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MLS Playoff Race Takes Unexpected TurnRed Bull's Loss to Columbus, DC's to Los Angeles opens playoff doorDC United and the Red Bulls hold the final two playoff spots but this weekend's losses put them at risk. Will other clubs be able to take advantage?
When it comes to success in Major League Soccer, timing sometimes can be everything. As the regular season races towards its final weekend, teams scrambling to make the playoff cut often find their momentum continuing into postseason play, which is almost certainly why the final two qualifiers for MLS’s cup tournament are called “wild cards.” The trick, of course, is getting hot at just the right time, so as not to peak too early or to arrive at the party too late. After last weekend’s slate of soccer matches, a number of MLS clubs are finding that timing this late season surge can be harder than it looks. Rooted firmly in the momentum losing category are the current occupiers of the wild card slots, the New York Red Bulls and DC United. Both teams played solid, if uninspiring, soccer over the last two months and managed to build a cushion against the teeming horde of lesser clubs below them in the table. Recently, however, both teams began to slip and now the horde is knocking on the door with Kansas City, the nearest aspirant to the wild card throne, only a point behind United. Red Bulls Player Signings Pay OffThe Red Bulls are the safer of the two teams, three points above the fray and riding a wave of new signings and improved play up the Eastern conference table. Team Captain Juan Pablo Angel’s seven goals since July are the obvious engine of New York’s recent success but the Red Bull’s reinforced midfield helps out as well. Midfielder Jorge Rojas came to the club in July and already owns four assists in six starts. While New York’s upgraded attack proved ineffective in last Thursday’s 3-1 loss to Columbus, the pieces appear to be there for the Red Bulls to make their playoff run... if only they can keep up the pace. DC United's Injuries Hamper Playoff PushUnited find themselves in worse shape, thanks to a four game winless skid that culminated in last Saturday’s 5-2 drubbing at the hands of the Los Angeles Galaxy and being leapfrogged by the Red Bulls in the standings. A perennial superpower of seasons past, United scraped and clawed their way to the middle of the table this year despite an uneven season but all that hard work is in danger of negation after last week’s loss. Furthermore, United’s problems are compounding over time. Against Los Angeles, injuries sidelined the club’s midfield leaders, Marcello Gallardo and Jaime Moreno, while midfielder Fred and forward Luciano Emilio both played through pain. Injuries and fatigue won’t go away any time soon thanks to schedule congestion brought on by DC’s participation in the CONCACAF Champions League. With only one point keeping DC in the playoff picture, United’s margin for error is perilously thin. Wizards Acquire Hercules Gomez, Abe Thompson, Defeat TorontoThe Kansas City Wizards defeated Toronto FC in a commanding 2-0 performance last week and, with three of their last five games at home, are in prime position to storm into the postseason for the second year in a row. Like New York, the Wizards recently reinforced their attack, acquiring Hercules Gomez and Abe Thompson, and have consecutive wins to show for it. A late season surge might easily put KC over the top. Meanwhile, a number of Western Conference teams from FC Dallas to the Galaxy won last weekend to pull within four points of DC United in the playoff race. With only five games remaining, closing that gap will be a daunting task, though not impossible. Watching these teams try to do so, however, is what Major League Soccer’s postseason is all about.
The copyright of the article MLS Playoff Race Takes Unexpected Turn in Soccer is owned by Keith Howell. Permission to republish MLS Playoff Race Takes Unexpected Turn in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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