by Greg Seltzer for Soccer365

With the second leg of Major League Soccer's conference semifinals set to kick off at the home of defending champs Columbus, observers are busy scratching their heads over the four match-ups stuffed with plotline.

If there weren't already enough questions to go around, the first leg didn't often go by the book, leaving everyone with fewer answer than when the postseason started.

In that spirit, we take a quick warm-up jog through four scenarios set for thrilling conclusions over the next four days.

#5 - Do New England have the Fire right where they want them?

And by "right where they want them" I mean at Toyota Park.

Chicago was merely 5-4-6 at the unfriendly confines this season, notching just four more points at home than New England did on the road. The Fire bagged a league-low 16 goals at home.
 
Of course, to flip the tie and advance to the conference final, the Fire will need to do something they haven't done much of this season in Bridgeview: play 90 - or perhaps even 120 - hard minutes.

On the positive side, Chicago will be expecting all-star caliber defenders Wilman Conde and Gonzalo Segares back in action, which is sure to cut down on the type of scramble goals that the Revs excel at scoring.

And though Chicago only won two of their final six at home, they did conclude the season with a playoff-clinching shutout win over Chivas USA and did bounce the Revs from last year's postseason with a thorough 3-0 home win.

#4 - Which Home Depot Center team gets back to regular business first?

Both L.A. and younger house mate Chivas USA brought home the bacon this season by keeping things tight and waiting for their chances to explode forward. Patience and diligence were the calling cards... until game one of the HDC playoff derby, that is.

We had Maicon Santos waltzing in to score on Rookie of the Year favorite Omar Gonzalez after just four minutes. Then, the Goats turned into their namesake to allow the Galaxy to move ahead. To finally knot the tie at twos, Chivas USA hit back with another high speed exposure of L.A. defenders.

Never mind that the keepers came up with big saves to keep the score down or that the two had combined for just two goals in their three 2009 regular season meeting. Los Angeles had entered the postseason with seven shutouts from their last nine contests and each bagged 10 wins of either 1-0 or 2-0.

I'll certainly be checking that first half hour to see who looks more in their usual patient, organized rhythm.

#3 - Are Houston and Seattle inevitably headed for penalties?

I'd have trouble finding a match-up more even if I cheated across leagues to do it. They both have pressure-tested keepers and athletic backlines. They both have a wide array of midfield engines and capable front line playmakers.

And, of course, they enter this second leg with a scoreboard reading double goose eggs. Should one hold a late lead, the other has plenty of steel nerves and skill on command for a sublime last gasp equalizer.

Can you even imagine how tight play would be if the Dynamo and visiting Sounders found their way to extra time? Two of the tightest defenses in the regular season will know how to lock it down and wait for a mistake - which neither is as likely to make as other teams.

My word, this is going to be a tense game. Try not to miss it.

#2 - Can Real Salt Lake actually come correct on the road to knock off the champs?

The Royal Army has won just six regular season road games in three seasons, losing 28 of 45 matches outside Utah. In doing so, they have scored only 30 away goals in that span, and a mere nine this term. What's more they are winless in five Columbus games, with more defeats (four) than goals scored (three).

Yikes.

Want a glimmer of hopeful data, RSL fans? Just think back to last year at this tme when your boys bucked the trends by posting a 2-2 draw at Chivas USA to advance from a 1-0 Rio Tinto victory. I suppose one could also trumpet that Yura Movsisyan's late season, near-the-death form is near its 2008 form, but that's about as good as it gets.

Let's face it: RSL knocking off the champs on Thursday night would count as a big surprise to everyone - including themselves.

#1 - Which non-star will bag the glory?

This question is open to all ties and could decide any of them. American sports playoff history is littered with stories of no-namers who made the big stage play when none of the stars could.

Being an equal opportunity curious cat, I'll tab a candidate from each side to watch in those late-game pressure situations and mark my personal #1 answer with both italics and an asterisk - because I'm just that sure of it.

CHI v NE: Peter Lowry & Wells Thompson
CLB v RSL: Adam Moffat & Pablo Campos
HOU v SEA: Cameron Weaver & Sebastien Le Toux
LA v CHV: Alan Gordon* & Justin Braun

Soccer365 reporter Greg Seltzer blogs daily over at No Short Corners. Questions, comments, kudos or complaints? Email him at greg@noshortcorners.com.

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