MLS Gamethread: Conference Finals Leg 2

Saturday

4:30PM Sporting KC-Houston Dynamo (First Leg 0-0) (NBCSN)
If KC wants to shake their Dynamo problems, this is their best chance to do it. With the benefit of a top home-field-advantage, and the ability to score goals in excess, KC looks good on paper right now. But Houston has been in the MLS Cup Final each of the last two years, and they only need to win this game outright to move on. Each club is healthy, with the possible exception of Houston's Ricardo Clark. We could see overtime again, which won't be a problem since the MLS Cup Final isn't for two more weeks.

Sunday

6:00PM Portland Timbers-Real Salt Lake (First Leg 2-4) (ESPN)
The first leg sure was fun to watch, wasn't it? Lots of goals scored the dank green were down three, things couldn't be going much better. It seemed like each team's fate had been sealed. Then, that damn last goal went in, with only seconds left in the match, and suddenly Portland heard a voice in the darkness, calling to them from a great distance. A feint voice, but one that could lead them in the right direction. Instead of a nearly impossible four goals needed to put themselves in the MLS Cup, now it is only three. And if that could happen anywhere, it'd be in Cascadia. The Sounders managed to find two goals twice in 2011 and 2012 after big deficits, but couldn't get that third goal they needed to tie the series. Portland only needs those two. It is do-able. They probably know it. Salt Lake probably knows it too. As much as I'd like it to be the case, this series isn't over.