Week 26 Review - Things Tighten Up

By: travis | September 23rd, 2008

Yes Jeff Cunningham, I’m as surprised as you about your win in Chicago. What’s even funnier is that this picture is not from the match, yet I stole it from the recap page. Almost every team facing a “must win” over the weekend came away with three points. That’s a remarkable feat, considering a couple of teams had to do it on the road. The odd man out was Toronto FC, as their poor showing continued away from BMO Field. Still, it’s safe to say that all teams still have a hope, no matter how gloomy the outlook is right now. For everyone else, it’s a wide open field, as Houston, New England, and Columbus the only three teams looking secure for a playoff berth.

Columbus 3-1 New York
The men in the yellow jerseys are the undisputed leaders right now. It was a classy dismantling of a surging Red Bull team in Columbus that makes them the team to beat with the playoffs just a month away. A Juan Pablo Angel superbly taken free kick opened the scoring for New York, and perhaps gave them hope for a win on the road. A fluke cross/shot from Frankie Hejduk evened things out before the end of the half, and by the time Robbie Rogers laser hit the back of the net, it didn’t seem like it would happen. The Red Bull are safe for the time being, but knowing their past exploits, may find themselves on the outside looking in if they aren’t careful.

Kansas City 2-0 Toronto
Have KC spared their season at the expense of Toronto? That looks to be the case, as the Wizards creep closer to United in the playoff standings. A penalty from Jack Jewsbury and a fluke goal from Kevin Souter - a player who made the team through an open tryout - were enough for the stifling Wizards defense that limited Toronto to no shots on goal. Toronto right now sits the furthest out of making the playoffs. Moves for the likes of Carlos Ruiz sure have yet to yield any real dividends. Their road form has always been their biggest failing, and they moved to a paltry 2-10 on the road. That won’t get you into the playoffs.

Los Angeles 5-2 DC United
Before this match, no one expected it to be a low scoring affair. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a keeper like Louis Crayton play so well (yes he had one error that led to one of the goals) and yet concede five goals. His defense did not back him up, but then again, neither did the officiating. If you’ve seen that “red card” on Marc Burch, then you know what I’m talking about. Donovan’s hat trick was nice - he made quality runs and showed off his class with his clinical finishing. I still wonder what the Galaxy will do by the end of the season. They’re lucky to catch DC with so many injuries, plus amidst a maddening travel schedule. United may fall victim to those two problems, but they’ll fight to the very end. Wouldn’t be surprised to see them crash out of the Champions League in the group stages, however.

Real Salt Lake 0-1 Chivas
Funny how in the last match played at Rice Eccles, RSL loses for the first time at home all season. It was a clumsy play, as a long ball off the foot of Sacha Victorine found Alecko Eskandarian, who was helped by a collision between goal keeper Nick Rimando and defender Nat Borchers, leaving Eskandarian with an empty net. A tough way to lose, especially this late in the season. Especially when they’re playing their next home game here. Those were three valuable points for Chivas, who are touch in go when it comes to the playoffs.

Colorado 1-1 New England
A draw is an unusual result for the Rapids, who were involved in just their fourth of the season. Not a bad result for them, but slack defending at the back allowed for a Kenny Mensally equalizer. Rapids drop into tie for third, and for the last playoff spot with Real. Can Gary Smith keep the magic going with his squad? I think they’ll be alive come the end of the season. Steve Nicol and the Revolution must love the fact they were knocked out of the Champions League. When they look at a team like DC and the injuries and travel they are dealing with, I don’t think Nicol is envious. Not in the least.

Chicago 1-4 Dallas
So much for the defense. Now how about, where has the Fire offense gone? After conceding six goals in two games while managing just one themselves, can Jon Busch and his defense no longer be relied upon to carry Chicago? Not that the goals have been Busch’s fault, but something isn’t right in the Windy City. I love Brian McBride just as much as the other USMNT fan, and can’t blame him for their struggles. Blanco has fell off the radar a bit, and I think that it’s midfield issues that look to spell their doom. Dallas, on the other hand, is trying to save their playoff skin one game at a time. It’s remarkable that they scored four goals in one game and Kenny Cooper’s name stayed off the score sheet. He did come closes a couple times, but two neat finishes from Jeff Cunningham led the way. Is it too little to late?

Goal of the Week
Robbie Rogers and his sweet 30 yard strike against the Red Bull proved to be the winning goal are my choice. Don’t forget to vote.