FRISCO, Tex. -- While most of the Houston Dynamo team members were drifting toward the team bus following Friday's training session, goalkeeper Pat Onstad did an about-face and headed for the cold tub inside Pizza Hut Park.
When the muscles are aching, maintenance comes first.
"The cold tub has certainly prolonged my career a few years," Onstad said with a faint smile.
Onstad, who turns 39 in January, spends hours in the tub so that he can play every possible minute when Dynamo take the field. New England goalkeeper Matt Reis, his counterpart in Sunday's MLS Cup showdown, is equally diligent about staying in the lineup, which gives this year's championship matchup in goal an ironman subplot.
Through the regular season and playoffs, both Onstad and Reis have been on duty from start to finish in every game. They are the only two players in MLS this season to play every minute of every game.
Rest? No thanks. They'll have ample time to prop their feet up in the offseason.
"I'm pretty proud of the fact that the last two seasons I haven't missed a minute yet," Onstad said. "It has been a combination of working real hard on the training field and taking care of myself off the field as best I can. I've been fortunate that I haven't had many injuries, knock on wood."
Onstad currently has a league playing streak that spans a remarkable 97 hours, 30 minutes, dating back to the 2004 season, the third-longest in MLS history. This year he also posted five shutouts and 85 saves this year, yet despite that performance he has ample respect for the other ironman goalkeeper in Sunday's match.
"Matt has had a fantastic season and has been great the last three years," Onstad said. "He's probably the top goalkeeper in the league over that span. Obviously, he's on a roll."
So is Onstad, who is looking for his second MLS Cup triumph since 2003. The winner of MLS Goalkeeper of the Year honors in 2003 and 2005, Onstad surrendered a goal just four minutes into the Western Conference Championship against Colorado. But Dynamo scored three consecutive goals while Onstad was keeping his goal clean the rest of the way.
"When Colorado scored that early goal, there wasn't a single player on our team pointing fingers or dropping his head," Onstad said. "We played great after that and if we play that way on Sunday, we'll have a great chance."
Dynamo picked it up in the playoffs after a somewhat difficult summer as the team had to adapt to the stifling heat and humidity in Houston -- especially for a team formed in the much cooler climate of Northern California.
"A lot of it had to do with the weather," Onstad said. "We're a team that likes to press. But with the heat and humidity, it was tough to play that style and I don't think we adjusted well during the hot months. In the last few games, our pressure has created a lot of opportunities for ourselves."
With both teams capable of offensive firepower, the goalkeepers could find things even more hectic than usual. But don't look for either to take a minute off barring serious injury. The 31-year-old Reis had eight saves in a 1-0 victory against D.C. United last week, including a spectacular dive to thwart a long attempt by Freddy Adu early in the second half.
"Both of these coaches have found something good and they've stuck with it," said Reis, who had a team-record 141 saves and recorded 10 shutouts this year to tie his club record. "They aren't changing just for change sake. If a guy is out there doing the job, leave him in. It has worked for Pat and myself so far this year."
Reis, a finalist for MLS Goalkeeper of the Year honors this season, said the constant dives of a goalkeeper have a cumulative wear-and-tear effect. But conditioning and mental toughness offset the punishment that the body takes.
"For Pat to play every minute at 38, that's great," Reis said. "It's where I'd like to be in a few years. We've had a chance to talk a little bit. Just seeing what he has done is very inspirational to me."
New England or Houston? Take your pick. There are no certainties at an MLS Cup Final. But it does seem almost a sure thing that the two veteran goalkeepers will be around from the beginning until the end.
Robert Falkoff is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
Houston arrives: 
Nov. 10 show archive: 
