Western Conference Final Second Leg--CenturyLink Field, Seattle

Seattle 2-1 LA (LA advances to the MLS Cup Final on a 2-2 aggregate due to away goals) 

Goals: Brad Evans (SEA) 27'; Clint Dempsey (SEA) 32'; Juninho (LA) 54' 

Seattle: Frei, Yedlin, Marshall, Scott, Gonzalez, Evans, Alonso (Azira 74'), Pineda (Rose 75'), Neagle (Pappa 79'), Dempsey, Martins 

LA: Penedo, Gargan, Gonzalez, Leonardo, Rogers, Ishizaki (Gordon 74'), Sarvas, Juninho (Husidic 87'), Donovan, Keane, Zardes 

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In New York, they know all too well that the greatest players do not always get blessed with the greatest endings.

Just recently, Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter's career ended in uncharacteristically quiet fashion. Jeter's Yankees, so often a fixture in the Major League Baseball playoffs, did not qualify in his last season. Where superstars are concerned, fans want the ending to The Natural, but more often than not they get the ending to Friday Night Lights.

Charlie Davies' brace powered the New England Revolution into the MLS Cup final. Given the circumstances, Davies' performance in this match and in these playoffs should have been the main story. After scoring only three goals for the Revs in 18 regular-season appearances, Davies has hit for four in the playoffs, including the two goals that put the Revs into the final.

But Davies did not only turn the brightest lights on for New England, who now await an opponent (either the Los Angeles Galaxy or the Seattle Sounders) in the final. Davies may have extinguished one of the brightest lights Major League Soccer has in the process.

Thierry Henry's eternal fame was created at Arsenal. When a club as storied as Arsenal immortalizes you in bronze, there is not much left to accomplish.

So it is to his credit that, serving as the face of the New York Red Bulls these past four-plus seasons, Henry was able to burnish his already ridiculous footballing credentials in a different league on another continent.

"Henry reinvented himself during his time in MLS, becoming more of a playmaker instead of a scorer," wrote Stephen Lee in a blog post for The Wall Street Journal. "He is the all-time team leader in assists."

Lee also noted that the Red Bulls never missed the playoffs with Henry on the roster and that "the Red Bulls won the 2013 Supporters Shield...the only major trophy the team has won in its nearly two-decade existence."

Henry tried to help with the script that kept this Red Bulls playoff run going. He assisted on the first goal of the game, a through ball to Tim Cahill that put the Red Bulls up early and helped them reach the point where they could see their way through to the final. With 20 minutes left in regulation, just one more goal would almost certainly have put the Red Bulls through.

The one goal, though, came from Davies and effectively ended the Red Bulls' season.

Henry tried to keep the subject of his probable retirement from overshadowing the Red Bulls' playoff run, but given the enormity of Henry's global profile as compared to that of MLS that was always going to be a losing battle.

"(T)he word is that if the Red Bulls bow out in this semi-final then Henry will also call time on a great career," wrote John Cross for The Mirror in the run-up to what was likely Henry's last match. "Henry insists he has yet to make up his mind, but is tipped to retire and return to England to work for Sky Sports."

Cross could not resist a cheap shot at MLS, noting that Henry's career was set to end "on a plastic pitch in a half-empty stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts." If Henry is in fact finished playing, that is a literally accurate way to describe the end, but it uncharitably leaves out all that Henry achieved in New York.

This is what the media does. Jeter's last game came against the Boston Red Sox, with whom the Yankees have a rivalry you might have heard about once or twice. The Associated Press' Jimmy Golen (via ESPN.com) had this to say about the game: "Jeter's departure gave some import to an otherwise meaningless game between the longtime AL East rivals, who missed the playoffs together for the first time in 20 years."

In that context, Henry's bowing out in the conference finals doesn't seem so sad after all.

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The New England Revolution advanced to the MLS Cup final following a 4-3 aggregate victory over the New York Red Bulls in the Eastern Conference championship. Charlie Davies was the hero who helped New England advance with two goals in the game. Just like his team, he has returned to top form after overcoming hardship.

