The Eastern Conference of Major League Soccer is not the strongest conference in the league by any stretch of the imagination. Only two teams in the entire conference made the postseason. Both of them are out.

In their place: the last two seeds in the whole field: the Colorado Rapids and the San Jose Earthquakes. Both are one victory away from booking a plane to Toronto, Ontario, Canada and BMO Field.

Thus, it is time for us to take a look at the protagonists.


San Jose Earthquakes

It's been a year of reckoning for Frank Yallop's San Jose Earthquakes, who picked up the final MLS Cup Playoff berth over the Kansas City Wizards.

San Jose crushed the MLS East regular season champions 3-1 in the second leg to win 3-2 on aggregate.

Led by Budweiser Golden Boot-winner Chris Wondolowski and a brace from a resurging Bobby Convey, the Quakes overcame a 1-0 deficit to the New York Red Bulls in the first leg.

Convey leads San Jose with 10 assists in the regular season, while Wondolowski, the Northern California product, has 19 goals this year, including the postseason.

Another key offensive player to watch for the Quakes is Ryan Johnson, who had eight assists in the regular season. Watch for Frank Yallop to utilize him in overloading the left side of the field, as was seen in their 3-1 win at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey.

Brazilian import Geovanni will look to make an impact, as will defender Brandon McDonald. McDonald leads a formidable defensive unit for the Quakes, which includes Jason Hernandez, Eduardo and Tim Ward.

Goalkeeper Jon Busch has proven that he can be a netminder in the clutch. In the 2010 regular season, Busch had a 7-6-5 record to go with 81 saves, a 1.06 goals against average and a 77.9 percent save percentage.

San Jose finished the 2010 regular season with a 13-10-7 record (46 points), good for eighth overall in the league and sixth in the MLS Western Conference.

Winning the MLS Cup would be old hat for the Quakes. They won their first MLS Cup in 2001 with a 2-1 overtime win over the Los Angeles Galaxy at Crew Stadium and defeated the Chicago Fire 4-2 in 2003 at the Home Depot Center.


Colorado Rapids

Gary Smith's Rapids have been in the MLS Cup final before: 1997, when they lost to DC United 2-1 at RFK. They are one victory away from being in their first MLS Cup in over a decade.

After winning the first leg 1-0 and losing the second leg 2-1, the Rapids played to extra time at Crew Stadium against Columbus before prevailing 5-4 on penalties

No doubt about it: 13 years is a pretty long wait. But the men in burgundy have a few talismans they can rely on to end it.

Omar Cummings and Conor Casey are two of MLS's most prolific scorers this season. Cummings has 14 goals to his name while Casey has 13 to his credit this year. What also makes Casey dangerous is his role as a key playmaker.

Both Casey and Jamie Smith finished the 2010 regular season with eight assists. Look for Casey and Smith to distribute and get other players involved besides Cummings, such as Jeff Larentowicz (four goals this season) and team captain Pablo Mastroeni (two goals this season).

Wells Thompson, Drew Moor, Kosuke Kimura (three assists this season), Marvell Wynne, Anthony Wallace and Mastroeni form a defensive unit that has the know-how to contain Wondolowski's and Convey's production.

Matt Pickens (who the author of this piece likes to nickname as "Abe Lincoln" due to his trademark sideburns and beard) has done his part as the Rapids' leading goalkeeper. Pickens finished 2010 with a 11-8-10 record, a 1.10 goals against average, 88 saves and a 73.3 percent save percentage.

Colorado ended their 2010 MLS regular season with a 12-8-10 record (46 points).


Prediction

Home field advantage has been key to the success of both the Quakes and the Rapids. Both teams claimed 1-0 victories at home against each other this season.

I expect that this will continue. This will be a defensive showcase, with Colorado ending their 13-year wait. Not often does a team in Major League Soccer claim the East and the West at various points in its history. The Colorado Rapids should be among the first, if not the first, to earn this honor.

Colorado Rapids 2, San Jose Earthquakes 1

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There is no question that 21-year old Juninho has made his mark as a midfielder for the Los Angeles Galaxy. Of the three imports from São Paulo that came in to bolster the hopes of Bruce Arena's side, it's Juninho that has made the strongest impact.

Now this columnist does not claim to be an insider to the confidential wheelings and dealings of the board rooms of São Paulo Futebol Clube or the Los Angeles Galaxy, but it has to be a straightforward choice. An easy one. A choice that one would have to be blind, stupid, or possibly dead to not comprehend.

Sign Juninho to a long-term contract. Let me say it again: the Galaxy need to buy the rights to Juninho from São Paulo, with the money they will get from the retirements of Clint Mathis, Eddie Lewis and Chris Klein, and sign him to a long-term contract.

We will leave the negotiating to those responsibile parties, but seriously: the Galaxy, as an organization, needs Juninho more than São Paulo does.

