Week in Review: Who's in, who's out
MLS Cup Semifinal matchups set on final weekend of regular season
As Toronto FC, FC Dallas both lost and D.C. United was pulled back into an amazing late draw, Real defeated Colorado to leave the two teams tied -- and RSL holding the tiebreakers -- then the Revolution scored just minutes from the end of the final game of the regular season to book their place and complete the field.
The first chapter happened on Thursday night at Toyota Park, when the Chicago Fire defeated Chivas USA 1-0 to clinch their spot in the postseason and claim home-field advantage in the Eastern Conference Semifinal Series. The game's lone goal came in the 67th minute as, just three minutes after having come on as a substitute, Cuauhtémoc Blanco whipped in a corner kick -- one of 14 on the night for the Fire -- and Chivas forward Eduardo Lillingston powered a header into his own goal.
That set up the sure-to-be dramatic final Saturday, which started at Giants Stadium, where the venerable facility was seeing the final soccer game in its history. Toronto FC came into the game as one of the five teams tied on 39 points, while the New York Red Bulls had long been eliminated.
But the Red Bulls pulled off a shocking result. Just two minutes into the game, a through ball split a pair of TFC defenders and sent Mac Kandji in alone on goal, and he beat TFC goalkeeper Brian Edwards with a low shot inside the far post.
Then Juan Pablo Angel scored twice on either side of halftime, blowing into the box with a nifty move and firing low inside the right post in the 33rd minute, then firing home from an acute angle in the left of the area in the 62nd minute.
Kandji doubled his haul on the night on the 70th minute, picking off a pass toward a TFC defender and strolling in alone before tapping home. The rout was complete in stoppage time when Matthew Mbuta converted a penalty, the 5-0 loss the heaviest defeat in TFC club history.
Remarkably, TFC wasn't yet done, as D.C. United and the Kansas City Wizards kicked off at CommunityAmerica Ballpark during the first half of the game in New York, and if all the remaining contenders lost, TFC held the tiebreaker.
United hit the post early, and then the Wizards opened the lead in the 30th minute, when Kei Kamara dove forward to head home a Graham Zusi freekick.
But after the break United took the lead. Jaime Moreno converted from the penalty spot in the 66th minute after Fred went down in the box, then in the 82nd minute, a hobbling Julius James -- still on the field because United had used their three substitutions -- headed home the rebound of a free kick played into the box.
Kevin Hartman made a miraculous save to deny Ben Olsen to keep the score 2-1, and in stoppage time it paid off. Fred was adjudged to have blocked a shot with his arm on the line and was sent off, and Claudio Lopez converted the resulting penalty.
Still, United weren't done, but yet another shot clanged off the woodwork four minutes deep into stoppage time and they now had to hope for some good results.
A little bit to the West, Real Salt Lake and the Colorado Rapids kicked off at Rio Tinto Stadium during the first half of the K.C.-D.C. game, Real knowing they needed to win -- and hope at least three of the contenders would not win -- to clinch a playoff spot.
Robbie Findley scored twice in the opening 32 minutes to send Real on their way. First, in the 15th minute, he headed home a ball in from close range played back across the goalmouth by Fabian Espindola, then in the 32th minute, was sent in alone by a long ball from Andy Williams and rounded Colorado goalkeeper Preston Burpo before slotting home.
Yura Movsisyan finished off the rout in the 85th minute with a powerful blast from the right side of the box that ensured Toronto FC would have to wait for their first playoff berth.
United's last hope -- and the hopes of Real -- lay with Seattle Sounders FC. If they defeated FC Dallas, given the other results, RSL would again slip into the playoffs on the season's final day, while United needed an FCD draw to remain alive.
Meanwhile, in front of a Sounders FC record crowd at Qwest Field, FC Dallas knew they could qualify with a win, and when Atiba Harris struck home with a long-range blast after strolling through midfield in the 14th minute, they were on their way.
But Seattle would not be denied. Nate Jaqua tapped into a nearly empty goal to finish off a tic-tac-toe movement across the box in the 62nd minute -- and with that result, United were in and Dallas was out.
Yet the cruelest blow was still to come. Brad Evans flicked a nifty touch from a Freddie Ljungberg pass over FCD goalkeeper Dario Sala from the tightest of angles in the 84th minute, and Sounders FC had secured a 2-1 win. It was the second year running Evans had ended United's playoff hopes -- his lone goal of the game for Columbus in the 2008 season finale also put D.C. out of the postseason.
With that result, all eyes turned to Columbus for the season finale. A Columbus win at Crew Stadium, and Colorado would sneak back into the playoffs along with Real -- whose comeback was made complete with the Sounders FC victory. A New England Revolution win or draw, and they would extend their playoff streak while eliminating the Rapids.
The game's lone goal came 11 minutes from the end, and it was a thunderbolt, a stunning Jeff Larentowicz free kick that sailed over the wall and over Crew goalkeeper Kenny Schoeni to guarantee New England's postseason comeback was also complete.
The game matching Western Conference playoff qualifiers also had impact. The Los Angeles Galaxy had already qualified for the postseason, but needed a win Saturday at The Home Depot Center to ensure their worst-to-first turnaround.
Facing their California Clasico rivals -- the San Jose Earthquakes had been eliminated -- the Galaxy got some good fortune to take a 24th-minute lead, as Landon Donovan cross was deflected into his own goal by San Jose defender Bobby Burling.
Donovan then finished off the win with one of his own, latching onto a long ball and slipping it past Quakes goalkeeper Joe Cannon at the edge of the area for a 2-0 win and giving the Galaxy home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.
That left the Houston Dynamo and Chivas USA with positioning still to play for on Sunday at The Home Depot Center. The visitors took the lead with two goals in four minutes midway through the first half, Andrew Hainault heading home from a corner kick in the 26th, and then Dominic Oduro powering home a low shot from the left of the area.
The Dynamo made it 3-0 seven minutes after the break when Abe Thompson turned home a Geoff Cameron shot to all but seal the game -- but Chivas weren't yet through.
Michael Lahoud scored his first professional goal in the 63rd minute, heading home from close range, then after a goal was disallowed for offside, Eduardo Lillingston converted a penalty two minutes from the end. But it wasn't enough, and Chivas found themselves in a playoff matchup against their Home Depot Center co-tenants, the Galaxy, while Houston would meet expansion Seattle.
