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Guillermo Barros Schelotto was being counted on to help his Columbus Crew climb out of the one-goal deficit it faced after a Game One defeat to Real Salt Lake, and he did just that with two first-half goals in Thursday night's Game Two. Unfortunately for the Crew, the normally stout defense it was counting on to pitch a shutout delivered a mistake-filled performance that has helped put an end to Columbus' quest for a repeat.

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Guillermo Barros Schelotto was being counted on to help his Columbus Crew climb out of the one-goal deficit it faced after a Game One defeat to Real Salt Lake, and he did just that with two first-half goals in Thursday night's Game Two. Unfortunately for the Crew, the normally stout defense it was counting on to pitch a shutout delivered a mistake-filled performance that has helped put an end to Columbus' quest for a repeat.

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The Columbus Crew quest for a repeat MLS Cup championship will ride on tonight's First Round playoff decider against Real Salt Lake at Crew Stadium (8pm, ESPN2).

The Crew will need to erase a 1-0 deficit from its first-leg loss at Rio Tinto Stadium to do win the series, and will welcome back reigning MLS MVP Guillermo Barros Schelotto, who is expected to start after being benched for the first game.

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The Columbus Crew quest for a repeat MLS Cup championship will ride on tonight's First Round playoff decider against Real Salt Lake at Crew Stadium (8pm, ESPN2).

The Crew will need to erase a 1-0 deficit from its first-leg loss at Rio Tinto Stadium to do win the series, and will welcome back reigning MLS MVP Guillermo Barros Schelotto, who is expected to start after being benched for the first game.

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Eric Brunner and Columbus try to slow down Yura Movsisyan and RSL tonight. (Getty Images)

Tonight the second leg of the first round playoff matches kickoff in Columbus as the Crew host Real Salt Lake. RSL holds a slight 1-0 lead in the goals department in this two-legged series thanks to the late goal from Robbie Rogers last weekend.

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The U.S. men's national team's European friendlies are fast approaching and we will soon learn which new faces head coach Bob Bradley will be taking a look at.

Why should we expect to see some new faces? The long term losses of Charlie Davies and Oguchi Onyewu, coupled with the absence of Jay DeMerit, has left serious voids in the squad.

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The U.S. men's national team's European friendlies are fast approaching and we will soon learn which new faces head coach Bob Bradley will be taking a look at.

Why should we expect to see some new faces? The long term losses of Charlie Davies and Oguchi Onyewu, coupled with the absence of Jay DeMerit, has left serious voids in the squad.

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Will we see more of Conor Casey with the US National Team? (Getty Images)

Good evening folks, I hope everyone is having a good day. Now that we are in the evening it is time once again for some links and thoughts. I only have two items tonight and really only one link.

My first thought of the night centers around the US Men's National team and their upcoming friendlies this month in Europe.

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STARTERS
Got this note yesterday from a great reader named Anthony who lives in Glasgow: Have you heard of any fans making the trip to Bratislava for the Nov 14 game? I haven't heard anything and US Soccer hasn't even released info about tickets, but I got a cheap flight from Edinburgh to Bratislava so I'm going for the weekend in hopes I can get a ticket there and looking to meet up w any other US fans before the game to march and sing to the stadium together. Click to continue reading...

The regular season is over and the playoffs are the order of the day in Major League Soccer. Surprise qualifiers Real Salt Lake made themselves known in the first leg of their tie with Supporters Shield winners Columbus Crew, while all four conference semi-finals were even matches with little to separate the sides. Click to continue reading...

The United States
The 2009 MLS Playoffs got underway last Thursday when Seattle Sounders FC hosted Houston Dynamo before a crowd of approximately 36,000 soccer fans. Although the end result was 0-0, it was a thrilling match with both teams battling hard to find the goal. The teams meet for the second leg of their first round tie at Robertson Stadium in Houston, Texas at 2:00 pm local time this Sunday, and fans should expect a nail biter of a match. Click to continue reading...

