Winners and Losers from MLS Conference Semifinal 1st Legs
The business end of the 2014 Major League Soccer season began this week with 10 teams vying for the chance to hoist the MLS Cup on December 7.
Two teams, Sporting Kansas City and Vancouver, were eliminated in the knockout round, which left us with eight teams heading into the first leg of Conference Semifinal play.
In the four matches this weekend, we learned a lot about each of the teams left in the playoffs. But we were not given much in regard to which four teams will earn a berth in the Eastern and Western Conference finals.
Here is a look at some of the winners and losers from first-leg action in the Conference Semifinal round.
Winner: Thierry Henry and His Backheel Pass
1 of 8Before we get down to business here, we need to talk about the sick backheel pass Thierry Henry delivered to Bradley Wright-Phillips in the 40th minute of New York's 2-0 win over D.C. United.
Henry knew exactly where his teammate was in the box, and thanks to the instincts of the Frenchman, Wright-Phillips was able to score his 30th goal of the 2014 season. He scored twice in the knockout round as well after netting 27 in the regular season.
Sure, there were a few other crafty goals across the four games this weekend, but none of them showed off skill quite like Henry did on New York's opener.
Losers: Assistant Referees at Rio Tinto Stadium
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Just when you thought the officiating in the playoffs couldn't get worse after Mark Geiger stole the show Wednesday night, two bad offside calls were made at Rio Tinto Stadium.
In the 23rd minute, Real Salt Lake's Joao Plata was whistled for offside after Luis Gil played a terrific ball into the Ecuadorian. Before he had a chance to challenge LA 'keeper Jaime Penedo, the play was stopped.
In a picture provided by MLSSoccer.com's Andrew Wiebe, it appears that Plata is actually onside by a few inches.
Things got worse 13 minutes later when LA's Gyasi Zardes had a chance to score an away goal denied when he too was incorrectly ruled offside.
A still of the moment taken by Goal.com's Seth Vertelney proved the call was once again the wrong one, as Nat Borchers kept Zardes onside.
While we understand that these referees are human, it is unacceptable to get two crucial calls wrong like this in a match that carries a ton of importance.
Winner: Jay Heaps
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There were a few genius moves in the tactics department this weekend, but none of them reaped bigger rewards than Jay Heaps' game plan.
The New England boss instilled a high press from the start of his side's 4-2 win over Columbus, and it rattled the nerves of the Crew throughout the entire match.
Columbus did hold the advantage in the possession battle at 58.2 percent to 41.8 over New England, but it mainly held the ball in its own half.
Due to the constant press, and Scott Caldwell's marking of Federico Higuain, the Argentinian designated player was forced to come further back on the pitch to collect possession.
Once Higuain pushed forward, it was difficult for him and his teammates to start a positive move, as they completed only 63 percent of their 238 passes in the attacking half.
Thanks to his well-executed approach to the match, Heaps and his Revolution side left Crew Stadium with four crucial away goals. That number will make it hard for the Crew to come back on aggregate on the road Sunday.
Loser: Celebratory Antics of Charlie Davies and Michel
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Scoring a goal in a playoff game is a big deal, but that doesn't mean you have to show your awful dance moves to a national audience while celebrating.
The first goal of the semifinal round was scored by Charlie Davies, who found the back of the net with a terrific diving header. However, he gained more attention for his dancing efforts after the strike.
Not to be outdone by Davies, Michel took celebration dancing to the next level with his moves following his 34th-minute penalty that put FC Dallas ahead of Seattle.
We can only assume these are not the finest moments of these two bright careers, but there is hope that they can improve next time around.
As for those seeking celebration tips, a sprint to the sideline or a knee slide is perfectly fine, as long as you don't imitate Graham Zusi's regular-season moment.
Winner: New York's Playoff Form at Home
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It's time to finally stop mocking the New York Red Bulls about their form at home in the playoffs.
Proving that Thursday's knockout-round win over Sporting Kansas City wasn't a fluke, the Red Bulls defeated rival D.C. United 2-0 Sunday at Red Bull Arena.
The two wins over a four-day span eclipsed the total the franchise had earned over the last 15 years, per Brian Sciaretta of The New York Times.
If Mike Petke's side can find a way to win at RFK Stadium on Saturday, they will earn yet another chance to bury their poor form of the past in the Eastern Conference final.
Loser: Landon Donovan
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The postseason version of the Landon Donovan farewell tour hit a snag Saturday after the all-time MLS leader in goals and assists attempted one shot.
Donovan, who is retiring after the season ends, saw Real Salt Lake attack with a purpose Saturday night. Luckily for the quiet Galaxy attack, Jaime Penedo came to the rescue with six saves.
The first leg of the Western Conference semifinal clash with RSL was supposed to see a more relaxed Donovan after he was paraded around at various venues across the league during regular-season play.
Now that the gift-giving part of his farewell is over, Donovan is expected to deliver in the postseason one last time.
Hopefully for the sake of the fans, he will extend his career for at least two more games by breaking down RSL at home Sunday.
Winners: Seattle, New England and Their Away Goals
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This season, MLS instituted the away-goals rule for the postseason, which was supposed to put more emphasis on the first leg of a playoff series.
Only two teams were able to take advantage of the new rule this weekend, as New England and Seattle went back home with away goals to their names.
New England rocketed four goals past Columbus, while Seattle earned a second-half equalizer by way of Osvaldo Alonso.
These two sides, especially New England, now have a big advantage heading into their respective second legs next weekend. The same can't be said for D.C. and LA, who both came up empty on their travels.
Losers: Fans in Columbus
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If only this picture above represented the entire crowd at Crew Stadium Saturday afternoon.
Yes, we get that it was freezing cold. And that the beloved Ohio State football team had a game a few hours later at home. But putting just 9,074 fans in seats for a playoff game is unacceptable.
The attendance number, per Adam Jardy of The Columbus Dispatch, was easily the worst of the weekend, and it sent shockwaves throughout the league.
What makes this number even more disappointing is the fact that the Crew just set a new single-season attendance record after 16,892 fans showed up for the regular-season finale against Philadelphia, per the club's official Twitter account.
Fortunately for the league, a low attendance total like this should not appear again in the playoffs, as the other seven teams still alive usually produce good crowds for big games.
Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.
All statistics obtained from MLSSoccer.com.
