I’m excited by …

The possibility of one more Hudson River Derby. The Red Bulls and NYC FC could face each other once again, in the playoffs and this game could be the best one yet. NYC FC, who are a totally different team since the 7-0 debacle earlier this season, would salivate at the prospect of facing their local rivals in the playoffs. As for Jesse Marsch’s men? Another opportunity to show why they still rule New York is too good to turn down. LME

The fact that both of last year’s finalists, the Portland Timbers and the Columbus Crew, failed to qualify for this year’s playoffs bodes well for the league’s famous parity. Seeing if this young squad can carry FC Dallas all the way to an unprecedented treble. The midseason turnarounds staged by DC United and Seattle. The serious possibility of an NY derby in the Eastern conference finals. And, most of all, for the cold, bitter November games at altitude in Denver, and watching how much the Rapids will make the road team suffer. GN

DC United. There’s always a wildcard heading into the play-offs and DC United appear to be that side this season. Pressing questions were being asked of Ben Olsen not so long ago, but five straight wins sent them into the postseason, scoring 12 times in the process. They found their groove, a deep one. Are they 2016’s Portland Timbers? GR

Some excellent teams going deep: Dallas, the Red Bulls and NYC FC have serious quality, and I fully expect them to be there at the end of it all. Even though the prospect of an unheralded team doing well is fun, I love the idea of the best teams being there in the conference finals. TH

I’m turned off by …

The prospect of sub-par officiating. MLS refereeing is often criticized, and the fact that the stakes are now higher worries me. Being an official is extremely difficult, so my hope for 2017 is that Don Garber does everything he can to make referees’ jobs easier. LME

The knockout games on short rest. The phrase “Audi MLS Cup playoffs.” Mauro Diaz’s season-ending injury in the penultimate game, meaning we’re robbed of the chance to see one of the league’s best playmakers orchestrate the league’s most scintillating attack. The way Real Salt Lake and the Montreal Impact limped into the playoffs. And, most of all, for how the goals seem to dry up once teams reach the conference finals. GN

Sporting KC. Consistency has become the calling card of Peter Vermes. KC have now made the play-offs for six successive seasons, but with defensive stability and physicality their greatest strengths they aren’t exactly the most compelling side to watch. Such traits might serve them well in a knockout format, though. GR

The dreadful format. The MLS Cup final isn’t until 10 December! Why we need six weeks to determine a winner is beyond me, and six teams from each conference is at least two too many. I know we live in a prizes-for-all world, but allowing the 11th- and 12th-best placed teams to compete in the postseason is a farce. TH

The dream MLS Cup final will be …

FC Dallas v NYC FC. Dallas are the best team in this league, and they deserve nothing less than a hat-trick of trophies this season (US Open Cup, Supporters’ Shield.) In only their second year as a club, Patrick Vieira’s men managed to climb enormous steps thanks to attractive, mature soccer with one of the most interesting squads in the league – and all this after losing 7-0 against the Red Bulls. Talk about comeback kings. LME

Boys in blue: David Villa and Andrea Pirlo. Photograph: L Argueta/ISI/REX/Shutterstock

NYCFC v LA Galaxy. Frank Lampard, David Villa and Andrea Pirlo v Steven Gerrard, Gio Dos Santos, Robbie Keane and Landon Donovan at Yankee Stadium. The league’s most famous stars and the two largest media markets taking each other on for the grand prize. Never mind the tactical headache that would occur if all those players were on the pitch at once, or the nauseating amount of advertising that would accompany it, it would be a fitting swansong for the aging European DP era of MLS, right before it starts to give way to more youthful and mobile teams. GN

NYC FC v Seattle. NYC’s turnaround under Patrick Vieira this season has been remarkable. He has found a shape and formation to get the best out of his big names, making Yankee Stadium a go-to-destination for goals. An MLS Cup final appearance would be symbolic of their progress. The Seattle Sounders have also completed their own turnaround, but in a much shorter timeframe. Just a few months ago they were on the brink of an existential crisis, firing Sigi Schmid after the club slipped to second bottom of the Western Conference. Since then they have won eight from 13 games, largely without Clint Dempsey, and now have real momentum behind them. You could say I fancy a common narrative of redemption. GR