Juninho has already paced the G's to a Supporters Shield title, and it could get even better. It would be a shame if the powers that be on Victoria Street drop the ball unceremoniously.

He needs the experience playing in Major League Soccer to improve his skills as a midfielder and make him a star alongside Landon Donovan, David Beckham and Edson Buddle (and we'll also throw in the Big Cat from Montego Bay, Donovan Ricketts, for good measure).

"For me, it was my first experience outside the country, and I’m very happy and pleased with the opportunity," Juninho said earlier in the week. "I hope I can show everything I know every day and every game, which is very important for me, as it’s a great team.

"I hope to make you all happy here showing my football, not only for the Galaxy, but to the whole world."

Well done.

"He understands what this league’s about," Galaxy coach Bruce Arena said. "He has a little better feel for his job. He’s been primarily a defensive midfielder in his days at São Paulo. We give him a little more leeway and direction to go forward and play-make a little bit. It takes a little time, but I think he’s done very well."

As Juninho said, "When they contracted me and brought me here, I felt that I would be able to contribute in some form and that, in some way, I would be able to fit into the team on the pitch."

He did, with two goals this season, including a game-winner that put the Galaxy at the top of the regular season table outright against FC Dallas on Oct. 24.

At the beginning of his stint with the Galaxy, there were language and communication barriers to overcome. The importance of Leonardo and Alex Cazumba as part of the package from the Tricolor Paulista was key to a smooth transition.

“All three coming was very important, I think, as I didn’t speak any English, and my experience with the other players here would be difficult,” Juninho said. “I wanted to give my opinion, and many times I couldn’t, so the others coming was quite important so that I wouldn’t feel so alone, and today I speak a little English and Spanish, which helps a lot, and is more important for my getting along.”

Since that rocky start, Juninho has been able to pick up enough English and Spanish to get things going.

Of course, Juninho understands that his playing future is not up to him to decide.

“This is a decision we’ll have to make after the season, and it’s not for me to decide," he said. "For starters, it’s up to the Galaxy, if they are still interested, and São Paulo, if they want to keep me here. So I want to have a good campaign in MLS and, hopefully, after the season, this will be resolved in the best manner possible.”

And hopefully (with apologies to Dan Loney of BigSoccer), fans at the Home Depot Center will get to see more of Juninho Carsonista in action.

A formidable home playoff record


The Galaxy head into the second leg of the 2010 MLS Western Conference Semifinals against Sigi Schmid's Seattle Sounders with a 19-2-1 home playoff record.

“It shows that we are a tough team to beat down here. Teams have their work cut out for them. But at the same time, those kind of stats only go so far, “said defender Todd Dunivant, an intergral part of the Galaxy’s 2005 MLS Cup championship side. “We can’t focus too much on the stats, but it does show that we are a tough team to beat in this building.”

“I think it shows a level of concentration and pride in this club in having a good home," said former Galaxy great and current assistant manager Cobi Jones. "It is a testament to the players, the staff that has been here over the years, and the fans. They have made it a very difficult place for other teams to come and play."

Jones is L.A.'s all-time leader in regular season and postseason games played.

“I think is very important that with this upcoming game that we continue with that tradition," Jones added. "It would be nice to continue with that tradition and move forward and make it a place where teams fear coming into. That shows you why the Galaxy has been such a good team over the years because it means something to this club.

"If you want to be a championship team, you need to win at home."

Team captain Landon Donovan agrees with that argument.

“The reason why we put so much into the regular season is to have the opportunity to play here at home when it matters," Donovan said. "We put a lot into our last game of the regular season against Dallas to ensure that we had the home field advantage in the playoffs and now we have to make it stand up.

“This team has always played well at home. I take a lot of pride in playing well at home in the playoffs and the same will go for Sunday.”

Kickoff is scheduled for Sunday, Nov. 7 at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT and will be televised by ESPN and ESPN Deportes.

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Defense dominated in Game 1, which ended in a 1-0 win by the Los Angeles Galaxy over the host Seattle Sounders in their Western Conference MLS clash last Sunday night.

Round two commences at 6:00 p.m. PT Sunday in a nationally televised clash on ESPN2. The big question is what kind of match we can expect to see this time around.  

The upcoming match at Home Depot Center in Carson, California, pits two of the most celebrated veteran coaches of soccer, Bruce Arena of the host Galaxy and Sigi Schmid of the invading Sounders, against one another. 

Given their expertise as chess players, coupled with the teams' four meetings this season (with L.A. holding a 3-1 edge), it was no surprise that defense dominated in the last match. Here are two mentors who know how to create successful game plans.

Sounders faithful point to the fact that the two decisive Galaxy wins over Seattle came in the first half of the season, when L.A. was the hottest team in MLS and the Sounders were struggling. 

Schmid noted after last Sunday’s meeting that Arena had concentrated on disrupting the Sounders’ game in the midfield and that its success helped to account for the low scoring.

