ASN: Fearless Forecasting: ASN Picks First-Spherical Winners

4 Main League Soccer groups will probably be eradicated from the postseason by Thursday evening, and ASN contributing editor Brian Sciaretta has a reasonably good thought the way it’s all going to play out.

BY

Brian Sciaretta

Posted
October 28, 2015
9:40 AM

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THE MLS PLAYOFFS ARE UPON US, and there are some very fascinating knockout video games on the docket. It’s arduous to consider, for example, that both Seattle Sounders or the Los Angeles Galaxy won’t survive the week. And it’s a disgrace that both Didier Drogba or Sebastian Giovinco will sit out the overwhelming majority of the postseason.

Listed below are my predictions for the primary batch of video games.

Seattle Sounders vs. Los Angeles Galaxy

The Sounders host the Galaxy on Wednesday evening (10pm ET, UniMas) in a first-round matchup of star-filled squads.

SEATTLE OUTLOOK: On the danger of stating the apparent, Seattle goes to wish critical manufacturing from its strike duo of Clint Dempsey and Obafemi Martins. Seattle’s lack of depth revealed itself the summer season when each Martins and Dempsey had been out and the group sputtered.

“I feel real good,” Dempsey mentioned. “This week, I was able to train all week. I felt sharp and in the game felt good. It took me a while coming back from that hamstring injury I was dealing with… Now, I feel like I’m getting my legs back and able to make those runs behind the back line.”

LOS ANGELES OUTLOOK: This group simply must get up. The Galaxy has extra expertise than anybody within the league however has performed poorly heading into the playoffs, notably in a latest 5-2 loss to Portland that uncovered the group’s uneven backline. L.A. wants Omar Gonzalez to boost his recreation and it’ll want Giovani Dos Santos, Robbie Keane, and Gyasi Zardes to outgun Dempsey and Martins up entrance.

One profit for the Galaxy is expertise. Most of the gamers have been right here earlier than, in spite of everything, and it has the perfect coach in league historical past on the helm. To stroll out of Seattle victorious, although, will take a real group effort. Prediction: Seattle 2, Los Angeles 1

Portland Timbers vs. Sporting KC

In a recreation that options two groups coming off essential wins to finish the common season, Portland will host Kansas Metropolis on Thursday evening (10pm ET, UniMas). The 2 groups are very totally different of their kinds, making it a troublesome recreation to foretell.

PORTLAND OUTLOOK: The Timbers are taking part in very nicely in the mean time, having outscored opponents 10-3 in successful three straight contests. Portland, in reality, has not misplaced since an October 3 conflict with, yep, Kansas Metropolis. SKC triumphed in that match 1-0 because of an unreal purpose from Krisztian Nemeth.

Timbers boss Caleb Porter has opened issues up for Portland and, particularly, Darlington Nagbe, who’s out of the blue taking part in his finest soccer of the season. On Sunday he scored twice in a formidable 4-1 rout over the lowly Colorado Rapids. When the Timbers are on, they’re athletic and explosive; when they’re off, they’re a disjointed mess. Fortuitously for Portland, it seems to be rather more of the previous than the latter in the mean time.

KANSAS CITY OUTLOOK: Led by Graham Zusi, Matt Besler, and Dom Dwyer, Sporting Kansas Metropolis possesses sturdy veteran management. Besler and his backline associate, Kevin Ellis, will must be on the high of their video games to fight Portland’s surging assault.

Most significantly, Benny Feilhaber goes to have the highlight on him greater than another participant in these playoffs. Many American soccer followers really feel that Feilhaber ought to be beginning for the U.S. males’s nationwide group, however Jurgen Klinsmann merely doesn’t charge the midfielder. Might a standout efficiency within the playoffs earn him a long-awaited call-up? Prediction: Portland 3, Kansas Metropolis 2

D.C. United vs. New England Revolution

D.C. United will host the New England Revolution on Wednesday (7:30pm ET, UniMas) in a matchup of two authentic MLS groups—and two groups which are struggling to search out consistency.

D.C. OUTLOOK: At this level, who is aware of? The group was completely embarrassed on the ultimate day of the season in a 5-0 beat-down by the hands of the Columbus Crew. Sure, D.C. United had a pair of good wins within the two earlier video games towards Chicago and New York Metropolis FC, however neither of these sides had something to play for. Previous to these two wins, United has managed only one level from its earlier six matches.

If United hopes to beat the Revolution, it should want an enormous recreation from goalkeeper Invoice Hamid and the central-defensive backbone of Bobby Boswell, Steve Birnbaum, and Perry Kitchen might want to work miracles to  comprise New England’s explosive assault.

NEW ENGLAND OUTLOOK: Taking up a battered and shell-shocked opponent, the Revolution will doubtless assault early and infrequently. Jay Heaps’ membership has so many weapons—from Charlie Davies and Lee Nguyen to Juan Agudelo, Kelyn Rowe, and Diego Fagundez—that D.C. gained’t be capable of isolate and neutralize anybody particular person.

Nguyen, although, might be the difference-maker. He’ among the best attacking midfielders within the league, and his precision passes will doubtless slice holes in D.C. United’s backline. Prediction: New England 3, D.C. United 0

Montreal Impression vs. Toronto FC

Two of the league’s finest forwards will face off when Montreal hosts Toronto on Thursday evening (7pm ET, UniMas).

After years of futility and disappointment, Toronto FC lastly made it to the MLS. Regardless of high-profile (and high-cost) gamers like Michael Bradley, Jozy Altidore, and MVP-to-be Sebastian Giovinco, it solely managed to safe a No. 6 seed. In the meantime, Montreal has risen from the ashes after a league-worst file in 2014. Vetaran striker Didier Drogba joined the group in August and immediately reworked the squad into an MLS Cup contender.

MONTREAL OUTLOOK: This group has been via quite a bit this 12 months, starting with a stunning run to the CONCACAF Champions League last. After a sluggish begin to the MLS season, the Impression regularly picked up steam—after which Drogba’s arrival took issues to a brand new stage. The Impression didn’t get a bye, clearly, nevertheless it’s nonetheless a group that nobody desires to play.

Since his arrival in August, Drogba has 11 objectives in 11 video games (one purpose each 79 minutes). Ignacio Piatti, in the meantime, is without doubt one of the league’s higher playmakers, and he and Drogba ought to have a discipline day towards a Toronto protection that conceded 58 objectives in 2015.

TORONTO OUTLOOK: Toronto FC will certainly want first-rate performances from its designated gamers, however extra importantly, its protection should play its finest recreation of the season. TFC often is the underdog, nevertheless it does have gamers able to making offensive magic occur. It might hardly be shocking for Giovinco to do one thing outstanding, Bradley to regulate the midfield, or Alitdore to be harmful up high.

The protection, nonetheless, goes to have to determine a technique to stop Drogba from persevering with his rampage via MLS defenders. TFC didn’t appear to have any solutions on Sunday: The Ivory Coast icon scored twice towards TFC in a 2-1 in a playoff preview. Prediction: Montreal 3, Toronto 1

That is how Brian sees issues unfolding tonight and tomorrow—what do you suppose? Depart your take within the Feedback part under.