This was not how Don Garber drew it up.
Major League Soccer Playoffs, Conference Finals, Review: FC Dallas, Colorado Rapids An Unlikely Championship Pair
Getty Images
In the MLS commissioner's perfect world, he'd have the New York Red Bulls and their three Designated Players squaring off against the Los Angeles Galaxy and their host of recognizable faces in next Sunday's MLS Cup final.
The crowd in Toronto would be treated to two teams that finished atop the standings in their respective conferences playing a winner-take-all championship game. Ideally, the weather would have even cooperated and it would all have played out on a crisp autumn evening.
You know what they say about best-laid plans, don’t you?
The unpredictable nature of the playoffs has instead produced a final between the Colorado Rapids and FC Dallas, two teams that have zero MLS titles in their combined 28 previous seasons, have never employed a single Designated Player between them and regularly play in front of crowds that are among the smallest in MLS.
Just to add salt to the wound, there’s currently a 30 percent chance of rain. That sound you just heard was Garber throwing up just a little in his mouth.
But championship games are not and should not be about making power brokers happy.
They are supposed to showcases of the best two teams the playoffs can produce, something this matchup undeniably accomplished.
Whatever pundits may think of the Rapids and FC Dallas, they were clearly the two best teams from their respective conferences over the past two weeks.
Colorado Rapids: Winning Ugly Is Still Winning
The Rapids didn't exactly dominate either opponent, but they are hardly undeserving Eastern Conference representatives. Against the Earthquakes, they showed an ability to win even when not getting major contributions from Omar Cummings and Conor Casey.
The biggest contribution either half of C+C Scoring Factory had in the conference championship was Cummings running interference on Kosuke Kimura's game-winning goal. In an alternate universe where the Earthquakes were able to conjure some semblance of a cohesive attack, Cummings could have ended up as the game's goat. He hit the crossbar with an open goal in front of him and failed to convert several other clear scoring opportunities. Cummings deserves credit for creating those opportunities, but it was not a clinical finishing performance from a player we have come to expect more from.
Casey did not have as many glaring misses, but wasn’t nearly as effective as we’ve grown accustomed to seeing over the past couple months. He was unable to get anything on frame despite receiving some decent service and disappeared for stretches, especially in the second half.
Kimura, a largely overlooked figure not just on the Rapids but even just among their defenders, had the kind of match that's impossible to ignore. In addition to his goal, he had several dangerous crosses and made some key defensive plays. His breaking up of a potential Ryan Johnson 1v1 foiled what would have been the Quakes' best chance to take the lead.
The victory was the first since Aug. 7 the Rapids had won without Casey or Cummings scoring a goal — coincidentally another victory over the Earthquakes — and just the second time since June 5 they had won under those circumstances.
There’s a good chance that new found resiliency will come in handy next week. FC Dallas has specialized in shutting down the opposition’s primary scorers. Since May 5, the Hoops have allowed just four goals to players that were leading or second on their team in goal scoring, a stretch of 28 matches including the playoffs.
FC Dallas: The Usual Suspects
There was no tougher path to the finals than the one FC Dallas embarked upon. After dispatching the team many had picked to win the MLS Cup in the first round, they absolutely dismantled the Supporters’ Shield winners.
The Hoops may not have been quite as dominant as that 3-0 scoreline suggests, but they were more poised and clinical than their hosts at almost every turn.
Once again, Kevin Hartman was spectacular in goal — making four first-half saves that probably would have been goals against almost any other MLS goalkeeper — and giving his team plenty of time to effectively counter strike. FC Dallas improved to 12-1-10 with just 14 goals allowed when Hartman starts.
Making sure Hartman's efforts weren't wasted was David Ferreira. The MVP finalist continued his torrid playoffs, scoring the opening goal and assisting on the third. He has now scored or gotten an assist on five of FCD's six postseason goals.
Both of the goals Ferreira was involved in came on counter-strikes. On his goal, he received the ball just outside the penalty area, took one dribble and shot before the defense was able to close down on him. He made the Galaxy defense look even worse on his assist, as three defenders seemed to be waiting for the offside flag rather than trying to impede Marvin Chavez's path to the goal.
With each successive goal, you could practically feel MLS wringing their collective hands in agony. On merit, though, it’s hard to deny these aren’t the teams that belong in Toronto. One of these teams is going to end 14 years of playoff frustrations, both have proved deserving.
See More:
