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

Plenty of candidates met the criteria this weekend. Futty Danso had a mental lapse. The Portland Timbers suffered a deja vu result at Rio Tinto Stadium Sunday night.

But all that pales in comparison to one forgettable Saturday afternoon. 

Read below to find out why.

Best: Real Salt Lake Cruise to Victory

Mission accomplished.

Real Salt Lake defeated the Portland Timbers 4-2 Sunday night. For the third time this season, the Claret and Cobalt stood victorious after an aesthetic battle with their Northwest rivals. The club is now just 90 minutes from returning to the MLS Cup final.

According to the club's official website, head coach Jason Kreis attributes the victory to 75 minutes of consistent play:

Bookends, right? The beginning wasn’t good, the end wasn’t good, but the 75 minutes in-between were really good. I credit [Will Johnson] for that fantastic goal. We don’t get goals scored on us like that too often. Our response to that first goal was terrific. Our guys just got better and better as the game wore on and we got back to the things that we do well. I think that one thing is clear, and I think 100 percent certain, that we still have 90 minutes of work to do if we’re going to advance.

The beginning wasn't "good." The end was even worse.

Former RSL midfielder Will Johnson opened the affair for Portland in the 14th minute. The 26-year-old captain connected on a screaming free-kick to silence the 17,333 in attendance. After piling on a 4-1 lead, the crowd stood silent once more after Frederic Piquionne finished a scorching header in stoppage time.

The 4-2 scoreline doesn't bode well for the Timbers, but it's far more surmountable than a three-goal deficit.

The story here, however, is the 75 minutes in between that reflected a deliciously executed performance form RSL.

The club amassed 83 passes in the attacking third of the pitch. Roughly 38 percent of their crosses connected on the night. Compare that to the 14.3 percent the Timbers delivered. Portland was also outshot 18-7 by the time the final whistle blew.

Two weeks separate RSL from a spot in the MLS Cup final, but two weeks is also plenty of time for Timbers head coach Caleb Porter to prepare for a comeback. Especially at home.

This one is far from over. 

Worst: The Eastern Conference Bedtime Story

Have you awoken from your slumber yet?

The Houston Dynamo and Sporting Kansas City didn't just play to a scoreless draw on Saturday...they lulled national audiences to sleep in the process. Ninety minutes of competitive football finished in the most unappealing fashion possible.

According to Darrell Lovell on MLS' official website, even Houston defender Bobby Boswell was well aware that the first leg wouldn't be for the faint of heart:

We knew it was going to be an ugly game, and it was. They are such a good possession team and we kind of went in and bullied them around and now they've just decided to meet us head on and just say "hey, we're going to kick you and screw the possession." You've just got to meet them head on.

But just how "ugly" was this first leg of the Eastern Conference final?

Well, Houston was about as accurate as Tim Tebow on a football Sunday for starters. The Dynamo accurately delivered their 341 passes 65 percent of the time. SKC didn't fare any better. The club connected on 322 passes with a 63 percent accuracy.

Twenty-five combined attempts were taken. Twenty-three fouls were given.

Alexi Lalas was not impressed:

But as Steve Brisendine points out on MLS' official website, SKC head coach Peter Vermes was:

I thought we did one aspect of what we wanted to do, which is that we didn't want to give up any goals here. I thought that was an important aspect of the game tonight. It wasn't an easy game to play in, and we got a result. Now, it doesn't mean anything. Now, it's just a final at home.

Sporting failed to escape BBVA Compass Stadium last year with a favorable result. The club hemorrhaged one too many goals in the first leg of the of the 2012 Eastern Conference semifinals. The deficit proved to be insurmountable. SKC would be eliminated 2-1 on aggregate.

They won't have a mountain to climb after Saturday's scoreless draw.

But they will have a dedicated viewership to rouse.

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

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With just four teams remaining in the 2013 MLS Cup Playoffs, the matches are getting more important with each passing day. The conference finals feature a pair of excellent matchups that could truly go either way, so it will be up to the star players to step up and play at an elite level.

Real Salt Lake and the Portland Timbers will do battle in the Western Conference Championship, while Sporting Kansas City will take on the Houston Dynamo out east. Many fans are surprised that the likes of the Los Angeles Galaxy, Seattle Sounders and New York Red Bulls are already out, but that speaks to the talent on the remaining teams.

Here is a closer look at three players who will almost certainly rise to the occasion and play to the best of their abilities in the conference finals.

Alvaro Saborio (Real Salt Lake)

No player remaining the 2013 MLS Cup Playoffs scored more goals during the regular season than Real Salt Lake forward Alvaro Saborio. The Costa Rican star was the driving force behind Real Salt Lake's attack all season long, and that should continue in the playoffs. Although Saborio has yet to score in two playoff matches, there is reason to believe that he'll turn it around.

The main concern regarding Saborio, though, is his health. The first leg of Real Salt Lake's series against Portland starts on Sunday at 9 p.m. ET, and Saborio is currently considered a game-time decision, according to Ben Jata of MLSSoccer.com:

Considering how huge this match is, though, it's hard to imagine Saborio sitting out unless he absolutely can't perform. Even if Saborio isn't 100 percent, Real Salt Lake needs him out there. The team would be compromised significantly without him, and he has to know that. With that in mind, expect a heroic effort out of Saborio assuming he battles through his hip injury and plays.

Jimmy Nielsen (Sporting Kansas City)

There were plenty of fantastic goalkeeping performances in the MLS this season, but no full-time starter was as good as Sporting Kansas City stopper Jimmy Nielsen.

The great Dane led MLS with a goals-against average of just 0.88, and he was second in shutouts with 13 behind only Portland goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts. As integral as goalkeeping is during the regular season, it's even more important in the playoffs.

Heading into Sporting KC's series against Houston, Nielsen was only in the middle of the pack in playoff goalkeeping. His 1.29 goals against average was quite a bit higher than what he sported during the regular season, but that was an unsustainable number. As long as Nielsen gets some defensive support, he'll be just fine.

The Dynamo have plenty of offensive firepower, so Nielsen will have his hands full in the second leg of the series. Nielsen is the type of player who raises his game when it matters most. With two All-Star nods and a Goalkeeper of the Year Award in his back pocket, the MLS Cup is the only thing missing from Nielsen's trophy case, and he'll do everything possible to win it.

Diego Valeri (Portland)

Portland Timbers midfielder Diego Valeri hasn't wasted any time making his mark on the MLS. The 27-year-old native of Argentina is already viewed as one of the league's most complete players as he had an MLS-best 13 assists during the regular season to go along with 10 goals. He is a huge reason for Portland's success, and he represents their best chance to play for the MLS Cup.

It isn't always easy to play well in the playoffs after a strong regular season, but that hasn't been an issue for Valeri thus far. Valeri netted the series-winning goal against the rival Seattle Sounders in the Western Conference Semifinals to propel his team to this point. Truth be told, Valeri always seems to find himself in the middle of a scoring situation, according to Opta Jack:

Portland and Real Salt Lake figure to engage in a knock-down, drag-out series over the next two weeks, but skill often wins out. There may be no player remaining in the playoffs who is more skilled than Valeri. He'll make that known by leaving an imprint on the Western Conference Championship.

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We are down to the final four in the 2013 MLS Cup Playoffs, and the conference championship matchups are set to kick off Saturday and Sunday.

The Eastern Conference Championship will pit No. 2 seed Sporting Kansas City up against No. 4 seed Houston Dynamo, while the Western Conference Championship matches the top two seeds, No. 1 Portland Timbers and No. 2 Real Salt Lake. The Dynamo emerged all the way from the early Knockout Round.

Leg one of the Sporting Kansas City and Houston showdown is Nov. 9 at 2:30 p.m. ET, and Leg two is Nov. 23 at 7:30 p.m. ET. Leg one of the Western Conference Championship takes place Nov. 10 at 9 p.m. ET, with Leg two set to kick off on Nov. 24 at 9 p.m. ET.

The MLS Cup final is scheduled for Dec. 7 at 4 p.m. ET.

This is the third consecutive year that the Houston Dynamo and Sporting Kansas City will meet up in the MLS Cup Playoffs. This budding rivalry will certainly provide soccer fans with an intense two games, even if the top seed New York Red Bulls have been eliminated on the Eastern side of the bracket.

It is worth noting that the Dynamo will have to make do without left back Corey Ashe in Leg one following an accumulation suspension. Ashe picked up his second yellow card of the playoffs in extra time of the team’s last match. This will make life difficult on Houston because Ashe’s replacement will be saddled with checking Sporting Kansas City’s Graham Zusi, which is much easier said than done.

Houston’s offense will also be critical in this matchup. The Dynamo found themselves mired in goal-scoring slumps at times during the regular season, but the scoring has picked up in the playoffs.

Despite Houston’s newfound offense, the higher-seeded Sporting Kansas City will find a way to reach the MLS Cup final. They are well-rested compared to the Dynamo and will take advantage of Ashe’s absence.

As for the Western Conference clash, look for the Timbers to remove the Real Salt Lake monkey from their collective backs with a victory. Portland did not beat Real Salt Lake this year, but if there was ever a time for the No. 1 seed to get a head-to-head victory the playoffs are it.

Real Salt Lake had to play an extra 30 minutes just to get here, which could have an impact down the stretch of the first game against Portland. Furthermore, the Timbers just advanced past rival Seattle, who plays a similar diamond formation to what Real Salt Lake utilizes. That familiarity with such a quick turnaround will also be critical.

Look for Portland to ride the momentum from its win over Seattle and establish itself early in this matchup and show the MLS world why it is the No. 1 seed in the West.

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The MLS Cup Playoffs Conference Championships are about to begin and will feature some teams that observers expected to make it to this round and some that have been completely unpredictable.

Out West, the top-seeded Portland Timbers will take on second-seeded Real Salt Lake, while the fourth-seeded Houston Dynamo will clash with second-seeded Sporting Kansas City in the East.

The Western Conference Championship will feature a battle between two of the conference’s most consistently dominant teams. Meanwhile, the Eastern Conference round will be a tight contest between two sides that few could’ve predicted coming into the year.

Relentless Portland Attack

The Timbers got a big win over their rivals, the Seattle Sounders, in the Western Conference Semifinal and proved that their offense isn’t to be trifled with.

Portland piled up five goals over the course of the series and, while Seattle put up an impressive effort on defense at times, the Timbers were often just too much for them.

Players like Donovan Ricketts and Diego Valeri supplied some of the team’s offensive firepower, but it's midfielder Darlington Nagbe that powered the attack in the middle.

Nagbe completed 40 of his 44 passes in the second leg of the team’s matchup with Seattle and made some key possession passes, like this one.

By contrast, Real Salt Lake has gotten by with superb defense. They effectively shut down the Los Angeles Galaxy’s attempt to reach a third-straight MLS Cup, but they’re a little lacking on offense.

They’ve only scored two goals this postseason and have only managed eight shots on goal, third worst among playoff teams.

Portland will present a major challenge for the club defensively, and how well they adapt to the Timbers will determine the outcome of the series.

Houston Vulnerable Defensively?

The Dynamo have been the playoffs’ most surprising side, knocking off the top-seeded New York Red Bulls. However, that doesn’t mean they’ve been perfect.

Houston certainly deserves credit for holding the potent Red Bulls to just three goals over the course of the series, but they’ve had their fair share of problems defensively.

Defender Eric Brunner struggled in particular, frequently getting outplayed by New York’s Thierry Henry. While there’s no shame in failing to perform against a star like Henry, Brunner's lack of physicality could be a problem against Kansas City.

Just watch the way Henry bullies Brunner on this play.

By contrast, SKC was efficient on both offense and defense in downing the New England Revolution. They managed to take 45 shots and committed just 29 fouls in their two matches, both of which are the second-best totals for postseason clubs.

Forward Claudio Bieler was an offensive weapon for Sporting off the bench, scoring the series-winning goal against the Revolution.

Kansas City has the added benefit of playing in raucous Sporting Park, which should create a daunting environment for the Dynamo.

The Dynamo are no slouches on offense, as they lead the playoffs with seven goals scored. But the combination of their defensive weakness and the imposing away crowd means that it’ll be very challenging for them to continue their surprising playoff push.