STARTERS
The USA U17's advanced to the Round of 16 in the World Cup and play on Wednesday against Italy.
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Word is out that UANL Tigres left fullback Edgar Castillo has been invited to join Team USA for the 2 games in Europe later this month. This will be his first time with the team. Click to continue reading...

Catching these four match-ups in the middle, so each will be half analysis/half prediction...
Seattle Sounders FC v. Houston Dynamo (0-0 aggregate)
After tying 0-0 in Seattle for the first leg, the finale will take place Sunday. The story of the first game was 90 minutes of physical brawling, I think the second leg will be the opposite: some entertaining soccer. Click to continue reading...

The first leg of the MLS Playoffs Conference Semifinals occurred over the last week, and the games proved to be worth the long wait. While some international players and foreign fans may not understand the need for playoffs, the excitement this year's games have provided so far could very well make them all converts.

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The weekend schedule attempted to match the excitement of Thursday's opener, and Columbus - Real Salt Lake failed miserably. The reigning champions did nothing to remind anybody that they're the team to beat. Instead, a game full of examples of dire soccer got capped with a late goal and a Columbus loss. Click to continue reading...

Real Salt Lake took a major step toward a potential first-round series upset on Saturday, scoring a 1-0 victory in the opening leg of its series vs. defending MLS Cup champions Columbus Crew.

Robbie Findley tapped home a Yura Movsisyan pass in the 88th minute to send RSL into Thursday night's Game Two in Columbus up a goal.

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Real Salt Lake took a major step toward a potential first-round series upset on Saturday, scoring a 1-0 victory in the opening leg of its series vs. defending MLS Cup champions Columbus Crew.

Robbie Findley tapped home a Yura Movsisyan pass in the 88th minute to send RSL into Thursday night's Game Two in Columbus up a goal.

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Robbie Findley, MLS's Player of the Week during the last week of the regular season slipped a late goal past the diving Columbus Keeper from a beautiful Yura Movsisyan pass, and delivers the victory to Real Salt Lake in the first leg of the Eastern Conference semis. The score came late in the game, and it became apparent early on that Columbus would have been happy to get out of Rio Tinto with a nil-nil draw, but RSL was just as determined to get a win at home.

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Columbus needs a big game from Robbie Rogers at Rio Tinto Stadium. (Getty Images)

While last night's game in Seattle got the playoffs started with a 0-0 bang, the rest of the playoff clubs get ready to join the Dynamo and Sounders in the fun. One series kicks off tomorrow night while the other two wait it out for Sunday.

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As their defense of the MLS Cup hits the postseason, Columbus Crew and head coach Robert Warzycha are still waiting on the injury status of Chad Marshall. The Crew's defender of the year has been missing in action since spraining his left knee in practice on September 15. While there was no reason to rush him back from the injury as Columbus secured their second consecutive Supporters' Shield, it looks like he will be ready to make his first start since the injury on Saturday night.

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As their defense of the MLS Cup hits the postseason, Columbus Crew and head coach Robert Warzycha are still waiting on the injury status of Chad Marshall. The Crew's defender of the year has been missing in action since spraining his left knee in practice on September 15. While there was no reason to rush him back from the injury as Columbus secured their second consecutive Supporters' Shield, it looks like he will be ready to make his first start since the injury on Saturday night.

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Robbie Findley - MLS Player of the Week

Conference Semifinals Begin

Finally, after seven months of play the real contest for Major League Soccer bragging rights begins on Thursday night in Seattle. Who would have thought that Seattle, the newest team in the league, would be playing post-season?

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Real salt Lake forward Robbie Findley won Major League Soccer's Player of the Week award for week 32, the final week of the 2009 regular season. Findley had two of Salt Lake's three goals in their 3-0 win over Colorado. That result put RSL into the playoffs. 2009 MLS Player of the Week Winners WEEK 1: Fredy Montero (Seattle Sounders FC) WEEK 2: Kasey Keller (Seattle Sounders FC) WEEK 3: Conor Casey (Colorado Rapids) WEEK. Click to continue reading...

