WASHINGTON, DC (Nov 2, 2008) USSoccerPlayers -- Late equalizers and a win for Real Salt Lake finished off the game ones of the four MLS playoff series. With New England and Chicago setting the trend on Thursday night with their draw, next week leaves three of the four match-ups even for game two.
Kansas City 1 - Columbus 1
Best in the regular season versus wildcard team, and it's Columbus needing the late goal. Davy Arnaud put the Wizards up in the 53rd, with Columbus needing injury time and Steven Lenhart for their 92nd minute equalizer. That Kansas City held on says more about the Wizards than the scoreline, playing from the 75th minute a man down after Herculez Gomez was ejected.
"It was a hard-fought game, Kansas City coach Curt Onalfo said. "We said from the beginning it's who the winner is after 180 minutes. After 90, it's even. It's like going into halftime 1-1 as far as I'm concerned."
Potential trouble for game two was Columbus doubling shots (10 to 5) and shots on goal (4 to 2). They also had the lead on corners, 4 to 1.
"We never, ever, at any point in the game, did we doubt that we were going to come back," Crew midfielder Frankie Hejduk said. Hejduk had two of the Crew's four shots on goal.
Real Salt Lake 1 - Chivas USA 0
Real Salt Lake got a game and a goal in their new stadium, the first time they've made the MLS playoffs. The goal came from Yura Movsisyan in the 90th minute, beating Chivas USA keeper Zach Thornton off a cross from Javier Morales.
"Like I said to the guys, maybe we should start playing the last five minutes of every game and then the next 85," Movsisyan said. "We just seem to get it done. We've got great guys in the locker room and everyone put the effort in, and I was able to score a lucky goal."
Though the score was low, Real Salt Lake dominated the offense, putting eight of their 21 shots on frame and winning six corners. Chivas USA had one shot on goal from three attempts and no corners. RSL keeper Nick Rimando got the shutout with one save. Thornton got the loss with seven.
"Things didn't go our way," said Chivas USA midfielder Sacha Kljestan. "Hopefully next weekend we'll get some guys back, get our regular lineup going, but there are no guarantees. The only thing we need to do is play our game, try to create as many chances as we can early on in the game against Salt Lake at home. That's all we can ask for."
In their new stadium offering playoff soccer, the official attendance was 14,719, well below Rio Tinto Stadium's official capacity of 20,008.
New York 1 - Houston 1
With Red Bull NY holding a 1-0 lead from the 48th minute when Juan Pablo Angel scored, Houston took their time getting an equalizer. The shot finally fell in the 85th minute, when Kei Kamara made it 1-1.
Kamara came on in the 66th minute, changing the focus of the Dynamo attack, and at least according to RBNY coach Juan Carlos Osorio, making all the difference.
"But the minute they bring Kamara, we dropped off and probably were aware of his pace. We just competed and you know like they always do, is competing for the second ball, for the third ball and there is a rebound here and there. At the end, they just put it in the box."
For Houston, a draw against a wildcard team in the opening leg isn't a disaster.
"We spoke about it before that it was usually the tie that is decided in the second game," Dynamo coach Dominic Kinnear said. "The first game being a blowout is quite rare, I think. So, I think we knew that even when it was 1-0, we knew to make sure to keep our shape, make sure we stayed disciplined, and we're still going to continue attacking to try and get a goal because 2-0 is much harder to overcome than 1-0. I made sure to tell them that even when it's a one-goal difference, let's make sure we don't get stretched, don't try to be desperate. Let's make sure we remain composed, and I think we did a good job at that."
