Leave it to deceptive diva Cuauhtemoc Blanco (right) to steal a bit of the spotlight from the Seattle Sounders and Houston Dynamo, who opened the MLS Cup playoffs Thursday night in an ill-tempered 0-0 game that, unfortunately, did not feature finishing worthy of the atmosphere or occasion.As Seattle and Houston were battling at Qwest Field, news broke that the Fire's playmaker had abandoned his "hope" of another season in Chicago and opted instead to spend next spring with Veracruz, the third-placed club in Mexico's second division. The episode marks yet another hurdle for a Fire team that was the league's preseason favorite and will serve an additional subplot in its annual postseason confrontation with the New England Revolution. In the other Eastern Conference semi, the Columbus Crew will begin their title defense against hard-to-read Real Salt Lake. Here is a short preview:
No. 1 Columbus Crew (13-7-10) vs. No. 4 Real Salt Lake (11-12-7)
Schedule:
Saturday, Oct. 31: Columbus at Salt Lake, 6 PM ET
Thursday, Nov. 5: Salt Lake at Columbus, 8 PM ET (ESPN2)
Season Series:
April 2: at Salt Lake 4, Columbus 1
July 18: at Columbus 3, Salt Lake 1
Outlook:
This one shouldn't be close, right? In one corner, you've got the defending champion, the league MVP, a host of gifted attacking players, the team with the best record and the only MLS club to advance to the quarterfinals of the CONCACAF Champions League. In the other you have an inconsistent side that finished with a losing record, whose leading scorer went two months without a goal before connecting in the season finale and which clinched a playoff spot only because D.C. United blew a 90th-minute lead in Kansas City the same day.
Why bother even playing the games?
Because the MLS playoffs, especially under the current format that offers next to no advantage to the team with the better regular season record, are well known for producing shocking results. New York's stunner over the Houston Dynamo last fall was the most recent in a string of first-round upsets that claimed both top seeds in 2007 and one in 2006, 2005 and 2004. And with Salt Lake almost unbeatable in the thin air at Rio Tinto Stadium (9-1-5 this year, including the April rout of the Crew), it's conceivable that the humble team with the worst name in professional sports could head to Ohio with a lead.
Salt Lake's ability to steal a win in the opener will depend on whether Robbie Findley is back in form or whether is two-goal performance against the Colorado Rapids last weekend was just a tease. He finished the season with a very respectable 12 goals and 4 assists, but failed to find the net from late August until Saturday and wound up coming off the bench several times late in the season. The midfield depends on journeyman Andy Williams and occasional U.S. international Kyle Beckerman, who will be charged with shadowing Crew playmaker Guillermo Barros Schelotto. It's a tall task, especially with Robbie Rogers and Eddie Gaven providing Columbus with some of the best width in the league and several forwards capable of finishing.
The Pick:
Columbus is the league's best team, even if defender Chad Marshall is slowed by a knee injury. It's difficult to imagine a scenario under which Salt Lake could advance. The Crew will get the goals they need in the second leg, even if they lose this Saturday.
No. 2 Chicago Fire (11-7-12) vs. No. 3 New England Revolution (11-10-9)
Schedule:
Sunday, Nov. 1: Chicago at New England, 2 PM ET (Fox Soccer Channel)
Saturday, Nov. 7: New England at Chicago, 8:30 PM ET (Fox Soccer Channel)
Season Series:
May 9: at Chicago 1, New England 1
July 15: at New England 1, Chicago 2 (SuperLiga semifinal)
Oct. 17: at New England 0, Chicago 0
Outlook:
Chicago-New England arguably has become the league's best rivalry. That's what happens when teams meet in the playoffs four straight years and seven times in nine seasons. The Fire hold the all-time edge, 4-3, and any chance the Revolution have to level terms will depend on its ability to shut down Chicago and sneak a goal or two. With veterans Taylor Twellman (concussion) and Stever Ralston (knee) out, this is far from the same New England side that advanced to the MLS Cup final in 2005, 2006 and 2007.
But the Fire has problems of its own. The most talented team on paper when the season began, Chicago has had anything but a smooth ride. Injuries to forward Brian McBride and nearly the entire starting defense, Chris Rolfe's failure to emerge as a top-flight attacker, plus Bakary Soumare's sensational summer departure following a locker room bust-up with coach Denis Hamlett, left the team struggling to secure a playoff berth. The Oct. 22 win over Chivas USA, thanks to an own goal, was Chicago's first victory in seven games.
Then, of course, there's Blanco. The ultimate distraction. Already questionable with an injured hamstring, Blanco stole the headlines late Thursday when news of his departure to Veracruz broke. The deal apparently will keep him there until the World Cup. Fire technical director Frank Klopas said, "We respect his desire to continue playing in Mexico during the MLS offseason and continue preparing for the 2010 World Cup, which is a top priority for him. We will continue our dialogue with his agent regarding Blanco playing for the Fire in the second half of the 2010 season and beyond."
Perhaps Blanco's teammates will not take to kindly to the timing, nor to the implication that the Mexican second division offers better World Cup preparation than MLS. Either way, it's hard to find the silver lining to the news.
The Pick:
There's always an upset in the MLS playoffs, and we haven't picked one yet. If you're going to target a favorite, it makes sense to line up the one entering the postseason in poor form and facing a bit of turmoil. Seasons like the one Chicago has had, complete with quite a bit of fan frustration, normally don't end with titles. Revolution coach Steve Nicol is a master at grinding out results when it matters, and goalkeeper Matt Reis and midfielder Shalrie Joseph remain the best in MLS at what they do. The Revs will find a way.