Galaxy v NYC FC. It might not thrill the purists, who scorn the emphasis on highly paid veterans, but a clash between these two heavyweights would be undeniably alluring. MLS struggles to find space in the competitive US sports market, but final between the two glitziest clubs in America’s two biggest cities, boasting a roster of stars and enough charisma to sink the Titanic, would help the league to gain traction. I’m excited already. TH

The actual MLS Cup final will be …

Colorado Rapids v New York Red Bulls. The Red Bulls – thanks to their do-or-die attitude and Bradley Wright-Phillips, the league’s MVP favorite – look unstoppable right now. In the West, Mauro Diaz’s injury is a big deal to Dallas, and although they’ll make it to the conference final, I think that might be where their season ends – yes, Diaz is that important. Enter the Rapids, who have not lost a single game at home this season and if they can hold on when they are away from Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, they should make it all the way. LME

Speaking of young and athletic teams, the New York Red Bulls v FC Dallas. Yes, it’s the easy pick because they are the respective No1 seeds, but the Red Bulls have the one-two punch of the league’s golden boot winner in Bradley Wright-Phillips and assists leader in Sacha Kljestan, and FC Dallas have been the best team throughout the course of the season. To bet against either seems foolish. GN

Red Bulls v Rapids. Surely one of these days the New York Red Bulls will actually translate their regular season form into a play-off run? They’ve been here enough times before, and their propensity for the big occasion sure to set them up well for the play-offs. The Colorado Rapids let their grasp on the Supporters’ Shield slip, but Pablo Mastroeni has forged a side that doesn’t lose often. They were guilty of drawing too many games in the regular season, but being able to not lose games can be more important than being able to win them in play-off soccer. GR

Dallas v Red Bulls. They’re the two best teams in the league, and they should reach the final with relatively little problem. Colorado don’t score enough goals, LA and NYC FC are too flighty, and the likes of Philly and RSL just don’t have enough quality. Seattle are probably the one dark horse, but expect a Dallas-Red Bulls final. TH

The MLS playoff format: good or bad?

Somewhere in between. I enjoy the two-legged format in the conference semis and final matches, but the final needs a make-over. I love Beau Dure’s idea of a mixed two-legged final match: it balances the playing field as well as rewarding the team with the best record. Here’s another one for you, not completely unrelated: too many teams qualify for the playoffs – let’s make it eight instead of 12 so we can all go home sooner. It would also improve the quality of the league as a whole: fewer spots mean tougher competition. LME

Good enough. The actual format is straightforward and fair, but the scheduling makes it unnecessarily awkward. Why have midweek knockout games on two days’ rest between Decision Day and the start of the conference semifinals? It makes for tired players, which makes for worse games. And then the two-week international break comes between the conference semi-finals and the conference finals, followed by a 10-day break before the MLS Cup itself. The schedule is both too truncated and too spread out; there must be a better way to distribute the dates. GN

Good … I think. MLS needs all the spectacle it can muster to draw mainstream attention, and the play-offs certainly help it do that. Pitching the best teams against each other in a knockout format is what many wish the Champions League still was. The knockout round makes it a little clunky, but other than that it works. GR



Bad. It’s neither one thing nor the other. Why play 34 matches per season only to have another six weeks to decide everything? Forget trying to ape the other big US sports’ play-off formats: there’s really no need for this protracted postseason jamboree. How about the top two from each conference play each other over two legs, and the winners face each other in a grand final on neutral territory? Easy. TH

Team you wish had made it

Honestly, no one. The 12 heading to the playoffs are the most deserving, and if you’re not one of them then you need to make some serious changes. Chicago once again ended up dead last in the East and Portland, last year’s champions, failed to win a single game away from home. That’s just not good enough. If anything I would like to make that group smaller, but I’ve already beaten that drum. LME

Kaka and Orlando City won’t be participating. Photograph: Ricardo Ramirez Buxeda/AP

Orlando City. They only finished one point (and many tiebreakers) out of the playoff spots, but it would have been nice to see Jason Kreis get some measure of redemption after failing to get in last year with NYC FC. Although their defense wouldn’t be organized enough for a deep run, their offense can be thrilling, and this might have been our last and only chance to see Cyle Larin in the playoffs before he makes the rumored switch to Europe. GN

Portland. It’s not much fun when the defending champions don’t get the chance to defend their title. The Portland Timbers were denied that on Sunday, simply giving themselves too much ground to make up over the final few weeks of the regular season. At their best Caleb Porter’s side are among the most captivating in the league, not to mention the atmosphere and fervour big games at Providence Park boast. The play-offs are worse off without them. GR



