MLS Team of the Week: Valeri, Parkhurst, Robles Star in 2nd Legs

The two MLS Cup participants were determined on Sunday in two dramatic second legs in the conference final round of the playoffs.  Portland secured the first berth in the championship match with a 2-2 draw at Toyota Stadium against FC Dallas. The Timbers used a late clearance from Nat Borchers and a 95th-minute goal from Lucas Melano to win 5-3 on aggregate.  Columbus earned the right to host the MLS Cup with a 2-1 victory on aggregate over the New York Red Bulls. The Crew conceded a goal in the 93rd minute and came close to letting in a second two minutes later, but Kei Kamara shielded Bradley Wright-Phillips' shot off the line after it hit the right post.  Each of the four teams had players who stood out on Sunday, but some of those talented athletes came up short in their respective quests to win a championship. Continue reading to see who was named to our MLS Team of the Week from the conference semifinal second legs. Begin Slideshow

Tactical Alterations, Strong Road Form Propel Portland to MLS Cup

At the start of the 2015 Major League Soccer season, very few pundits and fans believed the Portland Timbers would make the playoffs, let alone earn a berth in the MLS Cup.  The Timbers surprised plenty of people across the league on Sunday, when they held off a late surge from FC Dallas to win the Western Conference Final 5-3 on aggregate.  "This is a great moment for this club," manager Caleb Porter said, per the club's website. "It's our first trophy, but we want the biggest trophy and we have one more game still to achieve that.” Although many are still shocked the Timbers advanced to the final match of the postseason, the little details suggest Portland is more deserving than any team in the Western Conference. The Timbers were the best road team in the league this season and a formation tweak by manager Caleb Porter late in the year was the final adjustment needed to make a run into December.  Winning on the road is one of the most difficult things to do in MLS, but the Timbers managed to perfect earning results on their travels over the final three months of the regular season. Since their 0-0 draw at Avaya ...

Battle-Tested Columbus Downs Red Bulls to Advance to MLS Cup

HARRISON, N.J. — There is no doubt the Columbus Crew will enjoy their Eastern Conference championship over the next 24 hours, but as manager Gregg Berhalter admitted after the game, there's still one key match ahead in the club's future.  “I want the guys to enjoy it, but we have bigger fish to fry," Berhalter said in his postmatch press conference. "I wanted them to enjoy it on the podium. I wanted them to enjoy the trophy, but I told them they’re going to be remembered for the trophy they win next week. Not the one they win this week."  Berhalter is 100 percent right. No one will remember who wins the conference championships years from now, but everyone will recall who hoisted the MLS Cup to conclude the 2015 season.  Columbus earned its spot in next Sunday's final with a 2-1 aggregate victory over two legs against the New York Red Bulls, who won the Supporters' Shield for the league's best regular-season record.  A victory over two legs and a home match to close out the postseason looked all but locked up for the Crew as second-half stoppage time approached, but one hiccup led to the most dramatic, and final, three minutes of the ...

Ultimate Guide to MLS Weekend: Can Top Seeds Recover from Deficits?

With at least 90 minutes left to play in the MLS Eastern and Western Conference finals, both of the top seeds are facing deficits. FC Dallas, who earned the No. 1 seed in the West, scored a key away goal in the first leg, but they are down 3-1 to the Portland Timbers. The New York Red Bulls, who are the No. 1 seed in the East, failed to find the back of the net on their travels and conceded twice to the Columbus Crew. Now with two spots in the MLS Cup final and the potential to host the championship match on the line, both top seeds must find a way to rebound from the first leg. The formula seems simple for FC Dallas in the first match on Sunday since they are the owners of the best regular-season home record. However, Portland tied for the league lead in road wins and hasn't lost on the road since August. In order to reach the club's first MLS Cup final since 2010, Oscar Pareja's side must receive more out of the attack-minded players in the starting XI. Mauro Diaz shone a bit in the first leg, but when he had chances to finish off ...

MLS Team of the Week: Meram, Kamara, Nagbe Star in Conference Final 1st Legs

The first legs of the Eastern and Western Conference finals produced a pair of surprising results as Columbus and Portland came out on top at home in their respective games.  Columbus used the fastest goal in MLS postseason history to jump on top of the New York Red Bulls. The early strike stunned the Supporters' Shield winners, and it allowed the Crew to dominate the match.  Over in Portland, the Timbers came out of the gates with the same attacking vigor, but they didn't find the back of the net until the 23rd minute. Although they conceded an away goal to FC Dallas in the second half, the Timbers scored three goals to take a two-goal advantage into the second leg.  Since Columbus and Portland were easily the better sides on Sunday, the majority of our MLS Team of the Week is comprised of players from those two teams.  Continue reading to see who made the best 11 from the conference final first legs. Begin Slideshow

