McCarthy's Musings: Traveling Through Time (Zones)

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MLS Dwayne De Rosario, Houston Dynamo (ISI)

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By Kyle McCarthy

LOS ANGELES -- Today is a travel day. I've spent most of the East Coast morning trekking across the country to West Los Angeles. Both teams will do the same.

Today is the day where the time change sucks the life out of you. I left Bradley International outside of Hartford at 6:00a.m. and arrived at LAX at 11:00a.m. My body says afternoon while the clock says morning. I wonder what it'll say at midnight tonight. Thankfully, I have only to write rather than prepare for a final in three days' time.

Today is the first day where both MLS Cup finalists are in the same place. Columbus jaunted out to the Left Coast on Wednesday – with a connection and on a commercial flight -- and trained this morning in Carson. New York will train today in Montclair, N.J. before hopping on a charter to the Los Angeles area some time this afternoon.

Will the travel plans make a difference if the game is close in the 88th minute on Sunday? Likely not, but it's a point to ponder on a day where there isn't much else to ponder aside from Guillermo Barros Schelotto's altogether unsurprising coronation as league MVP.

I spent Wednesday (and some of the time I didn't spend sleeping on the plane this morning) pondering a two-pronged question from my esteemed site director: how do the MLS Cup finals stack up and where do I think this one will fit into the hierarchy?

Based on the list below, a game with more than a couple of goals could easily slot into the top half of the list. Add in a dash of excitement and there's a good chance the match could hop into the top three. Subtract a few goals...and the match still won't crack bottom two or three. Find my best guess as you read through the list.

1. 1996: D.C. United 3, Los Angeles 2 (Foxboro Stadium)

The first remains the best. Rain deluged Foxboro throughout the game as United came back from a two -goal deficit to lift the inaugural trophy. Eduardo Hurtado and Chris Armas built the Galaxy's cushion before second half goals by Tony Sanneh and Shawn Medved sent the game to extra time. Eddie Pope did the honors with a thundering header from a Marco Etcheverry feed to begin United's dynasty. Pope's resulting slide into the muck sure felt good.

2. 2003: San Jose 4, Chicago 2 (Home Depot Center)

This game had a little bit of everything. Ronnie Ekelund and Landon Donovan staked the Quakes to a halftime lead before DaMarcus Beasley and Richard Mulrooney scored a minute apart early in the second half. Earthquakes defender Chris Roner almost singlehandedly chucked away a two goal lead by scoring an own goal and conceding a penalty in a two-minute span early in the second half, but Quakes' keeper Onstad saved Razov's penalty. Donovan's second goal of the game – assisted by supersub Dwayne De Rosario, a name you'll see quite frequently as this list continues – sealed the deal and the Quakes' second title in three years.

3. 1998: Chicago 2, D.C. United 0 (Rose Bowl)

Many factors contributed to the importance of this game. Chicago went from expansion team to champion. United handed over its crown for the first time. Adding to the off-field contributions, this game may have boasted the best collection of on-field talent of any MLS Cup. There were so many national teamers – for multiple countries -- that I can't list them all without slighting someone . United carried the play for the most part, but Jerzy Podbrozny and Diego Gutierrez gave the Fire a famous win.

4. 2004: D.C. United 3, Kansas City 2 (Home Depot Center)

Jose Burciaga's sixth-minute tally really opened this game up. What was expected to be a sluggish game ended with five goals. United scored three of them in an eight-minute span – two by eventual MVP Alecko Eskandarian – halfway through the first half to build its lead. Josh Wolff's penalty set up a nervous last half-hour that never really arrived – Bob Gansler's teams never really felt comfortable with the whole attacking thing – and United sealed its fourth crown.

5. 2001: San Jose 2, Los Angeles 1 AET (Columbus Crew Stadium)

The Earthquakes dynasty started in Columbus with a comeback victory over their hated California rivals. Oft-maligned Luis Hernandez scored the first-half opener for the Galaxy, but Landon Donovan equalized prior to halftime. Frank Yallop sent De Rosario on with five minutes to play. It took him eleven minutes to get the winner in stoppage time from a Ronnie Ekelund feed.

6. 2006: Houston 1, New England 1 – Houston wins 4-3 on penalties (Pizza Hut Park)

De Rosario left the scoring to others in this one – for a while. Most of the game was a tight affair with few chances for either side until Taylor Twellman and Brian Ching exchanged goals within a minute in extra time. On came the lottery of penalty kicks for the first time in MLS Cup history. It was all square heading into the final round. De Rosario converted while Revs defender Jay Heaps – who wanted the ball when Clint Dempsey did not – had his shot blocked.

7. 2008: Columbus ?, New York ? (Home Depot Center)>>

You didn't think I'd give away my match prediction in the middle of a list on the Thursday before MLS Cup, did you?

8. 2007: Houston 2, New England 1 (RFK Stadium)

This encounter proved more open than the year before as New England opened up on its fourth attempt for the crown. Taylor Twellman's first half goal gave the Revs a halftime lead and the stage was set to break the hex. Houston never wavered and grabbed two second-half goals to dash those dreams. De Rosario and Heaps combined on the outcome for the second consecutive year as the Canadian rose above the former Duke hoops star to nod home the decider.

9. 1997: D.C. United 2, Colorado 1 (RFK Stadium)

What was it with the rain during the first two MLS Cups? Another torrential downpour hampered play as United sealed its second crown without much discomfort over the surprise package from Colorado. Goals from Jaime Moreno and Tony Sanneh staked the home side to a two-goal lead with 20 minutes to play. Adrian Paz scored to set up a tense finale that never quite materialized.

10. 2002: Los Angeles 1, New England 0 AET (Gillette Stadium)

This game sticks out for its atmosphere. New England rallied behind its upstart Revolution by jamming 61,316 into the Big Razor and creating a true-home field advantage. All the atmosphere didn't create much of a game. Los Angeles was the better side, but couldn't break through until Carlos Ruiz slotted home a feed from Tyrone Marshall. For the Revs, it was a cruel fate: substitute Winston Griffiths hit the bar down the other end moments earlier.

11. 1999: D.C. United 2, Los Angeles 0 (Foxboro Stadium)

United's third crown in four years proved the easiest. Jaime Moreno scored in the 19th minute to give United a cushion before Ben Olsen collected a woeful attempted clearance by Kevin Hartman to put the match essentially out of reach. Los Angeles put forth a woeful offensive display by managing a meager two shots on frame.

12. 2000: Kansas City 1, Chicago 0 (RFK Stadium)

As mentioned above, former Wizards coach Gansler always preferred a tight defensive struggle to a vibrant attacking display. Gansler didn't disappoint as his Wizards – with this version likely the best defensive team in league history – got an early goal from Miklos Molnar and held on for the rest of the game. The Wizards generated just two other shots on goal, but Chicago couldn't make its offensive pressure pay off as Tony Meola scooped the MVP Award by making ten saves. A fitting end to the Wizards' only MLS Cup crown.

13. 2005: Los Angeles 1, New England 0 AET (Pizza Hut Park)

New England tends to specialize in dull finals, but this one was the worst of the lot. The Revs mustered just two shots on frame: one each by Heaps and Jose Cancela. Los Angeles had nearly all the play, but couldn't break past Matt Reis until Pando Ramirez scored in extra time. The best way to put this game in perspective: extra time ended with Naldo and Ryan Latham on the field.

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.