Soucie on Soccer is becoming Last Second Score, a blog focusing on all sports instead of just soccer.  Soccer will still get PLENTY of coverage on the site, but now I will have the freedom to write about more than just the beautiful game.  LSS also gives me the chance to add writers to the staff without feeling like a fraud since it isn’t just my name in the title.

Please give Last Second Score a chance.  As a thanks to everyone that has supported SoS, my first original (read: NOT counting the reposting of my Orlando Sentinel freelance pieces on HS Football piece will be about soccer ).  I’ll be starting my coverage of the MLS Cup playoffs once the teams are set this coming weekend.

Kenny Cooper makes his return to the national team with this roster.  He’s been getting decent playing time in Germany with 1860 Munich.  If he can provide some spark off the bench, the US might just have a chance at clinching their trip to South Africa before Costa Rica even gets to Washington.  Jimmy Conrad has once again earned back his spot.  Conrad has looked great in MLS play, and deserves a spot on the Yanks’ squad.  I’ve been a fan of his ever since his gutsy play in the Gold Cup.  He’s still got it, and the US can use that to their advantage.

A few players are missing because of injuries.  Jay DeMerit, my preference at centerback (with Bocanegra on the left) is out with an eye injury.  Chad Marshall is also unavailable, but I’ve never been all that high on him.

Here’s the full roster:

Keepers: Tim Howard, Brad Guzan

Defenders: Carlos Bocanegra, Jonathan Bornstein, Steve Cherundolo, Jimmy Conrad, Clarence Goodson, Oguchi Onyewu, Jonathan Spector

Midfielders: Michael Bradley, Ricardo Clark, Clint Dempsey, Benny Feilhaber, Stuart Holden, Robbie Rogers, José Francisco Torres

Forwards: Jozy Altidore, Conor Casey, Brian Ching, Kenny Cooper, Charlie Davies, Landon Donovan

Officially Qualified:  Columbus Crew

The Crew locked up a spot in the playoffs Sunday after DC United lost today.  Saturday, the Crew beat down the LA Galaxy 2-0, cementing their dominance in MLS this year.  One of the only teams in their way come playoff time is the Chicago Fire.  The Fire have played the Crew very well this season.  Now that they have Brian McBride back, himself a former Crew star, the Chicago/Columbus rivalry in the playoffs should be very interesting.

IN:  Chicago Fire, Houston Dynamo, LA Galaxy

The Fire are sputtering a little, but have earned points the last two weeks to keep pace.  The Dynamo have had the CCL to worry about, but still maintain their place at the top of the Western Conference; however, Columbus looks to have outpaced them for the Supporters’ Shield.  The Galaxy had a chance to leapfrog the Dynamo, but couldn’t get even a single point out of a strong Crew side.  Still, the Galaxy are a lock for the playoffs.

Probably: New England Revolution, Colorado Rapids, Chivas USA

This group hasn’t changed at all from last week, with the except of Seattle dropping off the list.  The Revs and Goats still have games in hand, and given their point totals, could actually surpass their rivals, the Fire and the Galaxy respectively, in the final standings.  The Rapids have managed to keep their form, thanks in part to two last second extra time penalty kicks.  More than likely, all three teams will be joining the “in” group next week.

There’s Hope:  Seattle Sounders FC, Toronto FC, DC United

The most rabid fan bases in MLS are battling for the final spot.  The Sounders have far and away the best shot at the spot.  They lead this group in points, and they have also played the best over the course of the entire season.  Toronto’s the furthest back in points, but DC United’s MLS form has been very poor lately.  It is easier to believe in the Reds in part because DC United has too much to worry about trying to get out of a Champions League group in which they are very much alive.

Done, not a chance:  New York Red Bulls, San Jose Earthquakes, FC Dallas, Kansas City Wizards, Real Salt Lake

Interestingly enough, the Quakes and Hoops are playing very well right now.  Unfortunately for their fans, the run of good form has come way too late in the season.  Salt Lake is making it very difficult to believe in them.  While they are mathmatically still alive, there’s just nothing sticking out about them that says “playoff team,” especially since their final game of the season is against Colorado.  Look for these teams, especially San Jose and Dallas, to play a spoiler role in the final weeks of the season.

IN: Columbus Crew, Chicago Fire, Houston Dynamo, LA Galaxy

Unless there’s a historic collapse, all four of the current leaders look to be set in their spots.  Columbus may have locked up the Supporters’ Shield with its win over Houston, but there’s a chance they could slide because of their time in the CONCACAF Champions League.  Houston also has to deal with schedule congestion due to the CCL, but they’ve shown in the past that they have the depth to weather the storm.

PROBABLY: Seattle Sounders FC, Chivas USA, Colorado Rapids, New England Revolution

If form holds, and given how the season’s gone, I expect it to, we’re going to see five teams from the West this year.  New England, despite being behind on points, has a few games in hand to make up the difference.  There’s no reason to believe they won’t pass DC United and Toronto.  Seattle’s win over DC proved that they have to goods to go the distance against the good teams in MLS.  Chivas is still riding their strong start to the season, and it should be enough to get them in the door.  Colorado is the surprise of this group.  They’ve been inconsistent all season, but have put together enough points to all but lock up a spot.

