MLS Playoff Preview
With the clubs of the Major League Soccer having only a handful of matches left in their seasons, the world exclusive MLS playoff is set to commence in what is lining up to be the tightest playoff race in MLS history. The Eastern Conference has only one of its ten clubs eliminated from contention in the Montreal Impact while none of the other nine clubs have clinched a playoff spot. The same can be said for the Western Conference as only Chivas USA has been eliminated from playoff contention. While the LA Galaxy and Seattle Sounders have punched their tickets to the postseason, both clubs are tied for the lead in the Supporters Shield but are within striking distance of Eastern Conference leader DC United.
Supporters Shield
While the playoff race is one for the ages, the race for the Supporters Shield is also shaping up to be right down to the wire. Seattle and Los Angeles sit atop the table, both with 57 points to their name currently. Both clubs will meet twice in the final weeks of the season, the first match on October 19th at the Stub Hub Center in Los Angeles, The following week the clubs will meet at Century Link Field in the season finale for both sides. While unlikely, DC United, Real Salt Lake and FC Dallas all have mathematical shots at the Shield. DC United has the best shot of the three to do so, needing to take at least eight more points than Los Angeles while at least nine more points than Seattle to win the Shield.
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The Sounders remaining matches are an away match at the Colorado Rapids, at home against Cascadia Cup rival Vancouver and the end of season home and away tie with the Galaxy. All four matches will be tough for the Sounders as both Colorado and Vancouver attempt to qualify for the playoffs with Colorado currently sitting on the outside looking in and Vancouver sitting in the Western Conferences final playoff spot.
Los Angeles are set to host Toronto FC before heading to Toyota Stadium to take on FC Dallas along with the end of season home and away against Seattle. FC Dallas and Toronto FC are also attempting to qualify for the playoffs with FC Dallas sitting fourth in the west while Toronto FC sits just outside a playoff berth with a game in hand on the fifth place New York Red Bulls. Los Angeles on paper appears to have the easier schedule ahead and will most likely have the advantage in the race coming into the final match.
DC United, unlike the previous two have not yet qualified for the playoffs. With matches at home against Sporting Kansas City and Chicago along with away matches against Houston and Montreal the club should have no problem making the playoffs and also winning the Eastern Conference title for the first time since 2007. The club may have their sights set on making a run at the Supporters Shield but the club should make sure to win the the conference and make the playoffs first before looking ahead to winning the Supporters Shield.
The Line
Eastern Conference
Switching from the top of the league to its midpoint, the line that separates the playoff clubs from its tee time brothers is incredibly slim. The Eastern Conference is closer than ever before at this time with first to sixth separated by only eleven points. From fifth to ninth, only ten points separate the clubs. With New York City FC moving in next door at the start of next season, the pressure is on the New York Red Bulls to preform late in the season and make a playoff push that lasts longer than the Conference Semi-Finals.
The pressure is also on the sixth place club Toronto FC who brought in US national team star Micheal Bradley along with the long time English national teamer Jermain Defoe. With all the star power that has made its way north of the border, anything less than deep run into the playoffs would be a disappointment among the clubs supporters and upper management. The club currently has a game in hand on New York and is only down one point while holding the tiebreaker over New York with eleven wins to the Red Bulls ten.
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Philadelphia, Houston and Chicago also are mathematically eligible for the playoffs, with Philadelphia sitting three down on New York while Houston and Chicago are more five and ten points behind. Out of these three, Philadelphia sits in the best spot to make a run at the playoffs while Houston and Chicago will be in need of quite a bit of help to make their playoff dreams come true. The Columbus Crew sit three points up on Toronto and could be in danger of dropping below the line if they do not take care of business in their final matches.
Western Conference
Like its counterparts in the east, the Western Conference is tough right around the line. The Vancouver Whitecaps currently hold the final playoff spot in the West, sitting a single point up on their Cascadia Cup Rivals, the Portland Timbers. The Whitecaps also sit eight points up on Colorado who are unlikely to make a push for the spot with so few matches left.
Portland has possibly the easiest schedule of the two clubs as they play home and away against San Jose while hosting Real Salt Lake and finishing the season with a match at FC Dallas. Though Portland has struggled this season the schedule does favor them in strength. With Caleb Porter’s leadership and the Timbers Army behind them, the club will be looking to make the playoff push and reward their fans with some postseason soccer. One stumbling block for the club will be the recent loss of their captain Will Johnson to a broken leg. The response to this from the team will seal its fate here late in the season.
Vancouver will be looking to make their second playoff appearance in their young history. They do have a tough road ahead of them as they will have to face Supporters Shield Contender and rival Seattle Sounders at Century Link field. The club will also host FC Dallas and Colorado while also heading to southern California to take on the San Jose Earthquakes. The match-up against Seattle will go a long way in the club making the playoffs and even how the club may contend in the playoffs against the best of the best in the league.
With the season nearing an end and the playoffs about to begin, I believe the Los Angeles Galaxy will win the Supporters Shield and make the playoffs along with Seattle, FC Dallas, Real Salt Lake and the Portland Timbers who will unseat the Vancouver Whitecaps from their current playoff spot in the west. The Eastern Conference will see a major shocker as Toronto FC will not make the playoffs while DC United, New England, Sporting KC, Columbus and New York will take the five Eastern Conference playoff spots thanks to the leadership and heroics of Thiery Henry. Either way though, this is shaping up to be one of the funnest playoff pushes in recent memory and it will only get better the closer we get to the final match.