New England hasn't been to an MLS Cup final since 2007. Since then, the Revolution have only made it as far as the conference semifinals. They also missed the playoffs between 2010-12. The Revs were underachievers. But since Jay Heaps took over as head coach, they've become one of the most dynamic teams in the league.

Davies was also at the top of his game up until 2009, just before New England's decline began. The striker was a member of the U.S. men's national team and contributed to its eventual qualification to the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

However, in June of 2009, Davies was involved in a horrific car accident in Washington, D.C. He suffered a broken fibula, tibia, torn ligaments in his knee, severe head trauma and a lacerated bladder, plus numerous minor injuries. It was a near-death experience, and this tragic crash kept the American out of the World Cup—and essentially ended his international career.

Davies managed to recover and returned to competitive action with the Sochaux reserve team, which, at the time, was his club. He then spent a year on loan to D.C. United and scored 11 goals in 26 appearances. The option to make the move permanent wasn't picked up by the MLS side.

The 28-year-old then played for Danish team Randers, but he was loaned back to MLS. This time, New England took a shot on the former U.S. international.

The Revolution signed Davies to a permanent deal just before the current campaign. His scoring output declined from 2011, as the forward had just three goals in 18 appearances in the regular season. The reason for his low amount of tallies was that he sustained a chronic calf injury and never became a key starter until late July.

Heaps still called on Davies to lead the line in the playoffs. That was a smart move from the young tactician, because his striker has now scored four goals from just eight shots, per MLSSoccer.com.

The last two goals are arguably the most important for Davies and are easily the biggest of the Revolution's season.

Heading into the 2014 campaign, Davies was considered an underdog who played for a dark-horse team that will now be participating in the MLS Cup final on December 7. The Revs previously lost in three consecutive appearances, per Comcast Sportsnet. But with their newfound resilience, New England is in a position to erase their past history.

An MLS Cup win would also be a satisfying end to an arduous five-year journey for Davies. He lost his spot with the USMNT, and he may never have the chance to experience a World Cup. But winning a trophy for his club would be almost as satisfying.

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The New England Revolution advanced to the MLS Cup Final with a 2-2 draw at home against the New York Red Bulls Saturday. The result handed New England the series victory on a 4-3 aggregate. 

Charlie Davies was the main star for the Revolution, as he provided a brace in between New York goals scored by Tim Cahill and Peguy Luyindula. 

The Revolution, who are in the final for the fifth time in franchise history, will play either the Seattle Sounders or LA Galaxy on the road on December 7.

Here's a look at the winners and losers from the Eastern Conference Final second leg.

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New England 2-2 New York (New England win 4-3 on aggregate)

Charlie Davies scored twice as New England twice came from behind to ensure their place in the MLS Cup final next weekend and ruin what could be Thierry Henry's last professional match.

Tim Cahill had pulled New York back into the Eastern Conference semi-final when his 26th-minute opener made it 2-2 on aggregate.

But Davies gave the home side the advantage once more three minutes before the interval in a savage psychological blow to New York.

However, seven minutes into the second period, Peguy Luyindula restored New York's advantage, and the visitors looked set to build on the momentum and claim another goal to reach the final.

With 20 minutes left, though, Davies headed home a tremendous Chris Tierney cross to send New England through.

It was a sad end for Henry, too, with his New York contract set to end at the end of the season.

Cahill came into the New York side in place of the suspended Bradley Wright-Phillips, but the big question for many of the visiting fans was whether this would be the last-ever game of Henry's career.

Kevin Alston was drafted into the New England starting XI, with Chris Tierney pushing into midfield in place of Kelyn Rowe.

New York started positively with Cahill and Henry clearly looking to turn around the semi-final with an early goal in Boston, and Peguy Luyindula almost slid home a Lloyd Sam cross in the sixth minute.

After not starting in the first leg, Cahill was determined to make an impact, and he flashed a shot over the crossbar from a Richard Eckersley pass.

New England goalkeeper Bobby Shuttleworth needed to be swift to clear the danger as Cahill waited for a Henry cross.

After the early New York dominance, Teal Bunbury broke down the right for New England and sent over a superb cross, but no team-mate was available to connect with just one touch needed to open the scoring.