THERE’S HOPE: Toronto FC, Real Salt Lake, DC United

Toronto and RSL have the best chances of making the cut, but both face uphill battles.  If Colorado fails to get through, look for Toronto to take their place.  Real Salt Lake, like Colorado, has struggled to stay consistent.  With only two games left at home, RSL faces a rough road.  Interestingly enough, their final game is against Colorado.  The final match of the 2009 Rocky Mountain Cup could decide who makes the playoffs and who doesn’t.  DC United is all but dead in the water.  Their time in the CCL is going to place a major strain on the depth of an injury depleted squad.  The most storied franchise in MLS will probably miss the playoffs for the second year in a row.

DONE, NOT A CHANCE:  Kansas City Wizards, Red Bull New York, FC Dallas, San Jose Earthquakes

Kansas City and FC Dallas have a hypothetical chance, but it would require a massive collapse of way too many teams for the playoffs to be a serious possibility.  Red Bull New York has been dead in the water seemingly since week 1′s drubbing against the Sounders.  San Jose is still trying to find its identity as a recent “expansion” team.  Like Cub fans say every year, for these teams “maybe next year.”

I would talk highlights of the match, but there weren’t any.  The match was so boring that by the time Ricardo Clark curved a shot from distance past the T&T keeper, no one at the watch party I attended even noticed.  We didn’t even cheer because the rest of the match left us bored and disinterested.  A part of me feels bad, but that’s a small part of me at best.  The reality is the US played ugly soccer tonight, the kind of soccer than turns people away from the sport.

For me, the number one culprit of tonight’s anti-soccer was Clint Dempsey.  For two straight games now, Dempsey has looked completely and utterly bored.  Maybe he’s tired.  He didn’t get his usual summer break because of the Confederations Cup, but neither did Landon Donovan, or Tim Howard, or Charlie Davies and they all played with heart.  Dempsey looks like he doesn’t want to be there.  Perhaps he’s carrying an injury and is trying to fight through it.  Whatever it is, he is quickly becoming a liability.  He may have scored against El Salvador, but apart from that, he’s been terrible.

Dempsey’s replacement, Stuart Holden, proved once again why he deserves a spot on the South Africa roster.  With his recent form, he may just deserve a spot in the starting 11, ahead of Clint Dempsey.  Depending on the stakes of the match, Bob Bradley should seriously consider starting Holden in place of Dempsey in the next set of qualifiers.  Apart from experimenting with Holden as a starter, it might just light a fire under Dempsey and spring him back into the player we all know he can be.

The other player on notice for the Yanks is Michael Bradley.  I didn’t even realize he was on the field for much of the match.  When I did notice him, it wasn’t good.  Bradley is a streaky player, and needs to get back on track if the Stars and Stripes are going to have any shot in South Africa.  We need the February 11th Michael Bradley, not the September 11th one.

The good part about tonight’s win is that it all but locked up a place in South Africa.  Costa Rica’s surprising loss to El Salvador has them destined for 4th place.  To miss out on an automatic spot, the US has to lose both games AND Costa Rica needs to win both.  All of that puts the pressure on the October 14th match in Washington D.C. between Los Ticos and the Yanks.  The time has come to buckle down.  This winning ugly mentality has to stop.

I expect the USMNT to get hosed on the road.  In CONCACAF, that’s just how it is.  If things are going to be this bad for the US on American soil, what can be expected when the Yanks travel to Honduras?  I shudder to think how ugly it will get.

This match also has me worried about some of the American players.  Apart from his goal, Clint Dempsey looked disinterested for much of the night.  He’s been shaky lately.  Perhaps Bradley should consider giving Torres or Holden more minutes and force Dempsey to think about his commitment to the national team.  Perhaps he was just tired, or the altitude was affecting him, but he was just off for much of the night.  We’ve come to expect more of Deuce.  He’s better than he showed tonight.

Several players were also very impressive tonight.  Before he picked up an injury, Charlie Davies was a beast.  He outclassed his defender every time he touched the ball.  Sadly his crosses never found a head, causing all of his hard work to go down the drain quickly.  Jozy Altidore showed the world tonight why Hull City is so happy to have him.  He’s playing with a new found confidence that comes with playing in one of the world’s best leagues and the USMNT is reaping all the benefits.  We’re still waiting on an explanation about his called-back goal.  The best I’ve heard is that Dempsey was whistled for a foul on the pass, but the call clearly came after the goal was scored.

Looking ahead at the final three matches of the 2010 Qualifying campaign, I am very worried.  I don’t expect much of a challenge from Trinidad on Wednesday, but after tonight, I know the US stands no chance whatsoever of winning in Honduras on October 10th.  The Americans are the better team, but if tonight is any indication of the officiating, the match won’t be anywhere near fair.  This means that the final match on October 14th against Costa Rica will be for all the marbles. 

