Just like you might hear at a staff meeting anywhere across America, communication, pardon the cliche, is key. That was the message for the Dynamo in their last tuneup before they open the MLS Cup Playoffs against the New York Red Bulls Saturday in E. Rutherford, N.J.

Considering how many times Real Salt Lake have been burned by late game heroics in their short history, there was a moment of irony for them to enjoy with the 1-1 draw at Colorado that clinched that long elusive playoff spot last weekend. Considering how many times Real Salt Lake have been burned by late game heroics in their short history, there was a moment of irony for them to enjoy with the 1-1 draw at Colorado that clinched that long elusive playoff spot last weekend. What RSL are hoping is that one good thing leads to another when they takes on Chivas USA in the first leg of their Western Conference Semifinal Series at Rio Tinto Stadium this weekend. Real are not satisfied with simply making the playoffs. Now that they are here, the club's sights have been rebooted and adjusted.

The Columbus Crew as an organization is making its first postseason appearance in four seasons. However, the players making up the team are not lacking in big games, whether it be in the MLS Cup Playoffs or other competitions.

LA Galaxy forward Landon Donovan and defender Sean Franklin were named finalists for MLS year-end awards the league announced Thursday. Donovan, who has already won the Budweiser Golden Boot Award as the top goalscorer in MLS, was named a finalist for the Volkswagen Most Valuable Player award while Franklin is a finalist for the Gatorade Rookie of the Year award.

D.C. United announced Friday the club raised $10,000 to benefit the Claudia Mayer Cancer Resource Center, located at Howard County General Hospital in Columbia, MD. The proceeds raised from the sale of D.C. United Breast Cancer Awareness merchandise were donated during halftime of United's final game of the 2008 season against CD Marathon on Wednesday, October 29.

The two-time defending MLS champion Houston Dynamo will begin their three-peat quest in New York against the upstart Red Bulls.

Find out what the print and blog worlds are saying about all things D.C. United in the newest edition of the D.C. United Newsstand.

In 2006, Chivas USA played host to a playoff game for the first time, and the energy in the stands that day propelled the Red-and-White to a victory against a higher-seeded team. Now, it is Chivas USA who is the higher seed and must play on the road against the energetic first-time playoff team.

It's not easy to pull off the MLS version of the double. Just ask and of the coaches whose teams in recent years accrued the most points during the regular season en route to the Supporters' Shield, but failed to win MLS Cup.

The Kansas City Wizards will host the top-seeded Columbus Crew in the Eastern Conference Semifinal Series opener.