After Friday’s workout at the Sounders’ Starfire Training Center in Tukwila, Schmid focused on what it will take for his team to prevail on Sunday.

"We’re excited and I think we are ready tactically,” Schmid said.  “It’s one of those things. Their tactical game plan last time was set a certain way, they got a goal and it worked for them. If we would’ve finished our chances then everybody would’ve said their tactical plan was bad. That’s the way it is."

“For us, it’s a matter of creating a similar amount of chances that we did the last game. If we can put 15 shots, if we can put 8-10 shots on goal and force [Donovan] Ricketts into saves I think we will get the goals we need.”

After Sunday’s match Schmid noted that it was the first half of a 90-minute game that stood 1-0 in the Galaxy’s favor. He explained that his team has played well on the road and looked forward to the challenge of turning a one goal disadvantage around and advancing to the Western Conference Finals.

Should Sunday's match end in a tie, the Galaxy will advance due to the one goal edge achieved last week. If the Sounders prevail by one goal then a 30-minute overtime session will be held. Should the teams be even at that point, the issue will be resolved by penalty kicks. 

On the Los Angeles side, Arena can take solace in the fact that the Galaxy are strong at home. Schmid conceded that overcoming a Galaxy home field advantage represents a challenge to his team Sunday night.

"They are … at home so you get a little more excited at home to want to try and go forward and you’re playing in front of friends and family," Schmid noted.

Defender Jeff Parke was injured in the second half of last week’s match and was replaced by veteran Tyrone Marshall. Schmid held him out of drills all week and evaluated the possibility of him working out Friday. The coach’s Friday report was not optimistic.  

"We saw how he was today, he couldn’t train today," Schmid revealed. "So chances are probably not good that he’ll play but we’ve still got two days so we will see."

If Parke is unable to play, Marshall is the likely starter. Marshall has looked good in Champions League action this season and knows the Galaxy well, having earned All-Star status as a defender there.

Schmid has one available card to play to boost scoring punch. Former Harvard University star Mike Fucito performed with gusto and displayed goal scoring potential in Champions League action.

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Los Angeles Galaxy left back Todd Dunivant, after nursing a right hamstring injury, is expected to be available for the second leg of the 2010 MLS Western Conference semifinal against the Seattle Sounders on Nov. 7.

“I did everything [in training Wednesday],” Dunivant said. “I’m still trying to be smart about it, ease into the week a little bit and not test it too much. But I did everything and didn’t have any restrictions. That’s a good sign."

Outgoing defender Eddie Lewis did well to fill in Dunivant's shoes in the first leg, which resulted in a 1-0 Los Angeles victory.

“I think I ate extra well,” Lewis said on his start and the ensuing cravings that followed. “I figured I better fuel up because I have to get my running shoes on. These things happen all the time. That’s why you always keep one eye on things in case you get the call.”

“We kind of decided on Sunday it didn’t make sense to play through that,” Dunivant said. “Potentially I’d be out for the rest of the playoffs and potentially put our team in danger as well. I didn’t want to go out there for 10 minutes and then get subbed. That’s not good.

“I felt something on Thursday and tried to push through it. I trained on Friday, trained on Saturday. It just got worse and worse each day.

"We were talking whether to try and give it a go anyway on Sunday and ultimately the trainers, Bruce, all of us kind of decided that it didn’t make sense to try and play through that and potentially be out the rest of the playoffs and also to potentially put our team in danger as well.”

It was the decision made four hours before kickoff of that match that allowed Lewis to keep Sanna Nyassi, Fredy Montero, Steve Zakuani, Blaise Nkufo and the rest of the Sounders attack at bay.

“We knew they were going to press us, and a lot of their strengths come from the outside,” Galaxy defender Sean Franklin said. “We just have to be ready for the same thing this weekend.”

“Eddie’s been around a long time and knows how to play,” Dunivant remarked. “He’s a gamer. He got out there and did the job. He hasn’t started in a match in long time and stepped in the playoffs in a very difficult situation against a very fast player [and] Eddie completely shut [Nyassi] down."

When asked of his prospects of starting, Dunivant fancied his chances.

“We’re very optimistic,” Dunivant said. “[I] had an MRI this week and there were no major tears, no major inflammation. It was a mild strain. Not playing kind of avoided making it a lot worse."

Whether or not he would start is, of course, a game-time decision by manager Bruce Arena.

“I’ll leave that up to Bruce,” Dunivant said, “but we’re in good hands either way.”

“We’ll see,” Lewis said. “Bruce has talked all season about the strength of the squad and kind of the way he’s built the team. You hope a guy can step in, even under difficult circumstances, and carry on."

“Last week it worked out quite well, and we'll see how this week plays out.”

Kickoff is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. PT/9:00 p.m. ET and will be televised by ESPN and ESPN Deportes.

