TS Kamali
With only six rounds of matches left in the regular season, MLS is in the home stretch and the race to make the postseason is extremely tight. The only club to clinch a play-off spot so far are the Columbus Crew.
This season, the top clubs in each Conference are guaranteed play-off berths and two wild card teams with the next highest point totals will join them. The system has always been horrid, as teams who struggle to avoid a losing record are invited to compete for a championship in which they have no business being involved. But in the end, clubs can only play under the system they’re a part of.
Here’s how each club’s play-off possibilities stand.
Columbus Crew (W-L-D): 15-6-5, 50 pts
Coach Sigi Schmid has been on the job in Columbus for three years and has finally created a team that is disciplined in defence. In attack, the Crew has scored 45 goals, second only to that of the Los Angeles Galaxy. The leader of the Columbus attack is midfielder Guillermo Barros Schelotto, who’s having an MVP season with 18 assists in league play.
Outlook: Play-off bound
New England Revolution (W-L-D): 12-5-7, 41 pts
New England is a team that has been built on veteran talent and experience. It’s a group of players who know how to play as a unit, and also know how to win. At the moment, the more the Revs plays, the less likely they will win the MLS Cup. They are starting to look less like veterans and more like old men.
Outlook: Play-off bound
Houston Dynamo (W-L-D): 10-5-10, 40 pts
Houston started the season slowly, with just 18 points in their first 14 matches. They’ve lost just once since and have assumed control of the Western Conference. Dynamo is poised to make another run at the MLS Cup.
However, the Dynamo have CONCACAF Champions League matches during the final weeks of domestic play, and this will test their depth. But none of their remaining league matches is against an opponent with a winning record, so it’s unlikely the Dynamo will worry much come play-off time.
Outlook: Lock to make the play-offs
Chicago Fire (W-L-D): 12-5-9, 41 pts
The Chicago Fire has the league’s best defence. With only 20 goals conceded in 24 matches, the Fire is guaranteed to be competitive almost every week. Goalkeeper Jon Busch has been a revelation as the league’s leading keeper.
The Fire was expected to get a massive upgrade when Brian McBride came on board, but McBride has not yet jelled with his Fire teammates. Cuauhtémoc Blanco’s form (one assist in the last three months) has been far below his normal standard.
Outlook: Play-off bound
New York Red Bulls (W-L-D): 9-9-8, 35 pts
New Red Bulls coach Juan Carlos Osorio has been on a mission to remake this team. At this point, it’s hard to tell if he’s succeeded. The team lost striker Jozy Altidore to La Liga and Designated Player Claudio Reyna retired in mid-season.
New York is questionable to qualify for the play-offs as a wild card. They have games with Columbus, visits to Chicago and Salt Lake to come, so a bad run of form could result in disaster.
Outlook: Play-offs is questionable
DC United (W-L-D): 10-13-3, 33 pts
With DC’s pedigree, a MLS play-off tournament without this club seems unthinkable. One explanation for its woes has been a congested fixture schedule. The team has played an extra 10 matches in the CONCACAF Champions Cup, Superliga and US Open Cup. It also has the CONCACAF Champions League competition (extra 6 games) to contend with.
DC plays four of its last six MLS matches away and will face Conference leaders Houston and Columbus.
Outlook: No play-offs
Real Salt Lake (W-L-D): 9-10-7, 34 pts
Real Salt Lake’s second-place position in the Western Conference should be strong enough to ensure the team’s first postseason appearance. But no one in the Western Conference outside of Houston is assured of anything.
Salt Lake has winnable matches left against New York and Dallas, but will be playing New York and Dallas in their new home stadium, and it will be interesting to see whether their home-field advantage transfers over to their new pitch.
Outlook: Make play-offs
Chivas USA (W-L-D): 10-10-6, 36 pts
No team likes to makes excuses because of injuries, but Chivas has been devastated by several significant injuries and the situation is the likely cause of their drop in form from 2007. To their credit, they are on a roll, and have a future schedule that will play in their favour.
They play four remaining games: DC, San Jose, Colorado and Houston. Chivas will probably pick up enough points to maintain second place in the West.
Outlook: Play-offs here we come
San Jose Earthquakes (W-L-D): 7-10-8, 29 pts
At the beginning of the season, the San Jose Earthquakes looked like one of the most moribund expansion teams in MLS history, rivaling the ineptitude of the 2005 Chivas team. But coach Frank Yallop knows a thing or two about building a squad. Showing no fear, he confidently retooled his team so that they could score some goals.
With just one opponent with a winning record left on their schedule, the Quakes should have what it takes to get the job done. But, climbing out of any basement takes a lot of effort.
Outlook: No play-offs
Kansas City Wizards (W-L-D): 8-10-8, 32 pts
A season that began with so much promise for the Kansas City Wizards appears destined to end in tatters. The main culprit is a lack of firepower. The Wizards have scored just 29 goals; the only teams who have scored fewer are San Jose and Toronto.
Even though they play at home three times down the stretch, two of their opponents are New England and Chicago, the two best road teams in the league.
Outlook: Play-off berth is unlikely
Colorado Rapids (W-L-D): 10-12-4, 34 pts
Colorado has won consecutive matches only once this season. Their inconsistent form and a meager eight points from their away games have placed them in play-off purgatory. The good news is that their incompetence may be rewarded because they play in the Western Conference, where everyone but Houston is a certified loser.
Their away game at Chivas may determine whether there will be postseason soccer in Denver.
Outlook: Has work to do to make the play-offs, but will make it
Toronto FC (W-L-D): 7-12-7, 28 pts
A team that was in the thick of things in the tough Eastern Conference at midseason has faltered badly over the last three months. Toronto FC made big changes to their roster in 2008 and looked as though they would make their mark on the strength of their home record. But their attacking prowess is nowhere to be found, and have just one victory in their last 12 games.
Toronto remains a weakling on the road and will play four away matches in the closing weeks of the season. That’s a bad scenario for a team that has to desperately climb the table for the final play-off spot.
Outlook: Will not make play-offs
FC Dallas (W-L-D): 8-9-9, 33 pts
The emergence of striker Kenny Cooper and the willingness of FC Dallas to ignore overtures from Europe for his signature was a sign that the club was serious about being a contender in MLS.
Dallas still remain within striking distance of the play-offs and have no games game left against opponents with a winning record. A streak could propel Dallas into the play-offs.
Outlook: Has work to do to make the play-offs
Los Angeles Galaxy (W-L-D): 7-11-8, 24 pts
After last season’s debacle, no one in the Los Angeles Galaxy front office could have expected that things could get worse, but they have.
Alexi Lalas and his hand-picked coach, Ruud Gullit, have been fired and Bruce Arena has been called in to clean up the mess. LA fans, and David Beckham can set their sights on 2009.
Outlook: No play-offs (not even close)
