Apparently, it was a good year to be No. 2 in Major League Soccer. Following Real Salt Lake's advancement on Sunday and Sporting Kansas City's a day earlier, both No. 2 seeds in the Western and Eastern Conference tables have advanced, setting up a 2013 MLS Cup that it's safe to say few expected.

For many, it had been preordained from the start of the postseason that the New York Red Bulls and the Portland Timbers would meet in the finale of the United States' soccer season. Or, if it wasn't both of them, at least one of the two teams that had topped their respective conferences would have at least gotten a shot.

But, alas, it wasn't meant to be. Real Salt Lake won both of their legs against Portland, good for an aggregate score of 5-2. Their celebration of their first MLS Cup appearance since 2009 even took place before a shell-shocked crowd at Portland's Jel-Wen Field.

Sporting Kansas City's triumph was a little less certain. Heading into Saturday's matchup at Sporting Park, the two teams had played to a scoreless draw two weeks prior. When the Dynamo took an early lead on Oscar Boniek García's goal in the third minute, it looked like Houston was on the precipice of knocking off both Eastern top seeds.

Only it wasn't to be. CJ Sapong knotted the match up in the 14th minute, and Dom Dwyer's second-half strike to the back of the net capped it off. 

It may not have been the final anyone expected, but it's hard to argue there were two teams that played better when it counted most. With that in mind, let's check in with a complete preview of the 2013 MLS Cup, complete with a prediction for who will hoist the trophy.

Match Information

When: Saturday, Dec. 7 at 4 p.m. ET

Where: Sporting Park in Kansas City

Watch: ESPN

Stream: WatchESPN

Key Storyline

How Much Will Home-Field Advantage Play a Factor?

In structure, the MLS is in many ways an amalgam of United States and European concepts. The league uses a table rather than traditional divisional structure—though that's probably in large part due to the lack of teams in MLS—but splits into two regional conferences. They use the table points to create a European home-and-home playoff, which uses tradition and satiates our American need to have everything determined by a postseason tournament. 

The MLS Cup, though? I have no earthly idea. Rather than continue the home-and-home concept, the MLS Cup is but a mere one-time deal. Which, of course, is all well and good. You're trying to draw excitement to your year's biggest event. Explaining aggregate scoring and all that nonsense to the casual fan is just asking for them to turn the channel.

But this arrangement? Where Kansas City gets to the one-off MLS Cup because of two table points? Yeah, that strikes me as a little odd.

Alas, it's the system in which these two teams are playing and could wind up playing a major factor. Kansas City have been stellar at home for the most of the season and especially of late, having recorded points in all but two of their matches at Sporting Park since the beginning of July. They've been better in nearly every category one can think of down the line, as one would expect when playing before fans who don't generally want to, like, throw batteries at you or something.

The home-road splits on both sides of the equation are so obvious they might as well be doing jumping jacks before our eyes. At home, Kansas City have scored 29 goals and allowed 15. On the road, they have scored only 18 goals compared to the same amount against.

How do Real Salt Lake fare, you ask? Oh, just about the same. Real have scored 31 times at home and allowed 16—a better home split than their opponent. And, on the road, their scoring has been stellar, putting up an MLS-high 26 road goals. But their defense becomes abysmal away from the friendly confines, dipping from elite levels to somewhere in the middle of the pack with 25 goals allowed.

It's impossible to know beforehand just how much that will play a factor in a one-game sample. Real Salt Lake, after all, managed to win a very respectable six road contests this year. And, in their one head-to-head matchup this season, Kansas City came away with a 2-1 victory. So it's not like playing a home-and-home would have guaranteed anything.

Either way, the MLS made one of their Cup representatives' lives a whole lot harder with the decision to move away from a neutral field.

Prediction

If this were the other football, there would be plenty of bloviation about how these two sides juxtapose one another. On one side of the field, you have one of the league's best defensive teams in Kansas City. They managed to hold Houston to just one goal over 180 minutes, and Jimmy Nielsen has been spectacular all season despite his advanced age.