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Giovanni Saverese, the former MLS and Venezuelan national team striker, said that the New York Cosmos will aim to play entertaining soccer, a style of play that allows the players to express themselves, a style of play that is currently best exemplified by world powerhouse FC Barcelona.

Savarese, the Cosmos director of youth teams, said the group behind the effort to revive the legendary club is serious and has the wherewithal to do what it takes to become the 20th club in MLS and the second team from the New York metropolitan area.

The former Venezuelan goalscorer is a credible and effective spokesperson for the organization. Listen to the long and informative interview with Jorge Ramos of ESPN Radio en espanol.

Interview with Giovanni Savarese of the New York Cosmos

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Playing front of record crowd of 22,839 fans, the New York Red Bulls' inaugural season at Red Bull Arena ended with a 3-1 (3-2 aggregate) loss to the San Jose Earthquakes.

When it's said and done, the San Jose Earthquakes came into Red Bull Arena and simply dominated the Red Bulls in their own home and ignored the boisterous home crowd and their Empire Supporters Club.

Led by Bobby Convey's magnificent two-goal performance and Chris Wondolowski's game winner, the San Jose Earthquakes now advance to the Eastern Conference Finals, where they will face the winner of the Columbus Crew-Colorado Rapids series.

Entering tonight's match down a goal, San Jose struck first when Bobby Convey scored in the sixth minute to tie the aggregate score 1-1. Despite the strong effort by the Red Bulls, they missed their opportunity to tie the game in order to reclaim the aggregate lead in the first half.

Their best chance came in the 38th minute, when Juan Agudelo broke down San Jose's defense and took a shot that hit the post. If that wasn't enough, at times it appeared that Mehdi Ballouchy was dancing with the ball too much when he should have either taken a shot or passed the ball to an open player.

Things didn't fare better for the Red Bulls when Bobby Convey scored his second goal of the match in the 76th minute, when he took a pass from Arturo Alvarez and in the shades of Gary Payton, he beautifully did a spin move on Tim Ream and beat Red Bulls goalkeeper Bouna Coundoul for the goal.

At that point, San Jose led 2-0 and led 2-1 on aggregate score. Following Convey's goal, Juan Agudelo demonstrated that he has the potential of being a future superstar as he marvelously lobbed the ball to Juan Pablo Angel where he headed in a goal in the 78th minute.

With the Red Bulls trailing 2-1 but tied 2-2 on aggregate score, Juan Pablo Angel who was possibly playing his final game with the the Red Bulls provided his teammates the opportunity to force an overtime.

However, the Red Bulls defense collapsed when MLS leading goal scorer, Chris Wondolowski game-winning goal in the 81st minute gave San Jose a 3-1 lead and 3-2 aggregate.

Thierry Henry, who sat out the last three games due to a knee injury, came out in the 84th minute. In the 88th minute, he had his opportunity to tie the game to force a potential overtime when he misfired his header. From there and a couple of calls in favor of San Jose, the Earthquakes pulled off a stunning upset in dramatic fashion.

Despite tonight's consequential loss, the New York Red Bulls and their fans have reasons to be proud of their 2010 MLS season. Coming off a year where they were the laughingstock of the league, the Red Bulls rebounded as they won the Eastern Conference title.

When fans look back at the Red Bulls inaugural MLS season at Red Bull Arena, they're going to remember the hiring of Erik Soler and Hans Backe. They're also going to remember the acquisitions of Tim Ream and Joel Lindpere as well as the goalkeeping skills of Bouna Coundoul.

The Designated Trio of Juan Pablo Angel, Thierry Henry and Rafa Marquez will definitely be talked about and analyzed over and over again.

Hopefully, Red Bull fans will look at the 2010 MLS season as a season where the New York Red Bulls achieved a level of respectability that was never there before and look forward towards the next season.

Cesar Diaz covers Soccer for Latino Sports. Please email him your questions and comments to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

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Convey, the former D.C. United 17-year-old rookie phenom, the youngest player drafted into MLS, now 27, looked fully recovered from recurring knee injuries. Convey did it all in this game and thoroughly outshined the high profile New York Red Bulls "Galacticos," Thierry Henry, Juan Pablo Angel and Rafael Marquez. Convey scored two brilliant goals (6th and 76th minute), and made a skillful lob into the penalty area that allowed to Chris Wondolowski (81st minute) to head the ball over Bouna Coundoul.

San Jose went on to win the second leg of the series, 3-1.

The one bright spot for New York Red Bull was the play of 17 year-old Colombian American striker Juan Agudelo, who displayed tremendous dribbling skills, speed and guile. At the 78th minute, Agudelo penetrated the penalty area on the left side, dribbled past a defender, and sent a beautifully weighted lob to Angel who headed the ball into the San Jose net to make the score, 1-2.

Unfortunately for the Red Bulls, the effort was too little and too late.

French international Thierry Henry entered the game late into the match with only 10 minutes remaining and had a couple of chances that he thoroughly botched. Mexican star defender Rafael Marquez had a sub-par performance with marked inconsistency and mental lapses that contributed to the first San Jose goal.

