MLS Major League Soccer

The Pitch: MLS Cup Playoffs Kick Off Thursday On ESPN2

Published on October 27, 2009 under Major League Soccer (MLS) News Release


MLS CUP PLAYOFF SCHEDULE UPDATE

The New England Revolution will now host the Chicago Fire in Game 1 of the MLS Cup Playoffs Eastern Conference Semifinal Series at 2 p.m. ET on Sunday, Nov. 1 at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Mass. The match was originally scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 31 at 4 p.m. The game will still be broadcast on Fox Soccer Channel and Fox Sports en Espanol.

Western Conference Semifinals - Game 1

Thursday, October 29

Houston Dynamo at Seattle Sounders FC, 10:00 p.m. ET (ESPN2, Deportes)

The first game of the MLS Cup Playoffs kicks off with a matchup of the newest MLS club (Seattle), who are making the first playoff appearance for an expansion club in 11 seasons dating back to 1998 when the Chicago Fire accomplished the feat in their first season. The Houston Dynamo finished as the second seeded team in the Western Conference after defeating Chivas USA on Sunday at The Home Depot Center. Rather than flying back East to Houston, the Dynamo stayed to train in California and will travel up to Seattle directly from the West Coast to face Sounders FC on Thursday night. Sounders FC are expecting a sold-out crowd of more than 35,000 for Thursday night's game.

They Dynamo are no strangers to the postseason, as MLS Cup champion in back-to-back years in 2006 and 2007. Sounders FC are led by Sigi Schmid who is the most successful coach in terms of wins in MLS postseason history. Schmid, whose 125 regular season victories are the most in MLS history, has won two MLS Cup championships (LA Galaxy and Columbus Crew), and holds an all-time post season record of 19-7-4.

Sunday, November 1

Los Angeles Galaxy at Chivas USA, 5:00 p.m. ET (ESPN2, Deportes)

In their first playoff appearance in five years, the Galaxy will face their in-stadium rivals Chivas USA in the first postseason Super Clasico. The Galaxy's turnaround from last year's last-place finish has been highlighted by award-winning performances from each area of the park with goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts, defender Omar Gonzalez, midfielder David Beckham and forward Landon Donovan all in line for postseason awards and all responsible for the Galaxy's incredible turnaround. The Galaxy allowed only 31 goals this season, compared to a league-worst 62 goals in 2008. This marks the biggest turnaround ever in terms of goals against in consecutive seasons, one better than the Colorado Rapids from 69 goals allowed in 1998 to 39 goals allowed in 1999 when they allowed Galaxy head coach Bruce Arena heads into the postseason with the second best postseason record at 14-5-2, behind only Seattle's Sigi Schmid. Chivas USA's season was highlighted by inspired play from 13-year veteran goalkeeper Zach Thornton, who is a candidate for this season's Goalkeeper of the Year and Comeback Player of the Year. Down the stretch Chivas USA was inconsistent, but their intensity and determination are hardly ever in question. Chivas USA has been bounced in the first round of the playoffs each of the last two seasons and will look to keep the Galaxy at bay with gritty performances from veteran leaders in Jesse Marsch, Paulo Nagamura and Claudio Suarez.

Eastern Conference Semifinals - Game 1

Saturday, October 31

Columbus Crew at Real Salt Lake, 6:00 p.m. (Regional TV, DK, Match Center)

The defending MLS Cup champion Columbus Crew begin their title defense when they travel to Rio Tinto Stadium to face a dangerous Real Salt Lake team. The Crew will look to welcome back central defender Chad Marshall, who will line up next to Frankie Hejduk and Gino Padula and look to stop the potent trio of Fabian Espindola, Yura Movsisyan and the final regular season Player of the Week Robbie Findley. Marshall, who has missed the last six games while recovering from a knee sprain, will face a tough challenge as the RSL trio has speed and skill to burn, and will look to light up Sandy, Utah on Halloween night.

For Columbus Crew head coach Robert Warzycha, it will be his first entry into MLS postseason play as a head coach. He previously served as an assistant under Schmid and played in five postseasons as a member of the Columbus Crew from 1996-2001.

Real Salt Lake qualified with a wild-card berth as the fifth finisher in the Western Conference; thus, they move over to the Eastern Conference half of the MLS Cup Playoffs bracket.

Sunday, Nov. 1

Chicago Fire at New England Revolution, 2:00 p.m. ET (FSC, FSE)

This marks the eighth time the Chicago Fire and New England Revolution will meet in the postseason. The Revolution lead the all-time post season series with a record of 4-3-0, but were bounced by Chicago in 2008. Each team brings to the table interesting matchups from the bench to the field. Revolution head coach Steve Nicol is one of the most successful coaches in MLS history, including the playoffs. He ranks fourth all-time in postseason wins and holds a record of 10-9-8 in the playoffs while Chicago Fire head coach Denis Hamlett has only three postseason games under his belt and a record of 1-1-1.

Chicago Fire forward Brian McBride ranks sixth all-time in postseason goals with 10 and comes into the 2009 MLS Cup Playoffs as the second highest scoring active player in the postseason behind Landon Donovan, who ranks second with 14 all-time MLS Cup Playoff goals.