With Graham Zusi there to set up the goals and Claudio Bieler there to finish attempts off, Kansas City would seem to have just enough goal-scoring capabilities to pull it off.

On the other side, Real Salt Lake are just a scoring machine. The combination of Alvaro Saborío, Javier Morales and Joao Plata Cotera has given opponents fits all season long, no matter where the opening pitch came from. To expect them to be held scoreless for the entire match might be a stretch too far.

In other words, I expect this contest to be 1-1 very deep into the second half. When it comes to parsing which side will come out on top, I keep coming back to the one factor out of everyone's control: home field. Kansas City tied for the MLS high with 17 home wins during the regular season.

I think Zusi and Bieler both score to give the Sporting fans something to cheer about.

Score: Sporting Kansas City 2, Real Salt Lake 1

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They are two of America’s up-and-coming managers, and in seven head-to-head encounters there has been little to separate them.

Since Peter Vermes took charge of the then-Kansas City Wizards in August 2009 he and Real Salt Lake’s Jason Kreis have each won three matches against the other and drawn once. Only twice has the spread between them been two goals or greater; just once has one of the two clubs strung back-to-back victories against the other (Real Salt Lake in 2009 and 2010).

It goes without saying the eighth and tie-breaking match will be a closely-fought, and likely low-scoring, affair, and in this particular instance the stakes could not be higher.

On Saturday, December 7, Sporting Kansas City and Real Salt Lake will square off to determine American football supremacy in the 2013 MLS Cup. And that both clubs have won the league on one occasion—Kansas City in 2000 and Salt Lake in 2009—only serves to set up a tie-breaker of even greater proportions.

But given Kansas City’s 13-year MLS Cup drought, Vermes has had to create a winning mentality from scratch in recent seasons whereas Kreis and a handful of his current players are just four years removed from their memorable win on penalties over Los Angeles Galaxy.

Still, Kreis remains hungry, even desperate, for silverware, and in remarks made to Salt Lake’s official website the 40-year-old revealed he was delighted to have even won the Western Conference trophy after overcoming Portland Timbers on Sunday.

“I think for me, the most rewarding thing is not about getting back to the MLS Cup,” he said. “The most rewarding thing is that finally this group has won a trophy. Another trophy.

He added: “In my honest opinion...this team deserves more trophies than they have. They’ve put themselves in a position to win so many times, and it’s just been unfortunate not to.”

Vermes, meanwhile, is just happy to get over the hump after falling short in previous playoff campaigns.

“Everybody has that hurdle that they have to get over and we’re a very young team,” he told SportingKC.com following Saturday’s win over Houston Dynamo. “And to accomplish this with such a young maturity level on our team is fantastic.”

If there is an edge going into MLS Cup it is likely on the side of Sporting Kansas City, who posted a 2-1 win away to Real Salt Lake back in July.

“[Real Salt Lake] are a good team,” Vermes told his club’s official website at the time, adding that he thought his players had done a good job disrupting Salt Lake’s flow.

“It was a hard-fought match,” he added.

And the 2013 MLS Cup should be no different.

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The best action from the second leg of the MLS Cup playoffs conference final was highlighted by Real Salt Lake's defense, but what about the worst?

Plenty of candidates met the criteria this weekend, but the Houston Dynamo and Sporting Kansas City took inept turns in the final third of the pitch on Saturday. All that transpired at JELD-WEN Field the next day paled in comparison.

Here is a look at why that turned out to be the case.

Best: Real Salt Lake's defense

The Portland Timbers entered the second leg of the conference final needing at least two goals to send the tie into extra time. Instead, they scored none.

There's a reason for that.

Even with 54.9 percent possession and 18 attempts, the Timbers finished the evening with as many goals as they have trophies—zero. A club that finished the season having completed 79.2 percent of its passes only found a 72 percent accuracy in the biggest match of the season. Even worse, 17.5 percent of Portland's 40 crosses successfully connected.

