Colorado Hosts San Jose in Unlikely Eastern Conference Final

Filed under: MLS, Colorado Rapids, Columbus Crew, FC Dallas, Los Angeles Galaxy, New York Red Bulls, San Jose Earthquakes

On Saturday evening, the Colorado Rapids and San Jose Earthquakes, who finished fifth and sixth in Major League Soccer's Western Conference, respectively, will meet for the Eastern Conference title and a berth in the MLS Cup Final.

Yes, the two teams are beneficiaries of a ridiculous playoff format. But after years of hardship and adversity, on the field and off, both clubs were in line for a bit of good fortune.

Now one is 90 minutes away from a trip to Toronto and a sorely-needed turn in the spotlight.

The host Rapids have the dubious distinction of being the only MLS club that existed prior to 2000 that hasn't played in either an MLS Cup or U.S. Open Cup final in the past decade. They missed the playoffs for three straight years and still struggle to make a dent in the Denver sports landscape. Average attendance hasn't surpassed 15,000 since 2003. An MLS Cup could change that.

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Source: http://soccer.fanhouse.com/2010/11/12/colorado-rapids-host-san-jose-earthquakes-in-unlikely-eastern-co/

Andrew Ebbett