An entire season's worth of play comes down to a single match in Toronto on Sunday. Sixteen teams started the season with their eyes on MLS Cup, but despite neither finishing in the league's top four during the regular season, FC Dallas and the Colorado Rapids have rode a fine wave of form through Major League Soccer's best, both at home and on the road, to BMO Field for a chance at MLS Cup. Chilly Toronto will welcome two teams short on fans and without hype, but filled with quality and some of the most dangerous attacking players the league has to offer.
MLS Cup 2010, Dallas Vs. Colorado: Whose Attacking Wonders Will Find The Net?
Both Dallas and Colorado have taken their games to a new level in the playoffs and most would agree that they have been the two best teams in the postseason. Dallas took down Real Salt Lake in the first round, winning their home leg and holding on for a draw away to get past the team most picked as favorites to hoist the trophy in Toronto. Next came a trip to the Supporters Shield winning Los Angeles Galaxy, who took it to Dallas in the early minutes. But after Kevin Hartman made some great saves to keep the match level, David Ferreira scored and turned the rest of the match for Dallas as they dominated the rest of the way for a 3-0 win.
Colorado needed a bit more fortune to make their way to MLS Cup, but they came through just the same. After a win at home versus the Columbus Crew in the first leg of the first round, a thrilling back and forth match in the second leg finished in favor of the Crew, but only by a goal so the match went to penalty kicks. There, Colorado made all five of their kicks and the final Columbus kick was skied over the bar to send the Rapids on. That was followed by a match versus San Jose in which the Rapids were the far superior team. Kosuke Kimura's cross just eluded Omar Cummings, but the run froze San Jose keeper Jon Busch long enough so when the cross skipped by everyone for a goal. Some poor finishing kept the Rapids from putting the match away several times in the second half, but they held on nonetheless to clinch their spot in MLS Cup with a 1-0 win.
Neither Dallas nor Colorado have sexy names, but they have some of the league’s best attacking talent in the midfield and at striker. Anyone who matches MLS semi-regularly can point to multiple players on both teams who can turn the match upside down with a single play.
After a scintillating performance against Los Angeles and fresh off of accidentally being revealed as the MLS MVP, Ferreira has been the talk of MLS circles this week. The MVP award says all that needs to be said about his impact on Dallas and he will certainly be keyed on by Colorado's two central midfielders, Pablo Mastroeni and Jeff Larentowicz. With Mastroeni and Larentowicz chasing Ferreira around, it could provide Dax McCarty the opportunity to put his stamp on the match with a well-timed run from a little deeper than Ferreira. Dallas also has Brek Shea on the left, a dynamic and developing winger who has thrived this season.
Meanwhile, MLS's best strike partnership resides in Colorado, where Omar Cummings and Conor Casey have been wreaking havoc on opposing defenses. With Casey's bruising style and timely runs, defenses have a tough time matching his physicality and often lose their organization trying to fight him off. This opens up space for Cummings, the speedy Jamaican who tends to drift around the field, whether it be out wide or deeper into the midfield. Wherever he is, Cummings is a threat and both he and Casey are capable of finishing most chances that come their way, making it necessary for defenses to be inch-perfect for 90 minutes.
With Ferreira, McCarty and their five-man midfield, Dallas is likely to carry the play to Colorado, but that won’t bother the Rapids in the slightest. They trust in their shape and organization, knowing that possession isn’t always dangerous and when Dallas runs out of patience, space will open for Cummings and Casey. Of course, if Dallas can get Ferreira the ball in space, that Dallas possession quickly becomes a danger and the Rapids will find themselves chasing.
Probable Lineups
FC Dallas (4-1-3-1-1): Hartman - Jackson, John, Ihemelu, Benitez - Hernandez - Harris, McCarty, Shea - Ferreira - Cunningham
Colorado Rapids (4-4-2): Pickens - Wallace, Moor, Wynne, Kimura - Thompson, Larentowicz, Mastroeni, Mullan - Cummings, Casey
Key Matchups
- Mastroeni and Larentowicz vs. Ferreira and McCarty- Last weekend in the Western Conference Final, Ferreira ran wild and McCarty did some of the dirty work with some quality linking behind him to completely dominate the center of the pitch versus the Galaxy. Ferreira's skill is being recognized by winning MLS MVP and he is in the engine in the Dallas attack, but the veteran Mastroeni and surging Larentowicz give Colorado a pair of good tacklers who can make things difficult on Dallas. If Colorado can play Dallas to a draw in the middle then their forwards can win them the match, but that's easier said than done.
- Kevin Hartman vs. the World- He may not have won MLS Goalkeeper of the Year, but he should have and despite Ferreira's brilliance, Hartman may be Dallas' best player right now. In the Western Conference Final, Dallas could have easily been down a goal or two in the first 20 minutes had Hartman not made several tremendous saves to keep it scoreless and let the rest of his team find their sea legs. Right now, it doesn't look like anyone can beat Hartman.
- Cummings and Casey vs. John, Ihemelu and Hernandez- It may have taken a playoff run for some to realize it, but Cummings and Casey form the league's most dangerous strike partnership. With Casey's strength, Cummings' speed and the clinical finishing and smart runs of both, it's a chore for any back line to keep them off of the score sheet. Center backs John and Ihemelu will have their hands full trying to keep the pair under wraps, but they will get help from Hernandez, who will play very deep and help the back line. Because both Larentowicz and Mastroeni sit rather deep most of the time, Casey and Cummings drop deeper to see the ball often and roam all over the front line, making it vital that John and Ihemelu communicate well, but also get quality tackling and disciplined play from Hernandez.
History you should know
Of all the MLS teams who began play prior to 2004 (the folded Fusion and Mutiny included) only Colorado and New York have yet to win a MLS Cup, Supporters Shield or U.S. Open Cup. Should Colorado win on Sunday, they will claim their first trophy and leave New York all alone as the only trophy-less club.
Head to Head
Both times Dallas and Colorado played this season the two teams split the points. The first time the two teams played they were going in opposite directions and their 1-1 draw was Dallas’ eighth straight match without a loss, while it extended the Rapids’ winless streak to seven. Dallas’ unbeaten streak ultimately ran its way all the way to 19, but they were denied the win in that game and had to settle for a 2-2 draw thanks to a brace by Larentowicz.
FC Dallas will lift the Cup if: Hartman plays at the level he has all season. Dallas’ back line has not been as stout as the numbers indicate and going up against Cummings and Casey will make things tough on them. Colorado will get a few chances and Hartman will have to come up big when they do.
The Rapids will lift the Cup if: Mastroeni and Larentowicz can put the shackles on Ferreira. Dallas killed Los Angeles in the center of the pitch because they had no answer for Ferreira, but if Mastroeni and Larentowicz can keep him in check, Dallas’ attack will sputter.
Pick: Mastroeni has found new legs, Larentowicz is in the form of his life and Colorado will keep Dallas from winning the central midfield battle so when Cummings sneaks in for a brace, the Rapids will come away 2-0 winners and MLS Cup Champions.
Match Card, projected lineup and statistics: mls cup final lineup
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