Real Salt Lake goalkeeper Nick Rimando was forced to make just two saves all night.

According to the RSL's website, the 34-year-old Rimando credits the central pairing of Chris Schuler and Nat Borchers for the club's defensive efforts:

Fantastic. Getting him back was huge for us, you know. We had a lot of different pairings during the season. And we missed him, he got injured, and having him back has been huge. He's just a big presence pack there. Wins a lot of head balls for us. But also he talks. He's a big organizer, and him and Nat together are very good, and I'm happy he's back.

Real Salt Lake is "happy" to be back in the MLS Cup final. Their 1-0 victory over the Timbers was enough to see their club through with a 5-2 aggregate win. Four years after lifting the Phillip F. Anschutz Trophy, RSL has returned to the final stage in search of hardware.

At least D.C. United won't be on the opposite end waiting for them this time.

Worst: The "Finishing" at Sporting Park

The "quality" of MLS has remained an issued debate since the league's inception in 1996. Former New England Revolution head coach Steve Nicol did MLS perceptions no favors after his comments during a recent segment of ESPN FC.

Matt Slater of BBC Sport further exacerbated the issue after carrying the Scotsman's comments in an article from earlier this month:

They have done everything in terms of getting the league going. They've built it almost from scratch...But what they have to do now is improve the product. That means bringing in better players, or producing more of their own...Seven or eight years ago I thought the best teams could have scrapped it out in the Premier League, but now they are more like Championship teams, top six perhaps...There are just too many teams for the number of good players they've got. Take this move to 24 teams. Forget the squads, just look at the first teams: that's nearly 270 players. That will mean a lot of players having careers they shouldn't have.

Houston and Sporting Kansas City did very little to dismiss those claims on Saturday.

Well, at least not in the first half.

Dom Dwyer took the first step down that slippery slope after failing to connect in the eighth minute. A deft touch was all it took to open the affair, but the 23-year-old couldn't deliver the first blow. Cam Weaver followed suit just 20 minutes later when he fired an immaculate cross from Corey Ashe past the stands and into the heavens.

It probably still hasn't landed.

C.J. Sapong took his turn in the festivities with seconds remaining in the first half with a stumbling effort just outside the six-yard box before halftime mercifully arrived. Entertaining as it may have been, a certain "quality" was missing in the final third of the pitch.

Suffice it to say that Nicol was not impressed.

Honorable Mention: Benny Feilhaber

Benny Feilhaber cost allocation money and two draft choices for Sporting Kansas City...and was worth every penny on Saturday night.

Feilhaber's majestic performance helped propel Sporting Kansas City to their first MLS Cup final since 2004. The stat sheet simply read 84 minutes played and one game-winning assist but Feilhaber's performance extended far beyond that.

Head coach Peter Vermes was well aware of that fact, according to Steve Brisendine of MLSsoccer.com:

I told him after the game, I said to him that that was why we brought him here. His ability to open up a defense is exactly what we were looking for.

And "open up a defense" he did.

Feilhaber proved to be the offensive catalyst on the evening. Not only did the 28-year-old complete 39 of his 44 passes, but as MLSsoccer.com fantasy editor Ben Jata pointed out, Felihaber completed at least two passes to every member on his team. Even better, Feilhaber finished his 84-minute shift with five key passes.

No pass was more key than his immaculate assist in the 63rd minute.

Take nothing away from Dwyer's clever finish, don't neglect the vision and the touch that Feilhaber displayed on his congested run. It was an effort that helped deliver a 2-1 victory and exorcised the demons of playoffs past for Sporting Kansas City.

It was as an effort that will not be forgotten anytime soon. 

Follow Eduardo on Twitter for more insight on a variety of sports topics. Follow @Mendez_FC

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After dominating the first leg, Real Salt Lake clinched the Western Conference championship and a ticket to the MLS Cup with a 1-0 win over the Portland Timbers on Sunday. They won the playoff 5-2 on aggregate.

