By Ridge Mahoney
MEADOWLANDS MUST-WIN. “It’s Bruce, it’s on turf, Tony’s in goal again, it’s got all the makings of all the headlines you could want going into a final match of the season.”
Josh Wolff may not have it exactly right, but surely the elements are in place for the Meadowlands to be buzzing for an MLS regular season game for one of the few times in the league’s history.
Coach Bruce Arena, who may or may not put Tony Meola in goal, can snag a playoff place for the New York Red Bulls (8-11-12) by beating Kansas City (10-13-8) in the season finale. Any other result gives the Wizards fourth place and a first-round playoff matchup with D.C. United.
Two of the three regular-season meetings were ties and on July 22 the Red Bulls beat Kansas City, 1-0, in Brian Bliss’s debut as the Wizards head coach. His record since taking over is 4-6-6; Arena’s mark is 3-5-3.
In place of Meola, Jon Conway has compiled a league-leading 0.91 goals allowed average but has only played 11 games. That’s just one tricky decision facing Arena. Bliss has already taken drastic action by suspending striker Eddie Johnson for the rest of the season without revealing why.
(TV: Saturday, New York-Kansas City, Direct Kick, 7:30 pm ET.)
EXPANSION CLASICO. They combined for nine wins in their expansion seasons; this season might conclude with both Chivas USA and Real Salt Lake in the playoffs. When they meet at Home Depot Center Sunday night, the match could be critical or meaningless. Chivas USA is in the playoffs; RSL (10-13-8) trails fourth-place Colorado by two points and the Rapids can clinch Saturday by getting at least a point in Houston, because they won the season series against RSL, 2-1-1. It would be a sad irony for Jeff Cunningham, a strong MVP candidate with a league-leading 16 goals and 11 assists (tied for first), to miss the playoffs in his best season. Chivas USA (10-9-2) has a stake in the Dynamo-Rapids results as well. A Colorado win lifts it into third place by a point, meaning Chivas USA – which won the season series against the Rapids 2-0-2 – could reclaim third by tying RSL.
(TV: Sunday, Chivas USA-Real Salt Lake, Fox Soccer Channel & Direct Kick, 7 pm ET.)
ELSEWHERE. D.C. United (15-6-10) lost at home to New England, 2-1, last week and has an RFK finale against Chicago (12-11-8) to shake out its cobwebs, which needs some shaking of its own after being beaten by the Crew, 4-1, last week at Toyota Park. The Revs (11-8-12) host Columbus (8-14-9) riding a six-game unbeaten streak (4-0-2). Los Angeles (10-15-6) closes out its worst season against Western Conference champion FC Dallas (16-11-4) a week after being eradicated from the playoff picture by losing, 2-1, in Pizza Hut Park.
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