Week 29 Recap – Muddling up the Playoff Picture

By: travis | October 13th, 2008

Here we go again. Another weekend, and no one wants to throw in the towel. Of the three playoff spots up for grabs, all nine remaining teams are theoretically alive and well – although some in a better place than others. Whether it was a stunning shot from the likes of Brandon McDonald, or some demon goal keeping from Louis Crayton, those that needed the points seemed to get them. Whatever the case, there are a lot of nerves out there, with each kick of the ball proving vital.

Real Salt Lake 1-1 New York
There is no doubt that the new RSL stadium is beautiful. It’s safe to say, that at least from the confines of my couch, they have the prettiest stadium in the league. Between the mountains in the back and the curved features, it certainly is pleasing to the eye. Both of these teams needed to come away with three points to end the weekend on a more solid playoff footing; neither were able to. Dave van den Bergh gave the Red Bulls the lead, but it was short lived, as ten minutes later Jamison Olave leveled things. There wasn’t anything pretty about it, but it was a goal all the same. Kyle Beckerman saw a stinging shot go just over the bar, and RSL seemed to have the better chances in the second half. In the end, the only winner that night was the person who didn’t stop playing the bag pipes. More power to you, my friend.

Kansas City 1-0 New England
Jimmy Conrad was not to be denied, and Kevin Hartman got the shutout. Amazing that Conrad is the leading scorer for the Wizards this season, yet if the playoffs were to start today, they’d be in. It comes down to timely scoring and good defense. And with Hartman tied for the lead with shutouts, that’s what they’ve gotten. Playing in the tiny confines of Community America Ballpark, they did well limiting the Revs to just two shots on goal, while mustering just one – and it went in. It was much worse for New England, who are set to lose Steve Ralston for the rest of the season, including playoffs, to a broken leg. That’s gotta hurt New England’s chances. The Wizards continue to surprise, and might just sneak into the postseason.

Chicago 2-2 Columbus
A stumble for the Crew – although a point on the road isn’t a bad result. Brian McBride doubled his goal total for the season, picking up his goals on corner kicks. Guillermo Barros Schelotto and Eddie Gaven almost gave the Crew a win on the road. It’s a bit worrying that McBride was left so wide open on those two corner kicks, but it’s hard not to like them going forward.

San Jose 0-1 Chivas
A Justin Braun goal – and that was enough. The San Jose offense reverted to form – unable to muster more than one shot on goal, and they now are in danger of wasting what has been a great run in this second half of the season. They do have a game in hand, which will be made up this Wednesday against Houston, but that will be no easy task. Darren Huckerby, it’s time to step up if this team is going to make the playoffs. And kudos must be given to Preki. He keeps the Goats rolling, and they aren’t too far away from the number one spot in the West.

FC Dallas 2-2 Toronto
Did Dallas escape with another tie? An iffy call in injury time allowed Kenny Cooper to step up to the spot and steal a point for the Hoops. It was a game that Toronto looked destined to win, with another brilliant finish from Marvell Wynne. Maybe he should get a look in one of these qualifiers (note: I know that he can’t get in this week). Toronto is one of those teams teetering on the edge – and they needed a win this week to have a stronger hope. Cruel to be knocked down by an official in the dying moments of the game, but a close look at the penalty shows that it was a decent call. And those calling for Cooper to get a MNT appearance – myself included – looks like he said thanks, but no thanks. He’s still nipping at Donovan’s heels for the MLS Golden Boot, now just one goal behind Landy.

Houston 0-0 DC United
This was a crazy game. Lots of cards, Louis Crayton playing an absolutely beastly match, and the Dynamo just missing out on a winner at the very end of the game. DC seems to be running on fumes, but they didn’t lose. And that’s big for them. Now it’s on to see if they can muster anything in their last two games – first against New England then Columbus – to have an outside chance. I’d have to say that this game was one of the most entertaining nil-nil draws that I have ever seen. I thought the Dynamo would roll, but Crayton and co. proved me wrong.

Los Angeles 3-2 Colorado
What a surprise – a wild, high scoring game involving the Galaxy. The goal feast featured a couple of world class goals, one from former USMNT regular Cory Gibbs and another from a unknown rookie, Brandon McDonald, with a sweet 35 yard strike. LA was fighting for their life, as evidence by Donovan’s sense of urgency – playing for just under a half hour the day after going 90 minutes against Cuba – that turned into a flurry of goals, sans Beckham. But when McDonald makes shots like that one, who needs Becks? On the flip side, the Rapids’ hopes were dealt a severe blow, and they now must scramble together back to back wins to have a shot.

Goal of the Week
McDonald’s shot against the Rapids – but only because it was the game winner. Don’t forget to vote.