espnsoccernet - mls - carlisle: rapids versus the galaxy recap

espnsoccernet - mls - carlisle: rapids versus the galaxy recap espnsoccernet   espnsoccernet home page espn.com home page cricinfo.com scrum.com espndeportes.com espn tv/tune in tv listings espn network usa french italian english pacific rim global espnsoccernet - deutsch espnsoccernet - français espnsoccernet - italiano espnsoccernet - español live scores all scores vidiprinter england premier league championship league one league two non-league fa cup carling cup europe spanish la liga spanish segunda italian serie a italian serie b german bundesliga 1 german bundesliga 2 french ligue 1 french ligue 2 scottish premier league scottish division one scottish division two scottish division three dutch eredivisie dutch eerste divisie portuguese liga russian premier turkey greece belgium austria denmark switzerland south america argentina brazil chile uruguay colombia peru paraguay ecuador venezuela bolivia concacaf mexico usa costa rica el salvador guatemala honduras other leagues japan 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2005 galaxy one win away from improbable championship jeff carlislearchive when it comes to this year's mls playoffs, cobi jones has been partying like it's 1999. ugo ihemelu has been playing like it's 2009. and landon donovan? his phenomenal form has mirrored that of almost every other postseason in which he's taken part. with all three players performing as if in their prime, the galaxy, following their 2-0 victory over colorado on saturday, now find themselves one win away from claiming a second -- and highly improbable -- mls championship. alan yamamoto/wireimagethe galaxy celebrate their conference final win over the rapids.in the case of jones, the 35-year-old proved himself an effective player over the course of the regular season, tallying three goals and six assists from a wide midfield slot. but the conventional wisdom was that the ucla grad's best years were now in the past. while that may be true, the last three weeks have seen the ten-year mls veteran turn back the clock. jones was a major factor in the galaxy's first round upset of san jose, and it was his long range assist that set the table for donovan's killer second goal in l.a.'s first leg victory. it was a goal that changed the momentum of the series, and jones reprised his game-changing role in saturday's western conference final. in the 28th minute, his mazy run left colorado players dedi ben-dayan and eric denton in his wake, and his low cross was stabbed home by donovan for the all-important first goal. in the case of ihemelu, there's more than just a temptation to think that his rookie season has been the stuff of fantasy. the nigerian already has a u.s. open cup championship to his name, and he's now poised to claim his second title in two attempts. but focusing only on those two memories would mean forgetting a brutal run of form in midsummer, when ihemelu hit the proverbial rookie wall like a freight train. the smu product was out of the lineup, and seemingly, out of head coach steve sampson's plans, making his bright start to the season seem like a distant memory. but ihemelu made the most of his second stint in the lineup, and has played beyond his years in this season's playoffs. ihemelu's performance on saturday was indicative of the entire team's defensive effort: solid, with a smattering of scary moments. for ihemelu, his personal fright came in the 48th minute, when a cutback by rapids' midfielder terry cooke saw him evade the rookie. but like every other colorado foray on saturday, that last killer pass proved elusive. on this occasion, cooke's centering feed handcuffed jeff cunningham, and jean philippe peguero's shot from the ensuing loose ball was saved by kevin hartman. little else got by ihemelu on the evening, including a couple of vital interceptions of through balls that looked set to spring peguero on clear breakaways. as for donovan, there isn't much left to say, besides the fact that his playoff beard makes him look like an extra from "the planet of the apes." his finishing was as lethal as ever, as evidenced by the half-chance he converted for his first goal. and his brilliant tally from a solo run in the 88th minute not only sealed the victory, but left three colorado defenders flailing.it's performances like these that prove to be both a blessing and a curse for donovan. while galaxy fans will no doubt be celebrating their star's double, the natural inclination is to wonder why these dominating displays don't come with more regularity, especially during the regular season. while donovan's inconsistency hasn't come back to haunt him in mls, the concern is that they will during next summer's world cup, when the competition -- and stakes -- will be higher.of course, the galaxy have more than just the three aforementioned players to thank for their continued playoff run. luck, that elusive championship ingredient, has been an ever-present force during this postseason, especially in the form of lenient referees. in the first round, how jones escaped any punishment in the first leg for his blatant head butt of the earthquakes' ricardo clark defies belief. saturday proved no different, as tyrone marshall's 71st minute takedown from behind of fabrice noel, when the haitian had a clear path to goal, was punished with only a yellow card. it can be argued that the presence of other galaxy defenders in the vicinity meant that marshall wasn't the last man, but the jamaican's tackle, both in its intent and execution, is precisely the kind of play that was supposed to be removed from the game long ago. marshall can count himself lucky that he remained on the field. whether luck will continue to be the galaxy's companion in next week's mls cup final remains to be seen. having the chicago fire do some dirty work by eliminating the new england revolution would be a start, although los angeles may have to settle for having just an extra day's rest. as for the rapids, saturday's match represents an opportunity squandered. home playoff games with a trip to the mls cup final on the line don't come around very often. while colorado will be haunted by their inability to take advantage of their chance, their lack of cutting edge in the attacking third leaves one with the impression that head coach fernando clavijo squeezed every last drop out of this group. the former u.s. international will bemoan the fact that defender nat borcher's injury, and midfielder alain nkong's suspension for a phantom red card, robbed him of two key performers. but it's doubtful the presence of either player would have made much of difference. donovan is performing at a level that makes him perhaps the premier player in the league. and more importantly, los angeles is defending with a confidence that bears little resemblance to the form they showed in the regular season. so will jones be partying like it's 1999 next weekend? that season ended with an mls cup final defeat for the galaxy, so it's safe to say that he and the rest of his teammates will be hoping for a repeat of their victory in 2002. jeff carlisle covers mls for espnsoccernet. he can be reached at eljefe1@yahoo.com adjust font size: click here to visit the soccernet store   espnsoccernet's top headlines • mcclaren defends 'pointless' austria friendly clash• charlton backs mcclaren as axe hovers | neville• anichebe set to chose nigeria over england• croatia coach bilic adds mandzukic to squad• jewell rules out return to wigan | jones out? most sent stories1. gotta: violence a matter of national importance 2. premier league weekend 20071111 3. seattle to get expansion mls franchise in 2009 more... espnsoccernet  web espnsoccernet: help | media kit | contact us | site map | tools | jobs at espn | supplier information | copyright ©2007 espn internet ventures. terms of use, and privacy policy and safety information/your california privacy rights are applicable to you. all rights reserved.

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