McCarthy's Musings: Tale of the Tape

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MLS: Javier Morales, Real Salt Lake, November 2008 (ISI)

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By Kyle McCarthy

Two conference finals. Two winners playing next weekend for one fancy new cup at the Home Depot Center.

In one corner, there is the Eastern Conference title game everyone expected. In the other, there is the Western Conference clash that no one expected.

Tense, tight and suspenseful games await. And we're only at the semifinal stage.

Which two teams will make it to Carson?

Eastern Conference

(1) Columbus v. (2) Chicago – Thursday, Nov. 13, 7:30p.m. EST (ESPN2)

The Special One: Columbus

Guillermo Barros Schelotto will win the league's Most Valuable Player award if the electorate didn't fall down on the job. Cuauhtemoc Blanco may be the better player of the two, but his form pales in comparison to GBS.

Forwards: Chicago

Alejandro Moreno is a poor man's Brian McBride. Moreno has been fantastic this season, but in a big game, I'd rather have the real thing. Plus, Chris Rolfe and Blanco are great sidekicks. Not even Barros Schelotto can turn it here.

Midfield: Columbus

The wingers will roughly offset because none of them play anything that resembles defense. May as well just add them to the attack. No, this midfield battle will be won in the center of the park. John Thorrington is the best player of the four in central midfield and Logan Pause does his job well, but Brad Evans and Brian Carroll are working together better than any tandem in the league right now.

Defense: Chicago

Steady eddies on that Fire backline. Gonzalo Segares is the best fullback in the league by a mile and Brandon Prideaux is consistent and safe on the other side. Baky Soumare and Wilman Conde punish opposing strikers, not that Moreno will mind. Columbus possesses a miserly defense, but success is possible by running at Gino Padula on the left and Danny O'Rourke in the middle.

Goalkeeping: Chicago

Virtual tie goes to the Goalkeeper of the Year.

Subs Bench: Columbus

Sigi Schmid has a wealth of options when he looks down his bench. You want attack? Try Pat Noonan and Emmanuel Ekpo. Need to plug a hole? Send on Ezra Henrickson and Stefani Miglioranzi. Chicago can't match the depth and variety with the effective youth movement it breeds on the bench. Not even if Andy Herron and Diego Gutierrez are fit enough to feature.

Coaching: Columbus

The tactics are pretty straightforward for these two teams. While tactical dexterity may not play a role, experience always matters. Schmid has been there and done that. Hamlett hasn't.

Intangibles: Chicago

The Fire just vanquished their playoff nemesis after three years of frustration. Talk about momentum. Columbus has never reached MLS Cup. This year may end differently, but the previous failures – even under different administrations – still linger.

Winner: Columbus

It's a gut call because these two teams are so close. If this match was at Toyota Park, I'd take the Fire. But in Crew Stadium against a Fire team that hasn't distinguished itself on the road, Columbus should have just enough to seal a trip to Carson.

Western Conference

(3) Real Salt Lake v. (4) New York – Saturday, Nov. 15, 9:30p.m. EST (Fox Soccer Channel)

The Special One: New York

Javier Morales is a wonderful player who deserved a nod for Most Valuable Player. His efforts have dragged RSL this far. But he is not half the player Juan Pablo Angel is.

Forwards: New York

Yura Movsisyan and Clint Mathis have combined well over the past month. Mathis does the buildup work, while Movsisyan provides the (often-late) finish. It works essentially the same way with the revamped New York front line. John Wolyniec does the grunt work and Angel provides the dagger. The difference? You know Angel will be there or thereabouts in getting New York at least one goal.

Midfield: Real Salt Lake

Luke Sassano and Sinisa Ubiparipovic did just fine in the middle against the Dynamo's Ricardo Clark and an out-of-form Dwayne De Rosario. The task will be even harder against Morales and Kyle Beckerman, a bulldog of a defensive midfielder who doesn't get the credit he deserves. The interesting bit will occur in the wide areas where RSL prefers to let the fullbacks do the heavy lifting and New York relies on Dave van den Bergh and Dane Richards. Hefty defensive work will be required from Will Johnson and Dema Kovalenko. Last time I checked, graft wasn't a problem for either.

Defense: Real Salt Lake

RSL has to keep those fullbacks – pick two of Ian Joy, Chris Wingert and Robbie Russell – tucked in more often than they did against Chivas USA. Chivas offered virtually no threat in the wide areas, while New York's primary method of attack will come from those channels even on the narrower Sandy track. Nat Borchers and Jamison Olave have it all to do in the middle dealing with Angel and Wolyniec. Hide the women and children because that battle will be fierce. The new look Red Bulls defense excelled last weekend, but my trust in the foursome of Goldthwaite-Boyens-Jimenez-Leitch only goes so far.

Goalkeeping: Real Salt Lake

Lost in the shuffle of Danny Cepero's often stellar performance last weekend was the goal he should have given away in the first half. Can't afford those type of mistakes at this point in the season. Nick Rimando isn't the steadiest of keepers either, but he did his job well last weekend and has experience at this stage.

Subs Bench: Real Salt Lake

You'd think the Red Bulls would nick this with Pietravallo, Rojas, Kandji and Cichero on the bench. Right now, I'd take Andy Williams and Robbie Findley over the lot of them.

Coaching: New York

Jason Kreis has rallied the troops and instituted a fine system for RSL. But this one isn't close. If any remaining coach is going to steal a game in the playoffs, it's going to be Osorio.

Intangibles: Real Salt Lake

New York's team chemistry has improved significantly over the past two weeks without the South Americans in the lineup. That sudden uptick is no match for what RSL has constructed over 32 games.

Winner: Real Salt Lake

Full credit to New York for getting this far and running former champions Houston out of the playoffs when no one gave them a shot. Despite that success, it's tough to beat the team that destiny has apparently tapped on the shoulder.

Kyle McCarthy writes the Monday MLS Breakdown and blogs frequently during the week for Goal.com. Contact him with your questions or comments at kylemccarthy@gmail.com.