I'm a sucker for the good old days, so I was drawn to Ridge Mahoney's piece for Soccer America about this Sunday's MLS Cup being a match of "MLS Originals." So, even though the good old days of MLS were a mere 15 years ago, it did get me a bit misty.

Because I remember the original Colorado Rapids, chubby goalkeeper Chris Woods and the Brothers Henderson. I remember young striker Shaun Bartlett and veteran U.S. national team defenders Steve Trittschuh and, of course, Marcelo Balboa.

And I remember the Dallas Burn, coached by the boisterous Dave Dir and led by shaggy-haired Leonel Alvarez and goalkeeper Mark Dodd. And I remember this kid out of Duke with a cannon of a right foot. His name was Jason Kreis.

Colorado finished the 1996 season with the worst record in the league, but turned things around a year later -- at least in the playoffs -- with the late Mooch Myernick at the helm. Dallas finished tied for second in the West in the inaugural season, thanks in part to five "shootout wins." Yes, I even remember that somehow Brian Haynes was one of the Burn's best shootout specialists, and Dodd knew how to handle things in net.

I remember the Rapids' green and gold kits, and the Burn's fire-breathing horse logo and hoop socks. For those who think vuvuzelas are a new fad, well, you didn't watch Burn games at the old Cotton Bowl ... on Univision on Sundays.

Fans of the Original 10 (RIP Tampa Bay Mutiny) know there's something else at stake Sunday. Are you listening, MetroStars/Red Bulls fans? If Colorado wins the Cup, your beloved franchise will become the lone Original without an MLS Cup or U.S. Open Cup in its trophy case. Ouch (especially when you consider newbies Salt Lake and Seattle have also lifted trophies). Makes that playoff loss to San Jose sting a little more, eh?

I doubt the ESPN crew will dredge up old footage to show the likes of Jean Harbor or Ed Puskarich on the field back in the day. I'm not expecting to see Mark Santel or Matt Kmosko interviewed at halftime. Doesn't mean it's not fun to remember them all.

And I think it's important to remember the originals as the league grows up. The Burn (now FC Dallas) and the Wiz (who became the Wizards and, this week, Sporting Kansas City). The Clash (now the Earthquakes…er…Dynamo?) and Mutiny. The MetroStars and DC United. The Crew and Revolution. And the Galaxy and the Rapids.

Waiting for a championship usually makes it sweeter, and when you consider the life expectancy of professional soccer leagues in American history before MLS, a decade and a half to wait is pretty significant. So, c'mon Dallas, do it for Gerell Elliott. After all, he did lead the original Burn in secondary assists. And Colorado, do it for Denis Hamlett, who led your team in blocks (whatever that is).

MLS nostalgia. You've got to love it.