While that makes for a great story, I for one am seriously concerned about the US’ chances against Costa Rica.  Fewer things are more dangerous than a dying animal, and that’s exactly what the Ticos are.  After tonight’s beatdown by Mexico, the Ticos are on the ropes.  Unless El Salvador can manage a miracle and beat them Wednesday, their chances will be very much alive in Washington DC.  Don’t expect them to lie down just yet.  I still think the US will qualify, but the days of a guarantee are long gone.  This will be a knock down drag out fight to the finish.

Here’s video of the incident. 

How he thought he’d get away with that defies explanation.  Sadly, this has been brewing for at least a few days.  Late in the match against Chicago, Wicks and DC United defender Marc Burch had to be separated after Wicks started shouting at him.  The argument was so heated that it looked like Wicks about to rear back and swing before several players stepped in to break it up.  After the next corner kick, Wicks went after Burch again.  DC United players once more had to step in and keep Wicks away from Burch.

Wicks had looked like he’d finally turned the corner this season and was on the road to being a quality keeper in MLS this season. These two incidents have many wondering if that is truly the case.  What is sure is that Wicks has snapped.  MLS needs to look at the incident and consider fining or suspending Wicks, forcing him to sit out for a game or two.  If Don Garber won’t do it, Tom Soehn should.  Behavior like Wicks’ shouldn’t be allowed in MLS.  It shouldn’t be allowed, period.

The terms of the deal haven’t been fully disclosed, but the deal is rumored to be for three years.  AaB tried to buy Rolfe during the transfer period this summer, but was shut down by MLS in an absolutely boneheaded move by the league.  Sadly, the Bakary Soumare disaster likely played a role in preventing Rolfe’s transfer this summer.

This is a great move for Rolfe.  He already has 10 caps for the US National Team, and with the additional experience and training he’ll get he might finally break into the ‘A’ Squad picture for Bob Bradley.  Going to the Danish Superliga has worked for other USMNT players, including Benny Feilhaber.  It will also help Rolfe to have a fellow American on the team to help with the transition period that always comes with going from MLS to European play.  Rolfe told Greg Lalas of Goal.com that Michael Parkhurst and Danny Califf, two Americans that also play in the Danish Superliga, helped convince him that Aalborg was the right choice amongst other suitors from Norway and Germany.

What this means for the Fire remains to be seen.  Cuauhtemoc Blanco and Brian McBride are both in the final years of their contracts.  It has been rumored recently the Blanco will return to the Fire next season, despite his announcement at the beginning of the year that he was leaving Chicago at the conclusion of the season.  McBride remains uncommitted, saying his decision about next year will depend on how his body holds up.  No matter who stays and who goes, the Fire have a lot of work to do this off season if they want to maintain their powerhouse reputation in MLS.  Perhaps Frank Klopas should start focusing on finding players that can win at Toyota Park.

The budding rivalry between these two teams stems from one specific incident.  Today’s match will be played on DC United’s home field, RFK Stadium.  Throughout the entire tournament, DC United has never had to play a game on the road.  Seattle also bid for the final match, but lost because of stadium available at US Soccer’s desired start time.  This has led to unkind words from the Sounders front office regarding the process, something that has irked DC United.  For Seattle, this is match is partially about showing they deserved to host the game, regardless of the circumstances.

The winner of the US Open Cup also gets a spot in the 2010-2011 CONCACAF Champions League.  For DC United, that means they would be the only team so far to qualify for every year of the CCL.  Houston also has a shot at claiming that, but given DC United’s nearly constant connection to MLS firsts, the drive to the CCL will be enough motivation.  Seattle is eager to prove that they would do well in the CCL, despite the struggles of MLS teams have experienced in the competition the last two seasons.

For Seattle, this game is a also shot at legitimacy.  After a torrid start to the season, the Sounders have sunk back into normalcy, experiencing the typical ups and downs of any expansion team.  The Sounders still find themselves in playoff contention.  Winning the Cup could be the confidence boost they need to push through the playoffs in their bid to be the first team to win the MLS Cup in their expansion season since the Chicago Fire in 1998.  Chicago also won the USOC in 1998.

As much as Seattle has riding on this game, DC United ultimately has more.  This is due largely to their marketing campaign, We Win Trophies.  DC United is hands down the most storied club in MLS, winning more MLS Cups than any other team.  They are also the defending USOC champion and are seeking to be the first team in the professional era of the tournament, beginning in 1996 when MLS teams first entered the competition.  DC United is all about tradition, and adding yet another MLS and US Soccer first to their already impressive resume will certainly be on their minds tonight.

Prediction: Seattle Sounders FC 2, DC United 2 (Seattle wins 4-3 on penalty kicks)A lot has been said about Seattle’s recent form, but they haven’t exactly played poorly.  They have the skill necessary to take the game over.  DC United has collapsed in several games recently, causing some to call for the head of Tom Soehn.  The win in Chicago has quieted down the mob for now, but a loss tonight at home could doom Soehn’s tenure with DC.  Despite the motivation for both sides, I see this one ending as a draw.  Since we can’t have draws in championship games, we’ll see penalty kicks.  Normally PKs are a toss-up, but in this case I have to give the edge to Seattle.  Kasey Keller has earned it.