Real Salt Lake tops the initial edition of the MLS Playoff Power Rankings.

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Kyle McCarthy writes the Monday MLS Breakdown and frequently writes opinion pieces during the week for Goal.com. He also covers the New England Revolution for the Boston Herald and MLSsoccer.com. Contact him with your questions or comments atand follow him on Twitter by clicking For more on Major League Soccer, visit Goal.com's MLS page.

The time has come to sort the contenders from the pretenders.Fortunately for the eight clubs involved in the lottery known as the MLS postseason, each and every side is in with a chance before the first ball is kicked. The optimism won't last through the weekend, however, as teams start to fall into the two categories.As the clubs adjust to the rigorous demands of the second season, the MLS Playoff Power Rankings – like its weekly predecessor during the regular season – will sort through the seismic shifts all the way through the conference finals.With Colorado and Columbus set to start the postseason on Thursday night, it's time to survey the scene with an extended version of the Playoff Power Rankings before the teams take the field.Also billed as “Chris Wondolowski and friends,” Frank Yallop's side can thank one player for its first postseason berth since reincarnation. MVP candidate Wondolowski has scored the Earthquakes' past ten goals and produced a staggering 53 percent (18 from 34) of his club's overall tally. While San Jose boasts enough attacking talent to complement Wondolowski's prolific output in the postseason, the question is whether the Quakes can push aside the ravages of a season filled with defensive injuries to splice together a cohesive unit in front of the solid Jon Busch in net.A late-season slide sent the Crew plunging from the top of the Eastern Conference and raised concerns about its postseason prospects. Considering the problems Columbus encountered when heavily favored against Real Salt Lake in the Eastern Conference semifinals last season, it might not be a bad thing for the Crew to enter the playoffs hovering under the radar. There are positives worth highlighting – Eddie Gaven's shift to central midfield after Robbie Rogers' return from a knee injury stands out as the primary boon – and the Crew will no doubt be lifted by a pair of wins last week. But can those morale boosters mask the inherent problems at fullback and temper the worries about a fatigued and injury-plagued side opening up its postseason at altitude?Every few years, the Rapids cobble together a mystifying playoff run through the conference final or, in one shocking instance back in 1997, MLS Cup. This Rapids team is probably superior to most, if not all, of its predecessors in terms of raw talent and could replicate the feat. Conor Casey and Omar Cummings deserve and obtain a substantial amount of credit for their work in front of goal, but the heart of this side lies in the engine room manned by Jeff Larentowicz and Pablo Mastroeni. The central midfielders add a modest dose of impetus going forward, but their key role involves shielding an underrated back four. If everything clicks at the right time, the Rapids could surprise a few teams in the postseason yet again.If the playoffs were held in August or September, FCD probably would have ranked as favorites. The circumstances have changed considerably over the past month as Schellas Hyndman's side has coped with injuries to key players and shown cracks at exactly the wrong time to do so. Kevin Hartman and Daniel Hernandez haven't had a ton of game time over the past two months, but both players must return to form instantly in order to give the Hoops a chance to succeed against Real Salt Lake. If both players can find their footing quickly, FCD possesses the tools –a silky possession game marshaled by David Ferreira and a fairly stout back four, to name but two – to make a deep playoff run.Sounders FC hampered its own playoff chances by landing in the Western Conference bracket. A spot in the East could have seen Seattle perhaps installed as favorites to go through to MLS Cup, but the task looks quite a bit more difficult out West. Then again, Seattle's current run of form indicates it may just be up to the challenge. Credit Fredy Montero's post-Ljungberg role as a roving operator underneath Blaise Nkufo and the wide work from Sanna Nyassi and Steve Zakuani for most of the improvement, but Osvaldo Alonso and Nathan Sturgis have played their part as well in central midfield. The lone question mark – a back line prone to leaking goals, including seven in two matches to Los Angeles this season – could still derail their postseason dreams.After watching the Galaxy stumble for the better part of the second half of the season, do the Supporters' Shield winners even merit such a high ranking? Form certainly doesn't back such a lofty perch, but Bruce Arena has constructed a veteran side well versed in what it takes to prepare for the upcoming slog. The recent defensive follies create considerable problems given the first round opponent, but the other pieces – three genuine matchwinners, plus Juninho's invention in midfield and Donovan Ricketts' generally safe hands in between the sticks – and the home-field advantage through the gauntlet known as the Western Conference playoff bracket inspire some fear. With David Beckham and Landon Donovan capable of turning a match in an instant, the Galaxy will be a tough out despite the late season wobbles.The path to Toronto may look straightforward, but the Red Bulls will have to work to reach their second MLS Cup in three seasons. Thierry Henry's injury woes rob Hans Backe of his primary creative force for at least the first leg against San Jose, so New York will have to lean on Mehdi Ballouchy and Rafa Marquez to provide some ingenuity. Marquez's primary function as a shield for the back four takes on additional importance in the postseason, though Backe's resolute shape – regardless of whether he opts for 4-4-2 or 4-5-1 – serves as another protection for a back four prone to exposure by pace. Henry will have to return to form and fitness quickly for New York to lift its first MLS Cup, but the Red Bulls enter the postseason as the Eastern Conference favorites.The other seven teams on this list have one or two particular flaws readily exposed under scrutiny. RSL doesn't suffer from those same hindrances. The defending champs boast the deepest squad in the league, field a starting XI with no discernible holes, implement a game plan capable of matching any possible postseason opponent and rely on a defense statistically superior to any other rearguard MLS has ever seen. To cap it all off, RSL possesses the most fearsome home-field edge in the league. While all of those factors do not guarantee a second consecutive MLS Cup crown, they do install RSL as the favorite before the proceedings commence.