ESPN FC summed up the victory for Salt Lake:

Motivated by a raucous crowd as usual, you could tell that the Timbers came into the match needing to make up two goals in the 90-minute span, as they pushed the envelope early and often.

Although they controlled the tempo early on, as well as possession, it wasn't Portland who struck first, despite the desperate attempts.

In the 29th minute of the match, Robbie Findley of Salt Lake slipped free inside the box right in front of Portland goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts, and the left-footed strike was the match's only goal.

Portland came awfully close to equalizing just three minutes later, but the would-be goal was nullified on an offside call. MLS provided a link to the controversial play:

Even though plenty of time remained to mount a comeback, Salt Lake was able to take control of the pace of the match late in the first half and early into the second. Instead of giving into Portland's aggressive style of play, Salt Lake remained poised, calm and in control, despite the emotions in the game.

Sports Illustrated's Grant Wahl noticed Salt Lake's performance as they head to the MLS Cup:

Although the overall result seemed to be in hand just after halftime, tensions still flared between the two clubs.

In the 52nd minute, a host of Salt Lake attackers flooded the Portland penalty box and collided with Ricketts. Multiple players from both sides converged and nearly came to blows before being separated.

Fortunately for the two sides, neither team received a card for the incident, and it spelled the end to any chippy play in the match. Portland fans were able to ring in the end of their best season in franchise history with a handful of ovations and chants despite seeing their season come to a close. 

Waiting for Salt Lake in a match for the MLS Cup is Sporting Kansas City, and the two sides will come together on Dec. 7 for the league championship.

MLS started building the anticipation just seconds after Sunday's result.

Of course, this season marked just the third overall in Portland's brief history and their first playoff appearance. It came one-stop short of the MLS Cup, which can be commended both inside and outside of Portland.

Meanwhile, Salt Lake continues its impressive season. After already avenging three straight years of conference semifinal lapses, the team can look to repeat what it did in 2009—win a MLS Cup.

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After coming up on the wrong end of playoff outcomes against the Houston Dynamo in the previous two seasons, Sporting Kansas City turned the tables on their Eastern Conference foe and earned a trip to the MLS Cup in the process.

After falling behind by a goal early, Sporting netted the match's final two goals to earn a 2-1 win in the second match of their two-leg Eastern Conference Final at Sporting Park. The two played a scoreless draw in Houston in the first leg. 

The energy at Sporting Park was fantastic. Of course, it was far too cold for fans to just sit quietly in their seats. This picture was taken a few hours before kickoff:

After the scoreless draw in the first leg of this playoff, it took only three minutes for Houston to get on the board. After some sloppy defense, Oscar Boniek Garcia took a headed pass by Brad Davis and drilled a right-footer from the center of the box into the bottom left corner.

The fast start for Houston did not destroy the confidence of Kansas City. 

Sporting was aggressive playing in front of the energetic crowd, and it didn't take long for their effort to show up on the scoreboard. In the 14th minute, C.J. Sapong hit a right-footed shot from the right side of the box into the bottom left corner. 

That concluded the scoring for the entertaining and evenly played first half. Kansas City executed slightly more control of the flow of the action in the first, but it was not a major advantage. 

Sporting out shot Houston five to three in the first half and also enjoyed 56 percent of possession. 

The second half began as the first one had ended. Both teams were playing quality soccer. Kansas City continued to fire off more shots, but wasn't exactly waiting for quality looks. 

That all changed in the 63rd minute when Benny Feilhaber made a nifty move and scoop pass to get a through ball to Dominic Dwyer. Dwyer delivered the result the home fans were craving. 

The 23-year-old netted the match's third and final goal. 

Houston did what it could to answer, but it was to no avail. Kansas City's defense proved to be too strong. In the end, Houston wound up taking just four shots in the second half, and none was a serious threat to score. 

As they bask in this win, Sporting will undoubtedly keep an eye on Sunday's Western Conference Final. 

The first-seeded Portland Timbers will host second-seeded Real Salt Lake facing the task of overcoming a 4-2 deficit in aggregate.  

