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The Chicago Fire and Real Salt Lake are probably not the teams most observers would have pegged to be playing for the Eastern Conference title and berth in MLS Cup, but these two teams earned their places in the Final Four by virtue of strong first-round performances that should lead into a memorable East Final on Saturday night (8pm, FSC).
The Fire entered the season as a strong title contender, but injuries have plagued the club all season, including now. Despite the myriad of injuries, the Fire has put together another solid season and now stand one game away from a fourth trip to the MLS Cup Final.
Real Salt Lake's presence in the East Final came virtue of an unforgettable performance in knocking off the defending champion Columbus Crew. RSL showed now fear and flexed its attacking muscle in a way that suddenly makes the last team to qualify for the playoffs a serious title contender.
This match-up is actually a pretty interesting pairing of teams that are far more similar than people realize. You've got the fiery head coaches in Denis Hamlett and Jason Kreis, the mercurial playmakers in Cuauhtemoc Blanco and Javier Morales, the uncompromising defensive midfielders in Gold Cup teammates Kyle Beckerman and Logan Pause, and the speedy goal scorers in Robbie Findley and Chris Rolfe. You also have your quality Colombian centerbacks in Wilman Conde (if healthy) and Jamison Olave (if he doesn't get a red card), as well as the undersized and cat-quick goalkeepers in Jon Busch and Nick Rimando.
How did these teams fare against each other this season? The Fire won at home and tied RSL at Rio Tino Stadium.
Here is our question for SBI Readers: Who do you see winning Saturday's match? Cast your vote after the jump:
Who do we see winning? Real Salt Lake has found a good rhythm, and its attack is dangerous, but the Fire has the weapons and the defensive discipline to win the match. If star defender Wilman Conde can play, the Fire should be able to control the RSL attack, but even if Conde can't go, the Fire still has just enough to hold off a game RSL squad. Look for a 2-1 victory for the Fire.
Who did you vote for? Who do you see winning? Hoping for a Fire-Galaxy final (We know MLS is)? Think RSL can keep the Cinderella ride going?
Share your thoughts below.
