MLSsoccer.com's editors have been expertly picking matches all year (Armchair Analyst Matthew Doyle led the pack) and we're not about to stop during the MLS Cup Playoffs, which continue on Thursday night with the Eastern Conference Knockout Round match between Houston and Montreal (8:30 pm ET, NBCSN, TSN/RDS in Canada). Editors were seven for nine in picking Seattle on Wednesday night, but can they keep it up?
Disagree with the picks? Make your voice heard in the comment section below!
<strong>Editor</strong> |
<strong>Score</strong> |
<strong>Comments</strong> |
<p class="rtecenter"><img alt="" src="https://league-mp7static.mlsdigital.net/mp6/GregLalas_0.jpg" style="width: 50px; height: 50px;"><br><strong>Greg Lalas</strong><br><em>Editor-In-Chief</em></p> |
<br><p class="rtecenter"><img alt="" src="https://league-mp7static.mlsdigital.net/mp6/houston_150.png" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: medium none; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Lato, sans-serif; line-height: 22.5px; width: 40px; height: 40px;"><br><b>1-1<br>
(Dynamo win on PKs)</b></p> |
I like Tally Hall when penalties roll around. Any goalkeeper with an eponymous band always rocks in the encore. |
<br><p><img alt="" src="https://league-mp7static.mlsdigital.net/mp6/freedman_2.jpg" style="width: 50px; height: 50px;"><br><strong>Jonah Freedman</strong><br><em>Managing Editor</em></p> |
<p class="rtecenter"><img alt="" src="https://league-mp7static.mlsdigital.net/mp6/houston_150.png" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: medium none; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Lato, sans-serif; line-height: 22.5px; width: 40px; height: 40px;"><br><b>1-0</b></p> |
<p>We could boil this down to tactics, form and individual matchups, but come on. We all know what happens in Houston come playoff time.</p> |
<em><strong><img alt="" src="https://league-mp7static.mlsdigital.net/mp6/valencia_1.jpg" style="width: 50px; height: 50px;"></strong></em><p class="rtecenter"><strong>Kristel Valencia</strong><br><em><span style="font-size: 12px;">Editor FutbolMLS.com</span></em></p> |
<p class="rtecenter"><img alt="" src="https://league-mp7static.mlsdigital.net/mp6/houston_150.png" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: medium none; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Lato, sans-serif; line-height: 22.5px; width: 40px; height: 40px;"><br><strong>2-0</strong></p> |
<p>Playoff experience matters. Houston have it, Montreal don't. Dominic Kinnear and his charges go marching on to a matchup with New York.</p> |
<p class="rtecenter"><em><strong><img alt="" src="https://league-mp7static.mlsdigital.net/mp6/Doyle_2.jpg" style="width: 50px; height: 50px;"></strong></em><br><strong>Matt Doyle</strong><br><em>Armchair Analyst</em></p> |
<p class="rtecenter"><img alt="" src="https://league-mp7static.mlsdigital.net/mp6/houston_150.png" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: medium none; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Lato, sans-serif; line-height: 22.5px; width: 40px; height: 40px;"><br><strong>2-0</strong></p> |
<p>Houston have been creating plenty of chances, and wasting the vast majority. But now it's the playoffs, so they'll sharpen up – they always do.</p> |
<p class="rtecenter"><img alt="" src="https://league-mp7static.mlsdigital.net/mp6/AndrewWiebe_0.jpg" style="width: 50px; height: 50px;"><br><strong>Andrew Wiebe</strong><br><em>Editor</em></p> |
<p class="rtecenter"><img alt="" src="https://league-mp7static.mlsdigital.net/mp6/houston_150.png" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: medium none; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Lato, sans-serif; line-height: 22.5px; width: 40px; height: 40px;"><br><strong>1-0</strong></p> |
Houston don't lose at home in the playoffs and their midfield is going to run riot against a banged up Montreal side that's looked frankly awful for the past two months. |
<p class="rtecenter"><img alt="" src="https://league-mp7static.mlsdigital.net/mp6/JasonSaghini_1.jpg" style="width: 50px; height: 50px;"><br><strong>Jason Saghini</strong><br><em>Director of Video</em></p> |
<p class="rtecenter"><img alt="" src="https://league-mp7static.mlsdigital.net/mp6/houston_150.png" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: medium none; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Lato, sans-serif; line-height: 22.5px; width: 40px; height: 40px;"><br><strong>2-1 (OT)</strong></p> |
Montreal strike on a quick counter but Houston, in typical postseason fashion, scratch and claw back into it. Impact run out of gas in OT and Dynamo speed off the bench finishes it off. |
<p class="rtecenter"><img alt="" src="https://league-mp7static.mlsdigital.net/mp6/Borg_0.jpg" style="width: 50px; height: 50px;"><br><strong>Simon Borg</strong><br><em>Senior Editor</em></p> |
<p class="rtecenter"><img alt="" src="https://league-mp7static.mlsdigital.net/mp6/houston_150.png" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: medium none; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Lato, sans-serif; line-height: 22.5px; width: 40px; height: 40px;"><br><strong>1-0</strong></p> |
<p>First goal wins it. One of those tight affairs that may come down to a set piece. The Impact are struggling, but they'll be organized and difficult to crack. Still, Houston's gamebreakers (Davis, Boniek, Barnes) are in slightly better form and will come up with the difference-making play.</p> |
<p class="rtecenter"><img alt="" src="https://league-mp7static.mlsdigital.net/mp6/Rosano_2.jpg" style="width: 50px; height: 50px;"><br><strong>Nick Rosano</strong><br><em>Editor</em></p> |
<p class="rtecenter"><img alt="" src="https://league-mp7static.mlsdigital.net/mp6/houston_150.png" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: medium none; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Lato, sans-serif; line-height: 22.5px; width: 40px; height: 40px;"><br><strong>2-1</strong></p> |
<p>At home, with playoff wizard Dominic Kinnear at the helm and against an Impact side that has faltered into the playoffs? It's gotta be Houston, even if Montreal will put up a better fight than some expect.</p> |
<p class="rtecenter"><img alt="" src="https://league-mp7static.mlsdigital.net/mp6/DiegoPinzon_0.jpg" style="width: 50px; height: 50px;"><br><strong>Diego Pinzon</strong><br><em>FutbolMLS.com Assoc. Editor</em></p> |
<p class="rtecenter"><img alt="" src="https://league-mp7static.mlsdigital.net/mp6/houston_150.png" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: medium none; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Lato, sans-serif; line-height: 22.5px; width: 40px; height: 40px;"><br><strong>3-1</strong></p> |
<p>Kinnear (playoffs edition): wise as an owl. Or as they say in Spanish: "<em>viejo zorro</em>."</p> |
