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SBI Question of the Day: Who will win MLS Cup?

Photo by Geoff Burke/USA TODAY Sports
Photo by Geoff Burke/USA TODAY Sports

The MLS playoffs are upon us, as 12 teams now vie for the league’s ultimate prize.

Postseason play kicks off on Wednesday, beginning a month-and-a-half long chase towards MLS Cup. That chase begins with the 12 remaining teams, and will conclude on Dec. 10 with a new champion following the shocking end to the Portland Timbers season.

Leading the pack of favorites is FC Dallas, who enter the playoffs with two trophies in hand already. However, an injury to Mauro Diaz leaves FC Dallas lacking one of the league’s elite playmakers, opening the door for a Colorado Rapids team that finished second in the West largely without Jermaine Jones. The U.S. Men’s National Team midfielder is back, and he will now look to help boost an attacking unit that pairs with one of the league’s strongest defenses.

In the East, a pair of New York clubs earned byes, as the New York Red Bulls and NYCFC finished atop the conference. Golden Boot winner Bradley Wright-Phillips and assist king Sacha Kljestan will look to lead the Red Bulls to their first MLS Cup, while David Villa leads an NYCFC team set to taste the playoffs for the first time.

Still, the door is open for each of the teams playing in the midweek knockout rounds. Two of the last four MLS Cup champions have had to navigate the opening matches, showing that it is possible for the lower-seeded teams to make a run.

The West is loaded with contenders, including a well-rested LA Galaxy team. In their path will be a Real Salt Lake team with an attacking group that could give any team in MLS fits. In the other Western Conference clash, Nicolas Lodeiro will lead the resurgent Seattle Sounders against a veteran Sporting KC group that was robbed by a double post last season against the eventual champions.

Eastern Conference action is led by Toronto FC and Sebastian Giovinco, who take on a slumping Philadelphia Union team that is looking to recapture early-season form. The Montreal Impact are also in a bit of turmoil given the recent Didier Drogba drama, but remain a scary proposition thanks to the play of star Ignacio Piatti. They’ll have to beat a team that may be the league’s most in-form, though, as midseason acquitions Patrick Mullins and Lloyd Sam have ignited D.C. United.

With that said, who do you see as MLS Cup favorites? Which team do you see lifting the trophy in December?

Have your say in SBI’s Question of the Day and state your reasoning in the comments below.

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Comments

  1. Naw, this is just a NY based site and NY fans are stuffing the ballets like they stuff socks to make people think they have a big package… Insecurity not tempered by rational thought.

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  2. If Diaz or Dempsey were healthy, we would have our answer.

    For me between NYRB, Colorado, Dallas and Seattle.

    Can’t believe that NY is that big of pick and Dallas is that far down. Makes me think there is some ballot stuffing going on, with Dallas having no fans.

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  3. If Diaz was available, I think Dallas would win it all. But without him I think one of the New york teams will win. Just don’t ask me which one.

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  4. I actually see the lower seeds from the playoff bracket winning. I think all four of the higher seeds will win the first round and the teams with the least road losses having a huge benefit in the home and home series.. DC United/Toronto from the East, and LAG/Seattle from the West with the LAG winning over DCU for the MLS cup.

    I think NYFC has a chance in the east, but they do not match up well with some teams, they do have a good road record (most wins) which is a plus, but road records with the least losses are more predictive in a home and home series. Only the LAG in the West have a good road record (least losses) which should see them through over CR or FCD, presuming, of course that Keane will be a factor in scoring. I do not expect Gerard or Zardes to be a factor in the playoffs, but a LD who may find his form, is the wildcard here.

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  5. Now that I’ve gotten my MLS rant out of the way, I expect Colorado with Jermaine Jones returning to get an extra jolt of life. While Jones has been out for some time, the Rapids looked fantastic when he was in the line-up earlier in the season.

    Perhaps we see a NYCFC vs Colorado final? Some high praise to Patrick Vieira for bucking the trend of failed foreign managers within MLS to this point, and hopefully tempering this Jason Kreis for the national team nonsense.

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  6. Hopefully the club that actually won the league, FC Dallas, and not this silly, couple of weeks, charade we call MLS Cup to crown league champions while dimissing the previous 34 weeks.

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