The 12 play-off teams are pretty strong, and there’s no huge name missing from the party, although it’s perhaps disappointing that Portland won’t be there to defend their title. It’s a shame that Kaka hasn’t made it, ditto the excellent Cyle Larin, but this group of 12 is fine. TH

Player you wish had made it

Diego Fagundez. On Decision Day, the first homegrown player in New England history scored a ridiculous free-kick, as the Revs ended the season with an impressive 3-0 win against Montreal. Fagundez – who scored six goals this season – is a tricky winger who looks set have a fantastic 2017 season. Also, losing Mauro Diaz to injury is a travesty for MLS, and not just Dallas. LME

In tight play-off games, a strong finisher who can also make his own chances is worth his weight in gold. I think David Accam, with nine goals and five assists – and a better goals per 90 ratio than top tier MLS strikers like Chris Wondolowski, Yura Movsisyan, and Kei Kamara – would thrive in the play-offs. Whether he’ll ever get there with Chicago is a different question altogether. GN

One of the greatest players of the past two decades has played in MLS for the past two seasons, and we have yet to see him in the play-offs. Kaka might not be the force he once was, but he remains one of the best things about North American soccer right now. It’s a shame that once again he has been denied one final platform. GR

Kaka. His Orlando team are still a work in progress, but the Brazilian remains a shining star, even at 34 years old. His grace and élan will be missed. TH

One bold prediction

NYC FC will win it all. Once the play-offs start, nothing is off the table and Patrick Vieira’s men, though still inconsistent at the back, are extremely dangerous going forward. No other team in the league scored more goals than NYC FC (62) this year and if they are able maintain a strong defensive shape when they are away from home, who knows what could happen. LME

For the Philadelphia Union to cause an upset on the road against Toronto. TFC have Giovinco back, but have looked far from convincing with only one win in their last six. Philly is on an even worse run of form, with seven straight games without a win. Both of these teams have backed into the play-offs, and it is hard to see TFC winning it on star power alone. This might be one where home field is more of a curse than a blessing, as the nervousness in the stands at BMO Field sometimes translates to the players on the pitch. It’s a tall order for the Union, but not an impossible one. GN

Toronto FC to crash and burn. Much is expected of TFC this year, with Greg Vanney leading the maligned club to their highest ever regular season finish. But while some sides are well-equipped to deal with play-off soccer TFC appear to be the opposite. They have conceded five times in their last two outings. If they are to finally make a post-season impression they must tighten things at the back. Otherwise their attacking prowess and Sebastian Giovinco’s brilliance will count for little. GR

LA Galaxy to lose at home to Real Salt Lake. LA’s home form has been excellent all season, and RSL are generally rubbish on the road, but let’s go big and bold: Jeff Cassar’s team to win this one. TH

The Eastern Conference final will be

The Hudson River Derby. I’m going to be a romantic here and hope this happens. I haven’t seen anything from the Red Bulls that forces me to believe they shouldn’t be there and as for NYC FC, yes I know, I’ve been heavy on them today but guess what? The table doesn’t lie. Quite simply, these are the best two teams in the East. LME

NYCFC v New York Red Bulls. The match-up that everyone wants, and the most probable one too, with only a surging DC United looking like serious challengers to the New York teams. Gauging how good NYC FC actually is can be very hard, but their road form has been impeccable in 2016, which is always a good tool for a play-off team to have. However, when the Red Bulls get their pressing game right, there is not a team in the league that can match them. We all know who holds the lead in this series, but look for NYCFC to fight to the final whistle in an attempt to overturn their immensely painful record in this matchup. GN

Red Bulls v NYC FC. The conference final MLS head office has been waiting for. New York’s two teams are the strongest in the East right and so there’s no reason to believe this match-up won’t come to pass on November 22 and November 30. MLS always wanted a second NY franchise to capitalise on the city’s simmering soccer culture. This is the dream fixture to help that happen. GR

Everyone will pick this match-up, but it’s difficult to bet against a NYC FC-Red Bulls derby in the conference final: the pair from either side of the Hudson river have more going for them than anybody in the East. If Giovinco has a huge postseason Toronto could be in the mix, but it’s hard to make a case for anyone else. Philly haven’t won in two months, Montreal are erratic, and DC lack quality. TH