Angel scored one goal and played with heart and determination, but was dismal on direct free kicks and lacked any creativity.

At the end, the Earthquakes workmen’s like performance, patience and determination, coupled with the brilliant play of Convey, was enough to eliminate the Red Bulls, 3-2 on aggregate (New York Red Bulls won the first match in San Jose, 1-0).

Convey seems to have returned to top form and reminded fans of the level he is capable of reaching. As American fans surely recall, Convey at one point came close to joining Tottenham Hotspur of the Premier League back in 2003 when the London club agreed to pay a $3 million transfer to MLS, but the transfer stalled when his work permit application was denied due to his lack of appearances with the senior U.S. national team.

San Jose will play the winner of the series between the Columbus Crew and Colorado Rapids.

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When the Sounders step inside the Home Depot Center on Sunday, they’ll be playing for their playoff lives.

The bottom line is that if they do not come up with a victory, they will not advance. They’ll come back to Seattle, and their season will be over.

That’s the face value of the match, at least.

For the second consecutive season, the Sounders have snuck into the playoffs. And after three playoff games, the Sounders have failed to put a single ball in the back of the net. They have played 300 minutes of goalless, playoff soccer.

Something has to give on Sunday.

Because in my opinion, the Sounders are playing for a little more than just surviving and advancing. Elimination by the Los Angeles Galaxy on Sunday means that the Sounders would have had the exact same year they had last year.

Sure, they won the US Open Cup Championship again. It’s a feat. But it’s only a momentary feeling of accomplishment.

During the preliminary rounds, teams are sending their reserves and playing for depth. Only when a team reaches the semifinals do MLS sides actually put forth effort.

The real tournament to win is the MLS Cup playoffs, and if the Sounders can’t even get out of the preliminary matchup again, it would leave a feeling of emptiness—two straight years of elimination in the Conference semifinals.

Sure, they earned a berth in the CONCACAF Champions league.

They won only two of their eight matches against powerhouse clubs from Central America. They were straight up dominated.

So can you say that, other than just being there, the Sounders earned much?

Don’t get me wrong. Last year, the Sounders had an amazing year. It was an unprecedented year not only in Major League Soccer, but the entire landscape of American sports.

For a first year franchise, it was something to behold.

But the Sounders have so much more potential. And they have the potential to evolve past what the typical American sports franchise can do.

With the MLS expanding, with the face of American soccer slowly improving, are the Seattle Sounders going to continue to evolve with it? Sure the team is trendy now, but the only sure fire way to make sure they stay trendy is to create a perennial winner.

For the beauty of soccer, compared to American sports, is that the Sounders don’t just have one league and one league competition to dominate, but they can take it abroad and test their mettle against the best in the World.

Just recently, South America’s CONMEBOL has announced that they are interested in bringing American sides to join Copa Libertadores, South America’s equivalent to the CONCACAF Champions league. They’ve already had Mexican sides playing in the competition for a while now.

Then, there is also the Super Liga competition, in which the MLS’s best go head-to-head against Mexico’s best in a small eight-team tournament.

Why does any of this matter for Seattle’s crucial away leg match against the star studded Galaxy?

The Sounders cannot take the next step towards being an American dynasty until they do it domestically.

Call me selfish...call me ambitious. But I’ve seen first hand the following this team has. I know the resources this team has. I know the spring board this team has.

They’ve come into Major League Soccer when it was vulnerable. They’ve made themselves not only a force on the pitch, but financially as well. They have a legitimate advantage. And they’ve used to it to formulate the team they have on the pitch.

Now is the time to take advantage.

To have the MLS Cup trophy in Seattle holds much more significance than a pair of US Open Cups.

It would propel them into next year’s Champions League with confidence and notoriety.

At some point, being the only MLS team to constantly sell out your building gets old. Portland and Vancouver will help flip the image of MLS when it comes to fan support. Seattle will no longer be alone in that department.

The pitch is where Seattle will now set themselves apart. Steps forward have to be made. There actually ARE other places to go than up. And down is a scary place for this team to go with the direction that the league as a whole is taking.

Seattle cannot become that team that makes the playoffs every year—only to disappoint and not bear the fruit of their labors.

A championship is only going to get harder as the league grows.

So, it starts Sunday. The Seattle Sounders need to make the Western Conference Finals.

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Mike Fucito fell in love with soccer at first opportunity. His desire and spirit represent an embodiment of accomplishment through continued effort.

Fucito hails from Westford, Massachusetts, located some 35 miles from Boston. While living most of his life in Westford, he left the public school system to attend the Brooks School in North Andover. Head Coach Dusty Richard and assistant John Packard had the tools to develop a championship club as Fucito formed a tandem with Charlie Davies, who would ultimately star in international professional ranks with French Ligue 1 team Sochaux and be capped 16 times for the U.S. National Team.

