With the Western Conference experiencing the tightest regular season finish in league history, one that saw just three points separating first place from fourth, it's fitting that both playoff series in that half of the bracket are all square after the first leg.
The advantage heading into the return encounter would appear to lie with home sides Los Angeles and Houston, but closer inspection reveals that neither team should take too much comfort from any home cooking. Chivas USA's "road trip" will consist of a quick jaunt down the hall, and after last year's playoff upset at the hands of New York, Houston knows that hosting the second leg, in this case against Seattle, is no guarantee of reaching the conference final.
Let the nail biting begin.
(1) Los Angeles Galaxy vs. (4) Chivas USA
(Series tied 2-2 after first leg)
First leg in a sentence: The respective defenses went on holiday, as both teams gifted goals to their opponent in a ragged, but captivating 2-2 tie.
Galindo repays Preki's faith: Come playoff time, the term "X-factor" can be trotted out for all kinds of reasons. It can be used to put the spotlight an up and coming player. Sometimes it's used to highlight a favorable (or unfavorable) matchup. And then there are those players who are complete wildcards: the kind of performer who can make a coach look like a genius or leave fans questioning the coach's sanity for using such a player in the first place.
It's that last description that best fits Chivas USA forward Maykel Galindo, and so far, his play has allowed head coach Preki to keep his membership in Mensa. The former Cuban international came on as a sub at halftime of last Sunday's first leg, scored a crucial equalizer early in the second half, and was a constant menace to the Galaxy's backline with his willingness to take on defenders one-on-one.
But heading into the series, there was no way to know for sure which Galindo might show up. Would it be the player who shredded opposition defenses to the tune of 12 goals in 2007? Or would it be the inconsistent performer of 2009? After enduring three hernia surgeries in 2008, Galindo wasn't sure himself.
"The beginning of this year was a little tough because when you come back from a year like [2008], you need to get back your physical fitness and all that, especially your confidence," said Galindo through a team spokesman. "I was playing, but I was playing with a little pain, or a little fear that I'd get injured again.
"But thank God, the more I trained, the more I got minutes in games, the better I felt. I still don't feel 100 percent, but I feel completely capable now, and totally different than I felt in the middle of the season."
The Chivas forward's primary asset had always been his speed, but the surgeries left Galindo doubting he could beat opponents with his pace. That's where Preki stepped in, who gradually built up the confidence of his forward.
"We just tried to get [Galindo] to believe in himself, to believe that he's still fast, that he's a threat and things like that," said Preki. "I think sometimes he forgets how fast he still is."
Yet so far, Galindo has put aside any doubts about his play, and the speed advantage he has over the Galaxy's center backs could prove decisive in the second leg this Sunday.
"When you have confidence in yourself, you ask for the ball, you run at the defenders, all that stuff," said Galindo. "And I think that's what I have now. I have confidence to get in the match and run, to help my teammates, and I'm happy about that."
Defensive déjà vu for L.A.: After successfully retooling his defense this season, Galaxy manager Bruce Arena must have thought he was stuck in Groundhog Day during the first leg, as his side reverted to its dreadful 2008 form. So was it a case of some defenders showing their youth, or was it a case of the occasion getting to a few players?
"It was all of that probably," said Arena. "At this point in the season, it shouldn't be nerves or inexperience. But we understand some of the issues, the mistakes we made, and we'll just try to be better on Sunday."
While it seems unlikely that L.A. will concede a goal courtesy of a poor back pass like the one Omar Gonzalez gifted to Galindo, the space afforded to the Chivas frontline will need to be reduced if the Galaxy are to prevail this weekend. That said, Arena pronounced himself satisfied with the way his team coped with Red-and-White midfielder Sacha Kljestan, even though he assisted on Maicon Santos' opener.
"I don't think he was able to penetrate as much as he usually does," said Arena of Kljestan. "He's going to get his touches on the ball because of the way he moves and the way they look for him. In any game, you anticipate the playmakers are still going to touch the ball. The guys who are easy to deal with are the guys closer to goal, and he's always in between, so it's not always easy to have a handle him."
Keep an eye out for ... ... the way Chivas USA goalkeeper Zach Thornton deals with crosses. Not to belabor the point, but the newly minted MLS Goalkeeper of the Year has been coming out for every high ball that comes into his box, whether he can get to it or not. And for all the heat Maicon Santos has taken for "assisting" on Landon Donovan's goal, it was Thornton's decision to challenge for a cross he was never going to get to that sparked the melee.
(2) Houston vs. (3) Seattle
(Series tied 0-0 after first leg)
First leg in a sentence: Both teams defended well, but the goalkeeping was even better, as Seattle's Kasey Keller and Houston's Pat Onstad both delivered big-time saves to keep the first leg scoreless.
Set pieces and chess pieces: One of the more interesting aspects of the first leg between Houston and Seattle was the way each team threatened the other from set pieces. Andrew Hainault nearly put the Dynamo ahead early with a free header that flashed just wide, while Seattle's Patrick Ianni and Nate Jaqua nearly won the match for Seattle with headers that were either saved or hit the woodwork.
But how each team freed their players to get looks at goal was a study in contrasts. Houston was all about movement, as a near-post run by Geoff Cameron saw him followed by both Ianni and Brad Evans while Hainault was left to run free towards the center of goal.
"[Houston] does a good job of freeing guys in the box, whether you call them picks or screens," said Seattle head coach Sigi Schmid. "They create opening for players, so we need to do a good job of staying with our people when we're marking them."
There were plenty of darting runs from Seattle as well, but their success was borne more out of winning individual battles. In particular, Ianni twice got the better of Hainault, but rather than reconsider the matchup, Houston manager Dominic Kinnear merely had a quick word with his defender and Houston tightened things up a bit after halftime.
"[Hainault] did much better in the second half than he did in the first," said Kinnear of his defender's battles with Ianni. "I think in the first half, a couple of times the gap between the two of them was too much."
Exactly what wrinkles each team will trot out in the return leg will be among the more interesting aspects of the match.
Houston healing: When the final whistle blew at the end of the first leg between Seattle and Houston, it was felt that the 0-0 tie benefited the Dynamo. Not only would Houston get the chance to close out the series at home, but the nine-day break between games also benefited the two-time MLS Cup winners.
Granted, both teams had some gimpy performers and Seattle defender Tyrone Marshall will among those Seattle players trying to get fit in time for Sunday's tilt. But Houston appears to be the team that is benefiting the most. Not only will midfielder Ricardo Clark and forward Luis Angel Landin be closer to 100 percent, but Corey Ashe, who injuring his knee in a friendly against Mexican side Monterrey on Oct. 11, returned to full training on Tuesday, and could play a part in Sunday's match.
"When you look at our bench, it's just two forwards and some defenders," said Kinnear. "There's not too much in the midfield unless we move Geoff Cameron up, so it's nice to have another guy available."
Keep an eye out for ... ... How this game is called. Houston held a hefty 18-6 advantage in fouls committed during the first leg, and the smaller dimensions could lead to more physical play. If the Dynamo are allowed to body up players like Ljungberg and Montero, then advantage Houston.
Jeff Carlisle is a regular contributor to ESPN Soccernet, and covers the San Jose Earthquakes for Center Line Soccer and MLSnet.com. Jeff can be reached at eljefe1@yahoo.com. Views and opinions expressed in this column are the author's, and not necessarily those of Major League Soccer or MLSnet.com.