Portland Establishes Favorite Status After Western Conference Final 1st Leg

The Portland Timbers established themselves as the favorites to be the Western Conference representative at the MLS Cup with a 3-1 win over FC Dallas on Sunday at Providence Park.  The Timbers jumped into the driver's seat of the match in the first minute as they almost replicated Columbus' early goal in the first leg of the Eastern Conference final earlier on Sunday.  Before FC Dallas could even settle into the match, Fanendo Adi and Darlington Nagbe put their back four under pressure with a surging move forward. Nagbe dished the ball over to Lucas Melano, whose shot was kept out by 20-year-old goalkeeper Jesse Gonzalez.  Portland continued to press for its first strike for the first part of the opening stanza, and it finally was rewarded for its efforts in the 23rd minute, when Liam Ridgewell scored on a corner.  The Timbers kept pushing for their second for the rest of the first half, but they were unlucky not to find the back of the net. The main reason the Timbers were able to relentlessly move forward was the play of the defense. Diego Chara, Jorge Villafana and Alvas Powell did their best to limit the chances created by Mauro Diaz, Fabian Castillo ...

Columbus Sets Tone in MLS Eastern Conference Championship with Strong Showing

The start was ideal. The performance that followed was fantastic. And the 2-0 result after 90 minutes was a perfect start to the Eastern Conference Championship for the Columbus Crew.  Thanks to their stellar all-around showing in front of the home fans at Mapfre Stadium, the Crew left the Eastern Conference Championship first leg with a two-goal advantage over the New York Red Bulls heading into next Sunday's second leg at Red Bull Arena. Columbus shocked the Supporters' Shield winners with a goal nine seconds into the match. Off the opening kickoff, a long ball was played onto the head of Kei Kamara, who headed the ball down to Ethan Finlay. Finlay dished an assist over to Justin Meram and the Iraq international finished off the fastest goal in MLS postseason history.  Meram's early tally mesmerized everyone, as no one expected the reliable Red Bulls back line to break down on the first attack of the match. From that point on, the tone of the match was set. Columbus threatened on countless occasions before Kamara's 85th-minute goal handed Columbus a critical two-goal advantage.  Not only did the Columbus attack thrive throughout the majority of the match, its defense also shut down the Red Bulls ...

Ultimate Guide to MLS Weekend: Previewing the Conference Final 1st Legs

The Major League Soccer postseason returns to the pitch on Sunday as four teams continue their respective quests to hoist the MLS Cup on December 6. Each of the remaining quartet advanced to the conference final round in a different way, but all four are more than deserving of their spots in the final four.  Sunday's two-game slate starts at a sold-out Mapfre Stadium, where the Columbus Crew host the New York Red Bulls in the first leg of the Eastern Conference Final. The visiting Red Bulls impressed for the majority of the regular season, but they struggled to finish off D.C. United in the semifinal round, as they needed a late Bradley Wright-Phillips goal in the second leg to secure passage into the next stage of the playoffs. Jesse Marsch's side must perform better on Sunday in order to take an advantage back to Red Bull Arena for the second leg on Nov. 29. In order to achieve success on the road, the Red Bulls need yet another big game out of captain Dax McCarty, who will be locked in a head-to-head battle with Columbus playmaker Federico Higuain.  The play of the back line will also be critical to the success of the Supporters' ...

MLS Playoff Player Rankings: Plenty of Fluctuation After Weekend’s Action

The most exciting start to a Major League Soccer postseason in recent memory left us wanting more and then some after Sunday's slate of four matches concluded.  In those four conference semifinal showdowns, plenty of star players delivered standout performances that earned them a good amount of accolades.  Although we aren't handing out any postseason hardware yet, we do have a good idea who the 10 best players of the postseason to date are.  Due to the small sample size on which we based the MLS Playoff Power Rankings, there was plenty of movement in the 10 positions this week. The stars closest to the top of the list were the most consistent over the last two weekends of play.  Continue reading on to see which player stood out among the pack and earned the top spot in our MLS Playoff Power Rankings. Begin Slideshow

MLS Team of the Week: FC Dallas Quartet Shine in Conference Semifinal 2nd Leg

The playoff field in Major League Soccer was cut in half on Sunday as four teams secured positions in the conference finals with different types of victories.  The New York Red Bulls opened the quadruple header with a boring 1-0 win over rival D.C. United. Columbus added more excitement to the day as it took down Montreal 3-1 in extra time to advance to the Eastern Conference Final against the Supporters' Shield winners.  In the Western Conference, FC Dallas beat Seattle in an instant classic, while Portland downed Vancouver with a pair of away goals at BC Place.  Some of the best play of the postseason to date came from FC Dallas' win on penalties over Seattle. Due to their impressive performances in the win, four of the playoff heroes for Oscar Pareja's side feature in our MLS Team of the Week. Each of the other three victors also placed multiple players into the best 11 from the conference semifinal second legs.  Continue reading on to see who was named to our latest MLS Team of the Week. Begin Slideshow