SKC & RSL in the battle of the monograms, see it at 2 p.m. CT on ESPN, ESPN Deportes, WatchESPN, ESPN 94.5 & ESPN Deportes KC, never knew ESPN had so many outlets for KC. A tale of 2 local coaches, Long Island has Mike Petke, as NJ has Peter Vermes, both arrived at their current locations in totally different manners. Petke jettisoned from the NYRB, although it has worked out for the team, I still disagree with it, he has more than landed on his feet so great for him. Peter Vermes from the field to the bench and now also upstairs as he wears a number of hats for the team. The stellar 'keeper for SKC is out of Huntington and asst. coach Zorin Savic was the star of my last team, the Louisville Thunder and like Vermes part of the USMNT but for the FIFA 5 aside team. RSL has former Commack youth standout Kyle Beckerman also part of the USMNT program in the recent past while Khiry Shelton formerly with NYCFC is on the home side. In their first home playoff game in almost 5 years, SKC hopes to wrap up this series as the top seed faces #6 RSL in a knockout game, this is a replay of the 2013 MLS Cup wich was taken by SKC. Widly thought of as one of the most heated rivalries in the whole of MLS. The 1-1 game in the RioT had the home team open the scoring at 51' by Albert Rusnak then in the 60' SKC forward Diego Rubio equaled the score with his MLS top 5th goal by a sub. Vermes is in the running for MLS Coach of the Year and moves on with a win of course, or a 0-0 result. RSL in contrast needs a win or tie with a minimum of 4 goals scored (highly unlikely), the same result as the first game sends them off into 2 15 minute overtimes with the away goals tiebreaker not in play. If still tied, they advance to pk's with the winner facing another team with Long Island ties, the Portalnd Timbers having the HC, Giovanni Saverese and his coaching staff from the Cosmos and El Salvador international, Andres "El Ruso" Flores, that series will be played on Nov. 25 & 29.
The squad let by Peter is a strong one, 10-2-5 at Childrens Mercy Park and 18-8-8 overall seting team records along the way in, goals with 65, goal differential at +25, assists as they amassed 69 while taking 583 shots. Leading goal scorer Daniel Salloi. a homegrown of theirs, hit for 11 goals and Johnny Russell who represents Scotland at the international level is now just the 4th player in team lore to go for double digits in goals and assists as he achived 10 of each. The 40 goals allowed were good for #3 in the league and Melia and co. had a bakers dozen clen sheets, good for #2 in MLS. Iron man Graham Zusi did not miss a minute and was one of the best 2 way players in the league as indicated by his 2 goals and 7 assists.
For RSL. Mike Pekte is now in year #2, but due to yellow card accuumilation, Rusnak is out, his 11 goals and 7 assists will be sorely missed despite their stellar 4-0-1 in games he has missed. 7players totaled over 6 league goals a tremendous offensive balance. Last time they held the title was in 2009, and they had an abysmal road record this year at 3-11-3 yet achived a great 3-2 road win in ousting first year team LAFC with Damir Kreilach hitting for a brace and led the team with 14 goals in his first year here from Union Berlin.