Bunbury was again in the action moments later when his run was spotted by Jermaine Jones, but the New England forward was rightly called for offside.

But in the 26th minute, New York levelled the semi-final on aggregate. Henry collected the ball at the edge of the area and floated it to the far post. Cahill fought with Jose Goncalves, and the former Everton man prodded the ball past Shuttleworth.

The visitors were in the ascendancy as they chased another goal to wipe out New England's away-goal cushion.

But three minutes before the end of the first period, New England were level on the night and restored their aggregate lead, with Davies squeezing home a Tierney cross with his thigh in a packed New York area.

It was a crushing blow for New York as they had been preparing to enter the interval with the momentum in their favour.

A mistake by Jamison Olave allowed Jones to run on goal early in the second half, but the United States international was wide of the mark with his shot.

Seven minutes into the second period, New York wiped out the deficit. Cahill could not reach a Sam cross to the far post, and the ball dropped on New England defender Andy Farrell. He was unable to control the ball, and Luyindula pounced to make it 3-3 on aggregate.

Jones and Dax McCarty were involved in a challenge, which spilled over into a spat between a number of players on both sides, and the nature became a little more fractious as a result.

New England were calling for a penalty in the 64th minute when Lee Nguyen fell to the floor under a challenge from Olave, but the referee continued the play.

Moments later, Henry gifted Cahill with a wonderful opportunity, but the Australia international did not get full contact on his effort, and the chance flew over.

That miss was to prove even more wasteful. New York goalkeeper Luis Robles fumbled a 70th-minute Tierney cross, and Jones played the ball out to the left-sided midfielder again.

This time, Tierney's ball into the six-yard area was met by Davies for his second goal of the game to make it 4-3 to New England on aggregate.

Davies left the field to a rapturous ovation from the home crowd as he was replaced by Rowe, while New York sent on Connor Lade for Ibrahim Sekagya in a bid to chase a winning goal.

Henry fell to ground after a collision with Shuttleworth, but no penalty was awarded to New York in the 88th minute.

But there was to be no fairytale comeback for New York and Henry as New England held on.

Selected Player Ratings

Thierry Henry: A+

Not the same player as he was in his prime with Arsenal, Barcelona and France, but the striker still showed glimpses of his former self and was the architect of New York's best chances.

Jermaine Jones: A

Pulled the strings for New England throughout the match, and his penetrative passing was a strong facet for New England.

Tim Cahill: A-

Had a point to prove after being dropped for the first leg, and it showed. Trademark battling qualities for the opening goal.

What's ahead

New England will now head into the MLS Cup final against either LA Galaxy or Seattle on Dec. 7 for their final game of the season, while New York will have to wait until next season for their next competitive encounter.

Post-Match Reaction

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MLS Eastern Conference Final Second Leg--Gillette Stadium; Foxborough, Mass. 

New England 2-2 New York (New England Advances 4-3 on Aggregate)

Goals: Tim Cahill (NY) 26', Charlie Davies (NE) 42', 71', Peguy Luyindula (NY) 53' 

New England: Shuttleworth, Alston, Soares, Goncalves, Farrell, Caldwell, Jones, Tierney, Nguyen, Bunbury, Davies (Rowe 84') 

New York: Robles, Eckersley, Olave, Sekagya (Lade 86'), Oyongo, McCarty, Alexander, Sam, Luyindula, Henry, Cahill

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Thierry Henry is still making an impact on his club, the New York Red Bulls, at the age of 37. However, the Red Bulls are down 2-1 on aggregate against the New England Revolution in the Eastern Conference final. New York will need the ex-France international to continue to excel if they want to finally claim the MLS Cup.

Henry has typically underwhelmed in the playoffs. However, despite not scoring, the Frenchman has recorded four assists, all of them crucial to New York's postseason run. 

Henry assisted Bradley Wright-Phillips' first goal against Sporting Kansas City in the Eastern Conference knockout round to tie the match in the 77th minute. The veteran was involved in all three of Wright-Phillips' tallies in the conference semifinals against D.C. United as well.

