MLS Playoffs 2012: Which Team Is at DEFCON 1 After 1st Leg of MLS Playoffs?

The first legs of the MLS Conference Semifinals are complete.  The final four will be determined after Thursday, but some teams face a serious up-hill battle in order to advance to the Conference Finals. The Houston Dynamo and San Jose Earthquakes are in the best position to advance, taking an early lead in the aggregate, while the LA Galaxy and Sporting Kansas City must win its second leg in order to stave off elimination.   The Seattle Sounders and DC United failed to leave their turf with an early lead, and now face a winner-take-all match on the road. With the second legs just two days away, here are the four teams that are in serious danger of being eliminated and the level of concern their fanbase should have.Begin Slideshow

MLS Playoffs 2012: Preview and Predictions for Houston Dynamo vs. Sporting KC

The rigor of playoff soccer in the MLS is best suited for the two teams facing off this afternoon.  The Houston Dynamo and Sporting Kansas City will play the first leg of the Eastern Conference Semifinal, and it will be closer than most people think. Just four days after they outclassed the Chicago Fire for 90 minutes, the Dynamo is looking to continue its Cinderella run to the MLS Cup.  With the first leg at BBVA Compass Stadium, Houston has a grand opportunity to take an early lead in the aggregate.  The Dynamo is unbeaten at home this season (11-0-6). In fact, including the playoffs, the team is unbeaten in its last 25 home games and is yet to lose a match in the newly constructed fortress. Led by Brad Davis (12 assists) and Will Bruin (12 goals), the Dynamo boasts an impressive attack that has given Sporting fits over the last few years. In the previous six meetings between the two, Sporting has only managed to defeat Houston once (a 3-0 victory at home last season). The most crushing defeat came in the Conference Finals of last year’s playoffs—a 2-0 loss at Livestrong Park.  Dynamo head coach Dom Kinnear ...

MLS Playoffs 2012: Preview and Predictions for New York Red Bulls vs. DC United

The fervor surrounding the rivalry between the New York Red Bulls and DC United is one of the most intense spectacles the MLS has to offer. Each club is notorious for its supporters—rabid fans that serve as the combating soul for its respective club.  Tonight, the Eastern Conference Semifinals will be the latest chapter in this historic rivalry. With millions of people in the Tri-state area still dealing with the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy (myself included), the MLS decided to swap the home dates for the playoff series—much to the dismay of some United fans.  Fortunately, players, coaches and members of the front office for DC United are class personified and had no issue with swap.   The fact remains, Red Bull Arena is without power and the region is still struggling to reestablish a mass transit system sufficient enough for a daily commute, let alone a soccer match. Teams that host the second leg of a home-and-home series advance roughly 60 percent of the time. It is not a significant margin considering they are usually the team with the better record. The decision to swap home dates was the correct one. Contrary to popular belief, it will have no ...

MLS Playoffs 2012: Preview and Predictions for Seattle Sounders

Tonight’s marquee matchup between the Seattle Sounders (56 points) and Real Salt Lake (57 points) is the first of a two-leg aggregate goals MLS Cup playoff series.  It is the MLS’s newest rivalry, and tonight in CenturyLink Field in Seattle, it will be renewed once more. This is the second consecutive year the two teams meet in the playoffs. The 2011 meeting was a riveting 3-2 victory (on aggregate) for Real Salt Lake, and the 2012 version should prove to be no different.  Real is amidst questions about the future of the franchise. Many consider this to be the final run for the team’s core group of players, but a MLS Cup championship could change all that. They are unbeaten in their last five matches (seven including the CCL), but have been offensively anemic as of late. Real has only scored two goals in the month of October—with their final three matches ending in scoreless draws. Lost in Chris Wondolowski’s chase for the single-season scoring record and Thierry Henry’s stellar play is the unacknowledged performance of Real forward Álvaro Saborío. The Costa Rican national finished the season with 17 goals and three assists. He is responsible for 43 percent of ...

MLS Playoffs 2012: The Houston Dynamo Look to Make Another Run at the MLS Cup

Last night, in a frigid 42 degrees at Toyota Park, the Houston Dynamo eliminated the Chicago Fire from the playoffs. Head coach Dominic Kinnear is at it again, and has many believing his team can make its second-consecutive MLS cup. Houston was pedestrian on the road all season (3-9-5)—a step up from its 2-6-9 record in 2011—but played an impressive 90 minutes of soccer that propelled it to a 2-1 victory.  The Dynamo were poised from the start and took advantage of the Fire’s shaky play. Brad Davis’ assist off a corner kick led to Will Bruin’s header in the 12th minute and gave Houston the early lead.  The Fire had only allowed six goals off a set piece all season, but their first of the playoffs was costly. Davis, who has 92 career assists (46 off a set piece), had no issues connecting with the Dynamo’s top scorer, due in large part to Jalil Anibaba’s slippery footing inside the box.Houston would maintain control for the remainder of the match. Chicago’s 4-2-3-1 formation was setup primarily to defend, but shoddy defending allowed Calen Carr to send a beautiful ball in the box that led to Houston’s next score. Bruin had ...

MLS Playoffs 2012: Eastern Conference Seeds Up for Grabs This Saturday

Sporting Kansas City’s 2-1 victory over the Philadelphia Union last night allowed the club to clinch the coveted No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference. The road to the MLS Cup now runs through Kansas City.Joining them in the playoffs are the New York Red Bulls, Houston Dynamo, Chicago Fire and D.C. United. All four teams clinched a playoff spot last week, and heading into the final Saturday of the regular season, that is all we know.The combinations are endless. Other than the No. 1 seed, no other seed in the Eastern Conference has been decided. There are three matches on Saturday that will clarify the playoff picture and provide the MLS with what should be an exciting night of soccer.Chicago (currently third) is making its first playoff appearance since 2009, and can finish anywhere from second to fifth. A victory over D.C. United on Saturday would clinch the No. 2 seed, but a loss, coupled with a Dynamo victory, could leave the Fire free-falling to the knockout round.The MLS’ midseason decision to change the first tiebreaker to goals scored is a detriment to the Fire. Of the four teams jockeying for playoff positioning, Chicago has the lowest goal tally ...

Thierry Henry and New York Red Bulls Face Crucial Match vs. Sporting Kansas City

Thierry Henry has led the New York Red Bulls to fourth in the Eastern Conference (53 points), but sit just four points ahead of sixth-placed Columbus Crew.  With Sporting Kansas City visiting Red Bull Arena tonight, New York will attempt to walk away with a crucial three points from the top team in the conference. They are three points that could save the club from a collapse of epic proportions.  The Red Bulls found themselves in first place following their 2-0 victory over the Houston Dynamo on Aug. 10, but have been wildly inconsistent since then and are now in danger of missing the playoffs. They are a pedestrian 3-2-2 in their last seven matches, with two of those victories coming against the lowly Timbers and Toronto FC. They failed to elevate when the level of competition increased and have only managed one point vs. playoff teams in that stretch (a 2-2 draw vs. D.C. United on Aug. 29). To make matters worse, New York’s potential implosion has been assisted by curious personnel decisions. The infelicitous firing of general manager Erik Soler and the speculation of head coach Hans Backe’s departure at year's end is an unnecessary added distraction. With ...