MLS Cup a rematch for Revs, Dynamo
New England seeks first cup, Houston a second straight
MLSnet.com Staff
Stars Dwayne De Rosario and Shalrie Joseph meet again at the highest level of Major League Soccer. (WireImage.com)
MLS CUP 2007
NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION v HOUSTON DYNAMO RFK MEMORIAL STADIUM, Washington, D.C. NOVEMBER 18, 2007; 12 noon ET (ABC Sports; TeleFutura) THE MATCHUP ... For the first time in MLS history, the same two teams will contest the MLS Cup Final in successive years. A season ago, Houston Dynamo prevailed in a penalty kick shootout against the New England Revolution at Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, Texas after the teams battled to a 1-1 draw over 120 minutes. The two goals came 78 seconds apart, as Taylor Twellman put the Revolution into the lead in the 113th minute, then Brian Ching answered for Dynamo.* * * * *
It's the third time the same two teams have met for a second time in the MLS championship game, and each time the same team has won both encounters. D.C. United and the Los Angeles Galaxy met in the inaugural MLS Cup at Foxboro Stadium in 1996, United winning 3-2 in extra time, then those teams met three years later at the same venue, with United again winning, this time 2-0. The Galaxy were involved in the second rematch, with better results. In 2002, they took on the New England Revolution at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, winning on a golden goal, then in 2005 they won again in extra time with the game's only goal.
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Last year's final was the first MLS Cup Final to be decided on penalty kicks. But it was the fifth to go into extra time, and the second in as many years. Four of the last six finals have gone to extra time (since 2001), after four finals in a row were decided in regulation time following the inaugural MLS Cup.
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For just the second time ever - both in the last two years - the MLS Cup Final matches clubs that did not finish first in their respective conferences in the regular season. This year was the first in which neither regular season conference titleist - D.C. United and Chivas USA - reached the conference championship games. In every final from the inaugural season of 1996, at least one of the teams led their division after the League campaign - on three occasions, MLS Cup matched two conference regular-season winners (1999, D.C. United v Los Angeles Galaxy; 2000, Kansas City Wizards v Chicago Fire; 2003, San Jose Earthquakes v Chicago Fire).
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The Revolution a year ago became the second team to lose a third MLS Cup Final. The Los Angeles Galaxy lost in 1996 (2-3 aet to D.C. United); 1999 (0-2 to D.C. United) and 2001 (1-2 aet to the San Jose Earthquakes), before winning their next two appearances in the championship game (2002, 1-0 aet vs. New England; 2005, 1-0 aet vs. New England). The Revolution fell in those two appearances, their first in the title contest, before losing in last year's final.
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De Rosario scores winner: 
The Revolution held the season edge in the regular season series between the clubs, winning the first game before the teams played to a draw in the second. On May 19 at Houston's Robertson Stadium, Shalrie Joseph scored the game's only goal in the ninth minute and the Revolution held on from there for the victory. On July 22 at Gillette Stadium in New England, the teams played to a wild 3-3 draw. Pat Noonan put the Revs in the lead with a 32nd-minute goal - that ended Dynamo's MLS-record 727-minute shutout streak. Then the game exploded after the break with five goals in 18 minutes. Dwayne De Rosario leveled the score in the 49th minute, then Taylor Twellman put New England back in front two minutes later. But a pair of goals from Brian Ching barely a minute apart gave Dynamo the lead in the 61st minute, only for Joseph to hit for the eventual equalizer five minutes later.
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Dynamo have yet to defeat the Revolution when full-time has been reached since the club's arrival in south Texas. In the four league meetings all-time, the teams have played to three draws (including a pair of 1-1 draws in 2006) with one win for the Revolution, and the teams ended last year's final tied after 120 minutes before Houston claimed the Alan I. Rothenberg Trophy on penalty kicks.
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Neither team found RFK Stadium very hospitable this season. In their one visit to Washington, Houston lost 2-1 to D.C. United, while the Revolution had a draw and a loss in their two regular season meetings against United on East Capitol Street.
