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Red Bulls, Crew both gunning for first MLS Cup

Fri 21st, November 2008

Carson, CA (Sports Network) - When the dust settles on the Major League Soccer title game at The Home Depot Center on Sunday, one of the two combatants - the New York Red Bulls or the heavily favored Columbus Crew - will be hoisting their respective franchise's first ever MLS Cup Trophy.

Sunday will mark the first time since the league's inaugural season that two teams who have never before played in the MLS Cup Final will meet for the league championship. Columbus will be looking to be the first Supporters' Shield winner since 2002 to win the MLS Cup while New York will aim to match the 2005 Los Angeles Galaxy as the lowest seed (No. 8) to win the league title game.

The game will feature two of the brightest stars in MLS, with New York striker Juan Pablo Angel and Columbus attacker Guillermo Barros Schelotto.

"Every team has important players in this league," Crew coach Sigi Schmid said. "I mean, one of the things I say to coaches, especially guys if they call me and talk to me, guys who are starting off in this league is, I've always said every team has good players, every team has players you need to be concerned and worried about."

Schelotto was just named the league's Most Valuable Player on Thursday after collecting seven goals and a league-leading 19 assists while Angel is considered by many to be the top striker to ever play in the league after collecting over 30 goals in his two-year MLS career.

"I think they have, in my opinion, one of the premiere strikers in this league, if not the premiere striker in Juan Pablo Angel," Schmid said. "He's a classic center forward. Good in the air, can hold the ball. He's lethal with his finishing. That's certainly an important weapon to have."

The Crew have one of the best center backs in the league - Chad Marshall - to match up with Angel, however.

"I'm very happy for Chad, and I'm pleased at the season he's had and the accolade that he received, because I think he was the best defender in the league this year in terms of central defenders for sure in my opinion," Schmid said of Marshall winning the league's defender of the year award. "... He knows that he's had to be the leader because he's the more experienced player of our two center backs and he stepped into that role. He's been a good passer for us out of the back with the ball. And obviously he's come up with some very timely goals on set pieces and is a very dangerous force for us on those kind of things."

Another key battleground could be the wings, where the Crew feature a solid tandem in Robbie Rogers and Eddie Gaven and the Red Bulls feature the experienced Dave van den Bergh and the speedy Dane Richards. All four have been key contributors for their respective teams in the playoffs.

Regardless of who prevails, however, it should an exciting game because of what is at stake.

"Obviously for me it's been a long time coming," veteran Crew fullback Frankie Hejduk said. "I think being here in Columbus for six years, it's been a lot of ups and downs, a lot of hard work. But with Sigi coming in and taking the reins and pointing this organization in the right direction, you know, a lot's changed. And it's going to be a very exciting game."