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After a two-week break, the MLS Cup Playoffs get back underway this weekend.

In the Eastern Conference, Sporting Kansas City host the Houston Dynamo. After a 0-0 first leg, the second leg should provide plenty of entertainment. And with no away goals rule, Sporting KC won't have to worry about a major uphill battle if they concede an early goal.

On the other side, Real Salt Lake carry with them a 4-2 lead from the first leg when they travel to Portland to take on the Timbers for the Western Conference title. Even a two-goal lead isn't safe when you consider how raucous and boisterous the crowd will be at Jeld-Wen Field.

In order for each team to get through to the final, they'll have to make sure they follow through on these keys to the game.

Eastern Conference Final

Sporting Kansas City: Free Graham Zusi and Let Him Create

One of the most enjoyable teams to watch in MLS over the past couple of seasons has been Sporting KC. Peter Vermes uses a very positive attacking style that's not only been a pleasure on the eyes, it's also been very successful on the pitch.

One of the biggest reasons for that success has been Graham Zusi.

The 27-year-old midfielder was third in the league during the regular season in key passes per game (3.1), according to WhoScored.com. His seven assists also lead Sporting KC.

However, in the first leg, Zusi was a non-factor. He completed only 65 percent of his passes, down from his season average of 76.6 percent, and he made one key pass.

Not coincidentally, Kansas City failed to score.

In the second leg, Zusi must have more room to roam and be the creative engine. Otherwise, his club will once again find that goals are hard to come by.

Houston Dynamo: Use Width to Hit Quickly on the Counter

Sporting Kansas City generally do most of their damage through the center of the pitch. In addition, the home team is likely to get the majority of possession. There's no sense in trying to fight fire with fire.

Dominic Kinnear should keep his defense organized and then hit on the counter using his wide players. The Dynamo got a huge boost with Boniek Garcia returning to the team from international duty earlier in the week, via Darren Lovell of MLSSoccer.com:

Having him on the right flank adds that needed dimension to the Houston attack. Brad Davis down the left remains a key player, but without Garcia, the Dynamo could have been too imbalanced to one side. Now Eric Brunner and Bobby Boswell can hit it out to either side and start the quick counterattack.

Western Conference Final

Portland Timbers: Make Most of Possession

Although Portland had 50 percent of possession in the first leg, it could only get three chances on target, according to WhoScored.com. It just goes to show you that controlling possession doesn't always mean you control the game.

What the Timbers need to do in the second leg is become more efficient with their possession. Use killer passes to get the ball into the 18-yard box so you don't have to rely on launching long balls and crosses in order to create scoring opportunities.

Will Johnson and Diego Chara will be the guys necessary to make this happen. While Johnson had a goal in the first leg, both he and Chara were unable to pass the ball with much success. According to WhoScored.com, Johnson completed just 68 percent of his passes and made one key pass, while Chara didn't have a key pass despite completing 78 percent of his passes.

If Johnson and Chara are successful, then the Timbers can play the short-passing, possession-based style that has gotten them to this point.

Real Salt Lake: Force Portland into a Direct Game

It's pretty simple for Real Salt Lake: Bully the Portland midfield, and cut off the support up top.

In the first leg, Salt Lake did a great job of breaking up the Timbers' attacks in midfield and limiting their chances in the final third. With its supply line through midfield broken, Portland was forced to try and go over the top to beat the RSL defense.

Johnson attempted 13 long balls in that first leg, up from his average of 7.3. Chara was also forced into making six long balls, almost four more than his per-game average (2.1).

A lot of the onus will be on Kyle Beckerman to be the defensive muscle in midfield. Unlike many defensive midfielders, Beckerman doesn't act as a box-to-box option or a deep-lying playmaker. His express purpose is to defend, and he does it very well.

Should Portland be forced into a direct game, Nat Borchers and Chris Schuler will be there to head away any danger.

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After finally hanging up his boots earlier this year, David Beckham is looking to continue his legacy within the beautiful game by becoming the owner of a team.

