Week 31 Recap - That’s all she wrote

By: travis | October 28th, 2008

What a weekend. It was quite fun, that’s for sure. Sorry that the recap is so late - I was stuck in Maryland thanks to the weather. I guess. That aside, the regular season is now behind us. If I get the chance to write up a playoff preview, look for it tomorrow or Thursday.

There’s other MLS news cropping up out west, with the Seattle Sounders announcing their DP signing. I’m totally underwhelmed by that. But anyways, here’s a final recap of the weekend:

Chicago 5-2 New York
In a win and you’re in situation, the Red Bull choked BIG time. They looked flat and woeful, especially at the back, where Chris Rolfe led the Fire in a roast of the Bulls. It was a cold, and what looked like a pretty miserable night in Chicago, and Blanco helped ensure Osorio that he would have to sweat things out on Sunday. DC let Osorio off the hook with their, but it’s hard to like the chances of the Red Bull against Houston if they come out like they did last Thursday.

New England 1-3 Kansas City
Don’t look now, but the Wizards are the hottest team in the MLS. At 5-1-1 in their past seven, they’ve stepped up even in a game that they didn’t need to win once the Red Bulls had lost. This wasn’t even close, with the Revs finishing the game with nine men, with Khano Smith exacting revenge on Herculez Gomez in a vicious tackle (Gomez was involved with the tackle that broke Steve Ralston’s, which happened after defender Gabriel Badilla was adjudged to have taken down Claudio Lopez in a goal scoring situation. Lopez easily converted the resulting penalty, and Davy Arnaud would give them a 2-0 lead that they wouldn’t relinquish. Things were worsened today for the Revs, who will be without Taylor Twellman - lost for the rest of the playoffs with a concussion. The Wizards will be a big test for the Crew in their playoff series that gets underway this weekend.

Colorado 1-1 Real Salt Lake
This was a wild game out in Commerce City. With RSL needing to win or draw to advance, and the Rapids in need of a win, and only a win, it looked like an early Conor Casey goal was going to be enough. Real couldn’t solve Bouna Coundoul or get it past the post - until a late, late Yura Movsisyan goal gave Real the draw that it craved. A few minutes later, it was all over, setting up RSL for a playoff match up against Chivas.

San Jose 2-0 Toronto
One of the games that had nothing riding on it - save for those players that want to stick around for next season. But despite the fact that these two teams are both out of the playoffs, they put on a great show out in San Jose - or at least the home team did. They bombarded Greg Sutton’s goal all night, although he was more than up to the task on several occasions. The breakthrough finally came on a corner kick, as Ryan Cochrane managed to free himself to knock in a header, and then Shea Salinas ensured a victory with a late penalty kick.

Chivas USA 1-1 Houston
A possible preview of the Western Conference final had plenty of drama. Houston had a number of strong spells, holding the ball well and showing good movement going forward. They were given the lead when Dan Kennedy took down Nate Jacqua in the box, DeRo slotting home the resulting penalty. It was a hard fought game, as the Goats tried to claw back a man down, finally equalizing in the 90th minute through one of their unlikeliest sources, Jim Curtain. There is no doubt, that despite only managing a draw, the Dynamo are the West favorites, and perhaps the favorites to win it all - once again. I hope not. I don’t like dominating dynasties. Parity is the spice of life.

Los Angeles 2-2 Dallas
Was this the last appearance of Landycakes in the MLS? (at least until he fails in Europe and returns again) If so, he goes out in the best way he could, as the MLS Golden Boot winner - secured with a penalty that tied the game. Alvaro Pires and Aaron Pitchkolan both saw red, as both sides finished with ten men. The two sides have a lot to sort through during this offseason, if they are going to contend. Will Kenny Cooper join Donovan in seeking an overseas transfer?

Columbus 1-0 DC United
United couldn’t come up with a win that they needed. They were given a lifeline on Thursday with New York’s loss, but couldn’t follow through - hitting the post four times. The Crew didn’t play extremely well, but were content on sitting back and absorbing the pressure that United sent forward. To be honest, they were a bit lucky to come out on top, with Brad Evans dialing up from long distance to get three points, and to end things on top. The Crew travel to KC next week, where they’ll face a feisty Wizard team, while DC sits at home to think about what they’ve done this season.

Goal of the Week
This wasn’t as difficult as things were last week. Yura Movsisyan, while not as spectacular as the others, was clutch. Therefore, it’s the best goal of the week - at least in my book. Don’t forget to have your say.