Western Conference Guide | Audi MLS Cup Playoffs Home
New York Red Bulls - #1 seed
Who are they?
Since head coach Jesse Marsch took the helm to start the season – a controversial move that saw club legend Mike Petke make way – the Red Bulls have been all about their up-tempo, high-press system. No longer a team built around one or two big-money stars, the Supporters' Shield winners rely on collective effort.
Star Power
Roberto Donadoni. Lothar Matthäus. Juan Pablo Angel. Thierry Henry. Rafa Marquez. Tim Cahill. The 2015 Red Bulls simply don’t have the household names of yesteryear. They still boast the likes of Bradley Wright-Phillips, whose 44 goals over the past two years tied an MLS record, and Sacha Kljestan, their marquee offseason addition.
What's their biggest weakness?
The counter. New York’s greatest strength has, at times, proved to be it’s greatest weakness, as the high press tends to leave gaps open. Pushing high up the field can force turnovers and create goals, but it also leaves space that pacey teams can (and have) taken advantage of.
The Red Bulls will win MLS Cup because ...
Posting a league-best and franchise record 18 wins, the Red Bulls are a force to be reckoned with and lifted their second Supporters’ Shield in three years. For all the talk surrounding Thierry Henry’s departure, New York still managed to score a league-best 62 goals in 2015, and their defensive core is nothing to sneeze at. Simply put, this team is loaded.
- Eric Giacometti
Columbus Crew SC - #2 seed
Who are they?
Crew SC have proven to be a high-octane, system-based squad. Their attack is among the best in the league, and they've been able to impose their will on some of the league's best. Flying high after a win in Toronto and a 5-0 demolition of D.C. United to end their season, they've got momentum and a bye.
Star Power
Kei Kamara is the guy in Columbus. The Golden Boot and MVP candidate scored 22 goals in the regular season and is fuming over a missed chance to add to that total. He'll be a force to be reckoned with. But Ethan Finlay has had another impressive season and is rounding into form at the right time as well. The duo is among the most dangerous in MLS.
What's their biggest weakness?
Columbus have struggled all season to find consistency on defense. The club has used several different players on the back line and recently went three months without a shutout. Crew SC fans will hope midseason additions of Gaston Sauro and Harrison Afful have fixed their only glaring weakness.
Crew SC will win MLS Cup because ...
They're putting it all together. Players are still openly angry about last year's playoff flame-out against the New England Revolution, and the club now has another year under Gregg Berhalter's system to draw upon. If two shutouts to end the regular season mean they've fixed the defense, they're among the league's most complete and deep squads.
- Andrew King
Montreal Impact - #3 seed
Who are they?
This is the story of a team turning it around with a timely coaching change and the mother of all midseason DP signings. After some shaky summer moments, 23 points in their last 11 games did the trick. That’s championship form.
Star Power
Eleven goals in eleven games, seven wins and the No. 3 seed. Didier Drogba has taken MLS by storm.
What's their biggest weakness?
They’ve been deadly on the counter since joining MLS. Montreal take more initiative now, but their past tendancy to wait for teams to attack before mustering a response can creep back up and leave them exposed – case in point: Sebastian Giovinco and Co. in the first half on Decision Day.
Impact will win MLS Cup because ...
Montreal know how to deal with knockout competitions (cough CONCACAF Champions League), and you shouldn’t bet against Drogba. Also, because Matt Doyle said so.
- Olivier Tremblay
D.C. United - #4 seed
Who are they?
D.C. United are the unknown. Of any team in these playoffs, they're perhaps the most unpredictable; they were comprehensively dismantled by Columbus on Sunday, but most MLS fans could've just as easily seen D.C. do the dismantling. And while D.C. may lack a clearly defined identity, that stylistic absence hasn't kept them from carving out results and hovering near the top of the Eastern Conference all year.
Star Power
Chris Rolfe (above) runs the show for United. His statistical value is easy to spot – he leads the team in goals and is top five in assists; but his intangibles make him the star in the District. His versatility – Rolfe has played out wide and up top this year – and his creative flair are hard to put a value on, especially amongst a corps more accustomed to grinding out results than finessing them.
What's their biggest weakness?
United's weakness, right now, is their struggle to keep the ball, which was on display against Columbus – where they struggled to even get the ball in the first place. D.C. won plenty of games without meaningful possession in the regular season, but they cannot rely on favorable bounces and stellar goalkeeping throughout the playoffs.
D.C. will win MLS Cup because ...
Because, really, nobody thinks they will. For a team that spent four months in first place this year, for a team built on grit and experience, very few give United a chance to do anything in the postseason. And to be honest, there are plenty of United players who prefer it that way. Many play with a chip on their shoulder, having been cast-off by their previous clubs in the past year or two. An MLS Cup would do plenty to vindicate.
- Pablo Maurer
New England Revolution - #5 seed
Who are they?
The New England Revolution are most definitely defined by the streak, be it good or bad. They snapped a four-match winless rut with their regular season finale victory and now they are positioned on the right side of a run – having already enjoyed separate six- and eight-game unbeaten stretches this this season – at the exact right time.
Star Power
Jermaine Jones may be the biggest name on the roster, but it is Lee Nguyen who makes the engine run. An MVP candidate a year ago, the midfielder continues to shred the opposition and set up the attack with stellar ball control. While last year it was goals (18), this year Nguyen has shined as the setup man, notching 10 assists.
What's their biggest weakness?
Somewhere the Revs lost their ability to sit on a close lead, squandering points in 10 of the 22 matches in which they struck first. With the raw emotions and tightness that come with postseason play, they will need to find a way to maintain their shape on the defensive end when working in narrow margins should they find themselves up a goal late.
The Revs will win MLS Cup because ...
If they can truly draw on their experiences from last season’s run, then they will have what it takes to make the final step and grab the Cup this year. There are plenty of guys who can light up the scoreboard and Andrew Farrell has grown into a legit center back able to slow down MLS' best attackers.
- Craig Forde
Toronto FC - #6 seed
Who are they?
What they aren't anymore are loveable, playoff-hungry underachievers. They're still a hot-and-cold team, though, with an oft-shaky defense whose fortunes mirror those of Giovinco (mainly), Michael Bradley and Jozy Altidore. Potential for greatness? They've got it. Potential for disaster? That's there, too.
Star Power
The Landon Donovan MVP award, barring an upset, will belong to the Atomic Ant. Giovinco's production is unmatched in MLS, and he has enough transcendent moments to fill a highlight reel (you can watch that here). It’s impossible not to recognize the Italian’s genius – free kicks and one-v-one situations are must-watch moments – and he can (and has) win a game all by himself
What's their biggest weakness?
Defense. Between injuries, form and everything in between, it's been a mostly down year for the Reds' backline. They allowed 58 goals, tied for most in MLS, and only snuck into the playoffs on the back of their free-firing attack (58 goals scored). When the season comes down to 90 minutes, as it will on Thursday night, a few breakdowns can be the difference between success and spectacular failure.
TFC will win MLS Cup because ...
Giovinco drags them there, pure and simple.
- Andrew Wiebe