Goldenballs is expected to take charge of a yet-to-be-announced new MLS franchise in Miami, a city that hasn't enjoyed top-tier football since the Fusion were dissolved in 2001.

On Friday, Beckham gave an inkling to ESPN that the new team is an inevitability: "Miami is something that really excites me because there is a great energy down there. They are ready for a football team in that part of the world."

Once the new Florida team gets the MLS stamp of approval, it will need a name—and we're one step ahead with these ideas. You're welcome, Dave... 

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With only four clubs remaining in the MLS Cup Playoffs, the pressure is on for each side to play its best. In order for that to happen, the teams will need some great performances from key players.

Some of the league's biggest stars are no longer in contention for a league championship. Landon Donovan and the L.A. Galaxy have been eliminated, along with Clint Dempsey and the Seattle Sounders. The New York Red Bulls and Thierry Henry are also out after finishing the regular season with the most points.

Still, there are plenty of key players remaining around the league. These stars will have a big role in the next few matches, and the one that performs the best could end up raising the trophy at the end of the year.

Graham Zusi, Sporting Kansas City

The strength of Sporting KC is the defense, which led the league with the fewest goals allowed this season. Aurelien Collin and Matt Besler took care of business on the back line and made few mistakes to keep every match low scoring.

However, the offense does not run without Graham Zusi. Despite bouncing back and forth to the United States national team, he still managed to total seven assists this season after getting 12 a year ago.

He has great instincts on the pitch, and he knows how to create opportunities for everyone around, either with crosses or direct passes in front of the net. When left open, he is more than capable of scoring himself.

After the first leg against the Houston Dynamo ended in a scoreless draw, Kansas City will need Zusi to generate some offense in order to advance to the finals.

Will Bruin, Houston Dynamo

While he can be a bit inconsistent, Will Bruin is the best offensive weapon on Houston, despite being one of the youngest players on the team.

The 24-year-old forward scored a team-high 10 goals while finishing second with seven assists, one back of Brad Evans. He has great ball skills, and it allows him to dribble in and out of traffic in order to find an opening near the net.

At this point, the only question is if he can stay in an entire match, considering he has been subbed out in five of the last six contests.

Still, his ability should be on display in the conference finals on the road against Sporting Kansas City. 

Nick Rimando, Real Salt Lake

There are a ton of offensive stars who can come through for Real Salt Lake, including Alvaro Saborio, Javier Morales or Joao Plata. However, the squad will not be successful without a strong game from goalkeeper Nick Rimando.

The 34-year-old veteran was the national team's starter throughout the run to the Gold Cup championship. He was excellent in that tournament, and he has carried that over to be one of the top keepers in the MLS.

Unfortunately, he also tends to be a bit inconsistent, which is something that could destroy Real Salt Lake going forward. The club will only face top competition from this point on, and it cannot afford to give up easy goals.

Rimando has to be a leader on this team and make sure he can keep opponents off the scoresheet.

Will Johnson, Portland Timbers

Few players in the league have a wider skill set than Will Johnson. The midfielder is one of the best passers around for both long and short targets and can put a ball on net from distance with great consistency.

His ability to score in a set piece also should scare opponents from fouling anyone on Portland.

Most importantly, he comes into his club's biggest match of the season red hot. He has goals in three of his last four appearances and will try to keep up his run against Real Salt Lake. Even with a 4-2 deficit in aggregate score, Johnson gives his side a chance.

When he returns home for the second leg in Portland, the Canadian star will be ready to perform at his best to bring his team back from the brink of elimination.

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Major League Soccer and Orlando City officially announced the club will join the MLS in 2015 as the league's 21st franchise.

Major League Soccer announced the news:

PHOTO: The moment a dream became reality for @OrlandoCitySC. http://t.co/0h2lCvHJoM #MLS21 pic.twitter.com/7OedqE7VVA

Orlando City confirmed the news as well:

We are officially the 21st @MLS Club! #MLS21

Orlando City has been a dominant force since joining USL Pro, which is the third level of soccer in the United States. The Lions have finished first or second in each of their three regular seasons in the league and won two championships, including the 2013 title.