The Western Conference final will be

Colorado Rapids v FC Dallas. Once again, I’m pulling my predictable card, but the top two-seeded clubs in the west will also meet in the conference final. Even without Diaz, Dallas have just about enough to make it here and the Rapids have home-field advantage until they meet Óscar Pareja’s men. This one is a no-brainer. LME

FC Dallas v LA Galaxy. The Galaxy have blown hot and cold all year, and have been allowed to claim the No3 seed in the West more by default than by skill. Their path to the Conference final will have to go through Colorado on short rest – which is never easy – but they have the canniest of coaches in Bruce Arena who knows how to grind it out. I expect FC Dallas to gallop through to the Conference final, and then blow past LA’s tired legs, but this would be a fascinating matchup of the new and the old in the West. GN

Colorado v LA Galaxy. Knockout soccer should suit the Colorado Rapids perfectly, losing the joint-fewest games in the regular season. The LA Galaxy, on the other hand, are harder to call. They will have to make it from the knockout round all the way to the conference final, but with this likely to be a swan song for both Steven Gerrard and Landon Donovan (again) momentum and all that comes with it could be a factor. GR

Dallas v Seattle. Dallas are the strongest team in the West and they should reach the final with relative ease. I can’t see Sporting or RSL getting there, and I just have a feeling that Seattle could do something, particularly if Nicolas Lodeiro and Jordan Morris continue their good form. TH

One player to make the difference

Giovinco. I haven’t mentioned Toronto FC just because I think the team’s play-off chances heavily rely on his genius and the state of his fitness. Based on his 90-minute performance this past Sunday, it seems that the Atomic Ant has finally shaken off his injury woes and is ready to help Toronto reach the MLS Cup Final for the first time in their history. The only issue for me is the workload, and whether the Italian star can withstand three matches in seven days. LME



Sebastian Giovinco should be fit to lead Toronto FC. Photograph: John E. Sokolowski/USA Today Sports

Nicolás Lodeiro. He has been nothing short of phenomenal since he arrived in MLS, and will have to keep it up if Seattle are going to progress throughout the play-offs. He has vast tournament experience with Boca Juniors and Uruguay and will need to put the team on his back in the absence of Clint Dempsey. If his partnership with Jordan Morris starts to blossom in the knockout rounds, look for teams to man mark him in the later rounds in an attempt to neutralize him. Good luck. GN

Long considered the great white hope of homegrown American soccer Jordan Morris remains a raw and unpolished talent, but he has made quite the impression in his maiden MLS season. No rookie has scored as many game-winning goals in one year. He has become the Seattle Sounders’ difference maker in Dempsey’s absence. GR

Sacha Kljestan. An excellent all-round midfielder who’s had a really good season with the Red Bulls. He could lead Jesse Marsch’s team to the title. TH

Your 2016 MLS Cup winners

Colorado Rapids. In Leicester-esque fashion, Colorado will write the comeback story of the year. In 2015, Pablo Mastroeni’s men finished dead last in the West, with only nine wins to their name. His job was in jeopardy and the future seemed bleak. Fast forward to this year, and the 40-year-old Argentinian American completely changed the team’s mentality and turned them into one of the best teams in the league. I just wish he grew his mustache back. LME



FC Dallas. The sentimental choice, but the correct one too, based on form throughout the season and the fact that this young team got a taste of the joy of winning a tournament with the US Open Cup. Mauro Diaz’s injury will present problems, but Dallas has learned to play without him through the years. An organization with great chemistry and furious momentum, they will be hard to stop if they start getting into a groove. The allure of the treble will keep them motivated through the more brutal stretches, when teams will resort to cynical play to slow them down. Winning the treble would be a fantastic achievement, and one that this special team deserves. GN

Everything is in place for the New York Red Bulls to finally claim the MLS Cup that has evaded them for so, so long. Jesse Marsch’s side have so far stayed clear of any season-derailing injuries and with Bradley Wright-Phillips and Sacha Kljestan sparkling brighter than most this year the Red Bulls have the individual talent and the tactical basis to prove themselves as genuine challengers this time around. GR

Red Bulls. They just look the best team, and I’m backing them to lift a first MLS Cup in their history. I often think goal difference is a good indication of a team’s strength, and NYRB’s total of +17 was the best in the league. They’re strong and experienced, have the league’s best striker in Bradley Wright-Phillips, and I think Kljestan could make the difference. Dallas should make the final, but the Red Bulls will have too much. TH