Why all 14 playoff teams could lift MLS Cup – and why they won’t
Hopes of postseason glory might never be higher among all 14 playoff teams, so we detail why each could lift MLS…
Decision Day has come and gone, leaving Major League Soccer’s 14 playoff sides with nearly two weeks to contemplate their paths to MLS Cup glory. In the regular season’s afterglow, postseason hopes will never be higher for many of these clubs, which is why we’ve detailed precisely why each team can win MLS Cup … and, similarly, why each can’t.
Western Conference
Next playoff match: 10:30 p.m. ET Oct. 24 vs. Minnesota or LA Galaxy (watch live on ESPN)
Why they will win MLS Cup: The league’s best player, Carlos Vela, makes sure there is no letdown and leads the league’s best team to the title.
Why they won’t win MLS Cup: The lack of a second striker and an opponent savvy enough to cut off the Eduard Atuesta-Vela connection lead to a nightmare scenario for Bob Bradley’s men.
Next playoff match: 3:30 p.m. ET Oct. 19 vs. FC Dallas
Why they will win MLS Cup: Seattle is well versed in the postseason panorama and has the firepower in Raul Ruidiaz, Jordan Morris and Nicolas Lodeiro to do something special.
Why they won’t win MLS Cup: A team that has been plagued by defensive issues, poor road form and inconsistency simply can’t last.
Next playoff match: 10 p.m. ET Oct. 19 vs. Portland (watch live on ESPNEWS)
Why they will win MLS Cup: The attacking trident of Jefferson Savarino, Albert Rusnak and Damir Kreilach get on a roll, and Kyle Beckerman and Nick Rimando turn back the clock to 2009.
Why they won’t win MLS Cup: RSL’s inconsistency rears its head at the wrong time to end a season overshadowed by off-the-field controversy.
Next playoff match: 8:30 p.m. ET Oct. 20 vs. LA Galaxy (watch live on ESPN)
Why they will win MLS Cup: Their “us against the world” mentality, on top of a solid defense, takes Adrian Heath’s men on a surprising Cup run.
Why they won’t win MLS Cup: Ten road losses this season suggest that winning back-to-back away from home in the biggest games of the season is too big an ask.
Next playoff match: 8:30 p.m. ET Oct. 20 at Minnesota (watch live on ESPN)
Why they will win MLS Cup: Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Zlatan Ibrahimovic. The Swede is a threat to score anytime he has the ball, and with Cristian Pavon in the mix, the Galaxy have the offensive weapons to take down anyone.
Why they won’t win MLS Cup: A poor record away from home and a tendency to switch off and commit errors in defense make it only a matter of time before the Galaxy get sent packing.
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Jon Champion and Taylor Twellman examine the bracket in the Western Conference for the MLS Cup Playoffs.
Next playoff match: 10 p.m. ET Oct. 19 at Salt Lake (watch live on ESPNEWS)
Why they will win MLS Cup: Diego Valeri and Sebastian Blanco. The Argentine playmakers are as formidable as any in the league, and Blanco in particular has turned it up a notch the past month. Plus midfield warrior Diego Chara and the experience of coach Giovanni Savarese give Timbers fans every reason to believe.
Why they won’t win MLS Cup: Valeri’s contract status is looming uncomfortably over the team, and Savarese has yet to figure out how to shake his team’s inconsistent form in 2019.
Next playoff match: 3:30 p.m. ET Oct. 19 at Seattle
Why they will win MLS Cup: Luchi Gonzalez’s young pups will be playing with no fear and have nothing to lose in this postseason. It’s just the type of attitude that can wreak havoc on opponents.
Why they won’t win MLS Cup: Their lack of experience can also work against them in a hostile environment, such as trying to hang on to a result in the last 15 minutes in a full house on the West Coast.
Eastern Conference
Next playoff match: 7 p.m. ET Oct. 23 vs. Toronto or D.C.
Why they will win MLS Cup: No team is cooler when pressured by opponents, thanks to one of the league’s best midfields, which lays the groundwork for a title run.
Why they won’t win MLS Cup: Jozy Altidore and Toronto FC have a habit of making life difficult for NYCFC and could prove to be the roadblock even before a date with high-powered LAFC.
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Next playoff match: 3 p.m. ET Oct. 19 vs. New England
Why they will win MLS Cup: They know how to get the job done, and with a healthy and hungry Josef Martinez, a second straight crown is theirs for the taking.
Why they won’t win MLS Cup: The mental lapses have been there too often this season, and in a single-game elimination format, that proves costly.
Next playoff match: 3 p.m. ET Oct. 20 vs. New York Red Bulls
Why they will win MLS Cup: Their balance from back to front is a big asset, and Kacper Przybylko has become the goal scorer this team desperately needed.
Why they won’t win MLS Cup: Teams will look to take Przybylko out of the equation, and the lack of a second scorer will limit the Union.
Next playoff match: Noon ET Oct. 19 vs. D.C.
Why they will win MLS Cup: One of the hottest teams in the East boasts the experience to win MLS Cup and has the firepower up front with Jozy Altidore and Alejandro Pozuelo.
Why they won’t win MLS Cup: A spotty road record all season means that this 4-seed can’t string together the wins away from home to lift the trophy.
Next playoff match: Noon ET Oct. 19 at Toronto
Why they will win MLS Cup: On his way out the door, Wayne Rooney will deliver his best soccer since arriving in the nation’s capital and replicate countryman David Beckham’s feat of leaving MLS as a champion.
Why they won’t win MLS Cup: Ben Olsen’s reluctance to start Luciano Acosta and the resurfacing of late summer defensive woes rear their heads in the postseason.
Next playoff match: 3 p.m. ET Oct. 20 at Philadelphia
Why they will win MLS Cup: With postseason expectations lower than in previous seasons, the Red Bulls ride a pressure-free playoffs all the way to the promised land.
Why they won’t win MLS Cup: A defense that gave up a lot of goals to the league’s top teams can’t maintain a high enough level through four matches.
Next playoff match: 3 p.m. ET Oct. 19 at Atlanta
Why they will win MLS Cup: Led by five-time MLS Cup-winning coach Bruce Arena, the Revs ride the playmaking of Carles Gil and the scoring boots of Gustavo Bou to a stunning title run.
Why they won’t win MLS Cup: A team that still struggles to put together a consistent 90 minutes will see its postseason end fairly quickly.
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