THUNDER BAY – It was bitter sweet for Chill fans that have been following the 2010 MLS Playoffs as they watched two of the Chill’s former player’s battle against each other in the quarter-final leg last Saturday. Shaun Francis of the 2009 Chill squad had a great rookie season with the Columbus Crew; however, the Crew failed to defeat the Colorado Rapids to advance to the semi-finals this weekend against the San Jose Earthquakes.
On the other side of the pitch, former Chill player Kosuke Kimura (2004 Chill squad) tasted victory as his Colorado Rapids team were able to upset the Crew in penalty shots. The Rapids will now face the San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday with the winner heading to the MLS Championship game where they will face the winner of the other semi-final featuring FC Dallas and David Beckham’s LA Galaxy. The final is set for BMO field in Toronto, Ontario, November 21st, 2010 at 8:00 p.m. (EDT). This will be the first time ever that the MLS Cup will be played in Canada.
Although Francis and Kimura have similar backgrounds playing with the Chill, they had never met until Saturday night’s quarterfinal showdown. Both players started the game for their teams, with Francis playing the complete 120 minutes which included overtime and receiving a caution in regulation. Kimura played 82 minutes before being substituted in the game.
Shaun Francis played 983 minutes with the Crew and earned one assist this season, and is also expected to be summoned by Jamaica for National Team appearance according to a story on MLSsoccer.net. Kosuke played 1931 minutes and registered three assists for the Rapids this season.