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Who do you see winning MLS Cup 2010?

 MLS Cup Trophy (ISIphotos.com)

The eight teams that will be vying for the 2010 MLS Cup title have been established, and while we still don't know which teams will be facing each other when the playoffs begin next week, it isn't too early to think about who will lift the MLS Cup in Toronto next month.

It can be argued that there are more legitimate title contenders this year than any previous season in MLS history. I provided a rundown of the contenders in this recent Fox Soccer piece, and yes, I have Real Salt Lake looking like the best bet to lift the MLS Cup for a second straight season.

RSL isn't the only team capable of winning the championship this year. Los Angeles, New York, Seattle and FC Dallas all look capable of making a title run, and given how unpredictable the playoffs can be, it's tough to even rule out struggling Columbus, or underdogs San Jose and Colorado.

Who do you see winning MLS Cup this year? Cast your vote here:

Who did you pick? Who do you see winning MLS Cup this year?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. Playoffs vs a single table? Two different paradigms to be sure but if the fans, players and the like want to determine who are the best two teams via a championship dual than a playoff tournament does the job well. You can give the cup to the team that “fought by the skin of their teeth” and has the most pts by seasons end but a proponent of playoffs would say it’s more about who has teeth left (or skin in the game) to finish the job. At the end of the campaign who has gas left in the tank to dig deep and win in even more intense competition.

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  2. So hard to predict with the matchups still so up in the air. But gun to my head this would be my order today:

    1. Seattle
    2. Galaxy
    3. RSL
    3. NYRB
    5. Dallas
    6. SJ
    7. C-Bus
    8. Rapids

    Everyone is sleeping on LA. The first half of the season did actually happen, after all. I think the entire team—but especially Landy and Beckham, ’cause it’s a redemption mission for them both—takes it to another level in a couple of weeks. They have the look of a team that sputtered down the stretch because they couldn’t care less and just want to get to the one part of the season that matters to them.

    In any event, I the most fascinating thing about these playoffs is how they pit the two models for success against each other. Will the DP-laden teams dominate, or will RSL or Dallas prove themselves? Either way, the answer will probably have serious implications for how the rest of the league spends moving into next season.

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  3. And I’ll go to bat for the Sounders back four. Especially if the argument is just whether or not they’re “horrible.”

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  4. We’re in mid-October and the Sounders have been consistently dominant since early July. That’s not some little hot streak. 33 of the last 42 possible points is way more than enough for anyone to call them consistent.

    The question isn’t who is the best over the course of the season: that’s why we have the Supporter’s Shield. No one has played better soccer since Independence Day, and *that* is why Sounders’ fans think we have the best shot at winning the Cup.

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  5. The most important thing heading into the MLS playoffs is form. The only moronic thing Sigi could do is throw a couple of games and risk not being able to get back the great form you mention.

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  6. Ridiculous. RSL has been very strong in the back all year, and there’s something to be said for that. But the three teams you mention here as having “horrible” backlines have done very well during the last half of the season. The Galaxy have a good backline, but have struggled since the WC break.

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  7. And thats all it will end up being is a rumor. However, Let LA spend the money and take on Rooney, just like Beckham he can sit out most of the year with an ankle injury. Olave would stuff him anyway. I agree with most of you. RSL is the most solid- NYDP’s, Seattle, and Dallas are close though. I think the Crapids, and the Crew are actually the weakest teams in it. If Wondo stays lit up then the Quakes may cause a little damage.

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  8. Sounders are in 4th overall, 2 points behind Dallas. Dallas plays LAG in LA this weekend. Seattle plays Houston in Houston. Seattle may very well finish in the top 3, yet. (Then again, Seattle could also finish 8th).

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  9. LA Galaxy all the way we better make it to the final at least and if we do I hope landon and buddle step up not like last year I was disappointed whe I was in the stands in seattle which by the way is and amazing city

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  10. It makes me glad to see that we finally have lots of respect for our league I hope we turn out to become a great league such as thhe dutch league

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  11. NYRB. Best team in the league when Richards is available along with Henry, Marquez, and Lindpere. I don’t think we’ve seen the best from this bunch yet.

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  12. The Red Bulls have a team that can win it all and if they are playing their A game then they should deffently win it all. I am deffently excited about watching them go through the playoffs.

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  13. Dallas’ backline is horrible? Based on what? That is laughable. They allowed the fewest shots on goal of any team while starting like 7 different guys.

    RSL, though, yes.

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  14. Who rules the MLS? The playoff favorite or the best record by season’s end? Moot point for certain. The playoffs are certainly separate from the entire season. Americanisms or financial windfall aside, my vote for team of the season will always be on the squad who takes the supporters shield. This, fantastically, is still up for grabs. Though the financial rewards and cultural leanings of playoffs may dictate the Supreme Being in many American’s eyes, my heart will always, regardless of post season drive, be given to the squad that fought by the skin of their teeth to attain the best record of the season. Call me Eurotrash – I don’t give a damn! The winners are the winners! A 32 game champion will always outweigh a playoff champ. The End. I don’t give a fiddler’s fart what any other maggot may say.

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  15. I’d pick RSL to win MLS Cup just because they have been solid throughout the season; very consistent. But we are talking about the playoffs here, where anything can happen. So, I’m going to say that San Jose will suddenly get hot and win it all.

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  16. I would imagine the only people who are surprised that RSL got high percentages are people that haven’t really watched RSL. They are solid.

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  17. RSL all the way! Potent offense and a lock down defense with Beckerman in mid and Olave, Borchers and co shutting down the opposition along with Romando keeping everything out of net. They have players who aren’t mentioned much but are invaluable role players that can’t hurt you like Will Johnson and Espindola, hell even Findley’s pace can still cause problems as long as he passes to a goal scorer (see his assist to Morales in win last week against FCD.)

