Current Score:

Columbus Crew 3-1 New York Red Bulls
31′ Moreno ……………………………. 51′ Wolyniec
53′ Marshall
82′ Hejduk

Columbus Crew v Chicago Fire – Thursday, 11/13, 7:30 PM, ESPN2
This is a pretty salivating match up. You have the defensive stalwarts from Chicago, with Wilman Conde and Boukary Soumare anchoring the Fire defense in front of Goalkeeper of the Year Jon Busch, going up against the offensive minded Crew, led by Guillermo Barros Scelotto, and supported by Alejandro Moreno and Robbie Rogers. However, it’s not like the Fire are lacking on the offensive side of the ball, with Chris Rolfe in rare form, and the ever steady Brian McBride supporting him up front. Will Hesmer will no doubt be tested on a number of occasions.

Players to watch: I’m a big Robbie Rogers fan, and would love nothing more than to see him have success on the national stage. His pace has been a constant threat for most of the 2008 season, and he’ll need to continue that to tilt things in the Crew’s favor. The defensive trio of Conde, Soumare, and Busch will need to be at their peak in order to stymie the Crew’s attack. Sharp play from Blanco will go a long way for the Fire as well.

Edge: This is a tough call. I’ve secretly admired the Crew all season, even though I don’t know if I believed that they had a playoff run in them. They took care of business against the Wizards, and I’ll give Schelotto and co the smallest margin ahead of Thursday night’s game.

Verdict: Columbus 2-2 Chicago (Columbus wins on PK 5-3)

Real Salt Lake v New York Red Bull – Saturday, 11/15, 9:30 PM, FSC
Raise your hand if you saw this coming. I remember after the Red Bull were buried in Chicago, 5-2, and it seemed like such a long shot for them to even make the playoffs, much less have an impact. Juan Carlos Osorio, you have redeemed yourself and then some – if you now can make the finals, and face your former team Chicago, how juicy of a storyline will that be? Standing in their way is another unlikely contestant, Real Salt Lake, who seemed to get by this whole season taking full advantage of the Rice Eccles turf. They’ll get to show off Rio Tinto once again, their beautiful new SSS out in Utah. One of the turning points for RSL has been Fabian Espindola’s non-goal celebration that turned into a broken ankle. It opened the door for Yura Movsisyan, who has stepped up in the attacking role, scoring in the first leg against Chivas to give them a slight advantage, that one might say was the winning margin.

Players to watch: Juan Pablo Angel could always be mentioned here. But it’s the little guys who stepped up last week, like Danny Cepero and Dane Richards who will need to make the difference for the Red Bull again. Best of luck to the RSL defense, as Nat Borchers will have his hands full with Richards and Angel. They’ll need Javier Morales to be in top form to have a chance to advance.

Edge: After what the Red Bull did to Houston, I have a hard time giving RSL much of a chance. Juan Carlos Osorio appears to have picked a first XI in the nick of time, and if his charges from last weekend can repeat their performance, the Red Bull just may shock everyone again. But don’t count out Real.

Verdict: Real Salt Lake 2-3 New York Red Bull

Chicago v New England (0-0)
Last weekend’s match up was hardly a product you’d want on national television. Sloppy finishing, poor attendance, lots of fouls, pretty much couldn’t get worse if you’re the MLS. There were few chances last weekend, but I think the Fire should advance. The firepower that Chris Rolfe, Brian McBride and Cuatomoc Blanco provide should overwhelm an undermanned Revs side. Then again, New England has been here before – and they could sneak away with a victory.

Edge after the first weekend: I don’t expect New England to advance because of their injuries, but getting a draw at home means that they are still in this thing to the very end.

Players to watch: Brian McBride brings a wealth of experience to the Fire, with his World Cup and EPL experience. Expect big things from him, whether it is setting up teammates or scoring goals for himself. On the other side,

Expect to see: Blanco trying to pick a fight with Jay Heaps. And Chicago to get a couple by Matt Reis and knock out the Revs.

Verdict: Chicago 2-0 New England (2-0 ag)

Columbus v Kansas City (1-1)
It was a tough result for the Wizards, who were looking to kept their strong home form going. A goal from Davy Arnaud gave them the lead in the 53rd minute off a beautiful service from Claudio Lopez. The Crew did their share of attacking, and a number of Kevin Hartman saves were required to keep a clean sheet. Herculez Gomez was then shown red for a harsh challenge on Gino Padula. Despite that, KC looked liked they were holding on until the 93rd minute when Steven Lenhart was at the right place at the right time to equalize. Bad day for the Wizards.

Edge after the first weekend: This has to go to the Crew. They went down 1-0, but managed to keep KC from inflicting any further damage. Their late goal was icing on the cake, giving them pole position for a home game.

Players to watch: Kevin Hartman has played exceptionally all season, and is one of the main reasons why KC is this far. Also facing the spotlight is Claudio Lopez, DP and one of the veteran leaders. For the Crew, keep your eyes on Robbie Rogers. He’s young, explosive, and a threat going down the wing.

Expect to see: The Crew take care of business in the confines of home. And maybe they’ll even be a decent crowd.

Verdict: Columbus 2-1 Kansas City (3-2 ag)

Chivas v Real Salt Lake (0-1)
The only match of the weekend to not end in a draw, it was a real exciting match in Salt Lake City. The home team absolutely pummeled the goal, firing 21 shots and getting eight of them on frame. They can’t back down too much on the road, with a good chance of going through this weekend at the Home Depot Center.

Edge after the first weekend: Yura Movsisyan’s winner in the 90th minute gives them the advantage heading into the second leg in Los Angeles.

Players to watch: Ante Razov, where art thou? The reliable old striker has had a quiet 2008, and he’ll be needed to help generate offense. Along with that, Sacha Klejstan could be making his final appearance for Chivas. Real Salt Lake’s playmaker Javier Morales needs to distribute well out of the midfield to set up the likes of Yura Movsisyan.

Expect to see: Real Salt Lake to surprise a lot of people by getting past Chivas and into the Conference final. It would be a shock considering how bad RSL was on the road this season.

Verdict: Chivas 1-1 Real Salt Lake (1-2 ag)

Houston v New York (1-1)
It’s playoff time, and once again the Dynamo are poised to make a run at the MLS Cup. It’s almost like they’re the Yankees of Major League Soccer – if that analogy is possible. The Red Bull were major underdogs before the first leg, and with a draw after the first leg they’re facing a real challenge to win in Houston. Juan Pablo Angel came up big last weekend

Players to watch: Juan Pablo Angel is the no-brainer here. He has to score, and maybe in bunches for the Red Bull to have a shot at the upset. Hard to see who else is going to step up. On the other side of the ball, pick your poision. Either Dwayne De Rosario or Brian Ching will help provide the fire power needed to get the Dynamo through.

Edge after the first weekend: Simply put, the Red Bulls needed a larger margin of victory than one. When Houston equalized, the Dynamo seized control of this. It’ll be a tough uphill battle for Juan Carlos Osorio on the road.

Expect to see: A Dynamo domination. One could argue that this Houston team is the deepest and strongest team in the playoffs (sorry Columbus).

Verdict: Houston 2-0 New York (3-1 ag)

Let me know what you think.