Houston Dynamo @ Sporting Kansas City
Today 4:30 PM CT Fox Soccer
The top two seeds in the Eastern Conference advanced with relative ease, as both KC and Houston won both their games with their respective opponents (Colorado and Philly, respectively). This should be a showdown at Livestrong Sporting Park, with a lot of firepower from both sides. The top two set-piece teams in the league, dead ball situations with Houston's Brad Davis and KC's Graham Zusi will be key to who wins the match. In addition, KC trio of Teal Bunbury, Omar Bravo, and Kei Kamara up top are among the most explosive in the league, while Houston's duo of veteran Brian Ching and the speedy Calen Carr are just as productive.
It's truly a tossup, but I have to go with my hometown Dynamo in a one-goal squeaker, potentially decided in extra time or penalty kicks.
Western Conference
Real Salt Lake @ Los Angeles Galaxy
Today 8 PM CT ESPN
It's a rematch of the 2009 MLS Cup, in which RSL stunned LA in penalty kicks to win its first championship. Expect another classic tonight. RSL is in form after impressively taking out Seattle thanks to a convincing 3-0 first leg win at Rio Tinto and holding for a 3-2 aggregate win after losing 2-0 in Seattle. Always solid in the midfield with stars Kyle Beckerman and Javier Morales, the key for RSL is staying solid in the back, where they have had problems at times this season with breakaways and quick counters. Against David Beckham, Landon Donovan, Juniho, each of which can turn a giveaway into a goal very easily, RSL must be very careful. In the end, I think LA advances behind more possession and finishing, which they didn't do last year against FC Dallas in the West Final.
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