and should RSL and L.A. win -- the team that displays the 1997 Western Conference trophy in its offices will head into its final match (at Houston) in a fifth-place tie with the Galaxy. Always tough at home, the Rapids will try to conjure up the spirit of coach Mooch Myernick and players like Steve Rammel, Paul Bravo, Peter Vermes, David Patino and Adrian Paz, who led this club to its greatest-ever moment. One that will never, ever, ever be forgotten.
9. The Galaxy had me wondering this weekend, just how is this team on the outside looking in? The way they carried the action against Chivas USA makes you wonder if that switch they were able to turn on last season just needed to be pushed a little harder ... and a little sooner. But, the Galaxy are not out of this just yet. A win at FC Dallas, along with a Colorado loss to Red Bull and an RSL loss or draw at Houston would put Frank Yallop's boys on the cutline heading into their season finale at Houston. An L.A. win and a Colorado draw would also keep the Galaxy alive into the final weekend. What the Galaxy have to root hard for is that Colorado does not defeat the Red Bulls and that Chivas USA goes pointless. Those two teams could render the Galaxy's final home game meaningless.
8. And, speaking of Chivas USA, they officially need two points to qualify, but, most likely only need one point in their final two games to earn a spot in the postseason. One point means the best RSL could do is tie Chivas on 43 points and Chivas has an eight-goal advantage in goal differential. Of course, should Chivas lose at K.C. this weekend (and Houston, RSL and L.A. win), there will be a ton of pressure on Los Goats in the home finale with RSL. In just one week's time, Chivas fans have gone from thinking about a second-place finish in the West to thinking "let's just get in." Without Ante Razov, Juan Pablo Garcia and Paco Palencia this past weekend against the Galaxy, Chivas was lacking ideas and drive in the final third. Knowing they need only a draw at K.C. this weekend may put Chivas in a conservative frame of mind ... and we all know how that can backfire on a team.
7. And Kansas City has to be thinking "win" in this match with the Chivas USA, because a draw or loss puts them in a situation where they'll absolutely need a result away at the Red Bulls in the final week. Even with a victory, K.C. will have something to play for in the finale because if the Red Bulls win at Colorado and draw with K.C., the 39-point tiebreaker would go to RBNY, who are 1-0-2 vs. KC this year. The K.C.-Chivas match has the makings of a classic cat-and-mouse type of game with K.C. trying to attack, Chivas USA looking to counter, and both teams desperate to come away with a positive result. Look for Josh Wolff, Eddie Johnson, Scott Sealy, Davy Arnaud to try and use their speed in this game. Claudio Suarez and his backline mates are going to have their hands full, and Brad Guzan is going to have to make some saves.
6. I think the Red Bulls have very little to lose this weekend in Denver. They're 1-8-6 on the road this year and are playing a Colorado team (the '97 Western Conference champs, let's not forget) that's 9-3-3 at Invesco this season. But, the Red Bulls can do anything in this match with the knowledge that a win against Kansas City in the finale is going to get them to the playoffs. So, the only thing a draw or victory this weekend will do for RBNY is give them the safety net of a draw in the final game. The Bulls are 7-3-5 at Giants Stadium this season and have recorded back-to-back 1-0 triumphs. We all know that teams that can win one-nil are teams to fear at this time of year.
5. Amazing work by the schedule makers. Two weeks to go and only five of eight playoff teams have been decided. And, of this weekend's six games, only New England at D.C. and Columbus at Chicago have no real playoff implications. In the final week, you could have four games featuring six teams in need of some type of result. Maybe Bruce Arena is still numb to it after the World Cup, but he's probably wondering about that statement he made a while back about MLS regular season games being meaningless. In short, this is not your 1996-2001 MLS anymore. For just about every team except D.C. and FCD, every point has meant a lot.
4. Remember last week, the note about Jeff Cunningham and how he had a chance to become the first player to lead the league in goals and miss the playoffs? How's this for symmetry? Kevin Hartman, currently tied with Matt Reis for the league lead in shutouts, has a shot to become the first 'keeper to lead the league in shutouts and not make the playoffs. I also thought that Jon Conway's five shutouts in 10 games might be some sort of record, but it pales in comparison to David Kramer's five shutouts in eight games for the 1999 San Jose Earthquakes. Conway and Tony Meola did, however, combine for 10 shutouts this year, which is a NY/NJ MetroRedBull single-season record.
3. And, because I love stats pertaining to the Rapids ... I thought perhaps this team, currently averaging 1.07 goals per game, had a chance to become the lowest-scoring team to ever qualify for the MLS postseason. But no, the 2004 Rapids made it to the dance, averaging an amazing 0.97 goals per game. An amazing feat, perhaps second on the Rapids greatest moments list. What's first? Well, of course, their 1997 Western Conference championship.
2. And, let's go ahead and congratulate FC Dallas hardman Simo Valakari, who will become the first player in MLS history to lead the league in fouls for three consecutive seasons. Carlos Ruiz did it in back-to-back seasons, but couldn't pull off the trifecta.
1. And, injuries to Ante Razov and Paco Palencia could cost the Chivas forward tandem a shot to set a new MLS milestone. Currently, Razov and Palencia are 1-2 in the league in being caught offside. No two teammates have ever finished the season ranking 1-2 in linesmen's-flags-raised. The only thing that could save Razov and Palencia is if Andy Herron can stay onside for the next two games.
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.
