Now that this year's playoff field is set, the path to the 2011 MLS Cup is made clearer. However, many of the matchups this year look very balanced, which could open up a lot of possibilities for the field. Here are our picks for the playoffs.
Play-in Round
Columbus over Colorado
-Though neither team ended the season on a high note, the Crew have a chance to surprise the defending champion Rapids, who have looked flat and uninspired for most of the season's second half. Look for a tight game in which one bounce decides the winner.
New York over Dallas
-While Dallas was a substantially better side over the course of the season, it's been shown many times that the most important factor in MLS playoffs can be momentum. New York, whose talent level and payroll suggest that they should have finished much higher in the standings, had a solid finish to the end of their season. Dallas, on the other hand, seems to have left their best soccer behind them, as fatigue seems to have taken its toll on young star Brek Shea and others. New York's stars, led by Thierry Henry, seem to have at least one big win in them.
Conference Semifinals
Eastern Conference
Kansas City over Columbus
-While Columbus may have a chance to steal a play-in round upset over Colorado, it will have a much tougher time besting Kansas City, who play tremendously well at home and are one of the hottest teams in MLS right now. If the Crew defense can play to its potential, this could be a tight series, but Kansas City's firepower will likely prove too much to handle for the faltering Crew.
Philadelphia over Houston
-This looks like one of the more evenly-matched series of the playoffs, with little separating these teams. Philadelphia's impressive attacking depth, led by Sebastien Le Toux, may well be the difference in this matchup. Philadelphia goalkeeper Faryd Mondragon will be tested by Houston's set-piece prowess, but he's shown throughout the season that he's up to the task.
Western Conference
Los Angeles over New York
-Though it will be a star-studded affair between the two most expensive teams in MLS, this has the look of the most lopsided series in the playoffs. New York underachieved its way into the playoffs, but unless they're suddenly able to put together the team rapport they've been lacking all season, they should be handled easily by an Galaxy team that has outclassed most of their opponents this season.
Seattle over Real Salt Lake
-In another tight battle, the second and third best teams in the regular season will face off for a chance to face the Galaxy in the conference final. These teams share more similarities than differences, with huge home field advantages, sustained success and a seemingly endless array of attacking talent among the most notable. This series could very well be a candidate to go into extra time, though we give the slight nod to Seattle, who have improved every year and seem poised for a breakthrough.
Conference Finals
Eastern Conference
Philadelphia over Kansas City
-Like the common theme of most of this year's playoff matchups, little seems to separate these squads. However, we see Kansas City's good-not-great defense having trouble containing a Philadelphia offense with a diverse number of young, intriguing options. It's unclear who of Freddy Adu, Roger Torres, Danny Mwanga and others is likeliest to step up, but a grinding Philadelphia squad seems poised and built to win a hard-fought series like this one.
Western Conference
Los Angeles over Seattle
-In what might be the marquee game of the playoffs, look for Los Angeles to have an edge over Seattle. While both of these teams boast a veritable laundry list of attacking talent and solid goalkeeping, the Galaxy's advantage lies within their defense. Defender of the Year frontrunner Omar Gonzalez and the rest of the Los Angeles defense have made both of LA's goalies look impressive all season, and they seem more equipped to handle Seattle's firepower than the opposite. This game could be wide open, but it seems likely that Los Angeles will make one more key stop than Seattle
MLS Cup
Los Angeles over Philadelphia
-It's not always that the season's top team carries its success all the way through the playoffs, but Los Angeles is far and away the most dominant team MLS has seen since the Crew pulled the league and cup double in 2008. The Galaxy have an absolute embarrassment of riches all over the field, featuring Landon Donovan, David Beckham, Robbie Keane, Juninho, Omar Gonzalez and MLS' top two statistical goalkeepers. Under Bruce Arena, the Galaxy have faced postseason disappointment over the last two seasons, but all signs point to them finally getting over the hump this year. Without disrespect to Philadelphia, it simply doesn't look like any team will be able to beat Los Angeles this year, and they should comfortably overtake the Union to claim their third MLS Cup title.