This past weekend in the first leg versus the Revolution, Henry wasn't as noticeable. Despite that, the Red Bulls are only down 2-1, but New England has two away goals, meaning New York has to rely on their star designated player.

Golden Boot winner Wright-Phillips is suspended for the second leg, which puts extra pressure on Henry to deliver the goods. The forward will be playing his first game at Gillette Stadium, which has a turf surface and is something the Red Bulls star hasn't liked in his time in MLS.

Henry has only scored once in the playoffs in his MLS career, per the league's official website. He'll most likely be playing with the red-hot Peguy Luyindula, who has two goals in the postseason so far, and Tim Cahill.

Cahill has been hit-and-miss with the Red Bulls this season because his role is undefined with head coach Mike Petke. It will either be the Australian international or Luyindula starting up front with the other operating as a No. 10. Henry will probably occupy his usual role on the left with freedom to roam, assuming New York lines up the same as the first leg.

Petke hinted that there would be tweaks to both his system and the game plan, per Franco Panizo of the MLS website.

Like I’ve said forever, we are who we are. However, there can be some tweaks made within this system, and there will be some tweaks made. Not a completely separate game plan, not necessarily [that] we’re going to switch to eight forwards and man-mark everybody else in the back. No.

As the game goes on, depending on how it goes, there could be some major changes either way, whether we’re successful and ahead or we’re behind. Aside from one little tweak, the mindset, the game plan, one or two separate things that we’re really going to focus on, it’s business as usual.

Assuming the Red Bulls are eliminated this weekend, the focus of the team will switch to Henry's future. He's either going to leave the Red Bulls after the season, per Brian Lewis of the New York Post, or retire, per Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News, although that's looking less likely to happen, according to the AFP's Tom Williams and Goal.com's Robin Bairner.

The latter would be disappointing, because Henry can still play at a pretty high level at his advanced age. However, if he wants to finish his time in New York with a trophy, he has to be the one to lead the comeback against New England.

Henry hasn't been consistent in the playoffs, which may describe his stint in MLS if the Red Bulls don't progress to the MLS Cup final, but he has the ability to change that reputation in Saturday's game in Foxborough.

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For the fourth time since October 19, the Seattle Sounders and LA Galaxy will take to the pitch in a crucial Western Conference clash. This time around, a berth in the MLS Cup Final on December 7 is on the line. 

After the first leg of the Western Conference Final, the Galaxy hold a slim 1-0 lead over the Sounders, who bested them at the end of the regular season to win the Supporters' Shield. 

Although they were kept out of the away-goals column in the first leg, the Sounders carry a distinct home-field advantage into Sunday's second leg. 

Here's a look at the key issues and decisions that will shape the second leg at CenturyLink Field. 

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The first spot in the 2014 MLS Cup Final will be handed out Saturday afternoon at Gillette Stadium, when the New England Revolution host the New York Red Bulls. 

Jay Heaps' Revolution hold a 2-1 advantage on aggregate after netting two away goals at Red Bull Arena in the first leg Sunday. 

As if New York needed something else to not go in its favor, it will be without Golden Boot winner Bradley Wright-Phillips due to a yellow-card suspension he picked up in the first leg. 

Here's a look at the key issues and decisions that will shape this MLS playoff match. 

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Two results this weekend will determine the participants in the 2014 MLS Cup final. Los Angeles and New England hold leads in their respective series entering the weekend, but there is no guarantee either side will make the final. 

If fans of the league want to see the best MLS Cup possible, they will be rooting for those two teams to finish off Seattle and New York in the second leg of the conference-final round. 

The obvious headline with the Galaxy in the final would be the retirement of Landon Donovan. The American legend is the league's all-time leader in goals and assists, and he has a knack for performing well in big games. 

Having the best player to ever step foot on an MLS field end his career by hoisting a trophy would be the perfect ending for Donovan. The 32-year-old already experienced a great send off from the United States men's national team, but the October 10 game didn't end perfectly.

Donovan did bury his disagreements with Jurgen Klinsmann for one night, and he put on a show in East Hartford; however, he was robbed of scoring a goal in his final international game. After the match, Donovan was able to celebrate his long career with the fans.

