but he could walk into the nation's top soccer bar and nobody would turn his head.
How they could win: At their best, the Wizards' high-pressure tactics force opponents into mistakes as they play into the midfield. Then Kansas City mercilessly pounces on those mistakes. That's how they did it earlier this year, and Onalfo's men must find that form against a side that might be a bit wobbly due to injury.
No. 2 Houston Dynamo vs. No. 3 FC Dallas
FC Dallas manager Steve Morrow tore apart a team that challenged for the Supporters' Shield last season. It worked early as young players guided the team to a fast start.
But this is playoff time. And that makes it Houston Dynamo time. Going back to when the club (and many of the same players) performed under the San Jose Earthquakes banner, the club is 11-7-2 in the postseason with three league titles since 2001.
Forget the impressive menu of attacking names on this year's Dynamo team. The Robertson Stadium bunch rode defense to the league's third-highest point total. In fact, a back line shepherded fiercely by center backs Eddie Robinson and Ryan Cochrane established a league record by allowing a measly 23 goals. (Doing his part, goalkeeper Pat Onstad crushed the old league mark for goals-against average over a season, landing at a paltry 0.82. That's going to be difficult to beat.)
How does Houston do it with such an undecorated foursome along the back line? The Dynamo defense knows "cohesion" like Spielberg knows movies. They defend as a unit, shielded expertly by hard-working types like Brian Mullan.
Plus, the team regained its health at the perfect time; Brad Davis and Stuart Holden are available for selection once again. The loss of workhorse holding midfielder Ricardo Clark (he's suspended) won't help. But his absence is mitigated by Richard Mulrooney's presence. (How smart does manager Dominic Kinnear look now for the early trade that brought Mulrooney from Toronto as, basically, insurance?)
FC Dallas looks something like Kansas City, a team that appeared to be fighting with its weaker hand at the finish, but one that might still pack a big punch in that other fist.
Carlos Ruiz, who joined MLS in 2002, had his least productive year yet. But would any team underestimate the damage an inspired Ruiz could do? Kenny Cooper's sophomore year production fell off, from 11 goals to four. But he only played in 14 matches, missing about four months with a broken bone in his leg. Arturo Alvarez became FCD's new danger-man. And what of this fellow Denilson, who has yet to make a Designated Player-type mark, but who does have an impressive resume, after all.
In the back, simply put, Morrow's men must be better. They allowed 44 goals, almost double Houston's total, never fully settling on a regular back four.
Playoff checklist: Houston
Key stat: Houston dominated the season series with a 3-0-1 mark, scoring six times with just one goal against. In fact, Houston is 5-1-2 in the series overall. Those are numbers that surely inspire grand confidence.
Man of the moment: Joseph Ngwenya may have been the league's most underrated player of 2007. He took the punishment as a target forward, scored seven goals and never stopped churning on the runs that open space for others. Fans and broadcasters continue to speak of Brian Ching, but it's Ngwenya who seems like the first striker penciled into the Dynamo lineup these days.
X-factor: Richard Mulrooney must continue to boldly hold down the space behind Dwayne De Rosario. Mulrooney doesn't get forward quite as much as the suspended Ricardo Clark. But if De Rosario is doing his thing, that's OK.
How they could win: Dominic Kinnear's team has everything leaning its way: history in the series, a lineup that's finally healthy and the emotional weight of being defending champs. All Houston has to do is keep things typically buttoned up and the pressure should eventually poke holes in Dallas' defense.
Playoff checklist: FC Dallas
Key stat: The FC Dallas home record of late is concerning to say the least: 1-4-2 since August (including the U.S. Open Cup Final setback to New England).
Man of the moment: Arturo Alvarez just had a breakout season, carrying the offense during some stretches, but returning to the land of the ordinary in others.
X-factor: Houston won't know until after kickoff Saturday how manager Steve Morrow plans to configure his midfield. Will Adrian Serioux be in the back, as he was most of the season, or in a central midfield role, as he was late in the year. Juan Toja has played along the left, at the top of a central triangle and in a holding spot at different times this year. And what about team assist leader Dax McCarty, who wasn't even in the lineup at the end of the year.
How they could win: Carlos Ruiz has always elevated his game in the playoffs, with 14 goals in 15 postseason matches, an amazing strike rate in big games for the Guatemalan international. An appearance by Super Ruiz may be the team's best upset hope.
Steve Davis is a freelance writer who has covered Major League Soccer since its inception. Steve can be reached at BigTexSoccer@yahoo.com. The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the author's, and not necessarily those of Major League Soccer or MLSnet.com.