Similarly, Portland will likely be able to use their powerful offense to blast its way past Real Salt Lake.

An MLS Cup matchup between Sporting and the Timbers would bring some stability to a wild postseason, but each of these matchups are well worth watching all the same.

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After Real Salt Lake's upset over the two-time defending champion LA Galaxy, the MLS Cup Conference Finals are set, paving the way for the final matchup next month.

The Portland Timbers knocked off their hated rivals, the Seattle Sounders, to win their first-ever MLS Cup Playoff series.

In the Eastern Conference, the Houston Dynamo knocked off the New York Red Bulls, while Sporting KC advanced on aggregate over the New England Revolution.

It's been a wild playoffs so far, with the Supporters' Shield winner—the Red Bulls—knocked out and the class of the league for so long—the Galaxy—heading home to play golf. There are upstarts in the Conference Finals, and it's made for some really exciting play.

Below is a schedule for the rest of the playoffs, and then, we will get into predicting what teams will advance to the MLS Cup.

Eastern Conference

Kansas City had a fine regular season, finishing second in the conference and just one point behind the Red Bulls for the Supporters' Shield.

It scored 47 goals and allowed a league-low 30 goals. Keeper Jimmy Nielsen, at age 36, has been fantastic.

On offense, its led by Claudio Bieler, who has scored 11 goals and notched four assists. 

The Dynamo shocked the world with their overtime win over the Red Bulls. Led by Will Bruin (10 goals) and Giles Barnes (nine goals), Houston finished fourth in the regular season, giving up and scoring 41 goals.

To me, this is an easy matchup.

While Houston showed a lot of skill and poise in its victory over New York, it seems pretty obvious that Sporting KC is a better team. KC dominated possession in its victory over the Revolution, controlling the ball 64 percent of the time.

Meanwhile, Houston actually lost the possession battle against New York, as the Red Bulls controlled the ball 54 percent of the time in their last matchup.

Nielsen is playing too well, and the Sporting KC offense is so balanced. It's going to be an uphill climb for Houston to win.

Western Conference

It's fitting that Portland and Real Salt Lake will meet up in the Conference Finals, as they were the two best teams in the Western Conference. Portland finished first in the conference with 57 points, while Real Salt Lake was right behind with 56 points.

Led by the four-headed monster of Diego Valeri (11 goals), Ryan Johnson (10 goals), Will Johnson (10 goals) and Darlington Nagbe (10 goals), the Timbers know how to score. They scored 54 goals on the season, letting up just 33—a nice goal differential of 21. 

Despite that balanced depth of the Timbers, it's Salt Lake that has actually scored more goals. Alvaro Saborio leads the way with 12 goals, followed by Javier Morales with eight goals and Robbie Findley with six. The team's goal differential is 16.

The key for this game is going to come down to defense and goalkeeping. These two teams can really score, so it's important for the defenses to step up. Keeper Nick Rimando of Real Salt Lake was an All-Star this year and also started five games for the U.S. in the Gold Cup.

He probably has the slight advantage over Donovan Ricketts of Portland. Rimando has more experience and is, in my opinion, a better keeper.

I do think goals will be scored, but RSL has the slightly better defense and the advantage in net, meaning it will advance to the MLS Cup. 

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Fatigue and rest will be the story to watch in the conference finals of the MLS Cup playoffs. But an additional four storylines will complete your preview.

Only two matchups remain. Both ties scheduled for this round will be dissected from a unique angle to intensify your viewing pleasure. So, what exactly warrants your attention in the coming days?

Read on to find out.

Note: Unless otherwise mentioned, credit all statistics to the official MLS Press Box Stats and Standings.

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Real Salt Lake came into the home leg of their Western Conference semifinals matchup against the Los Angeles Galaxy needing to overcome a deficit.  In the first leg, the Galaxy had notched a 1-0 victory at home in LA thanks to an absolutely brilliant long strike from defender Sean Franklin.

That goal threatened to oust RSL from the playoffs, if they couldn't come up big on Thursday night.