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Both teams finished second in their respective conferences, and were separated by just two points in the overall standings. Dynamo won 15 games, lost eight and drew seven for 52 points, while the Revolution won 14, lost eight and drew eight for 50 points. When the teams met in last year's final, they also were separated by just two points during the regular season, the Revolution finishing with 48 points last year, while Dynamo had 46.
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It's also a matchup of one the league's top attacks against a side that put together the best defensive season in League history. The Revolution scored 51 goals in 30, an average of 1.70 goals per game, second to D.C. United for the best attack in MLS. But Dynamo allowed just 23 goals over the 30-game regular season - far and away the best ever in an MLS season, and five fewer goals than Chivas USA conceded over the campaign.
THE REFEREES ...
Today's referee will be Alex Prus of Simpsonville, S.C., who will be officiating his first MLS Cup. The assistant referees will be Adam Wienckowski of Elkridge, Md. and Robert Fereday of Laurel, Md., both of whom will be running the lines in their first MLS Cup. The fourth official will be 2007 MLS Referee of the Year Brian Hall (Gilroy, Calif.), who was the referee in the 1997 and 2003 MLS Cup Final.
THE COACHES ...
With this year's MLS Cup, Steve Nicol becomes the first head coach in League history to bring a team to the championship game on four occasions (2002, 2005, 2006, 2007). Two coaches - Bruce Arena (D.C. United - 1996, 1997, 1998) and Sigi Schmid (Los Angeles - 1999, 2001, 2002) - have coached teams to three finals.
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Dynamo boss Dominic Kinnear becomes the seventh coach to guide a team in MLS Cup on more than one occasion. Three other coaches have directed teams in two finals: Bob Bradley (Chicago - 1998, 2000), Bob Gansler (Kansas City - 2000, 2004) and Frank Yallop (San Jose - 2001, 2003). A year ago, Kinnear became the 13th coach to guide a team in the MLS Cup Final.
RFK MEMORIAL STADIUM ...
This is the third MLS Cup to be played at RFK Memorial Stadium, the most for any venue. The first came a decade ago, when D.C. United defeated the Colorado Rapids 2-1 before 57,431 in the 1997 final. In 2000, the Kansas City Wizards defeated the Chicago Fire 1-0. Three other stadiums have played host to multiple finals: Foxboro Stadium (1996 and 1999), The Home Depot Center (2003, 2004) and Pizza Hut Park (2005, 2006). Seven stadiums have been the site of the MLS championship game.
THE TEAMS ...
On the injury front, the biggest concern is Dynamo striker Brian Ching, the 2006 MLS Cup MVP, who is doubtful with a left calf strain suffered late in the Western Conference Championship. The Revolution report no major injuries. Pat Noonan is still carrying a quadriceps strain but is expected to be fully available. New England will not have Willie Sims as an available substitute, as he will be on international duty with Guatemala for their friendlies against Honduras and Jamaica.
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Here is the official injury report (as of Nov. 13): HOUSTON DYNAMO - DOUBTFUL: FW Brian Ching (L calf strain) ... NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION: OUT: DF Joe Franchino (peroneal tendon surgery; season-ending injury); PROBABLE: FW Pat Noonan (R quadriceps strain)
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Of the 28 players who played in last year's MLS Cup Final, 22 could see action this year (11 from each team) - including 19 of the 22 starters from a year ago. For New England, Clint Dempsey (a substitute) and Daniel Hernandez have both departed, while Joe Franchino is out with a season-ending injury. For Houston, '06 starter Adrian Serioux and substitutes Kelly Gray and Alejandro Moreno have all left the club.
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The largest number of possible returnees from one MLS Cup Final to the next was in 2006, when 13 of the 14 players who played for the Revolution in the 2005 final were with the team. 11 of those players saw action in both championship games; James Riley and José Cancela played in the '05 final but were unused substitutes in '06, while Ryan Latham was not with the team.
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Here are last year's teams:HOUSTON DYNAMO -- Pat Onstad, Craig Waibel, Ryan Cochrane (Kelly Gray 102), Eddie Robinson, Wade Barrett, Brian Mullan, Dwayne De Rosario, Adrian Serioux (Stuart Holden 114), Brad Davis, Brian Ching, Paul Dalglish (Alejandro Moreno 81).
NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION -- Matt Reis, Jay Heaps, Michael Parkhurst, Avery John, Andy Dorman (Clint Dempsey 62), Steve Ralston, Daniel Hernandez (Jeff Larentowicz 111), Shalrie Joseph, Joe Franchino (Khano Smith 53), Pat Noonan, Taylor Twellman.
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Of the other four teams that played in back-to-back finals, D.C. United carried over the second-largest number of players with nine who played in 1998 also playing in 1999. Both in 1997 (from the '96 final) and in '98 (from the 1997 final), D.C. United had eight players repeat, while the Los Angeles Galaxy also had eight players in both the 2001 and 2002 finals.
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Five players have the chance to play in their fourth MLS Cup Final. For New England, Jay Heaps, Steve Ralston, Taylor Twellman and Joe Franchino all represented the club in its first three championship game appearances. While Heaps, Ralston and Twellman are all likely starters, Franchino is out with an injury. For Dynamo, Dwayne De Rosario and Brian Mullan have each appeared in three finals, playing the 2001 and 2003 games with the San Jose Earthquakes before moving with the club to Houston and playing in last year's final.
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A year ago, the teams came into the MLS Cup Playoffs going in opposite directions. The Revolution had won six of their last nine regular season games with two draws before the postseason while Dynamo had won just two of their final 10 (with five draws) - yet after each club won two of three playoff games, Houston won the final. This year, down the regular season home stretch, Dynamo lost just once in nine games with three draws, while the Revolution had just two wins (and two draws) in their last seven league matches.
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The injury to Dynamo forward Brian Ching could potentially rob Houston of their counterfoil to Revolution striker Taylor Twellman in being hot at playoff time. For New England, Twellman has scored in five of the last six playoff games, dating back to the second leg of the 2006 Eastern Conference Semifinals vs. Chicago. The only game he did not score in was the goalless draw with New York in this year's playoff opener. Ching has scored in four of Dynamo's seven playoff games all-time, netting five goals for the Orange, including two goals against FC Dallas this year. And, of course, each scored their team's goal from run of play in last year's MLS Cup Final.
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The 71 seconds that separated the goals in last year's MLS Cup Final was the second-shortest span between goals in championship game history. The 2003 final saw goals separated by 50 seconds, DaMarcus Beasley's 49th-minute goal for the Chicago Fire that was answered by Richard Mulrooney's goal for the San Jose Earthquakes (the forerunner of Houston Dynamo).
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The goal by Brian Ching last year was also the latest goal in MLS Cup Final history - barely. Eddie Pope's goal four minutes into extra time in the inaugural cup final stood as the latest until Carlos Ruiz's golden goal in the 113th minute gave the Los Angeles Galaxy their first cup in 2002. Taylor Twellman's goal last year also came in the 113th minute, until Ching's goal was credited to the 114th minute.
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This is the first time ever that the MLS Cup Final will feature a "Community Shield"-type matchup, with the current holders of the MLS Cup and U.S. Open Cup meeting in the league title game. In 1997, D.C. held both the MLS Cup and Open Cup at the time of the MLS Cup Final; in 1998, the Chicago Fire defeated the current MLS Cup holders D.C. United in the league final, but they did not win the U.S. Open Cup until after the MLS Cup Final was played. The Community Shield (formerly Charity Shield) is the traditional season kickoff match in England, matching the English top division champions against the holders of the FA Cup.
NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION ...
The Revolution are riding the second longest shutout streak in a single year in the MLS Cup Playoffs into the Final - and are within 35 minutes of making it the longest. Since the league went to the current playoff format in 2003, only one other team has posted shutouts in every game leading up to the MLS Cup Final - the 2003 Chicago Fire, who defeated D.C. United twice (2-0, 2-0) before knocking off New England 1-0 in overtime in the conference championship. The Fire then saw their shutout streak five minutes into MLS Cup 2003 when a Ronnie Ekelund goal sent the San Jose Earthquakes on their way to a 4-2 victory.
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The longest shutout streak in MLS Cup Playoffs history is 382 minutes - set by the Revolution in 2002. Next is the LA Galaxy's streak of 311 minutes, also in 2002, followed by the Chicago Fire's streak of 305 minutes in 2003.
