MLS Playoff Preview

By Joe

Shiny 

The Background: The field is set. Eight teams will battle it out for one trophy and the title of MLS Champion. In Europe, the season champion is determined by the first place team at the end of the regular season. That’s it, no playoffs. The balanced scheduled (one home match and one away match vs. every other team in the league) makes this a fair way to determine a champion. But this is America! And we like to have a profitable little tournament at the end of the year to determine the best team.

The Format: The four first-round match ups consist of a home and home series. The team with the best goal differential moves on to the semifinals. (Think of it as a single game with each “half” played in a different city…6 days apart). Away goals is the first tie breaker, then PK shoot out. Let’s do an example. If Team A wins 2-1 at home, then team B wins 1-0 at home. The teams are tied 2-2 on aggregate goals, but Team B would advance because they scored more goals as the road team. Got it? Moving on. The highest seeded team remaining in each conference would then host the semifinal in a single winner-goes-to-Toronto match. MLS Cup Final is at a neutral site again this year, as Toronto FC has failed to make the playoffs again.

The Match Ups:

Best Friends

LA Galaxy (1W - 59 points) vs. Seattle Sounders (4W - 48 points)
Lead by perhaps the greatest American footballer ever, Landon Donovan, the Galaxy has had an impressive year. They won the Supporters Shield by having earned the most points throughout the regular season. They are in excellent form and one of the favorites. The LA club will be taking on Seattle Sounders FC, and their ageless goaltender, Kasey Keller. But Keller is a bit washed up, even for MLS standards. You all should pay attention to the young Columbian Freddy Montero. The guy is an offensive force. He’s creative, tireless, and he might be just enough to beat Buddle, Becks, and Landy.

Prediction: It will be a fun series to watch with all the young stars; Steve Zakuani, aforementioned Montero, and Omar Gonzalez. Sounders get insane support from their fans, but LA is too talented and too balanced.

Jamison Olave - badass RSL 

Real Salt Lake (2W - 56 points) vs. FC Dallas (3W - 50 points)
This is the best series of the first round. RSL has no big names. They weren’t even .500 last year and won the damn MLS Cup. The champs have been on fire ever since. They finished first in their CONCACAF Champs League group and almost won the Supporters Shield. They are deep and scrappy, but they won’t sneak up on anyone this year. Dallas is a tough team to beat. Not because they win, but because they tie. But this is the playoffs and drawing isn’t going to cut it.

Prediction: Dallas’ lack of offensive spark dooms them. Plus no one beat RSL at home. Kyle Beckerman’s hair be damned, Salt Lake wins.

New York Red Bulls (1E - 51 points) vs. San Jose Earthquakes (4E - 46 points)
Everyone knows Tierry Henry is on the Red Bulls. He gets paid a lot of money and used to play for Arsenal and Barcelona. He gets mad pub for himself, his team, and the league. I don’t even hold that whole handball that knocked the Irish out of the World Cup against him…mostly because France embarrassed themselves in South Africa by having a team mutiny and playing like rubbish. Red Bulls play in a fancy new stadium. They have a global corporation that is willing to spend lots and lots to help them win. They have a massive payroll, which includes Rafa Marquez and Juan Pablo Angel. They won the East and have been playing well as of late.

Wondo-ful season

And then there’s San Jose. They have a Brazilian guy that used to be good; Giovanni…he still is for MLS. They have an American guy that was supposed to be good; Bobby Convey…his career is revitalized somehow. The Earthquakes play in a 10,000 seat minor league baseball stadium! Their entire team (and season) is personified by Chris Wondolowski. He was an afterthought in Houston, signed with SJ and all he did was lead the league in goals and become an MVP candidate. (Sidenote: can a team or a season be personified by an actual person? Not an English major over here.)

Prediction: Can the Earthquakes’ storybook season carry on to the semifinals? Will the star power of NYRB be too much? Truth is, New York is a very good team even without Henry. They win and I’d be surprised if they didn’t reach the finals in Toronto.


Columbus Crew (2E - 50 points) vs. Colorado Rapids (3E - 46 points)
The Crew have been worn thin by competing in CONCACAF Champions League, US Open Cup, and MLS regular season. “Fixture congestion” is the term that gets used a lot. Tired legs have the offense looking anemic. Having surrendered the lead in the Eastern Conference to NYRB, Columbus is limping into the playoffs. Oh, and starting goal keeper Will Hesmer is out with a busted shoulder. It all looks pretty bleak for the MASSIVE Club. On the other hand, Colorado is flying high as this is their first shot at MLS Cup in 4 years. The Rapids are pumped to host their first ever playoff game in their gorgeous new stadium.
Can Columbus draw on its championship experience to beat Colorado? The teams split the regular season meetings, each winning on home soil. Is Colorado just happy to be there? Or are they going to pounce on a wounded Crew team and move on?

Dick's Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City Utah

Prediction: Rapids best Crew in hard fought 2 match series.

Leave your predictions, complaints, questions, and jokes about the French below. Enjoy the action.

Old Crow Medicine Show - Wagon Wheel