To say that RSL did indeed come up big in their 2-0 win over the Galaxy would be a massive understatement.

In what was possibly the most inspired and gutsiest performance RSL has had since winning the 2009 MLS Cup on penalty kicks against the Galaxy, Jason Kreis' team dug deep in a tension-filled game that sent RSL on to the Western Conference Finals against Portland.

In the first half, RSL was very much in control and had several near misses. In the 35th minute, Sebastian Velasquez finally put the team on the board by heading home a cross from Chris Wingert. Velasquez's goal tied up the aggregate for the series at 1-1. 

RSL continued to push in the second half, but a Chris Schuler header hit the crossbar in the 74th minute while an Alvaro Saborio shot in the 78th minute banged off the post. 

In the 84th minute, it appeared that RSL had finally broken through and taken the lead in the series when Javier Morales blasted home a free kick from outside the box, but the goal was negated by an extremely questionable off-ball foul call against RSL that has still not been clarified.

As stoppage time finished, the series remained tied at 1-1 on aggregate, necessitating two 15-minute overtime periods.

12 minutes into the first overtime period, RSL got the magic it was looking for. Morales sent a cross to the far post that took an interesting trajectory on this windy night, and Schuler made an impressive forward leap with one foot extended to smash it into the small gap between Galaxy keeper Jaime Penedo and the post.

The first overtime period finished with RSL just 15 minutes away from advancing to the Western Conference Finals for the first time since losing to the Galaxy there in 2011.

And then things got truly crazy.

Saborio went down just minutes into the second overtime period with an injury to his hip flexor, unable to return for the rest of the game. Unfortunately for Salt Lake, head coach Kreis had already used all three of the team's allotted substitutions, forcing RSL to play a man down while trying to protect the lead.

With a man advantage, the Galaxy got quite aggressive, with the majority of the second overtime period being played in or around RSL's box. Real Salt Lake stood strong, continually deflecting shots in the box safely away from goal.

Things nearly took another terrible turn for RSL when Cole Grossman blocked a shot with his head, and wound up stumbling to the ground and started staggering about, obviously shaken severely by the shot to the head. Already playing a man down, he had to stay in the game and did an admirable job.

LA had several more chances and nearly tied it up with just minutes remaining thanks to an Omar Gonzalez shot from just outside the box that dipped and curved erratically in the wind.  Club legend Nick Rimando came up huge on the play, managing to block the shot with his face after an unpredictable bounce and then fall on the rebound despite being visibly shaken up on the play. 

Eventually, the two minutes of stoppage time tacked onto the period came to an end, and referee Baldomero Toledo's whistle sent the stadium unto a delirious celebration. 

Despite all the setbacks and obstacles, Real Salt Lake is moving on to the Western Finals, thanks to a gritty performance that will go down in team history as the stuff of legends.

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On Wednesday night, the Major League Soccer Eastern Conference semifinals were decided with the Houston Dynamo downing the New York Red Bulls and Sporting Kansas City beating the New England Revolution.

Both home-and-away series came down to extra time. The Dynamo beat the Red Bulls 2-1 at Red Bull Arena to take the series on a 4-3 aggregate. Sporting beat the Revolution 3-1 at Sporting Park to also win their series 4-3 on aggregate.

Here are five things we learned.

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The Portland Timbers and Seattle Sounders renew their rivalry Thursday night. This time, the stakes have been raised, as a spot in the Western Conference final is on the line.

In the first leg of this two-legged affair, the Timbers came through with a big 2-1 win at CenturyLink Field. While away goals don't count in this instance, going into Seattle and walking away with a win is still a huge result.

Jeld-Wen Field will be electric for this fixture. Overcoming a one-goal deficit will be difficult for the Sounders in such a daunting atmosphere. Portland lost just one match there the entire season.

Here's a quick preview for the newest entry in this Pacific Northwest derby.

When: Thursday, Nov. 7, at 11 p.m. ET

Where: Jeld-Wen Field, Portland, Ore.

TV Info: NBC Sports Network

Live Stream: MLS Live

Portland Player to Watch: Donovan Ricketts

It's not a matter of if, but how much Donovan Ricketts will be tested. The Sounders have too much strength in the attack to go out with a whimper. Seattle will have plenty of shots on goal and opportunities to either tie or go ahead in the tie.