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Of the seven active MLS Originals who have played in all 12 MLS seasons, only Steve Ralston has yet to win an MLS championship. The other seven active at the end of the year have all won titles: Chris Armas (CHI '98); Jesse Marsch (D.C. '96 and '97, CHI '98); Cobi Jones (LA '02, '05); Jaime Moreno (D.C. '96, '97, '99, '04); Ante Razov (CHI '98); Eddie Pope (D.C. '96, '97, '99)
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If he appears in the MLS Cup Final, Steve Ralston will become the new all-time leader for games played in the U.S. first division. After the Eastern Conference Championship, Ralston has played in 370 league and playoff games in Major League Soccer, tying him with Bill McPherson, who played from 1922 to 1931 in the American Soccer League. Compiled by the historians of the National Soccer Hall of Fame and Museum, the all-time list includes all regular season and playoff games played in three major leagues: the American Soccer League (1921-1931), the North American Soccer League (1967-1984) and Major League Soccer.
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The Revolution are bidding to be the fourth team to win the U.S. domestic double of the MLS Cup and U.S. Open Cup. The Revolution captured the club's first major honor earlier this year when they defeated FC Dallas 3-2 in the Open Cup final. The last team to do the double was the Los Angeles Galaxy, in 2005 (defeating New England in the MLS Cup Final). D.C. United captured both the Alan I. Rothenberg and Dewar trophies in 1996 as the first team in history to achieve the honor; the Chicago Fire repeated the feat two years later.
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Four members of the Revolution are among the 10 players who have played on the losing side in three MLS Cup Finals: Joe Franchino, Jay Heaps, Steve Ralston and Taylor Twellman. The others: Chris Armas, Mauricio Cienfuegos, Daniel Hernandez, Cobi Jones, Ante Razov and Greg Vanney.
HOUSTON DYNAMO ...
Before this season, just two teams had sailed through the regular season allowing less than one goal per game - the 1999 Los Angeles Galaxy (who lost to D.C. United in the MLS Cup Final) and the MLS Cup champion 2000 Kansas City Wizards. Both clubs allowed just 29 goals over 32 matches. This year, two more teams achieved the feat - Houston Dynamo, who allowed an astonishing 23 goals in 30 games (0.77 per match) and Chivas USA, who allowed 28 goals in their 30 games.
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For the second season in a row, influential Dynamo midfielder Ricardo Clark will miss the MLS Cup Final because of suspension. A year ago he missed the game because of yellow card accumulation; he was the first player to be suspended for an MLS Cup Final since Los Angeles Galaxy defender Dan Calichman missed the first championship game, also through yellow card accumulation.
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Dynamo could also be without first-choice striker Brian Ching, who suffered a left calf strain in the second half of the Western Conference Championship match. "At this point, it seems unlikely (that Ching will play)," Dynamo athletic trainer Bruce Morgan said to the Houston Chronicle on Sunday. "But I don't want to rule it out as a possibility. We're trying to be as optimistic as possible. It's a significant muscle injury, but I'd like to believe there's still a possibility that he might be available for selection come Sunday, as unlikely as that appears at this time." Ching also missed three weeks in late August and early September with a calf strain.
Pat Onstad could be the first goalkeeper to win three MLS Cup Finals. Onstad and Kevin Hartman are the only ones to have backstopped their teams to victory in two cups - Hartman in the Galaxy's victories in 2002 and 2005, while Onstad was behind San Jose's win in 2003 and Dynamo's a year ago.
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Dynamo forward Nate Jaqua could be starting the MLS championship game in the stadium where his father, Jon, was a kicker and free safety for the NFL's Washington Redskins from 1970-72. Other local connections: Both Corey Ashe and Wade Barrett of Dynamo hail from Virginia Beach, Va., while the Revolution's Adam Cristman is from Glen Ellen, Va. and Brad Knighton from Richmond, Va. Revolution defender Avery John attended American University, located in Washington, D.C., while Taylor Twellman attended the University of Maryland and Marshall Leonard the University of Virginia.
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