It was a great morning, small sided games for those of us that did not get time yesterday followed by some sprints.

To be honest most of us didn’t even feel the sprints because at this time of year we are actually happy to be running them. There is no getting tired or feeling to sore to get through training when you are fortunate enough to still be playing right  now.

Ask any of the guys on the four remaining teams how they fell and you will get one answer…..”I feel great, when is the next game!”  Sports can be so cruel some times, but it is times like this that make us itch for just one more day to play.

AHHHHH the playoffs!  Who doesn’t love sports when everything is on the line?

Waibs

Things are getting crazy here in Houston for tomorrows must win match! We battle it out with the Seattle Sounders Sunday night!

Mayor Bill White has named tomorrow “Dynamo Day” and is encouraging everyone to go orange tomorrow!

Mayor BIll White is asking Houston to go Orange!

He said this in his official press release:

“Soccer is one of the fastest growing sports in Houston, so we really appreciate having a team of the caliber of our two-time MLS champions,” White said in a release. “Win this weekend; and let’s make this year championship number three!”

Even if you are not in Houston, please wear some orange tomorrow, and show your support for us in our must win game!!

Show us your support!

One more team will pack their shoes up and leave the locker room for the final time in 2009 tonight in Columbus.  I for one am holding strong and not giving in to the upset talks that have been all over the Internet this week.

I think Columbus is so good at home, and Real Salt Lake have struggled so much on the road that this one will end the way the seeding has it to finish.

I  pick Columbus to win this one by two goals in regulation as they did on July 18th when they beat Real Salt Lake 3-1 right there in Crew Stadium.

The only way I see Real Salt Lake getting it done tonight is by scoring at least two goals on the road, which they have done only twice this entire season(LA in June and Houston in September).

So what I am saying is that I am picking this one based mostly on statistics…..but lets be fair…..the best part about sports is that the stats can always be proven wrong on any given night!

Man I love elimination games!

waibs

I have always found it so odd that the playoffs reward every team instead of those that performed the best throughout the year.  Why is it that teams that finish in fourth place or worse (RSL) in their respective conference get to host a game in the post season?

I am one of the many that believe the “AWAY” leg should be eliminated for the teams that did well all year.  If I am going to concede that playoffs should exist then can we please eliminate punishing the better teams with a road trip to open the post season.  If a single game is good enough for the semifinal and the MLS Cup then why is the quarterfinal a two game series?  I have been on both sides of this issue throughout my career and I have never understood it.

To be fair all of the away teams performed well enough.  Each of the four teams  produced good results that favor them at home this coming weekend.  So then why did we add more travel, an extra game, and a prized home field advantage to the teams that did not get it done through the 30 game schedule?  I would love to know all of the answers to these questions……and I am sure you would to!

With that said I have made some phone calls and I will be sharing some of that exact information with you on my next podcast.  Look for it a bit later in the day on Tuesday.  Have a good one!

Waibs

Things are getting brutal in the MLS Playoffs!

What a amazing result! Of course, we would have loved to have pulled out the win, but a draw is the next best thing.

Afterall, a draw  is better than a loss. I guess it all comes down to how we do on our home turf.

You know it is a intense battle when our goaltender Pat Onstad receives a yellow card. He nailed Fredy Montero to the ground in front of the goal after a whistle. The MLS playoff atmosphere was incredible, and the Seattle Sounders  have brilliant support base.

Things are heating up, and hopefully our home crowz will help support us to a win on Sunday, November 8th!!!

Thursday we face off against the Seattle Sounders.

This season has been a grind, and we have not had much time to rest with all the traveling between CONCACAF and MLS regular season matches.

The Battle in Seattle live on hursday!

But hey, it’s the playoffs, and we have to suck it up, rest when we can, and play as hard and compete to win.

Coach Kinnear had this to say about it:

“I’m not worried about their fitness. I’m worried about how many games we’ve played.

We play on Thursday and the league didn’t take into account that we played on Wednesday in CONCACAF and I think that’s unfair.”

It would have been nice for the MLS to have considered allowing some time for us to rest.

After all, it is the participation in these competitions that allows the MLS reputation to build upon this exposure.

