How New York Can Contain Lee Nguyen in the Eastern Conference Final

Following each of his team's three playoff games, New York manager Mike Petke has been praised for his use of Peguy Luyindula in the attacking part of the midfield.  If the Red Bulls are to come away with a victory over the New England Revolution in the first leg of the Eastern Conference Final, it will be his other change in the middle of the park this season that will steal the headlines. For the September 11 showdown with rival D.C. United, Petke opted to move Eric Alexander in from the wing to sit next to Dax McCarty. Since the pair have been together in the midfield, the Red Bulls have won seven of their last league 11 games. That streak includes two wins in three playoff games.  We weren't able to see just how effective the duo could be in the match against D.C. due to United's loss of Fabian Espindola to a red card in the 32nd minute. However, the midfield pairing did show plenty of promise in the 1-0 victory at Red Bull Arena.  Ever since, Alexander and McCarty have been called upon to man the holding-midfield positions, while Luyindula and Tim Cahill have been employed in the attacking role of ...

5 MLS Players Who Should Be Looking for European Moves in January

With four teams left in the MLS Cup playoffs, many clubs in the league are now focusing on their offseason strategies.  January is the preferred time to move for players in the league since they will be on two-months rest and can jump right into the European season to help a club in need.  We already know DeAndre Yedlin will be heading to Tottenham once the season is over. But we could see a few other stars of the league test their skills overseas as well.  A reminder here that a few of these players have not been linked with moves to Europe. But they do have the potential to move overseas because of the skill they have shown throughout the 2014 season.  Here is a look at five players who should give Europe a look during the January window. Begin Slideshow

Oscar Pareja Makes All the Wrong Moves as FC Dallas Crash out of Postseason

The 2014 MLS Cup playoffs have been all about managers making perfect tactical adjustments. Mike Petke's usage of Peguy Luyindula helped New York advance to the Eastern Conference Final, while LA's Bruce Arena worked magic with his pairing of A.J. DeLaGarza and Stefan Ishizaki on the right wing in the win over Real Salt Lake.  FC Dallas boss Oscar Pareja had a chance to add his name to the tactical-genius list Monday night. Instead, he made a few questionable moves that led to his side's elimination at the hands of the Seattle Sounders.  Pareja's side entered the clash at CenturyLink Field in need of at least one away goal in order to pave their path to the Western Conference Final. Despite a valiant effort, they came up short and drew 0-0 with the Sounders. Seattle advanced on a 1-1 aggregate thanks to a first-leg away goal scored by Osvaldo Alonso.  The Hoops were handed a golden opportunity to pounce on the hosts after Alonso limped off the pitch with an apparent hamstring injury in the 56th minute. From that point on, Pareja should have adjusted his lineup to attack during every remaining minute of the match.  Pareja waited until the 80th minute to make ...

MLS Team of the Week from Conference Semifinal 2nd Legs

With the possibility of playoff elimination staring them in the face, a few stars shined in the second leg of Major League Soccer's Conference Semifinal round.  The best team performance came from the LA Galaxy, who blew out Real Salt Lake 5-0 at home. Because of the dominant showing, four Galaxy players feature in our Team of the Week.  Not all the players in the Best 11 from the four second-leg matches this weekend were on the winning side of the coin. There were a few impressive contributors for clubs that are now planning their offseason vacations.  Here is a look at our MLS Team of the Week from the second leg of the Conference Semifinal round. Begin Slideshow

