New England and Western Conference interlopers Real Salt Lake, respectively -- should just pack up and head off for an early holiday. Both sides might enter their ties as the underdog, but each has points in their favor as well.
New England will meet Chicago for the fifth consecutive postseason and for the seventh time in the past eight years. After all of those meetings, the Revs have figured out the postseason formula for success against the Fire, as evidenced by the fact they have ousted Chicago in three of the past four seasons. Real Salt Lake enters the postseason with little to lose, a formidable home record and an offense that can score in bunches at a moment's notice. RSL also beat the Crew 4-1 at Rio Tinto Stadium on April 2, a result that should give the Claret-and-Cobalt confidence heading into the first leg.
Is this the year an Eastern Conference underdog finally makes it to MLS Cup? We'll find out over the next three weeks. For now, let's delve a little deeper into the Eastern Conference semifinal series.
No. 1 Columbus Crew (13-7-10, 49 pts.) vs. No. 4 Real Salt Lake (11-12-7, 40 pts.)
The skinny on Columbus
Regular season in a sentence: The defending champions stumbled early and fumbled late, but won a second consecutive Supporters' Shield with their consistency in the middle.
Strengths: When Columbus takes the field, it's all about the team. Crew coach Robert Warzycha can count on consistency no matter who plays in yellow and black. In a team filled with grafters, Guillermo Barros Schelotto adds the extra bit of class. The Argentinean playmaker conducts the attack through the middle and ensures dangerous wingers Eddie Gaven and Robbie Rogers and target man Alejandro Moreno enjoy plenty of service. At the back, the Crew can rely on Defender of the Year favorite Chad Marshall to lead a veteran back line that doesn't make many mistakes in front of the solid William Hesmer in between the sticks.
Weaknesses: There aren't many in a squad this deep, even with the dodgy run of form (1-3-0 with one goal in October) to end the campaign. Two nitpicky ones: there isn't much attacking thrust in central midfield if the Crew need to push forward and there isn't a coldblooded finisher in the deep and varied striking corps.
The path to the Eastern Conference crown: Steady as she goes because the Crew look like the odds-on favorite to return to MLS Cup. They'll have to navigate the tricky away leg at Rio Tinto Stadium more successfully than they did in their regular season appearance there in order to keep the ship on course, but it's difficult to see any of the three Eastern Conference challenges coming into Crew Stadium and obtaining a positive result considering the stakes.
Keep an eye out for...: ... whether Marshall can hop from training table to the thick of the playoff race. Marshall hasn't played since spraining his left MCL in a 2-1 win against Houston on Sept. 13. If he's healthy and fit enough, Marshall will return to the lineup in time for the first leg. The question then becomes how he adjusts to the altitude in Sandy and the added intensity of playoff soccer after a lengthy layoff.
The skinny on Real Salt Lake
Regular season in a sentence: RSL didn't match preseason expectations, yet managed to return to the postseason on the back of their impeccable home form (9-1-5).
Strengths: RSL can score in bunches, especially with Robbie Findley and Andy Williams in scintillating form to end the season. Findley's speed stretches the field vertically, allowing plenty of space for RSL's talented cadre of midfielders to operate underneath him. Fullbacks Tony Beltran and Chris Wingert get up into the attack and provide plenty of support in the wide areas for RSL's narrow diamond midfield. Goalkeeper Nick Rimando and central defender Nat Borchers enjoyed solid seasons at the back with Borchers picking up team MVP honors.
Weaknesses: Javier Morales' disappointing form in 2009 has often led RSL to dump the ball over the top for Findley and Yura Movsisyan. While it's difficult for teams to contain RSL's front two, it does lend a bit of predictability to the attack. RSL has also shown the tendency to lose its temperament at times, particularly by picking up foolish red cards earlier in the season. One other disturbing tendency: Jamison Olave's occasional penchant for damaging blunders at the back.
The path to the Eastern Conference crown: In order to slip past Columbus, RSL is going to have to run up the score in the home leg at Rio Tinto Stadium and cling for dear life in the return leg in Ohio. That won't solve the problems of trying to obtain a road result in the Eastern Conference Championship, but reaching that stage probably represents a success for a side that spent most of the season on the outside of the playoff picture.
