Three of the four higher seeds (DC United, FC Dallas, San Jose Earthquakes) were stunned and eliminated in the semifinals. Only the Eastern Conference top-seeded New England Revolution moved on to their conference Championship. The weekend of November 05-06, we will see the final four in these unusual playoffs. The Chicago Fire will face the Revs at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, MA, for the Eastern Conference Championship. The Los Angeles Galaxy will go up against the Colorado Rapids at Invesco Field at Mile High Stadium in Denver for the Western Conference Championship. Each is a one-game playoff (no aggregate) to advance to the 2005 MLS Cup.
So who is going to win? Poll ends at 3.00 p.m. (EST) on Saturday, Nov. 05.

Metro, you asked me who I was going to root for on the semi-finals thread. But, I am bringing my answers over here to the conference championship thread. I am pulling for the Revs to upend the Fire in the Eastern Conference. Taylor Twellman has been a dynamic presence on the Revs this season, and I was so happy to see him finally score for Team USA as well. In the Western Conference, I will definitely pull for Colorado. I don't care for the Galaxy at all. It is a shame that the two best teams out of the Western Conference (and the only two that could even remotely compete in the east) will not be there. The MLS needs to look into changing the format a little bit so that the higher seeds have a little more of an advantage than just getting the second game at home in the semi-finals. I wouldn't mind a best of three aggregate system (the higher seed gets two games at home) in the first round.

[ October 31, 2005, 01:13 PM: Message edited by: Cattledog ]

The story of FC Dallas in 2005 will always be remembered as the team that should have won, along with the San Jose Earthquakes. Both teams were excellent this season, but had some bad luck (Dallas, missing the PK in the second overtime period, and San Jose, the horrific clearance in the first match that ended up on Landon Donovan's foot).

In the East, the Metros could have competed with any team, provided that the defense learned how to play and Tony Meola could play like he did against Chivas earlier this month.

2 1/2 days left to get your MLS Conference Championships votes in...

What is the tv schedule for the 2 matches?
:confused:

Playoff schedule (all times Eastern):

Los Angeles Galaxy (W4) vs. Colorado Rapids (W3)
Nov. 05 @ 9.00 p.m., Invesco Field at Mile High, Denver, Fox Sports Net

Chicago Fire (E3) vs. New England Revolution (E1)
Nov. 06 @ 3.00 p.m., Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, MA, ESPN2

Voting closes today...

4th seeded LA Galaxy is going to Frisco. They downed Colorado Rapids 2-nil. Donovan's goal should make the international top 10 of the week on the Fox Sports Report.

Talk about determination. Donovan beat one defender with a move, had a fortuitous bounce to beat a second, then slid in nicely to poke the ball past the third. A swift strike with the inside of his right foot curved past former San Jose roommate Joe Cannon. Let's hope we see some goals like that one at the World Cup in June!

I hope so too. Luckily, our MLS national team members can train without too many distractions before Germany 2006. Only international friendlies but no club play. On the other hand, our international players keep the taste of competition fresh in their mouths. Nonetheless, we'll have a well balanced national team.

*sigh* A team with a regular season record of 13-13-6 gets into the MLS Cup Finals :confused: . The Galaxy wouldn't have even qualified for the playoffs if they were in the Eastern Conference. I hope the Chicago/New England winner crushes Los Angeles in the MLS Cup.

New England wins 1-0 over Chicago on a fourth minute Clint Dempsey goal.

This is two things. Number one, it's a rematch of the 2002 MLS Cup, which LA won on a golden goal by Carlos Ruiz. Number two, it's a nightmare- I detest NE, but I don't have very warm feelings towards LA either. I think I have to root for LA on this one.

And Cattledog, let's not forget. DC United won MLS Cup '96 with a regular season record of 16-16. But, let's also be honest here- the only Western Conference team that could compete with the Eastern Conference teams was San Jose.

That is why, sadly, I predict MLS Cup 2005 will be going to New England, in regulation.

So what was all the fracas at the end of the New England-Chicago match? I know there was a somewhat controversial call-back of a goal due to offsides, but did that lead to post-game encounter?

Or was it just generally emotions running high. The instigator seemed to be the Fire goalie. He wouldn't have had anything to do with the offsides. Or did he?