figure></div></a></div>
The quest for the MLS Cup began last night with a late arriving crowd, an ironic “One Goal” MLS playoff video, and a match of two teams with vastly different playoff histories and playing styles.&nbsp; The end result was a slightly disjointed match that put the Colorado Rapids up 1-0 over the Columbus Crew.
The atmosphere at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park was loud as a crowd of over 12,000 blew their vuvuzelas and watched the home team come away with a critical home win.&nbsp; At kickoff, the stands looked at best half full and while the crowd looked fuller as the match progressed, Stan Kroenke and Don Garber had to have been disappointed with the number of people they saw looking down from their box.
But two aspects of the match that were not disappointing for the Colorado faithful were the play of Omar Cummings and the Rapids’ midfielders.&nbsp; Columbus controlled possession for the first ten minutes of the match but failed to do anything with it as the Rapids’ defense prevented any quality scoring chances.&nbsp; It was Cummings who ignited the Rapids after the first few minutes by repeatedly breaking on the counter to set up the first few scoring chances.&nbsp; After he missed Conor Casey on a two on one break in the eleventh minute, the Rapids basically camped out near the Crew’s goal for the next 60 minutes.
Despite Cummings abusing Bryan Carroll like a punching bag in the first half, the Rapids were only able to notch one goal thanks to a great play by their captain Pablo Mastroeni.&nbsp; The midfielder sent a long pass to the right side of the pitch in the 23rd minute which found Cummings, who after breaking down the defense, sent in a cross that Casey whiffed but Mastroeni expertly buried in the net.&nbsp; Surprisingly, it was only his first MLS playoff goal but it proved to be an important one.
The statistic of the first half that tells the story is this: Colorado had 10 shots on goal, Columbus 1.&nbsp; The Rapids’ midfield repeatedly denied Crew star Guillermo Barros Schelotto any space to create plays and even when he did have space, he failed to take advantage.&nbsp; On a rare scoring opportunity in the 53rd minute, Schelotto received a pass in the box that he promptly skied over the Rapids’ net.&nbsp; Overall, it was a poor night from him but the Rapids’ midfield should receive a lot of credit for negating him and the Columbus attack for most of the match.
Two substitutions in the second half breathed life into Columbus and made this a match.&nbsp; Schelotto came off Mendoza, and the Rapids replaced Thompson (who’d had a good match) for Kadji (who subsequently did not).&nbsp; This led to a flurry of Crew chances to score but the keeper Pickens and some timely Colorado defending kept the visitors off the board.
So Colorado has the advantage going to Columbus next week for the second leg of this round, but both teams had to have been disappointed with the outcome.&nbsp; For Columbus, the club looked outclassed and outplayed almost the entire match, save a flurry of attempts late in the second half.&nbsp; Their star Schelotto looked old and they failed to really create quality chances.&nbsp; They are lucky the final score was only 1-0.
For Colorado, fans have to be happy with the win but disappointed with the result.&nbsp; Their margin of error next Saturday is very small and if Columbus can tweak their gameplan, it is perfectly possible that Colorado could be eliminated.&nbsp; And they would have no one to blame but themselves; despite a number of very good chances (mostly created by Cummings) in the first half, the team could not find that decisive second (or third) goal.
Overall, last night was a good way to begin the playoffs, but neither team looked like a challenger for the MLS Cup.&nbsp; I’ll chalk it up to conservative play and look forward to a more open match in the second leg.
What did you think about the match, the announcers, crowd, MLS video, etc.?&nbsp; Share below or on Twitter <a href="http://www.twitter.com/roberthayjr" target="_blank">@roberthayjr</a>.

Colorado Kicks Off MLS Playoffs with a Win

Colorado Kicks Off MLS Playoffs with a Win - World Soccer Talk

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