Edson Buddle delivered the MLS goal of the weekend when he silenced a raucous Seattle crowd with a long-range blast, but it was the work his Los Angeles Galaxy teammates did in stifling the Sounders attack that served as the most impressive performance of the opening weekend of the MLS playoffs.
FC Dallas played well in a vital win against Real Salt Lake, and the New York Red Bulls sent a strong message in posting a road victory in San Jose, but the Galaxy made the biggest impression by executing a perfect game plan and leaving the Sounders without a goal heading into the second leg of their first-round series.
As much as Buddle's brilliant strike deserves accolades, the ability of the Galaxy to defend as a team and pressure Seattle all over the field was the difference against a Seattle attack that had looked so tough in recent weeks.
Landon Donovan and David Beckham are more well-known for their attacking prowess, but on Sunday night they both put in valuable defensive work that effectively shut down the Sounders' usually reliably wing options. Without Steve Zakuani and Sanna Nyassi to stretch the defense, Seattle's attack was left struggling for answers far too often.
There were fleeting moments of skill, and some promising sequences, but Donovan Ricketts delivered some crucial saves early before the Galaxy defense really began to dominate the proceedings at Qwest Field.
No, it wasn't a pretty game, but the Galaxy went to Seattle with the intent of neutralizing Seattle's potent offense, and that task was accomplished convincingly. The shutout was made even more surprising because Arena was forced to start veteran Eddie Lewis at left back for injured Todd Dunivant.
Lewis' inclusion figured to give Seattle an area to attack, particularly given Nyassi's recent run of form, but Lewis was up to the task, completely neutralizing the Gambian winger, and with Sean Franklin frustrating Zakuani on the opposite flank, Seattle's offense was reduced to long balls and attempts to dribble through a tough Galaxy defense.
The stellar defensive effort sets up the Galaxy with the task of needing just a draw in the return leg at Home Depot Center, while Seattle must reconsider its options. Sigi Schmid will have to think about starting Uruguayan midfielder Alvaro Fernandez, though concerns about his defensive qualities might make Schmid give Nyassi another try.
Of greater concern for the Sounders is the healthy and availability of defender Jeff Parke, who was forced to leave Sunday's match with an ankle injury. Parke has been vital in the Sounders strengthening of a once-faltering back-line and his absence could spell doom to Seattle's chances of a road upset.
If the Galaxy's performance was the most impressive of the past weekend, then FC Dallas' 2-1 victory on Saturday was the most important. Eric Avila's late blast not only gave Dallas an all-important one-goal advantage heading into the return leg in Utah, it gives Dallas confidence after a match it fully deserved to win.
Real Salt Lake scored early, but looked like a tired team worn down from a heavy schedule. Dallas showed far more energy and could have won going away if not for some strong saves by Nick Rimando. The win, coupled with the fact that Javier Morales will miss the second leg for RSL after a questionable red card, should have Dallas feeling extremely confident.
For most other teams, those circumstances might spell doom, but RSL will have every opportunity to show why it went into the playoffs considered a favorite to repeat. Real Salt Lake boasts impressive depth, and hasn't lost at Rio Tinto Stadium in more than a year, but it will be up to Andy Williams, Will Johnson and Ned Grabavoy to pick up the creative slack for the absence of Morales. That won't come easy against a tough and deep Dallas midfield that outplayed their RSL counterparts in the first leg.
If there is a team that should be even more concerned that RSL after the first round of playoff games, it's the San Jose Earthquakes, who were shut out at home by a short-handed New York Red Bulls side. Chris Wondolowski has carried the Earthquakes attack for months, so when he started missing chances, San Jose was doomed.
The Red Bulls were missing Thierry Henry, Tony Tchani and Salou Ibrahim, but didn't miss a beat as their defense stiffed the Earthquakes and rookie Juan Agudelo provided a glimpse of the future with an inspired performance in his first career start.
The star of the show for New York was Joel Lindpere. Not just for his vital goal in the 1-0 win, but for the energy and tenacity he brought to the match, something he has provided all season for the Red Bulls. He and Rafa Marquez helped the Red Bulls outwork an Earthquakes midfield. The result was a match dominated by New York, which returns to Red Bull Arena on Thursday with a one-goal lead and with the possible return of Thierry Henry from a knee injury.
The Colorado Rapids won their home leg against Columbus, but should feel disappointed with only managing to record one goal on a night when the Crew had no answer for the speedy Omar Cummings. The Rapids created countless opportunities, but missed chance after chance against a Columbus side that looks every bit like a team that struggled late in the season.
The Crew plays much better at home though, and if Guillermo Barros Schelotto can respond in game two the way he did last year in the playoffs, the Crew will have every reason to believe it can erase the one-goal deficit.
Ives Galarcep is a senior writer for FoxSoccer.com covering Major League Soccer and the U.S. national team.