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  18. To me it looks like RSL, NYRB and Seattle are the legit contenders. I’ll be mildly surprised if LA or Dallas win it’s all, and very surprised if any of the other three do.

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  19. RSL vote here, Seattle, Dallas, NYRB, Galaxy have horrible backlines, especially the Galaxy. The Crew have underperformed for the last 3 months, something is wrong in C town. Rapids and Quakes are possibilities, but not very deep in the bench, and subs are a huge difference in the playoffs as teams play conservative and look to wear down each other.

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  20. The Sounders could well be the 3rd seed depending on how things go this weekend. Seattle sits tied with the Red Bulls at 48 points and two points behind FCD at 50 points. Dallas has a losable game with the LA Galaxy coming up, and Seattle plays struggling Houston. They’ll leapfrog FCD with a win and a Dallas loss, or draw even with them with an FCD draw (though admittedly they’d still lose out on goal differential). They are also likely to surpass or at least draw even with New York this weekend.

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  21. I realize it is a long shot, but if the Quakes can make it past the first round with the success they’ve had on the road all year they might be able to make a run – like RSL last year.

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  22. Seattle and RSL seem like the scariest teams to face in right now. Seattle gave RSL the hardest time at home this year in my opinion, so a western conference final with those teams would be a great show.

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  23. They’ve been consistently good over the second half of the season. Remember how dominant LA was at the start of the season? They ended the first half at 11 wins, 3 draws, and 1 loss. Do you know what the Sounders’ record is over the second half of the season? 10 wins, 3 draws, 1 loss, with one game against Houston to go. They’re no longer just hot; you don’t catch fire for a full half of a season. They’re just good.

    The Sounders are the best team in Major League Soccer right now, but their gauntlet poses some problems. If Sigi wasn’t a total moron and threw their last two games, they’d be seeded in the east and have the best chance of hoisting the cup. As it is, despite being worse than any one of the 4 teams in the Western half of the bracket, New York has to be the favorite going into the tournament. Their chance of making it to the finals and pulling off an upset in there is better than any individual team in the West battling through the gauntlet and disptching the East champion.

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  24. RSL Fan here, I’d watch out for the winner of the East. It’s arguable that the top four teams are in the Western bracket (gg Garber, single table already) and I’m a bit leery of getting beaten or worn down early in the first round against Dallas or Seattle.

    So I think NY is the dark horse, or maybe Colorado, because you have to think the team coming out of the East will be a sleeper (just like last year).

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  25. Dallas draw way too many games for me to say they are a favorite to win it. Yes they only have a couple losses, but you’ve gotta win games.

    That being said, I like RSL to win it. I think they will at least draw in Dallas, and I think they can win in LA. Playing in Seattle would be tough but I think they could possibly eek out a draw then take care of business at home. I also think they can beat anybody in the east on the road.

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  26. I’m kinda surprised that Salt Lake and RBNY got such high percentages. Not surprised by the Sounders…they got hot at exactly the right time.

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  27. You want Consistent than you have to go with RSL. Undeafeated at home all year long, and only lost 4 games 3 of which were at eh start of the year, the last one was at Dallas in July. You have to love how Sounders fans feel there team is still the best by making statements that aren’t even close to true. If they were consistent as you say than they would be in the top 3 teams not just getting into the playoffs.

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  28. I would disagree with the most consistent. Solid could be argued but I will give you that. But RSL and FCD are way more consistent thant Seattle. I like Seattles chances and think it could be a RSL and Seattle Final in the West if the spots stay the way they are currently. But I think RSL is the team until someone beats them at home.

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  29. I think one of the biggest differences this year in MLS is that there are teams that can score even if the other team sits back and packs it in. Seattle, RSL, NYRB and Dallas can all score on you even if you try and put 10 men behind the ball. Traditionally, I would pick a team that likes to sit back and counter-attack because those were the teams that won big games in MLS. Not anymore.

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  30. Columbus til I die. I know I am I swear I am Columbus til I die.

    That being said to ease my conscience, I think RSL has the parts for a repeat and they are built for the postseason. They will be untouchable at Rio Tinto, as I know all too well.

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  31. I think the top 3 contenders (in order) are:

    1. RSL. No, it’s not b/c they’ve won in the past. Their form seems good right now, Rimando is playing superbly (and a great GK can accomplish amazing things in 2-3 games–just ask all the teams that had to play Joe Cannon in the Western playoffs in the past). And playing at altitude is still a bit of an edge.

    2. Seattle. I think they’re surging. They’ve got a couple of players (especially Montero) who are streaky and, if hot, can carry a team in the playoffs. Plus, if I had to pick one GK right now in MLS if I absolutely, positively had to win a game, I’d go with Rimando or Keller (despite the fact that I think KK has had a very up and down season–in the clutch it’s a different matter).

    3. NYRB. As a DCU fan it chokes a bit to say (okay, “type”) that but I think there are a couple of reasons (and none of them have to do with DPs) why RBNY is no worse than the 3rd best team with the chance to win the MLS Cup. Someone from the East has to make the Final and they have the best shot of doing so. It’s like Valvano when asked about the chances of NC State beating Houston, he replied of course his team had a chance–they were the only team playing Houston, no-one else had a chance! Well, NYRB has the best chance of any team to make the final. Backe has proven to be a superb coach and a wise tactician–I think he’ll scheme Wondolowski out of the match. And then, out of all the other playoff sides, the two I’d most like to face are Columbus or Colorado. NYRB are well-coached team with good depth, a range of options so they’re not going to be crippled of Angel or Coundol or Marquez gets carded out or hurt–most of the other playoff sides can’t make that claim.

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