Well, it's down to two familiar foes once again in the A-League Final, as the Rochester Raging Rhinos will face-off against the Minnesota Thunder. They will vie once again (for the third time running) for the championship in what could be described as a battle of irresistible force versus unmovable object. This match will be a war between the staunch Rochester defense backed by the sure-handed Scott Vallow and the "holy trinity" of Thunder footie, Menyongar, Adair, and Zeba. Before we talk about the Championship match, though, let's take a look at how each of these teams got here.
In the first round single-game elimination playoff Rochester easily fended off a challenge from the Hershey Wildcats 4-2 and moved along into the second round. In the second round things changed for the better as the new system of two-legged playoffs began. This playoff match-up with Charleston proved to be slightly more difficult as the East's number one seed took on the Rhinos. In what amounted to two extremely hard fought matches Rochester won out with consecutive 2-0 and 1-0 victories over a 48-hour period. Then it was on to the Conference Finals where the Rhinos met up with the Cinderella story of this year's playoffs, the Toronto Lynx. The Lynx and Rhinos played a nip and tuck affair at Varsity Stadium as the Rhinos came out of Toronto with a 1-1 draw (with goals coming from Dos Santos for Toronto and Stebbins for Rochester). They had to like their chances as they headed home to Frontier Field for the second leg against the Lynx. In what amounted to a heart-stopper of a match the Rhinos finally broke through with the series-winning goal in the 80th minute from the boot of Craig Demmin. With that single goal the Rhinos squeaked through against a very tough Toronto side and will look forward to a re-match of last season's Championship game which saw the Rhinos go down at Minnesota.
Meanwhile, out West, Minnesota was busy shoving goals down the throat of Indiana in the first round as they easily won out with a 7-0 demolition of the Blast (no pun intended). In the second round the Thunder desperately needed the second leg to get through as the Vancouver 86ers played some very exciting soccer in their first leg 3-0 win at home against the defending champs. The second leg would ultimately test both teams and their abilities to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat or vice versa. In that match at the National Sports Center the Thunder had to fight valiantly to get the 4-0 victory that over-turned the 86ers' advantage. That seemingly miraculous win may just well be the most memorable testament to the effect the new two-legged playoff system had on this year's post-season. This fantastic series gave way to the battle that everyone anticipated at the beginning of the playoffs as Minnesota met Milwaukee to determine the Western representative in the Championship. The first match was as close and wild as most expected as the Thunder came out with the 4-3 victory at Uihlein thanks to two tallies from Morgan Zeba and a goal each from Menyongar and Coughlin. Dusosky, Lavrinenko, and Marshall scored Milwaukee's goals. The extra-curriculars that surrounded the final whistle are better off left unmentioned. In the second match the point was rendered moot by the half as the Thunder struck like lightning at the NSC. The 5-0 result left a lot of hopes dashed by Milwaukee fans who felt their team deserved a better fate unfortunately they fell victim to Buzz's saw as it were. John Menyongar and the Chuggmeister, Chugger Adair, each scored two as Mladenov scored the odd goal for Minnesota as they proclaimed themselves to be the early favorites ahead of Saturday's game.
So now we know who they are and how they got here but how's it going to end? Well considering my stellar knack for prognostication I wouldn't put much stock into the next few sentences but either way this will be the best match between these two squads yet. Coming into this match Demmin and the rest of the Rhino defense have been nearly unbeatable as Vallow has pitched three shutouts in the playoffs. The bottom line is as Rochester's defense goes so does this team. Minnesota is an up-tempo attacking squad with a startling ability to counter-attack but I don't see them holding back. The Thunder will look to score early against the Rhinos to silence the packed house they'll surely encounter at the Double F. If Menyongar, Adair, and Zeba are able to link up early and often look for the Thunder to take the advantage. If Allnut, Stebbins, and Lowe are able to get quick counters and dangerous shots from stops at the other end this match will quickly swing Rochester's way. I think both things will happen. I look for Zeba to score and early goal while the Rhinos are getting their legs under them. Then I look for Onandi Lowe to blast home a goal from a quick counter before the break leaving both squads all level at one apiece. The second half will play out similar to the first as the Thunder will jump out to the 2-1 lead after the break around the 55th-60th minute but the Rhinos will quickly strike back with an Allnut goal around the 70th minute. The dying moments of the match will be full of enough heart-attack inducing moments that they'll have to put a health warning on the tickets. It will remain 2-2 through extra time and we'll head to, you guessed it, penalties to decide the winner of the A-League championship. Look for Vallow to have a lucky post and get a lucky hand to a shot as the Rhinos win their second Championship in three tries with penalties deciding the match 4-3 in favor of Rochester. Like I said, though, this will be one exciting match either way between two championship caliber teams. Good luck to both teams and their fans.