As seniors the duo of Fucito and Davies, who also played together in club action, rewrote the record books. Fucito captained a squad that won the New England Championship and was the only undefeated and untied team in league history.

In order to achieve one requires an opportunity, and Fucito was fortunate in attracting the interest of one of soccer’s top coaches in John Kerr. Former U.S. National Team member Kerr coached Fucito at FC Greater Boston Bolts. Fucito’s performance with Kerr’s club prompted a recommendation that dramatically enhanced the player’s visibility and opportunity in the soccer world.

Kerr was then head coach at Harvard. He was sufficiently impressed to recommend Fucito to the Harvard admissions staff. The rest is history, as Fucito sparkled in Ivy League competition.

Fucito more than repaid Kerr for his confidence in his ability, beginning with his freshman season of 2004 as he was named Ivy League Rookie of the Year while being named to the All-Ivy League second team. In Fucito’s 2006 campaign, in which he played left wing, he ranked among the nation’s leaders with nine goals and as many assists, securing first team All-Ivy League honors. He was also named to the All-Northeast Region first team.  Fucito would be selected to the All-Ivy League and All-Northeast Region first teams in 2007 and 2008 as well.

Fucito helped lead the Crimson to the NCAA Tournament three consecutive years. In 2007 and 2008, he was named Academic All-Ivy League. He was also named to the ESPN Academic All-District team in 2007.

The prolific scorer kept Ivy League statisticians on alert. Fucito completed his Harvard career ranked fourth among all-time scorers. He chalked up 32 career goals and 24 assists despite playing injured his final two seasons and undergoing hip surgery in the off-season.

Fucito served as Harvard’s captain his senior campaign. He was a finalist for the Lowe’s Senior Class Award.

With such an excellent career achieved at a prestigious as well as high visibility university as Harvard, it was only natural that Fucito would draw attention from the Major League Soccer community. One team that took a close look was located far west from Harvard in Seattle, where the Sounders carefully scrutinized him.

Chris Henderson, a former MLS star, serves as Sounders Technical Director. One of his responsibilities is heading the team’s scouting operation. He joined the Sounders community in 2008, one year before the team would begin competing in MLS play.  Henderson recalls the period leading up to the MLS Superdraft of January 15, 2009.

“It was our first draft and we wanted to make sure we made the right choices,” Henderson said. “We were interested in Mike Fucito and I knew his coach, John Kerr, from playing with him on the U.S. National Team. When I told him about our interest in drafting Mike, John was very emphatic. ’It’s worth it to take a chance on Mike and you won’t be sorry if you do,’ John told me. John praised Mike’s attitude as well as his abilities as a player.”

Seattle selected the Harvard All-American in the fourth round of the draft. Eventually an opportunity would surface to help the club during a key moment in the first half of the 2010 campaign. Fucito reminisced about it when interviewed following a workout at the Sounders’ Starfire training facility in Tukwila.

After asking the stocky 24-year-old about his love for soccer and when he believed that it might be possible for him to play the game professionally, his response was quick and direct.

“Going into college my goal was to develop my talents,” Fucito said, “but the time when I began to really think that a professional career was possible was when I was named to the All-American team. I thought about playing professional soccer before but at that point the goal became a lot more reasonable to me.”

As earlier noted, Fucito was awarded for academic as well as athletic achievement. His major was psychology. This led to the question of whether he is able to put knowledge gained in that area to use in his soccer career. Fucito clearly enjoyed the question and had a ready answer.

“Yes, definitely,” he responded. “Psychology is about learning to interact. That’s what soccer is all about. It’s a team sport and to play it successfully you have to know how to interact with your teammates. It takes chemistry. I have it when I work with Nate Jaqua.”

While Fucito is stocky and Jaqua tall and rangy, the two players have one important asset in common. Each has a hustling, non-stop playing style.

The interview entered a déjà vu moment for Fucito when he was asked about a moment of achievement that stood out in his career. He selected the one that came after a patient wait, when the 5-9, 165 pound Fucito got the call from Coach Sigi Schmid to take the pitch at a key moment of the team’s April 17 match against the Kansas City Wizards, ironically the team for which Sounders chief scout Henderson starred in his playing days.

The capacity throng of 35,924 at the Xbox Pitch of Qwest Field was stirring restlessly, fearing that victory was eluding the Sounders as the teams battled at 0-0, marching well into overtime. Would the tide change?

Mike Fucito has always been an explosive player with quick striking capability. That ability served him well just as the clock was about to expire.  In the 92nd minute Brad Evans took a throw-in 25 yards out on the right sideline, finding Fucito racing into an open area on the right side of the box.

Fucito looked toward the far post. This drew Wizards goalkeeper Jimmy Nielsen one step to his right. Fucito  blasted the ball past Nielsen’s left hand. It landed in the net for a 1-0 lead as pandemonium reined.

