As someone paid to cover the league, I don’t root for any particular team – I root for stories.
Week to week, I’m pulling for the most interesting outcomes. When it comes to potential playoff matchups, I’m hoping for a bracket loaded with legit rivalries, intense in-stadium atmospheres and loads of potential for something bizarre (think last year’s Knockout Round matches) to go down.
Those are the qualities I kept in mind when designing my dream playoff bracket. We’ve still got nearly a month to go before the postseason begins, so this sucker could end up looking nothing like the real thing, but I think it's a solid combo of intrigue and realism.
With that, here’s a somewhat practical view of how I’d like to see the bracket shake out. Seeds are in parentheses:
Eastern Conference
First-round byes:
Toronto FC (1) and New York Red Bulls (2)
No, this isn’t a bias against your squad, Red Bulls fans. I want to see your club finish second for one reason, and one reason alone…
Knockout Round:
New York City FC (3) vs. Orlando City SC (6)
Orlando doesn’t look particularly likely to make the playoffs, but, if they do, a matchup with their 2015 expansion partners NYCFC would be pretty tantalizing. Jason Kreis getting a shot at NYCFC in the playoffs less than a year after they let him go would be plenty dramatic, and these clubs have played some wild encounters in the past.
But the real reason I’m all the way in for this matchup has nothing to do with Orlando, and everything to do with a potential New York derby in the Eastern Conference semifinals. NYCFC would be favored to beat Orlando at home. In this scenario, that outcome would lead to a two-legged New York-New York Battle Royale in the next round. Sign me up.
Montreal Impact (4) vs. Philadelphia Union (5)
The Union have enjoyed a solid year, but give me Montreal at home against Philly in the 4-5 contest. A Montreal win at Stade Saputo, coupled with an NYCFC victory over Orlando, would bring a Toronto-Montreal rumble in the conference semis. Sign me up – again.
Western Conference
First-round byes:
FC Dallas (1) and Colorado Rapids (2)
The potential second-round matchups aren’t too extreme with Dallas and Colorado receiving first-round byes, but the potential for fireworks in the Knockout Round – plus their somewhat solid standing atop the table – was too much to put them anywhere else.
Knockout Round:
LA Galaxy (3) vs. Seattle Sounders (6)
The Sounders’ early-season struggles will probably rob us of a potential Seattle-LA clash in the later rounds, but a battle of the West’s two biggest teams would work just fine in the Knockout Round. The Galaxy would be out for revenge after falling 3-2 at Seattle in a weird Knockout Round matchup last year, while Seattle – if they make it – would be one of the hottest teams in the entire playoff field.
Real Salt Lake (4) vs. Sporting Kansas City (5)
It’s been five years since their rivalry first took off and three years since their epic MLS Cup, but RSL and SKC still hate each other. Too many people know about this rivalry for it to still be underrated, but that doesn’t mean it’s lost any heat. Beckerman vs. Feilhaber, Espinoza vs. Morales and Vermes vs. The World? Get me in there, man.