Can the Crew repeat yet again in 2009? (Getty Images)

The four first round series are set for the 2009 edition of the MLS Cup Playoffs. All four series should be really good ones. For the second straight season the wild card positions have benefited one of the conferences over the other as Real Salt Lake got into the playoffs as an eastern conference club.

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I've already taken a brief look at the Fire-Revolution first round series, but haven't spent any time on the three other Conference Semifinals going on around the country in the next couple of weeks. That's about to change though. Click after the jump for a quick rundown of the 'other' first round series.

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STARTERS
Don Garber will take calls on Fox Football Fone-In show on Mon Oct 26 from 6-8pm Central. Jesse Marsch of Chivas USA is also scheduled to appear.
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Minnesota Thunder GM Djorn Buchholz has left the team to become CEO of the Austin Aztex. On a personal note Buchholz has been a fantastic person to deal with at the team and will be greatly missed by me as a fan of the team. Click to continue reading...

Fox Soccer Channel really know its soccer. I love the cable network, and I love the broadcasting duo of Max Bretos and Christopher Sullivan, who worked Saturday's 3-0 Real Salt Lake victory over the Colorado Rapids.

And although they don't work every Rapids game, the offered keen insight into the team and its playoff fortunes throughout Saturday night's telecast from Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy, Utah.

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It's do or die for Toronto FC. (Getty Images)

Big time weekend ahead for Major League Soccer. Four clubs have punched their tickets to the post season dance with four remaining spots left open to possibly all get snatched up this weekend.

You can pretty much put a playoff implication on every game this weekend.

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Yes We Can!!! Real Salt Lake was at the base of Mount Timpanogos last night and things looked bleak, but now RSL is half way up the mountain. When the game game began last night in Rio Tinto, RSL was four points out of a potential playoff spot with three games left. After Andy's winning goal, and then the cracking insurance goal by Fabian Espindola, RSL is now one point out of the playoffs with two games left.

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Jason Kreis and RSL need a win tonight to stay in playoff contention. (Getty Images)

While there is an important US game tonight in Washington DC, there happens to also be a MLS game tonight. Yay for MLS scheduling a game right during World Cup qualifying season, in the middle of the week no less.

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 I was always find the players on the end of the bench to be as fascinating as the players on the pitch.  Who knows? You might be looking at the club's next rising star.Â

Robbie Findley sure hopes so.                      Â

If you're an MLS fan then Robbie Findley probably needs no introduction.

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Week 24 threw up a few little surprises in Major League Soccer, including defeat for both Houston Dynamo and Columbus Crew, another win for New York Red Bulls and something vaguely resembling consistency from Real Salt Lake.
The week's action began in Salt Lake last Wednesday, where RSL thumped Chivas USA 4-0. Click to continue reading...

Since John Ellinger was replaced by Jason Kreis two and a half seasons ago, RSL has been anything but predictable. This season the Utah club was being tipped by many to win the Western Conference, but instead have been fighting to stay relevant in the grueling MLS playoff race throughout the summer.

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Not too many goals to pick from this week with all the 1-0 games we saw. So this week all the goals are included in the list.

My favorites were Beckham's and Richards. What did you all like?

Order of goals: Dane Richards, Julien Baudet, David Beckham, Pablo Campos, Bryan Namoff, Steve Ralston, Wells Thompson, Ramon Sanchez, Pablo Campos (Chivas game), Fabian Espindola, and Robbie Findley (1 and 2).

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United States manager Bob Bradley has named the 24-man roster for the upcoming 2010 World Cup Qualifying matches on September 5th against El Salvador and Trinidad and Tobago on September 8th. There are a few surprises on the roster including Robbie Findley, as well as the established players of Dempsey, Bocanegra, Howard, Donovan, and Bradley.

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