Winners and Losers from MLS Conference Semifinal 1st Legs

The business end of the 2014 Major League Soccer season began this week with 10 teams vying for the chance to hoist the MLS Cup on December 7.  Two teams, Sporting Kansas City and Vancouver, were eliminated in the knockout round, which left us with eight teams heading into the first leg of Conference Semifinal play.  In the four matches this weekend, we learned a lot about each of the teams left in the playoffs. But we were not given much in regard to which four teams will earn a berth in the Eastern and Western Conference finals.  Here is a look at some of the winners and losers from first-leg action in the Conference Semifinal round. Begin Slideshow

Charlie Davies Makes New England Legitimate MLS Cup Contender with Brace

The New England Revolution sent a message to Major League Soccer Saturday afternoon with their 4-2 win over Columbus in the first leg of their Eastern Conference semifinal.  Jay Heaps' side bossed around the Crew in Ohio thanks to a relentless high pressure, but it was the contributions of New England's starting forward that made the Revs a team to fear for the rest of the playoffs. Charlie Davies, who has gone through plenty of struggles since his car accident in 2009, looked like the forward who played strong in the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup with his brace against Columbus.  On the first goal of the game, Davies made a terrific run in between two defenders to latch on to a Kelyn Rowe free-kick with a diving header.  The curving run displayed Davies' terrific instinct in front of goal, and it gave Columbus yet another reason to be concerned about defending New England's attack.  His second strike came in the 78th minute, when the Crew defense gave the 28-year-old way too much space on the outside of the box. Davies proceeded to punish the hosts with a strike into the right side of the net past Crew 'keeper Steve Clark.  For Davies, this was a performance ...

Real Salt Lake vs. LA Galaxy: Keys That Will Shape MLS Conference Semifinal

The highest-profile series of the four conference semifinals in the MLS Cup playoffs comes to us from the No. 2 vs. No. 3 series in the Western Conference.  Real Salt Lake and the LA Galaxy field a lineup full of stars in almost every match, and Saturday's first leg at Rio Tinto Stadium will be no different.  The obvious spotlight will shine on Landon Donovan, Robbie Keane, Kyle Beckerman and Nick Rimando, but each of the 22 starters are deserving of high praise when at their respective bests.  Here is a look at the six key issues that will shape Saturday's star-studded match in Utah. Begin Slideshow

New York Red Bulls vs. DC United: Keys That Will Shape MLS Conference Semifinal

The latest chapter in the storied rivalry between the New York Red Bulls and D.C. United will see the two sides collide in the Eastern Conference semifinals.  The last time the Atlantic Cup rivals played each other in the postseason was 2012, when the Black and Red won a famous, snow-infused series 2-1 on aggregate.  Snow is not in the forecast for Sunday's first leg at Red Bull Arena, but a spirited affair between two of the oldest clubs in the league is in the cards.  Here is a look at the key issues that will shape Sunday's match at the home of the Red Bulls.Begin Slideshow

Columbus vs. New England: Key Issues That Will Shape MLS Conference Semifinal

The first of four two-legged conference semifinals in the Major League Soccer playoffs will get underway at Crew Stadium Saturday afternoon, as Columbus hosts New England.  The two Eastern Conference squads put together terrific ends to their respective seasons, and there is a strong case to be made that these are the two best teams in the Eastern Conference.  If the last four regular-season matches between the two clubs are any indicator as to how this series will end up, we are in for a close battle to determine one of the two finalists in the East.  Here is a look at the key issues that will shape Saturday's first leg in Ohio. Begin Slideshow

MLS Player Power Rankings After Matches from October 24-26

After eight months of play and plenty of terrific individual performances, the Major League Soccer regular season came to an end Sunday. During the final set of regular-season games, some players gave voters for the Most Valuable Player award more to think about, while a few were sidelined with injuries.  Others played a part in major goals that handed their respective teams the upper hand in regards to playoff qualification and seeding.  Here's a look at the final regular-season edition of the MLS Player Power Rankings. Begin Slideshow

MLS Team of the Week for Matches from October 24-26

The final week of the Major League Soccer regular season saw plenty of individuals step up to score in games with a ton of playoff implications.  The two biggest goals were scored by Seattle and Vancouver, who earned the Supporters' Shield and final playoff spot in the Western Conference respectively.  In the final match of the regular season, we saw one player's chase for history end in style. Due to the amount of attacking stars from this weekend, we opted to go with a 4-3-3 to include as many forwards as possible.  Here's a look at the final regular-season MLS Team of the Week. Begin Slideshow

Winners and Losers from MLS Matches from October 24-26

Major League Soccer saw an incredible end to its regular season, and there was plenty of drama over the final three days of play. Seattle became the first team to bring some clarity to the playoff picture by winning the Supporters' Shield on Saturday afternoon, while a few other sides locked up postseason seeds with major wins.  On the other end of the spectrum, a few sides were forced to suffer a rough end to their respective seasons. Here's a look at the winners and losers from the final regular-season weekend in MLS. Begin Slideshow

Seattle’s Sigi Schmid Throws Tactical Knockout Punch to Win Supporters’ Shield

For the second consecutive match against the LA Galaxy, Seattle Sounders manager Sigi Schmid played his tactics to perfection.  Following a 2-2 draw at StubHub Center six days ago, all the Sounders needed was a draw at home in front of 57,673 boisterous fans at CenturyLink Field to clinch the Supporters' Shield.  For the second game in a row, Schmid opted to take a more defensive approach to his starting 11 by aligning Brad Evans in front of DeAndre Yedlin on the right side. That move was made in order to shut down the attacking threat on the left wing put forth by the Galaxy. The plan once again worked, as the Galaxy were held to three shots on target in a game where they held 59 percent of the possession, per MLSSoccer.com.  Schmid let the game play out until the 73rd minute, when he opted to bring on Guatemalan winger Marco Pappa in favor of Evans.  Six days after the same substitution produced two goals to earn a road draw, Pappa scored both goals in the 2-0 victory to hand Seattle its first Supporters' Shield in franchise history. Goal USA's Seth Vertelney gave an update on Seattle's history-making path:  Once Pappa entered the match, the ...

Seattle’s Attack Set to Thrive at Home with Galaxy’s Omar Gonzalez Suspended

The entire dynamic of the season-ending home-and-home series between the Seattle Sounders and LA Galaxy changed in the 88th minute of Sunday's 2-2 draw at StubHub Center.  Galaxy center-back Omar Gonzalez, who was already on a yellow card, picked up a second caution for his tackle on Seattle's Gonzalo Pineda.  As Gonzalez walked into the tunnel, the hopes of LA returning from Seattle Saturday with the Supporters' Shield, and the top seed in the Western Conference playoffs, disappeared.  Gonzalez, who spoke to LAGalaxy.com about the decision Wednesday, was not happy with the decision made by referee Ismail Elfath.  I had a few days to think about it and look at the play again and from my standpoint, it wasn’t a yellow. I think that I went to the ground because I thought that I was going to the ball and I did get the ball first. He continued running and then tripped over me. Since returning from the World Cup, Gonzalez has been in terrific form in the middle of a back four that has seen its share of injuries in 2014.  Saturday afternoon's match at CenturyLink Field was supposed to be a great test for how the healthy back four of A.J. DeLaGarza, Dan Gargan, Robbie Rogers ...