he's started four in all, seeing the Galaxy win two and lose two. D.C. United had four different 'keepers (Mark Simpson, Scott Garlick, Tom Presthus and Nick Rimando) in their four MLS Cup triumphs. Onstad started MLS Cup 2003 for the Earthquakes -- do you remember who was in goal for their 2001 victory? Yep, current Colorado 'keeper Joe Cannon.
5. New Kids in Town: Before you go thinking Dynamo have a bunch of players looking for their third championship, remember that only four players that started for the Quakes in the 2003 MLS Cup Final are projected as starters on Sunday. Those four would be Onstad, Craig Waibel, Eddie Robinson and Brian Mullan. Of course, Wade Barrett was around for the Quakes' 2001 Cup triumph, then took a European hiatus before returning last year.
4. DeRo a Go: And how hard is it to believe now that Dwayne De Rosario, who is the catalyst for so much of what Dynamo do, was not a starter in either of the Earthquakes' two MLS Cup victories. Of course, he was a critical figure in both games, coming on to score the golden goal in the 2001 final and coming off the bench to assist on Landon Donovan's insurance tally in the Quakes' 4-2 victory against the Fire in 2003. Rest assured that De Rosario will get the nod to start on Sunday.
3. Wide Open Spaces: Nice that in a final that will have a bit of an English (Scottish?) League feel to it -- two teams that like to get it wide and send in a bevy of crosses -- we will be playing at Pizza Hut Park, which boasts what I'm guessing is unofficially the widest field in the league. Onstad and Reis and the two backlines for both clubs will be put to the test often. Not only will the game feature some of the league's best crossers in Brad Davis, Mullan, Ralston (if healthy) and Khano Smith (probably off the bench), but there are few players in MLS as good as Twellman and Brian Ching at getting on the end of crosses.
2. Pick 'Em: Now, let's get to the fun stuff. As many of you know, I am the Dean of MLSnet columnists. As many of you also know, I'm perhaps the worst prognosticator in league history. Who can ever forget my prediction of a Dallas-Tampa Bay final in 2000? Vegas has been known to set the line after seeing my predictions. When I look at this game, I must confess, it's probably too close to call. It's a coin flip game if ever there was one. If New England gets Dempsey or Ralston, or even one of them, back for the game, I like their chances more. Houston, however, will have a tough time replacing the tenacity and ball-winning skills of Clark in the middle of the field. I say New England scores at least two, but I'm not sure that's going to be enough to win this thing in regulation. If New England tries to sit on a lead like it did at RFK, they'll surely pay the price.
1. The Dean Says: I'm picking New England 3-2 in an end-to-end thriller. Twellman will pick up a pair while Noonan notches the other for the Revs. For Houston, I see a Ching header and a Davis free kick from just outside the box. In the game's final minutes, I see Reis coming up with a few big saves to hold on. It just seems that it's the Revs' time. Sorry, New England fans. I know you're thinking that's the kiss of death.
Jeff Bradley is a senior writer for ESPN The Magazine. Send your comments and complaints (200 words or less, please) to Jeff at jbradleyespn2003@yahoo.com and he promises to read (but not respond to) all of them. 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.