The steady growth of the franchise paired with solid attendance numbers, including more than 20,000 fans for this year's championship match, was enough to convince the MLS that Orlando could handle a top-division franchise.

Adding Orlando to the mix is the latest expansion effort by the league, which is already set to add New York City FC and a club fronted by David Beckham, as pointed out by Kyle Bonn of Pro Soccer Talk.

The biggest concern for Orlando, and the other clubs joining the MLS as part of the expansion surge, is building a roster with enough talent to compete with the top teams. The amount of skilled players is limited, especially when you consider where the American league stands on an international level.

So finding that initial success like the Lions were able to do in a lower tier like USL Pro will likely prove very difficult. It's going to take some time for the club to attract outside talent and develop their own through the draft.

That said, Orlando's budding fanbase should be happy to get a franchise and the MLS is pushing forward with major expansion plans despite concerns about spreading the talent too thin.

Only time will tell how the plans work out, but giving teams to areas like Orlando that have shown interest in soccer and should provide a strong foundation certainly helps. It gives the league some extra leeway as it attempts to create a level playing field.

The announcement didn't come as a surprise after months of speculation, but now fans in Orlando can rejoice as the MLS move became official.

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This weekend, MLS' final four will compete again to determine which two squads advance to the MLS Cup.

Each conference championship is currently framing two highly contrasting scenarios. In the East, Sporting Kansas City and the Houston Dynamo enter the second leg on even footing after playing to a scoreless stalemate in their earlier battle.

Out in the Western Conference bracket, the Portland Timbers dug themselves a deep hole after losing by two goals to Real Salt Lake. They now must return the favor and win big to climb back in the aggregate score.

Houston Dynamo at Sporting Kansas City (tied 0-0)

When these teams met earlier on Nov. 9, the games featured many bumps and some physical play but no scoring.

The Dynamo nearly entered the scoresheet in the first half, but Kofi Sarkodie's goal was waved off due to an offsides penalty. That close call was the closest either club came to breaking the draw at BBVA Compass Stadium.

Each team looked drained, especially after needing extra time to sneak through the semifinals. That led to some unexciting performances from players gashing at their loaded slates, but now two weeks have passed since the opening bout.

While Houston has knocked out Sporting KC in the past two postseasons, Sporting boasts a better track record this year. The squad's plus-17 point differential during the regular season tied the New York Red Bulls for the East's lead. On the other hand, the Dynamo finished even with 41 goals allowed and scored.

But key contributors Ricardo Clark and Will Bruin are questionable for the match after sustaining injuries during the opening leg. According to MLSSoccer.com's Darrell Lovell, head coach Dominic Kinnear is preparing for the worst.

We’re going through this as if they’re going to play. They’re not training, they’re working with the staff and we’ll see how they are closer to the game. If they’re not available to play, we’re OK with that. It’s not wonderful news, but that’s the way it goes.

Bruin notched eight goals during the season and collected four goals and four assists for the Dynamo. 

Real Salt Lake at Portland Timbers (Real Salt Lake up 4-2)

Down two goals, the Timbers have a rough road ahead of them.

Not since 2004 has a club overcome a two-goal deficit to pass the second leg, and Portland has never defeated Real Salt Lake in its franchise history. The odds are certainly stacked up against the West's top seed.

After allowing 18 shots during the first leg, the Timbers must find a way to dwarf their opponent's attack. Whatever they did on Nov. 10 certainly did not work. 

As for Real Salt Lake, they must avoid resist diverting from what got them to this point in the first place. Playing to the score will offset their offensive strengths and risk inadvertently sparking the Timbers with added life.

Instead, look for Real to approach this game as a separate match with a clean slate to fend off complacency.

If Diego Valeri and Co. can catch fire, the Timbers might at least make things interesting in Jeld-Wen Field. They haven't come this far to lay down at the sight of adversity.

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