Consider the first leg of those conference finals as a scene setter. Columbus and Portland took significant steps toward MLS Cup with their performances on home soil. It is now down to New York Red Bulls and FC Dallas to summon their replies in the decisive return legs on Sunday.
Make no mistake: The road ahead is a difficult one for the Red Bulls and FC Dallas. MLS teams generally do not recover from multiple-goal deficits from the first leg. No side has accomplished the feat since the league transitioned to two-legged conference finals three years ago.
MLS CUP HOSTING PRIORITY
| 1. | New York Red Bulls |
| 2. |
FC Dallas |
| 3. |
Columbus Crew SC |
History does not dictate the outcomes on Sunday, though. FC Dallas boasts a fine home record and penchant for blowing teams out in Frisco. New York revels in the opportunity to place teams under pressure and unsettle them at Red Bull Arena. Both teams possess the tools to overturn their deficits and seal a place in MLS Cup.
“We’re still a solid, 90-minute performance away,” Columbus defender Michael Parkhurst told FOX Soccer on Friday ahead of the date with the Red Bulls on Sunday (live, 7:30 p.m. ET, FS1, FOX Sports GO). “We know New York is a very capable team. They are very good at home. They’re capable of scoring goals. It’s going to take another good effort from us, but we feel like we’re capable [of reaching MLS Cup].”
Belief is an important component for all four sides ahead of these decisive affairs. It must serve as the fuel to propel them toward a place in the final next Sunday.
Western Conference: (1) FC Dallas -- (3) Portland Timbers (5 p.m. ET, ESPN)
Portland leads 3-1 on aggregate
The entire landscape of this Western Conference final changed when Nat Borchers prodded home from close range in second-half stoppage time last Sunday. Borchers’ timely intervention gave the Timbers a precious two-goal lead ahead of the trek to Frisco and left FC Dallas with plenty of work to do to overhaul the tie.
FCD remains more than capable of overhauling Portland at Toyota Stadium. This group performs well at home and piles pressure on the opposition as the match progresses. The balance from the first leg -- particularly the open final half-hour -- suits them well, too. Mauro Diaz is a canny operator when given time and space on the ball, while Fabian Castillo and Michael Barrios offer genuine pace to pin back those Timbers fullbacks.
Expect the Timbers to adapt to the circumstances ahead. The return of Diego Valeri and Rodney Wallace from suspension prompts some alterations to the starting XI. Valeri, in particular, is a key component as the Timbers try to dictate the tempo with that excellent midfield triangle. Portland must use the ball deftly here to provide the necessary cover for the resolute back four and temper FCD’s ability to break quickly and stretch the game.
In order to survive, Portland must adjust to the possible exclusion of Liam Ridgewell. Ridgewell departed with a calf complaint last weekend and spent most of this week working his way back toward full fitness. The situation might force Timbers coach Caleb Porter to start Norberto Paparatto in Ridgewell’s place. Ridgewell is “a little touch and go,” Porter told ESPNFC on Saturday.
Paparatto is an experienced campaigner, but Ridgewell’s potential absence deals the Timbers a significant blow. If Ridgewell isn’t included, then the Timbers must compensate accordingly to compensate for Paparatto’s lack of mobility and devise a way to withstand the expected onslaught from FCD.
Eastern Conference: (1) New York Red Bulls -- (2) Columbus Crew SC (7:30 p.m. ET, FS1, FOX Sports GO)
Columbus leads 2-0 on aggregate
Crew SC procured the ideal result -- a comfortable victory without conceding an away goal -- at MAPFRE Stadium on Sunday. The state of the tie allows Columbus to rely on its attacking strength and its work in possession to see out the tie at Red Bull Arena.
Everything hinges on Crew SC’s ability to procure a goal. Columbus isn’t a team designed to sit back, soak up pressure and wait for the right moment to strike. There are prudent adjustments at hand -- watch the positioning of the fullbacks carefully, for instance -- to compensate for the advantage, but Crew SC does not have to hold out here. One away goal means the Red Bulls need to score four times in order to advance. And Crew SC is more than comfortable enough to pursue it.
The key for Crew SC: maintaining the proper balance in that quest. Columbus coach Gregg Berhalter faces a difficult choice in central defense -- does the robust Gaston Sauro return in defense or does Tyson Wahl keep his spot after a disciplined display in the first leg? -- as he contemplates how to manage the game here. Crew SC did a wonderful job in the first leg of blunting the Red Bulls’ effectiveness on the ball. They must accomplish the same feat here.
New York is going to improve from that first leg performance. The midfield trio of Sacha Kljestan, Felipe Martins and Dax McCarty is going to sort out some of the spacing issues raised in that first leg and stamp its impact on the game. And there is certainly a blueprint here to place Crew SC under threat with a bright start and rely on that energy to sweep Columbus aside.
The question is whether the Red Bulls can accomplish those objectives without conceding on the break. The margin of error is perilously thin now after that first leg. It is up to the Supporters’ Shield winners to respond accordingly to host MLS Cup next Sunday.