In the nets are also two veterans in Matt Reis and Jon Busch. Revolution goalkeeper Matt Reis ranks fourth all-time in the post season with a 0.79 playoff goals-against-average, while Fire keeper Busch ranks fifth with a 0.88 goals against average.

Rookie Class Makes Big Impact in 2009 - Several Could Make Noise in Postseason

Although veteran players may be the backbone to a successful team, it is a group of freshmen that have played key roles in their clubs' success and have put their teams in position to make a run at the MLS Cup 2009.

Omar Gonzalez is no stranger to success. As a member of the Maryland Terrapins 2008 College Cup championship team and a First Team All-American, the Los Angeles Galaxy knew what they were getting when they selected him with the 3rd overall pick in the 2009 MLS SuperDraft. A stalwart of the Galaxy defense, Gonzalez is one of only two rookies to play in all 30 of his teams' games this season. With Gonzalez's help, the Galaxy allowed a paltry 31 goals this season in route to their first playoff appearance since 2005.

Steve Zakuani spent five years with the Arsenal youth team, before moving to the United States to attend Akron University. As a sophomore at Akron, Zakuani led the nation in goals and points, which prompted the expansion club Seattle Sounders FC to make Zakuani the 1st overall pick in the 2009 MLS SuperDraft. The selection paid immediate dividends for the Sounders as Zakuani scored his first professional goal in a 2-0 victory against Toronto FC on April 4. Zakuani finished his spectacular rookie campaign with four goals and four assists and Seattle became the first expansion team since the Chicago Fire in 1998 to make the playoffs their inaugural season.

Although first-round picks get much of the glory, the New England Revolution plucked defender Darrius Barnes with the 40th overall pick in the 2009 MLS SuperDraft, and could not be happier with the results. Barnes is the only other rookie to appear in all 30 of his teams' games this year and was a valued member of a defense that registered eight shutouts and allowed only 37 goals on the year. Barnes' value is illustrated in the fact that he was one of only four players across the League to play every minute of every game during the regular season - the other three players were all goalkeepers. If the Revolution hope to make it out of their first-round series with the Chicago Fire, Barnes will be tasked with shutting down a balanced Fire attack, led by veteran forward Brian McBride and speedster Patrick Nyarko.

Galaxy Turnaround Keyed by First-Year Defensive Players

After a disappointing 2008 season, the Los Angeles Galaxy knew they needed to improve their defense if they had any chance of competing for a playoff spot in 2009. The first step for LA was to draft a 6-foot, 4-inch NCAA Champion - Omar Gonzalez - with the 3rd overall pick in the 2009 MLS SuperDraft. A First Team All-American defender at the University of Maryland, Gonzalez has given head coach Bruce Arena all he could ask for in his first season as a professional. He helped turn around a Galaxy defense that allowed 62 goals last season. This season, the Galaxy defense allowed a mere 31 goals (3rd in MLS), pushing LA to the top of the standings in the Western Conference upon completion of the regular season.

But the vast improvement was spurred by other first-year contributors in defenders Gregg Berhalter, A.J. DeLaGarza and goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts.

The Galaxy drafted Gonzalez's college teammate late in the 2009 SuperDraft, but the former Maryland defender proved himself worthy of the 19th overall selection and played in 22 of his teams' games this year, recording one goal and one assist.

A veteran of the U.S. Men's National Team and German Bundesliga, Berhalter was signed by the Galaxy in April 2009 and played in 26 of the Galaxy's 30 games this season. Berhalter, who was a member of the 2002 and 2006 U.S. World Cup squads, helped anchor the center of the defense alongside Gonzalez.

Finally, the last line of defense for the Galaxy had been a revolving door of first team selections. The team found their man when Arena signed Jamaican goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts in December of 2008. The 32-year old Ricketts has more than 70 caps for Jamaica and experience abroad with English Premier League club Bolton and in the second division of England with Bradford City. Ricketts recorded a 1.03 goals against average during the regular season, good for sixth best in the League. His nine shutouts were tied for third best in the League.

2009 Season Ending Awards Finalists to be Announced This Week

Every season the winners of the most prestigious awards are announced in the weeks leading up to MLS Cup. This year the same process was used to determine the finalists and winners of awards that will honor players, coaches, referees and more. MLS Players, Coaches and General Managers, media and other select officials placed votes for the 2009 MLS Season Ending awards. Voting closed on Monday, Oct. 26 and three finalists in the categories listed below will be announced later this week. The winners of these awards will be announced starting with Fair Play and Goalkeeper of the Year winners scheduled for Nov. 3 and culminating with the League's Volkswagen Most Valuable Player announcement on Thursday, Nov. 19.

Coach of the Year

Comeback Player

Visa Defender of the Year

Fair Play Award

Goalkeeper of the Year

Volkswagen Most Valuable Player

Newcomer of the Year

adidas Referee of the Year

Gatorade Rookie of the Year

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Major League Soccer Stories from October 27, 2009


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