Keep an eye out for...: ... Morales and his impact. When Morales influences matches, RSL ranks among the best footballing sides in the league. When he doesn't (as displayed for much of this season), RSL is a pedestrian team. If Morales can conjure up a bit of his 2008 magic during the playoffs, RSL could fit the spoiler role nicely indeed.
No. 2 Chicago Fire (11-7-12, 45 pts.) vs. No. 3 New England (11-10-9, 42 pts.)
The skinny on Chicago
Regular season in a sentence: Injuries and spotty home form robbed Chicago of any chance at potential dominance, but the Fire managed to qualify for postseason play without too much fuss.
Strengths: The Fire boast unparalleled diversity in their attack. Brian McBride offers the aerial route, Patrick Nyarko supplies the pace, Chris Rolfe adds the marksmanship and Cuauhtemoc Blanco contributes the creativity. Logan Pause quietly accomplishes much of the gritty work in midfield to allow the attack-minded players to flourish. Jon Busch might not have reached the heights he did in his Goalkeeper of the Year-winning season in 2008, but he is one of the fiercest competitors you'll find and he always seems to find the big save when his team needs it.
Weaknesses: Injuries robbed the Fire of three of their four starting defenders for the latter stages of the season and there are questions about whether all of them will return to form and fitness in time for the postseason. Wilman Conde and Gonzalo Segares are likely to return for the first leg, but the Fire will continue to miss Tim Ward's two-way play at right back and his versatility to plug a variety of holes if he can't go. In a series where one mistake could decide which team progresses and which team falls, the lack of match sharpness for a couple of key defenders could prove costly, especially if the normally rock-solid Conde is one of them.
The path to the Eastern Conference crown: Scrape through the two-legged battle with New England by scoring the two or three goals it will likely take to knock the Revolution out for a second consecutive season. From there, it'll likely be a matter of finding a way to erase the demons of last year's conference final defeat at Crew Stadium.
Keep an eye out for...: ... John Thorrington's return. The Fire midfielder has struggled recently with athletic pubalgia, but he is expected to state a claim for a return to the lineup in time for the first leg. If Thorrington partners Pause in central midfield, he will cover significantly more ground on both sides of the ball than anyone else Fire coach Denis Hamlett can deploy in that role.
The skinny on New England
Regular season in a sentence: Despite a host of key injuries over the course of the season, the Revs somehow managed to grind through and reach an eighth consecutive postseason.
Strengths: The Revs aren't an easy team to beat because they keep things tight at the back, force teams to play wide and compete for every ball. The defensive cohesiveness of the unheralded but solid back four has frustrated teams in recent weeks as New England hasn't allowed more than one goal in its past seven contests. The central midfield duo of Shalrie Joseph and Jeff Larentowicz is one of the best in the league and goalkeeper Matt Reis can steal a game by himself if he's feeling it on the night. The Revs have also never lost at home in the postseason (9-0-5).
Weaknesses: Without Steve Ralston and Taylor Twellman in the fold due to injury, the Revs struggle in the attacking third. New England set a new team-record low by accumulating just 33 goals on the season, the lowest total by any playoff team. In addition to the general attacking futility during the course of the season, the Revs haven't scored from the run of play in their past five matches. Communication issues have also cropped up at the back in recent weeks, a troubling sign for a team that has shown a disturbing tendency to leak unnecessary goals at times this season.
The path to the Eastern Conference crown: In order for the Revs to go through, they're going to have to play for 0-0 on the road and 1-0 at home. The sputtering attack isn't going to allow for much leeway, so New England can't afford to make any mistakes at the back and must take advantage of any set-piece opportunities. It's a proven playoff formula, but there is no margin for error.
Keep an eye out for...: ... how much and how often Joseph features in the attacking third. Edgaras Jankauskas has had trouble staying on the field since joining the Revs, so Joseph may to fill the target role at some point during the Fire series. Joseph scored in the 1-1 draw between the two teams on May 9 and troubled defenses all season when deployed in the attacking third. New England loses out when Joseph isn't in midfield, but it has to have either Jankauskas or Joseph in the attacking third to mount any semblance of an offense.
Kyle McCarthy covers the New England Revolution for the Boston Herald and MLSnet.com and serves as a contributing editor for Goal.com USA. Kyle can be reached at kyle.mccarthy@goal.com.
