Soccer Betting Picks: Columbus and New York to Meet for MLS Cup
The Columbus Crew will be making their first appearance in the Soccer Betting MLS Cup after they defeated the Chicago Fire 2-1. Chad Marshall and Eddie Gaven scored as Columbus took out Chicago last Thursday. The Crew will now face New York on Sunday in the MLS Cup at the Home Depot Center in Carson, California.
The win for Columbus was a come from behind victory as Brian McBride scored the first goal of the game for Chicago. Marshall tied it in the 50th minute and five minutes later Gaven scored. The Crew nearly made it 3-1 in the 59th minute but Fire goalkeeper Jon Busch made a great save on Robbie Rogers. The game was a very physical affair that the referee let the players decide. Five yellow cards were given out in the game.
In the other semifinal it was New York defeating Real Salt Lake 1-0 on a goal by Dave van den Bergh. He scored in the 28th minute and New York held on for the win. It will be the first appearance in the MLS Cup for the Red Bulls. New York definitely had things go their way as Real Salt Lake hit the post three times in front of a sell-out crowd of 20,008 at Rio Tinto Stadium.
“I think we have to congratulate the guys, and the post,” New York coach Juan Carlos Osorio said. “I have been disappointed sometimes with our luck, but I think we got it today.” Real Salt Lake had a number of chances to tie the game in the second half. Midfielder Javier Morales hit the post in stoppage time and that was the final cruel blow for Real Salt Lake. Morales had hit the post earlier in the game on a free kick. Will Johnson hit the post in the 81st minute and in the 66th minute Jamison Olave sent a shot over the goal. “Tonight it was just one of those nights with chance after chance,”
Real Salt Lake coach Jason Kreis said. “I don’t know what else you can do. I drove myself to laughter on the bench. It was either that or cry.” The Red Bulls got help from the post but also got solid play out of goalkeeper Danny Cepero who made seven saves. “For us the most important thing is our mentality,” Cepero said. “Everybody’s equal in the playoffs and in this league any team can beat any other team on any night.”
New York now gets a chance to win the MLS Cup as they take on Columbus. “This is great, but now we have a chance to really go for the biggest trophy in the United States,” Osorio said.
