Major Link Soccer - Squeak, Squeak Edition

by Dizzo on Oct 24, 2011 7:01 AM PDT in Major League Soccer: News & Analysis

Put it in the books folks. The regular season is over and the Seattle Sounders logged an impressive 63 points over 34 games. In most seasons that would have put the Sounders in the top spot. Instead the Sounders will be the number two team in the league and will face the number three team in Real Salt Lake in a home-and-home series. The next opponent for the Sounders will most likely be the Los Angeles Galaxy. Playoff tickets go on sale at 10:00 today.

The Sounders ended the season on a strong note with a 3-1 win over Chivas USA. The team looked focused and composed despite having midfield leader Mauro Rosales stretchered out early in the first half. The Sounders nation holds their collective breath this week as they wait for word on the health of his knee. He'll be needed for a tough playoff race. You can see highlights and photos on the Sounders website.

Playoff Seeding Set: Yesterday the Houston Dynamo beat a mostly reserve Galaxy team 3-1 to finalize the playoff standings. Wildcard games begin this week with Dallas FC hosting the New York Red Bulls on Wednesday. The Colorado Rapids will also host the Columbus Crew. The highest remaining seed from the Wildcard round will face the Sporting Kansas City while the other goes to California to play the Galaxy.

More after the jump:

Red Bulls Sneak In: Probably the biggest sighs of relief this weekend came from Harrison, New Jersey as the Red Bulls squeaked into the last playoff spot. The ship is far from righted at the dysfunctional inheritors to the Metro-Stars chronic hopelessness. There's a shot at them beating an FC Dallas team that has been playing like crap of late. Past that there doesn't seem much hope, but at least Hans Backe and Erik Soler still have a chance to save their jobs.

Draft Day Changes: The league has made some more changes to the Super-Draft. The first day of the draft will go only two rounds while the another round will be added to the supplemental draft. The end result is the same number of total draft rounds. So, no need to worry about that 3rd round draft pick your team acquired last year.

Keller Talks With Arlo: Captain Kasey Keller recently sat down with Arlo White to discuss his career with the Sounders, the US National Team and Europe. Lots of great insight from the man who opened the eyes of Europe to the skill of American keepers.

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I have a bad feeling about Rosales' knee

I just don’t think the whole saga is going to end well. Hope I’m wrong and he at least gets back for the home game vs RSL.

by Nevtelen on Oct 24, 2011 10:01 AM PDT reply actions

I'd feel better with Mauro healthy

But I’m okay with Fernandez and Neagle on the wings versus RSL and Montero/Ochoa up top.

While RSL is a great team and the MLS playoff structure/seeding still needs fixing, there are some silver linings to look at.

NYRB has enough players that when healthy and focused they could knock out the Galaxy so at this point I’m hoping they beat Dallas to give LA a run in the Semi’s. I don’t think that Columbus will be much of a threat to LA. Colorado could beat LA up before the Semifinals, but I don’t think the Rapids will win and I don’t want to see their style of play win a game in the playoffs.

by CMC_Stags on Oct 24, 2011 10:19 AM PDT reply actions

Or a championship

Again. :(

The SAH Links Guy

by Dizzo on Oct 24, 2011 11:03 AM PDT up reply actions

Don't remind me

I just hope the referees don’t swallow their whistles in the playoffs again for Colorado. Thuggish play has no place in the playoffs. “Letting them play” should be interpreted as “Letting them play without fear of having their legs sheared off at the ankle.”

by CMC_Stags on Oct 24, 2011 12:08 PM PDT up reply actions

Now we get to see if any cherry picking matchups goes on in MLS...

A New York / LA final, Henry versus Beckham… made for TV and promotions on ESPN.

If it were the NBA we’d see up to and including massive referee assistance to make it happen.

Let’s see if MLS is any better.

by luckystriker on Oct 24, 2011 11:47 AM PDT reply actions

New York / LA by definition can only happen in the conference Semis

As the Supporters Shield winner, LA gets the worst team that makes it through the Wild Card round. If NYRB wins their wild card game versus Dallas, that’s them.

by CMC_Stags on Oct 24, 2011 12:09 PM PDT up reply actions

Even if LA were to face NYRB and still beat them...

there would still be a lot of travel and time zones involved LA-NY-LA followed immediately by a conference final game. This is main reason I’m rooting for NY, as Seattle would be less travel-fatigued facing LA.

by ballardiana on Oct 24, 2011 1:21 PM PDT reply actions

Agreed. I'd much rather the Sounders have a home and home against a closer team than NY

Though playing at altitude means Seattle will be fatigued enough as is.

The best news for the Sounders is that as potentially the deepest team in the league, playing Saturday / Wednesday should be easier for Sigi’s squad to manage than it will be for RSL. Should the Sounders make it out of the Semis, they should be ready to go for Sunday’s game as well (especially as they’ll have an extra day between their final leg of the Semis and their opponents’.

By comparison, LA will play Sunday / Thursday / Sunday compared to the Sounders’ Saturday / Wednesday / Sunday. The Wild Card teams will have an extra game in there should one of them come through LA.

by CMC_Stags on Oct 24, 2011 2:00 PM PDT up reply actions