]]> http://www.pitchpulse.com/2009/10/mls-playoffs-round-1-the-battle-in-seattle/feed/ 0 http://www.pitchpulse.com/2009/10/back-from-el-salvador/ http://www.pitchpulse.com/2009/10/back-from-el-salvador/#comments Fri, 23 Oct 2009 18:44:01 +0000 CraigWaibel http://www.pitchpulse.com/?p=259

Back from El Salvador….and boy am I disappointed. AD Isidro Metapan of El Salvador, got two goals early, and we could not close the gap.

I hate losing….as does every other athlete on earth.  But I am a humble man and as such I would like to wish the Crew the best of luck next year when they continue their journey to try to become the first MLS team to win the modern Champions League  format.

The game is not even worth breaking down but the fact that I can still cheer for an MLS team makes me smile(Yes ,I do wish it were my team).

Look for a new post later today about this weekends games!

I don’t often toot  my own horn but will somebody please pat me on the back for my predictions on the weekend.

The only one I missed was the Chivas USA-San Jose draw which I am pretty sure surprised every one except the a San Jose faithful.

0-0 draw after a hard fought game!

We finally sold out our stadium in Houston and didn’t totally entertain the fans.  In the past a sell out has meant great games and lots of goals down here but Sunday was a zero to zero draw.

I think we out played them but I do think the result was a fair one to both teams.  This week will bring tons of excitement for everyone and after I talk to a few more guys around the league I will get a podcast taped and out to you!  Talk to you all soon.

This week I thought it best if I post my predictions for all to read and comment on…..this could get ugly! If you want to comment or give me feedback, please feel free to email me!

Like I normally do on the podcast, I elaborate on my reasons for my predictions.

However, since I have to get ready for the game myself, I am pressed for time  today so I will give you the abbreviated rendition of my predictions.

In any case, I will give a score and one or two reasons as to why I think it will happen…..here goes!

Real Salt Lake @ Toronto FC-  Most interesting game of the week should end in a Tor win…They have 7 wins at home this year to RSL’s 2 road wins…Add to that the fact that RSL have only celebrated 9 away goals while giving up 23 this year and it looks like a difficult task to overcome.

Chicago Fire @ New England Revolution- I think a draw is most likely to happen in this one…..Chicago doesnt need the points as much as NE do, and NE cannot afford to throw away a point at home.  Not sure on totals but 1 to 1 or 2 to 2 sounds good to me.

Columbus Crew @ DC United- I am going to take DC in to win by a goal…..When was the last time DC didn’t make it interesting down the stretch?  This is a playoff game to DC, who can pack for the off season if they let this one slip away at home.  Nothing against CLB but they just don’t have as much to play for…..and no don’t write me that the Supporters Shield is more important to them than the post season is to DC United!

Seattle Sounders @ Kansas City Wizards- I am taking SEA to win by 2 goals in this one.  They have a very physical back line and a great deal of size for set pieces.  On the little field in KC I think they will have a great advantage because of this…..also they are still within reach of home field advantage if they win their final two games the other results go their way…..in other words they legitimately have something to play for!

Colorado Rapids @ FC Dallas- This is my second game most important game on the weekend as the result will clearly end the season for one of the two teams….and a draw could end it for both!  I would  not be suprised to see a shoot out down in Frisco and a final score of  3 to 4 or even more than that if Dallas get an early goal.  I am not sold on Dallas but Col has not won since the fifth of September….I’ll take Dallas in a heated  red card home game.

San Jose Earthquakes@ Chivas USA-  For me this one is academic, not trying to be mean and with all due respect SJ is out gunned due to two MORE injuries this week to Jason Hernandez and Chris Wondolowski.  Plain and simple I take Chivas to win.

Los Angeles Galaxy @ Houston Dynamo-  As I always do with my team I plead the fifth.  If I have to guess…well you know what I am thinking!

This one may catch you off guard, but one of the best training tips I every received was that rest was just as important as the work you put in.

For instance, at this point of my season it is just as important to rest during the day as it is to train with intensity in the mornings.

Wanna win? Make sure you have enough rest!

You have to focus on giving your body the best chance to  perform at all times. Without allowing yourself the proper amount of rest, your body will not be able to recover, and store the energy for your next training session. This can put limitations on your ability to perform, and speaking as a professional athlete, this is never a good situation.

Sometimes that means you may have to pass up that pick up game on Friday afternoon to make sure your tank is full for Saturday’s game!