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Toronto, Ontario, Canada is a wonderful city in late autumn. If you will forgive the forecast for a few showers, the air is cool, crisp and refreshing, and peacefulness abounds amidst the hustle and bustle of the country's economic, financial and cultural center. But for one day, at a stadium called BMO Field located in the heart Exhibition Place, there will be chaos, there will be emotion, and there will be football.
As in association football.
The 2010 Major League Soccer Cup will be staged for the very first time in this stadium, erected in late April 2007.
The home of the MLS Eastern Conference's Toronto FC, one of soon-to-be three teams from Canada competing in MLS (the Vancouver Whitecaps will be playing next season, and the Montreal Impact will follow suit in 2012), BMO Field will showcase two sides from the Western Conference, whose teams have shown their superior pedigree against their Eastern counterparts.
In one corner: the Colorado Rapids of Commerce City, Colorado. A club owned by the great Stan Kroenke of Kroenke Sports Enterprises, the Rapids will look to avenge their 1997 setback to DC United and hoist the trophy on a Rocky Mountain High.
In the other corner: Football Club Dallas of Frisco, Texas. A club owned by the Hunt Sports Group, FC Dallas make their first-ever appearance to an MLS Cup Final and are riding on a huge wave on momentum into the shores of Lake Erie after defeating the outgoing champions Real Salt Lake and Supporters Shield winner Los Angeles Galaxy in the playoffs.
This is a budding rivalry between the two sides, highlighted by the Rapids' recent successes over the Hoops in the 1996, 2005 and 2006 MLS Cup Playoffs. Colorado are out to provide more of the same, while Dallas look to serve on an ice cold maple leaf dish some hard-earned revenge.
Let's take a look at the two teams that will battle it out for the prize on Nov. 21.
Colorado Rapids
Gary Smith's Colorado Rapids hold a unique honor of being the first-ever team to have won both the Eastern and Western Conferences of the MLS Cup Playoffs They finished the 2010 MLS regular season with a 12-8-10 record (46 points), good for seventh place overall and the third seed in the MLS Eastern Conference bracket.
In the Eastern Conference Semifinals the Rapids faced a stern challenge from the Columbus Crew. In the first leg, team captain Pablo Mastroeni scored a goal in the 23rd minute to win the first leg at Dick's Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City 1-0.
The second leg saw Columbus jump out to a 2-0 lead late in the second half. All hope seemed lost for the Rapids until Conor Casey scored in the 84th minute to force extra time and penalties (there is no away goals rule in the semis, which would have seen Colorado off to the conference championship).
Colorado converted all five of its penalties in the shootout and watched the attempt from the Crew's Brian Carroll miss high and well out of range to progress to the conference championship, where the San Jose Earthquakes awaited.
The result? A 1-0 victory over the Quakes. What was an intended delivery for Omar Cummings instead found the net for Japan's Kosuke Kimura in the 42nd minute to send the Rapids back to their first MLS Cup Final since 1997.
Cummings and Casey are the two driving forces behind Colorado's scoring success. Cummings has 14 goals for the season, while Casey has chipped in another 14 when adding his goal this postseason. Casey is also solid as a provider, with six assists in 2010. However, Jamie Smith has been the team's leading assists man, with eight to his credit.
The Rapids won the Eastern Conference through sound defending and tactical marking. The play of Kimura, Drew Moor, Anthony Wallace, Marvell Wynne and Wells Thompson will be key to Colorado's chances.
Defensively, Matt Pickens, the Abraham Lincoln of the team, has been nothing short of spectacular. Pickens finished the 2010 MLS regular season with an 11-8-10 record, 88 saves, a 1.10 goals against average and a 73.3 percent save percentage.
Whatever Colorado does, it needs to place the ball at the feet of Casey and Cummings. Think of it this way. If all goes as planned, the combination of Casey and Cummings will capture the cup for Colorado in Canada. That's a lot of C's, for the record, but an "A" performance will need to be in order to send the Rapids out on a Rocky Mountain High.
FC Dallas
The wait is over.
Schellas Hyndman's FC Dallas are in the MLS Cup for the very first time in their long history. And they did it by defeating two of the top teams in the MLS Western Conference, placing them as favorites on Sunday. You want momentum? This is how you gain it.
The Hoops came close in 1996, losing to the Rapids and in 1999, losing to the Los Angeles Galaxy, both in the Western Conference Championship. Since then, they never got to come within touching distance of the MLS Cup Final for over a decade.
Until now.
In the regular season, FC Dallas finished with a 12-4-12 record (50 points), good for fourth place overall and the third seed in the Western Conference bracket.
In the first leg of their Western Conference Semifinal with Real Salt Lake at Frisco's Pizza Hut Park, a 44th minute goal from Jeff Cunningham combined with an 88th minute strike from super sub Eric Avila proved to be the difference in their 2-1 victory.
The second leg at Sandy, Utah's Rio Tinto Stadium saw more of the same from the Hoops. A Dax McCarty goal in the 17th minute gave FC Dallas a 3-1 lead on aggregate. After RSL's Robbie Findley evened the score 1-1 in the second leg, the Hoops held on to win 3-2 on aggregate and face the Los Angeles Galaxy, the 2010 MLS Supporters' Shield winners, in the Western Conference Championship.
No one among among the 27,000, outside of the team and the traveling supporters of the Inferno, thought that FC Dallas would make the third time the charm. Well, the boys from Frisco made it the charm...with authority.
MLS league MVP candidate David Ferreira may have made a strong case to garner the award with his 26th minute strike off a solid delivery from Marvin Chavez. A 54th minute goal from George John as well as a 73rd minute goal from Chavez was all the Hoops needed to give FC Dallas an impressive 3-0 shutout victory over the Galaxy.
Ferreira now has nine goals this season to go with 14 assists, including his efforts in the MLS Cup Playoffs. Colorado will have a tough assignment in having to stop David Ferreira's playmaking.
Not only can Ferreira score, but he can also hurt the Rapids by placing the ball at the feet of Chavez and Brek Shea, who finished the 2010 regular season with five goals. Watch for Atiba Harris to make a statement with his speed and finishing. Harris ended 2010 with four goals and two assists.
The backline of John, Ugo Ihemelu, Jackson Goncalves and Jair Benitez will be important in stopping Cummings and Casey. Watch for the play of Dax McCarty to dictate the tempo when the Hoops have the ball.
Goalkeeper Kevin Hartman seems to have shaken off the injury suffered earlier this year, and pulled a sensational performance on Sunday against his old team, the Galaxy.
Hartman has a 10-1-8 record to go with 56 saves, a 0.62 GAA, and a 78.9 percent save percentage to finish 2010.
Prediction
This is FC Dallas's to lose. How can you go wrong with David Ferreira on your side? He continues to show the doubters why he should be MVP in Major League Soccer. The 4-5-1 system clogged Los Angeles at the Home Depot Center and this will be a test for the Rapids to overcome.
Both teams played to 1-1 and 2-2 draws, respectively, at DSG and PHP. The winner on Sunday will have dictated the tempo, played a sound, tactical game, and most importantly, finished their chances.
I really like the Hoops' chances of earning their first star to put on top of their crest. Take this scoreline to the bank!
FC Dallas 3, Colorado Rapids 1
Kickoff is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. ET and will be televised by ESPN and ESPN Deportes.
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