Making sense of MLS playoff chase; East is looking good
Just because the Chicago Fire has Brian McBride now doesn't mean the team is a shoo-in to win MLS Cup or even the Eastern Conference.
Looking good (on paper) is no substitute for playing good (on the field). And then there's the confusion that's built into MLS.
With nine games left in the regular season, the East remains a tossup, with defending champion New England as strong and deep as ever; surprising Columbus showing no signs of fading behind MVP candidate Guillermo Barros Schelotto and new acquisition Pat Noonan; and New York making a second-half push behind the coach Chicago fans love to hate, Juan Carlos Osorio.
Toronto saw its defense weakened when midfielder Maurice Edu transferred to Glasgow Rangers, but the team improved its attack by getting Chad Barrett from the Fire (Barrett has 2 goals with Toronto), Carlos Ruiz from the Galaxy and speedy winger Johann Smith from Europe.
Don't forget Tommy Soehn's D.C. United team, perennially a league power but struggling with injuries this season.
All six of those teams are in the hunt for a playoff bid, but only five can go.
A quick reminder: the top three teams in each conference qualify for the playoffs, and the next two "wild cards" are determined by standings points. Confusing yes, but that's MLS.
If you're a bettor, place your money on Eastern Conference teams for those final two spots.
Five of the top six teams in a single-table look are in the East. Only two-time defending MLS Cup champion Houston interrupts the East sweep, falling fourth in that six pack. The West is weak.
But like United, Houston has struggled at times this season, and New York, suddenly the hottest team in the league, shook the Dynamo's dynamics last weekend with a 3-0 pasting.
United, Houston and New England all have a handicap the rest of the season. They, along with Chivas USA, are about to start play in the CONCACAF Champions League.
It's not just a matter of a cluster of games in the final two months of the season. There's also the travel. New England opened Champions League play Tuesday night in Trinidad and Tobago against Joe Public FC. Teams in Costa Rica, Mexico, Honduras and El Salvador also are in Champions League play.
If New England and Chivas advance to join Houston and United in group play, they'll add another six games to their schedule. Their team depth will be tested.
The Fire won't have to deal with the Champions League, but it might lose Marco Pappa, Cuauhtémoc Blanco and Gonzalo Segares again to World Cup qualifiers.
Confusing yes, but that's MLS.