But you have to think he wants to go out in style. If he scores on the way to lifting his sixth MLS Cup, Donovan would easily be named the Most Valuable Player of the final match of his career. 

Donovan is not the only star on the Galaxy roster, as Robbie Keane and Omar Gonzalez also play key roles in the starting lineup. Keane was one of the best players in MLS all season, as he played a role in 33 goals. The Irish forward scored on 19 occasions and had 14 assists in the regular season. 

The Galaxy are also the better team in the Western Conference final at the moment. With their 5-0 thrashing of Real Salt Lake in the Western Conference semifinal second leg, the Galaxy made a statement to the rest of the league that they mean business this postseason. 

Not only are Keane and Donovan firing on all cylinders right now, every other player in the starting 11 is shining as well. The midfield duo of Juninho and Marcelo Sarvas control the pace of the game in the middle of the park, while Gonzalez anchors a strong back four with a few Bruce Arena reclamation projects. 

Robbie Rogers has been one of the best defenders in the league after his transition to left back, while Dan Gargan has revived his career at right back. Add in the skills of A.J. DeLaGarza and you have a stingy back four. 

As if you needed another reason to root for the red-hot Galaxy to make MLS Cup, goalkeeper Jaime Penedo has produced plenty of spectacular saves throughout his first three playoff games. Penedo is the most exciting 'keeper left in the playoffs with Nick Rimando of Real Salt Lake eliminated.

The New England Revolution have mirrored the terrific success of the Galaxy this season, but they have earned a ton of praise in a few different ways. Jay Heaps' side stole the headlines in August when they acquired Jermaine Jones.

Jones has carried his terrific World Cup form into the tail end of the MLS season. The addition of the midfielder has helped the entire team, but no single player has benefited from the acquisition more than Lee Nguyen. Nguyen has been the best story in the league this season, as he scored 18 regular-season goals in a breakout campaign that earned him a call-up to the United States men's national team a few weeks ago. 

With Jones in the lineup, Nguyen has been able to focus on his attacking abilities. Before Jones came to the Revolution, Nguyen was forced into more of a defensive role on occasion next to Scott Caldwell.

While Jones and Nguyen steal all of the headlines, the Revolution have plenty of other star players on their roster. Young stars Andrew Farrell, Kelyn Rowe and Diego Fagundez are a key part of the team, while veterans Charlie Davies and Teal Bunbury are resurrecting their careers this season. Both attacking players have played key roles in the postseason to put New England one step away from the final. 

Sure, it would be nice to see stars like Clint Dempsey, Obafemi Martins and Thierry Henry in the final, but those individuals do not have teams around them like Donovan, Keane, Jones and Nguyen do.

Seattle was the best team during the regular season, but it has scored just one goal in three postseason games. The Sounders have not looked as dominant as the Galaxy in the Western Conference, which leaves a bit of doubt in the minds of some about how they would perform on the league's biggest stage. 

New York has surprised many by advancing to the Eastern Conference final, but as it has shown over the last two games, it is one dumb mistake away from taking itself out of a big game. With that liability hanging over their heads, the Red Bulls may not be the best choice to play in MLS Cup. 

And if we forget all of the names and feel-good stories for a second and focus on the soccer itself, LA and New England are playing the best when it matters the most. 

Both teams don't just flash moments of brilliance; they are strong for each second of the 90 minutes. The potential showdown between the Galaxy and the Revolution would provide us with a ton of terrific matchups across the pitch.

The biggest marquee battle would come in the middle of the park with Jones and Nguyen squaring off against Juninho and Sarvas. How Donovan and Keane deal with 2013 Defender of the Year Jose Goncalves is also an intriguing individual showdown. 

If that isn't enough for you, the battle of New England's speedy young wingers against LA's smart veteran full-backs is the best potential wing contest left between the remaining four sides in the playoffs. 

Simply put, LA and New England are the two best teams left in the MLS Cup playoffs. Having them play each other for a trophy would be the best-case scenario for everyone who tunes into the final. 

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90. 

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