MLS playoff capsules
New England will be without Llamosa as two semifinal series begin this weekend.
NEW YORK (Thursday, October 3, 2002) -- New England Revolution central defender Carlos
Llamosa will miss his second straight playoff match when the New England host the Columbus
Crew to start their Major League Soccer semifinal playoff series Sunday.
Llamosa, who sat out the decisive third game of the quarterfinal round -- New England blanked Chicago 2-1 to advance -- because of the red card he received in the 90th minute of the
Revolution's 2-1 loss in Game 2 at Chicago Sunday, had his suspension extended today.
In addition to the standard $500 fine and one-game suspension for all red cards, Llamosa was fined an additional $1,000 and sidelined for another match because of his actions after he was issued the red card.,
and will serve another one-game suspension this Sunday when New England
hosts the Columbus Crew at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Mass., in Game One
of the team's 2002 MLS Cup Playoffs Semifinal Series.
Llamosa was shown his second yellow card and thus red for a hard foul on Fire midfielder Dema Kovalenko. According to a league statement, "Llamosa's prolonged and aggressive dissent towards the
officials and his failure to leave the field in a prompt and orderly manner after referee Ricardo Valenzuela showed the red card resulted in the additional fine and suspension for the Revolution defender."
The format for the semifinals remains the same as the opening round. Teams receive three points for a victory and one point for a draw with the first team to five points advancing. If the series is tied 3-3 or 4-4 after three games, a 20-minute sudden-death mini-game will be played to decide the series. If no goals are scored, penalty kicks will be used as the final tiebreaker.
Notes: If the semifinal playoff series between the Los Angeles Galaxy and Colorado Rapids requires a third and decisive game, it will be played October 12 at Titan Stadium on the campus of California State-Fullerton.
The Rose Bowl, the Galaxy's home, is already booked that day for a football game between UCLA and Oregon.
Similar conflicts last season forced the Galaxy to shift a playoff game to Titan Stadium which the club has used for U.S. Open Cup and CONCACAF Champions Cup matches, as well as exhibitions.
Capsule previews of this weekend's two playoff semifinal round openers:
Saturday
Colorado Rapids at Los Angeles Galaxy, 10 p.m.
Venue: Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif.
Regular-season records: Colorado 13-11-4, 43 points, tied for third overall, fifth playoff seed; Los Angeles 16-9-3, 51 points, West Conference champion, first overall, first playoff seed.
2002 head-to-head: Series was tied at 2-2. Colorado won 2-1 in overtime is Los Angeles on April 27. Colorado won 3-2 at home on June 1. Los Angeles won 3-1 in Colorado on July 13. Los Angeles won 4-0 at home on August 17.
All-time head-to-head: Los Angeles leads series 19-9 with 55-30 advantage in aggregate goals.
Top regular-season scorers: Colorado - Midfielder Mark Chung (11 goals, 10 assists, 32 points); Los Angeles - Forward Carlos Ruiz (24-1-49).
Top playoff scorers: Colorado - F John Spencer (2-0-4), F Chris Carrieri (1-2-4); Los Angeles - Ruiz (4-2-10).
Did you know? Colorado will make its first appearance in the playoff semifinals since 1997 when the Rapids advanced to a 2-1 loss to D.C. United in MLS Cup '97.
Injuries, absences: Colorado - Goalkeeper Scott Garlick (fractured left thumb) is out; Los
Angeles - F Gavin Glinton (fractured left ankle), F Isaias Bardales (right knee sprain), are out, M Peter Vagenas (strained right hamstring) is questionable.
