After a pedestrian pair of wild card games, the MLS Playoffs kicked into high gear with the first leg of the opening round proper.
In New York, a marquee playoff match saw the post-match ejection of one Designated Player, while goals came fast and furious up in the mountain ranges of Utah and Colorado.
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Wednesday, October 26
FC Dallas 0-2 New York Red Bulls
(New York advance to Western Conference semifinal)
Dallas continued their recent run of uninspired performances with a flat 90 minutes against the visiting Red Bulls, who took advantage of their hosts' inability to muster the sufficient energy required to compete at this time of year.
A dull opening half gave way to a second 45 minutes that saw two NY goals scored as a direct result of lax Dallas defending. The superb Joel Lindpere struck at the hour mark after receiving a gorgeous pass from substitute Mehdi Ballouchy. Thierry Henry then sealed FCD's fate in injury time when he nodded a ball to himself, outpaced Dallas' Daniel Hernandez, and rounded 'keeper Kevin Hartman for an easy tap in.
The win placed New York into the Western Conference semifinals for a pair of meetings with fellow "superclub" LA Galaxy. Dallas end their once-promising season out of the playoffs and out of the CONCACAF Champions League.
Thursday, October 27
Colorado Rapids 1-0 Columbus Crew
(Rapids advance to Eastern Conference semifinal)
A crowd of 7,803 at chilly Dick's Sporting Goods Park in Colardo watched as the home side edged Columbus by the slimmest of margins to advance to the Eastern Conference semifinal round.
The match was as stiff as the frozen ground as neither side seemed aware that the game was a one-off rather than a two-match series. The only spark of life was a first half injury time goal from Colorado's Omar Cummings, and fortunately for the Rapids it was all that was needed to prevail over a listless Crew side that looked a shell of the Columbus teams from just a couple of years ago.
Saturday, October 29
Real Salt Lake 3-0 Seattle Sounders
(RSL lead Western Conference semifinal 3-0 on aggregate)
For all of Seattle's great work in balancing (and succeeding in) multiple competitions during the regular season, they've yet to figure out how to translate that form into playoff success. After getting shellacked by Salt Lake in the first leg of their Western Conference semifinal, it looks like the Sounders will have to wait at least another year for some post-season success.
The Sounders were overrun in just about every sense of the word. RSL attacked in waves and found goals in different ways, ranging from the sublime (Alvaro Saborio's second of two goals on the night, a cheeky behind-the-back flick that found the inside of the far post) to the lucky-but-determined (Ned Grabavoy's late insurance marker).
Seattle looked out of sorts in the crisp Utah air, and will need to try to dig themselves out of a massive three-goal deficit in the return leg.
Sunday, October 30
New York Red Bulls 0-1 Los Angeles Galaxy
(LA lead Western Conference semifinal 1-0 on aggregate)
The dream playoff match-up for many since the dawn of the Designated Player era, NY and LA finally faced off in a hugely hyped Sunday nighter at Red Bull Arena.
The teams have recently forged a mutual dislike, stemming from pre-game trash talk prior to an early season meeting and helped on by some chippiness on the pitch. Also aiding the growing feud was New York's winning record versus LA this year, despite the Galaxy running roughshod on most of the rest of MLS all season long.
The match started off with LA asserting themselves early through returning striker Robbie Keane, who hit the post on a great floated shot that froze NY keeper Frank Rost to his spot. Minutes later, Mike Magee got the game's only goal after receiving a perfect pass from David Beckham and slotting a left-footed effort past Rost from a tough angle.
After going up, LA played classic Bruce Arena football -- keeping a compact shape and only attacking when absolutely necessary. To the Red Bulls' credit, they managed to open the game up in the second half, and the ensuing back-and-forth play created a pleasing spectacle of attacking soccer.
Several good saves on either end kept the scoreline at 1-0, and the game's high point actually came after the final whistle when NY's Rafa Marquez threw the ball at LA's Landon Donovan. The scrum that followed led to a hilariously awful flop by Marquez -- who seconds earlier tried to headbutt and punch the Galaxy's Adam Cristman -- and a similar dive by Red Bull teammate Stephen Keel.
Marquez received a post-match red card for instigating the melee, while LA's midfield dynamo Juninho was also ejected, presumably because the referee bought Keel's sell job.
Philadelphia Union 1-2 Houston Dynamo
(Houston lead Eastern Conference semifinal 2-1 on aggregate)
The Union hosted their first ever playoff match at a raucous PPL Park, but it was the Dynamo who hold the advantage heading into the second leg of this series.
Canadian international André Hainault put Houston on the board just minutes into the game, latching on to a well-placed Brad Davis free kick and heading the ball home from the top of the Philadelphia six-yard box. The Union responded immediately through Sebastien Letoux, who was the beneficiary of a fortuitous deflection off a Dynamo defender to pot the equalizer.
From then on out, it was all Houston as the late-season form of both teams stayed true. Philadelphia, on a downward slope since mid-summer, now have to travel to south Texas and try to figure out a way to outscore the hottest MLS team of the past two months.
Colorado Rapids 0-2 Sporting Kansas City
(Kansas City lead Eastern Conference semifinal 2-0 on aggregate)
Colorado hosted their second playoff match in the span of four days, although this one didn't go nearly as well as their meeting with Columbus in the midweek.
The Rapids fell victim to a seemingly angry injury bug, as no less than three Colorado players went down to possible long-ish term ailments. Those unfortunate circumstances were exacerbated by the ejection of Tyrone Marshall, who pulled down everyone's favourite striker, Teal Bunbury, in the area. Marshall was himself an injury substitution who had only entered the match 19 minutes earlier.
Oh, yeah, Bunbury scored on the ensuing penalty kick. He also got a goal ten minutes prior.
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MLS Wrap appears every Monday during the Major League Soccer season.
Rudi Schuller contributes Toronto FC, MLS, and Canadian national team content to the 24th Minute. He is MLSsoccer.com's beat writer for all things concerning Canada's men's national teams, and has contributed to Goal.com and other soccer media. Follow Rudi on Twitter, @RudiSchuller.