The afternoon’s thrills had not expired with the Fucito goal, however, as Kansas City barely beat the clock to launch a final surge. It was repelled as Sounders goalkeeper Kasey Keller made a diving save to prevent a tying Kansas City goal.

“We thought that the match had ended,” Keller explained.

As for Mike Fucito, a journey that started on the Massachusetts youth soccer fields, extended to Harvard All-American status, and continued to MLS play in the Pacific Northwest with the Seattle Sounders had seen him score his first goal. Fucito made history, becoming the sixth player and first since 2005 to score his first career goal as a game winner in stoppage time.

“That’s the best feeling in the world, scoring a goal,” Fucito said at the time. “I’m glad that it was at such an opportune time.”

It pays to be a student of the game. Fucito’s effort furnished him with an opportunity to score his winning goal against Kansas City.

“I remember from film that on throw-ins Sigi always wants someone to stretch,” Fucito said after the win. “I saw that Brad had the ball and I ran through trying to stretch them. He made a great throw right in my path and I was one-on-one with the goalie. I hit it and I finished it well.”

The euphoria from that experience was on Fucito’s mind during the interview as well when he was asked to describe his biggest career moment. At the same time, the Kansas City encounter displayed both the ecstasy as well as the agony of soccer.

“That first goal will always stand out,” Fucito said. “You feel like all that hard work was worth it.”

As euphoric as the feeling was from scoring the first goal of his MLS career and enabling the Sounders to achieve a storybook win as time was about to expire, there was the agony as well, the hard luck moment.

“My knee got caught in the turf,” Fucito explained. “I had to have it drained.  It took over 100 stitches to sew it up.”

From that point it was on to rehabilitation. When Fucito returned it was with steely resolve. The competition that emerged was some of the most challenging for any player to face, particularly someone returning following an injury period. Fucito was given a start in Champions League action September 22 against rugged Mexican power Monterrey on its home pitch.

The Fucito speed and quick strike capability surfaced early. The attacking strategy employed by Fucito and Jaqua paid off in the 27th minute. Fucito drove a shot that defelected off of Hiram Ricardo Mier and past Jonathan Orozco for an own goal to give the Sounders a 1-0 lead.

Fucito kept up the aggressive pace and in the 45th minute he tallied to give Seattle a 2-0 lead. Alvaro Fernandez and Jaqua connected on a ball. Jaqua then found Fucito on a run up the right side.  Fucito moved into the box, then blasted a right-footed shot past Orozco for the 2-0 lead going into halftime.

The Sounders were unable to maintain their lead and Monterrey enjoyed a productive second half spurt to win 3-2, but the visitors made a great impact while Fucito’s appetite was whetted for some more challenging CONCACAF action.

He got his next opportunity before the Qwest Field faithful one week later September 29. The result was Seattle’s lone win in Champions League competition with a 2-0 triumph over CD Marathon of Honduras. Fucito scored both goals.  he first came in the 21st minute after tracking down a bouncing ball, then streaking past his defender and drilling the ball into the net.

The second and last tally of the night came in the 68th minute. Marathon was called for a foul just outside the box. Fucito lined up over the free kick alongside the right-footed Mike Seamon. Fucito cleverly bent the ball around the wall for another one of his patented bullets.  It found the back of the net.

Once more Fucito revealed that he was paying careful attention to Coach Sigi Schmid.

“The free kick just comes from Sigi,” Fucito said. “The other day in practice he had me trying some things in a similar situation where I was bending it over the wall and into the near post. After working on that for a little bit it translated to the game.”

Chris Henderson commented on Fucito’s successful return to action as well as his attention to detail.

“Mike Fucito is a good example of someone who has worked hard for his opportunity and then is able to deliver when he gets the chance,“ Henderson said. “We also like his attitude, the way that he listens to what his coaches tell him, just as John Kerr mentioned when we expressed an interest in drafting Mike.”

Fucito impressed in speed and agility tests in pre-season workouts. In Massachusetts before pre-season activity began Fucito worked with Boston trainer Mike Perry.  Operating from a standing start with no starting block available, he ran a 4.41 40. Given the aforementioned, he would appear to be capable of a 4.38 or 4.39.  

One experienced veteran of soccer who has evaluated Fucito with interest is Alan Hinton, a former English Premier League star and Sounders coach.  

“There were two Sounders players who, from the time I first saw them on the field, I knew had the tools to make the grade,” Hinton recalled. “One was Patrick Ianni and the other was Mike Fucito. Mike has all the necessary ingredients, he can do everything.  First of all, he’s as strong as a bull. He’s also got great speed. He also has great feet and can kick well with either foot.”

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Bruce Arena's Los Angeles Galaxy are a win or a draw away from progressing to the Major League Soccer Western Conference Championship. Consolidation is a main focal point heading into the second leg against Sigi Schmid's Seattle Sounders on Sunday, Nov. 7 at the Home Depot Center.

