That was an incredible Western Conference final, and it was a prototype of several other Conference finals -- underdog team scores goal early in the match, and absorbs wave after wave of pressure (with not a small amount of luck) to finish the winner. So it was with the New York Red Bulls, who rode a Van den Burgh goal and survived three goalframe strikes by RSL players to earn their first trip to an MLS Cup Final. All of those years of bad teams, mediocre management, poor playing surfaces, and an on-again/off-again stadium (now finally going up)...and now the Red Bulls are going to a League final. Just the route they had to take to get to this point has been unbelievable -- stumble into the playoffs, secure a 3-0 road victory over the two-time league champions, and then go 2500 miles to defeat a side with a seven-match unbeaten streak. Like I said, unbelievable.
So it's Columbus Crew against the New York Red Bulls in the MLS Cup. I'm watching the FSC post-match show, and all of the commentators find it difficult to imagine a Red Bull victory. I think the Red Bulls have a chance if they can snatch the early initiative and soak up pressure like they did tonight, but the Crew are the better talented team and have played the best soccer this year. There is also a River Plate/Boca Juniors angle to this final, with Juan Pablo Angel and Guillermo Barros Schelotto facing off again in a big match.
One more thing: why do the Conference winners celebrate with the Conference trophy so wildly? I know that it's the first time for the Crew and Red Bulls, but I would think there would be an NHL-like mentality where the only trophy you celebrate with is the Stanley Cup, and the Wales and Campbell trophies are barely touched. I suppose tradition and superstition in MLS don't run deep enough to do that.
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