Complete Team Performance Propels LA Galaxy into Western Conference Final

After leaving Rio Tinto Stadium with no away goals in the first leg of their Western Conference Semifinal series with Real Salt Lake, the LA Galaxy made a massive statement with a 5-0 home win in the second leg.  From the first minute until the final whistle, the Galaxy embarrassed the defending Western Conference champion at StubHub Center to get one step closer to qualifying for the MLS Cup.  In the victory, every single player that manager Bruce Arena named to the starting 11 played a key role in shutting down one of the most dynamic teams in the league. Not only did Landon Donovan and Robbie Keane come to life, but the Galaxy dominated in their own half and the midfield as well.  While the headlines may tell us about Donovan's hat-trick in his final trip to the postseason, all of the pieces came together perfectly for the Galaxy in the triumphant victory.  Every goal scored by the Galaxy saw terrific combination play from multiple players in order to break down the strong Real Salt Lake back four.  The first goal, which was netted by Donovan, was the product of two tweaks to the lineup made by Arena. Stefan Ishizaki and A.J. DeLaGarza were ...

Seattle Sounders vs. FC Dallas: Key Issues That Will Shape MLS Game

The final spot in the MLS Conference finals will be decided Monday night under the bright lights at CenturyLink Field in Seattle. The Sounders and FC Dallas drew 1-1 at Toyota Stadium in the first leg Sunday. By scoring an away goal, Seattle has the upper hand in the Conference semifinal series.  That advantage could be taken away if FC Dallas nets an away goal of their own in the Emerald City.  Here is a look at the six key issues that will decide the second leg of this Western Conference semifinal clash.Begin Slideshow

New York Red Bulls Erase Ghosts of Past Postseason Failures with Series Win

After years of countless playoff failures, the New York Red Bulls were able to advance out of the conference semifinal round of the MLS Cup playoffs.  Mike Petke's side did lose 2-1 on the day to D.C. United, but it advanced on aggregate thanks to two goals in the first leg a week ago.  Although New York did see Roy Miller commit a hideous high challenge to earn a red card in the 79th minute, which reminded many of mistakes made in the past, the Red Bulls were able to fight off their past postseason demons.  There was also the late goal scored by Sean Franklin, but that came too late in the match to concern the Red Bulls due to the away goal they earned in the 57th minute. The win handed the Red Bulls a spot in their first conference final since 2008, when they beat Real Salt Lake in the Western Conference final.  The player who handed New York a comfortable cushion on aggregate was Peguy Luyindula, who cashed in on a terrific cross from Thierry Henry. It was Henry who was supposed to come to New York and bring the franchise to the promised land. But it was not until ...

LA Galaxy vs. Real Salt Lake: Key Issues That Will Shape MLS Semifinal Game

After 90 minutes of scoreless play, Real Salt Lake and the LA Galaxy will enter the second leg of their Western Conference semifinal with everything to play for.  RSL desperately tried to sneak out an advantage at home in the first leg, but LA 'keeper Jaime Penedo was too good in between the pipes at Rio Tinto Stadium.  Although they didn't score, Jeff Cassar's side did hold the Galaxy to zero goals, which is crucial given the institution of away goals for this season.  With so much left to play for at StubHub Center Sunday night, we opted to take a look at some of the key issues surrounding the star-studded affair. Begin Slideshow

New England Revolution vs. Columbus Crew: Key Issues That Will Shape MLS Game

After putting on an impressive road showing at Crew Stadium, the New England Revolution carry four away goals into the second leg of their MLS Eastern Conference semifinal with Columbus.  Jay Heaps' side put together one of the most complete performances of the season in the first leg, but now the Crew have to finish the job at Gillette Stadium on Sunday.  The Crew's task may seem impossible, but they still have hope after scoring twice at home in the first leg. Here's a look at the key issues that will shape Sunday's second leg in Massachusetts. Begin Slideshow

MLS Team of the Week from Conference Semifinal 1st Legs

The stakes were raised this weekend in Major League Soccer, as the conference semifinal round of the playoffs began.  In the four first-leg matches, plenty of key players had big days to put their respective sides in position to advance to the next round. Tremendous goalkeeping, stout defending and superb attacking skills were all on display in each game, which made choosing the best 11 from the weekend a tough task.  To accommodate one more attack-minded player, the MLS Team of the Week is shaped in a 4-3-1-2 this week. Begin Slideshow