“We’re definitely not confident yet, or cocky at all,” Galaxy defender Omar Gonzalez said. “We know that this is a two-game series and they’re going to come to our house and try and get a goal."

"We’ve got to go into the game the same way we did [Sunday]—ready to play, ready to get into every tackle, ready to just fight to get that win again.”

“It’s not just a 90 minute game,” right back Sean Franklin said. “It’s a 180 minute game. It’s two games. So we’re happy with the win, but our job’s not done. We’re going to go out next week and get the shutout and get the win.”

Nothing different is expected from G's on the weekend's tilt, according to Franklin.

“I don’t expect a big change,” he said. “They’re a good side. They’re not going to change too much. We’ve got to be aware of that. We’ve just got to play the same way."

"[The Sounders] need a goal and we know the pressure’s on them to get a goal now. We’ve just got to be ready for whatever they throw at us.”

The usual suspects for Seattle—Fredy Montero, Steve Zakuani and Blaise Nkufo—will need a more compelling performance on Sunday because they were haunted by the Galaxy back line at Qwest field in the first leg.

Galaxy captain Landon Donovan summed up the proceedings prior to the second leg over the week: Advantage, Los Angeles.

“The starting point is our mentality and the way we compete,” Donovan said. “If we do that, we have enough talented players to make plays that need to be made on both ends of the ball. That’s the starting point."

"Tactically, we’ll make sure that we’re right and that we’re playing the right way, but the pressure is completely on their shoulders now and they have to come win the game.”

Todd Dunivant is nursing a strained right hamstring and will be questionable. Also questionable are Leonardo and Michael Stephens, who are sidelined with knee discomfort.

Should the Galaxy prevail, they will take on either FC Dallas or Real Salt Lake for the MLS Western Conference crown on Nov. 14 at Victoria Street.

Prediction

I expect the Sounders to score once, but the Galaxy should get their chance at either sweeping the Hoops or forcing the rubber match with RSL. Let's try this scoreline.

Los Angeles Galaxy 2, Seattle Sounders 1
Los Angeles wins 3-1 on aggregate

Kickoff is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. PT/9:00 p.m. ET and will be televised by ESPN and ESPN Deportes.

INS & OUTS


A Big Prize for the Big Cat

Galaxy goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts, the Big Cat from Montego Bay, Jamaica, was named 2010 MLS Goalkeeper of the Year, beating out Real Salt Lake's Nick Rimando and former Galaxy keeper/current FC Dallas netminder Kevin Hartman.

“Maybe [the award is] No. 1, because it’s the first time I’ve been named goalkeeper of the year in anything,” Ricketts said after training on Wednesday. “One out of one. It’s No. 1 for the time being, but it will soon be replaced by MLS Cup.”

For the time being, Mr. Ricketts...treat it as No. 1.

“He’s been great, and he’s put in 29 of the 30 games in goal,” Galaxy coach Bruce Arena said. “That’s part of it as well, the durability of goalkeepers. Donovan has been able to give us 29 good games and our opponents average under a goal a game. If you’re able to do that, you’re able to win games.”

Ricketts finished the 2010 MLS regular season with a 18-7-4 record, 11 shutouts, 79 saves, a 76.0 percent save percentage and a 0.9 goals against average.


Youth Academy Update

On Sunday, the Los Angeles Galaxy Under-18s defeated Cal Odyssey thanks to goals from Juan "Crabby" Gonzalez and Juan Mendoza. As previously mentioned in the last INS & OUTS, the Under-16s defeated Cal Odyssey 4-0. Goal scorers for the Under-16s were Drew Murphy, Willie Raygoza, Francisco Magallon and Azel Mendez. Josh McNeeley and Grayson Cornwall were a goalkeeping tag team in combining for the shutout.

As for the Galaxy's U-14 sides, the A squad will be in action to take on Compton United.



Ricardo got it right, says Kasey

Match referee Ricardo Salazar was right to call an indirect free kick after Seattle forward Blaise Nkufo impeded Ricketts' goal kick late in stoppage time on Halloween, says Sounders netminder Kasey Keller.

“I understand trying it, I guess,” Keller said. “You never know what a ref is going to do. But the ref got it right."

“Strange things happen, but you can’t kick the ball out of the goalkeeper’s hands when he’s trying to distribute. That’s just a rule. It’s not allowed."

Interfering with Goalkeeper Distribution: Law 12 of FIFA’s Laws of the Game states:

“A player must be penalized for playing in a dangerous manner if he kicks or attempts to kick the ball when the goalkeeper is in the process of releasing it."

In the 2009-10 publication, Advice to Referees on the Laws of the Game, the men and women calling the shots at the US Soccer Federation headquarters state:

“An opponent may not interfere with or block the goalkeeper’s release of the ball into play.”

There is no doubt that this would be a hard and fast way to score more goals. Pace yourself, Blaise Nkufo. Pace yourself.

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