The entire Portland defense has been doing its part, especially at home. According to MLSSoccer.com, the Timbers have gone 450 minutes without surrendering a goal at home. The last goal came on August 21 against Real Salt Lake.

Still, a lot of pressure could end up being heaped on Ricketts.

The sign of a good goalkeeper is stepping up at a moment's notice to stop a shot.

Who knows—Ricketts may only get tested once the entire game. But he must make sure he remains focused the entire match, or that one mistake could have massive consequences.

Seattle Player to Watch: Osvaldo Alonso

Osvaldo Alonso's goal in the 90th minute is the reason Seattle is still in this tie at all. Erasing a two-goal deficit would have been nearly impossible on the road.

Some might be looking toward Mauro Rosales to make the difference, but in a match that's going to be won in the midfield, you need to rely more heavily on somebody like Alonso.

The 27-year-old has been one of the most important players for the Sounders this season. His defensive play in the midfield can snuff out any Portland counterattack, while his passing will help link up the defense and the attack.

Alonso is also no stranger to picking up a card. Should he lose his temper and make a rash tackle, he could end up putting the Sounders at a man disadvantage. That would erase any chance of them advancing.

Prediction

This match won't be pretty. It's going to be a chippy affair, with plenty of tough tackles by both sides.

That style will play right into Portland's hands.

The Timbers are used to sitting back and hitting on the counter. They'll be willing to cede possession to the Sounders and sit back to protect the lead. Then, when Seattle leaves itself exposed at the back, Portland will throw its attackers forward.

In addition, should the match get bogged down in midfield, the Timbers have the wide players who will find the open spaces on the pitch down the flanks.

Whether the result is a draw or a win, Portland will be able to see itself through to the final.

Seattle is a different team on the road. At home, the Sounders have scored 29 goals and conceded only 15. On the road, those numbers flip—they've scored just 13 goals and conceded 27. Against an organized Timbers defense, it's hard seeing where the goals will be coming from, especially if the Sounders give up a third.

Portland 1, Seattle 1

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The Los Angeles Galaxy were able to defeat Real Salt Lake 1-0 in the first leg of the 2013 MLS playoffs, but they must improve if they have hopes of winning their third-straight MLS Cup this season.

The Galaxy entered the playoffs as the No. 3 seed after a second-place finish in the West behind the Portland Timber. They were just four points behind Portland, but they didn't play like it against Real Salt Lake.

Sean Franklin scored L.A.'s lone goal of the game in the early goings of the second half of the match, but there were a plethora of missed opportunities by Landon Donovan and Robbie Keane.

Franklin's first goal in almost five months was enough to push the Galaxy into the second leg, but Donovan and Keane can't keep missing opportunities in the upcoming legs of the playoffs.

They had several opportunities up front to put the game out of reach, though each striker was unable to capitalize on easy opportunities. Credit needs to be given to Real Salt Lake's defense and goalkeeper Nick Rimando, but the fact remains that Donovan and Keane simply weren't effective.

Moving into the second leg, Donovan and Keane will need to work together on spacing in an effort to get open near the net. Both players don't need to look to score every time they touch the ball, but looking to set each other up on the attack will result in more goals scored.

There's a reason the Galaxy have won two straight MLS Cups.

Donovan and Keane make for arguably the top duo in the MLS—and certainly in the Cup playoffs—so it's really just a matter of time before they get going.

Their lack of effectiveness against Real Salt Lake is likely just a blip on the radar, but if it's not, then L.A. will have a tough time in the second leg.

Thankfully for the Galaxy, their defense looks in top form. They played exceptionally well in the first leg, limiting Real Salt Lake's attack and controlling the ball for a majority of the time. They'll certainly need that defense to carry over through the playoffs.

Without improvements offensively, the Galaxy will not record their third-straight MLS title. The New York Red Bulls and the Timbers are simply too strong to beat without having their top strikers at their best.

Getting past the second leg is obviously of the utmost importance at this point, but the Galaxy are one of the few teams that can get away with looking ahead.

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