Notes: Chung's goal in the first minute of mini-game after a 1-1 third-game draw allowed Colorado to eliminate the Dallas Burn in the quarterfinals. . . Los Angeles, meanwhile, brushed by the Kansas City Wizards with a 5-2 victory in Game 3 on the strength of two goals and an assist each from scoring sensation Carlos Ruiz and midfielder Cobi Jones. . . The Galaxy has advanced to the playoff semifinals in all of MLS's seven years, missing only when eliminated by the Burn in the 1997 quarterfinals. Los Angeles continues its quest for an elusive MLS Cup, having lost three times in the final. Coach Sigi Schmid's squad is attempting to win the "double" this year having qualified for the U.S. Open Cup final scheduled for October 24 against the host Columbus Crew. . . By winning Wednesday night at the Cotton Bowl, Colorado became the fourth team to win on the road in the decisive Game 3. . . Los Angeles has historically dominated Colorado, sweeping it out of the 1999 playoffs in two games by a cumulative 5-0.
The final whistle: Colorado's back line, whoever starts, must find a way to slow Ruiz down. With his teammate Cobi Jones finding a rhythm again, that may be a tall order for the Rapids, who used a shuffled lineup to send the Burn home after losing the series opener 4-2. Los Angeles, meanwhile, must respect the quartet of John Spencer, Carrieri, Chung and Chris Henderson.
Scheduled officials: Referee - Kevin Terry; Assistants - Chris Strickland (senior), David Bragg (junior).
Sunday
Columbus Crew at New England Revolution, 4 p.m.
Venue: Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass.
Regular-season records: Columbus 11-12-5, 38 points, tied for fifth overall, sixth playoff seed;New England 12-14-2, 38 points, Eastern Conference champion, tied for fifth overall, second playoff seed.
2002 head-to-head: New England leads series 2-1-1. New England won 2-0 in Columbus on April 27. Columbus won 2-1 in overtime in New England on June 12. New England won 4-1 at home on July 4. The teams played a scoreless tie in Columbus on August 31.
All-time head-to-head: Columbus leads series 17-7-2 with 42-27 advantage in aggregate goals.
Top regular-season scorers: Columbus - F Jeff Cunningham (16-5-37); New England - F Taylor Twellman (23-6-52).
Top playoff scorers: Columbus - M Freddy Garcia (2-1-5); New England - Twellman (2-0-4), M Brian Kamler (2-0-4).
Did you know? Behind goals from Kamler and Twellman, the Revolution eliminated the Chicago Fire 2-0 in a decisive third game, advancing past the quarterfinal playoff stage for the first time in club history.
Injuries, absences: Columbus - M John Harkes (sprained right medial collateral ligament) is doubtfule, Brian Maisonneuve (bruised left foot) is probable; New England - D Carlos Llamosa (disciplinary suspension), F Diego Serna (torn left anterior cruciate ligament, meniscus) is out.
Notes: These two teams have never met previously in the playoffs. . . New England utilized the return of Rusty Pierce and second-half substitute Braeden Cloutier to replace the suspended central defender Carlos Llamosa to limit Chicago to one shot n goal on Wednesday. . . Columbus enjoyed the most rest of any semifinal team, the only one to sweep its quarterfinal foe, eliminating the defending MLS Cup champion San Jose Earthquakes. . . Twellman seems to have found a scoring partner in Kamler who shares Twellman's team leading with two goals in the postseason. . . Columbus avenged last season's two-game sweep at the hands of the Earthquakes in the quarterfinal round and Columbus is making its fourth appearance in the semifinals, the club's first since 1999. . . Still alive in U.S. Open Cup play, the Crew will host Los Angeles October 24 in the title match.
The final whistle: Stopping Twellman seems to be the key to defeating the Revolution. Chicago held the University of Maryland product without a shot on goal in Game 2 and the Fire won 2-1. . . Columbus had problems with midfielder Steve Ralston (three goals) and Twellman (two goals) in four regular-season matches this season and must find a way to slow them down. On the other hand, the Revolution must stop a multi-faceted Crew attack from Edson Buddle, Cunningham and Brian McBride, who have recently been joined by Garcia on the wing.
Scheduled officials: Referee - Brian Hall; Assistants: Chip Reed (junior), senior assistant yet to be named.
