Sorry, I am a little late posting about the playoffs this year. So, there is not much time to vote. However, with the loads of traffic that we get on soccer threads , I am sure many of you will have enough time to be able to vote for which teams that you think you will advance in the MLS semifinals.
If you followed our MLS playoff thread last year, remember that it is now played on an aggregate system. This is a best of two series that will be decided on goal differential if the first two games end in a tie.

Playoff schedule (all times Eastern):

Chicago Fire (E3) vs. DC United (E2)
Game 1: Oct. 21 @ 9.00 p.m., Soldier Field, Chicago
Game 2: Oct. 30 @ 4.30 p.m., RFK Stadium, Washington, DC
Regular Season Series (DC United won 2-1-1)

New York/New Jersey Metrostars (E4) vs. New England Revolution (E1)
Game 1: Oct. 22 @ 7.00 p.m., Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ
Game 2: Oct. 29 @ 8.00 p.m., Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, MA
Regular Season Series (New England Revolution won 2-1-1)

Colorado Rapids (W3) vs. FC Dallas (W2)
Game 1: Oct. 22 @ 9.00 p.m., Invesco Field at Mile High, Denver
Game 2: Oct. 29 @ 8.30 p.m., Pizza Hut Park, Frisco, TX
Regular Season Series (FC Dallas won 2-0-2)

Los Angeles Galaxy (W4) vs. San Jose Earthquakes (W1)
Game 1: Oct. 23 @ 3.00 p.m., The Home Depot Center, Carson, CA
Game 2: Oct. 29 @ 10.00 p.m., Spartan Stadium, San Jose
Regular Season Series (San Jose Earthquakes won 3-1-0)

Poll closes at the beginning of the first game of the Chicago/DC series.

[ October 19, 2005, 10:23 AM: Message edited by: Cattledog ]

Metromathis13 - where are you? You need to vote for your team.

And I think that Colorado Rapids will take Western Conference Champs.
And we will go to the final!
My ring finger tells me that this is going to happen! IT IS ACHING FOR A CUP RING!

DC United has a history of getting it done in the playoffs. Even if they weren't my favorite team (which of course they are wink ), I like their chances. I see DC United and New England getting through the first round in the East, and Colorado (another team with good October playoff history despite their record this season) and San Jose getting through in the West.

Lol...apparantly, no one else will...

Just you wait and see. The Revs have had problems with the Metros this season. At the very least, I'm hoping for more than the one playoff goal the last two years have brought.

In the other East semifinal, you can bet DC will be the team to move on. Chicago has simply been too streaky this year to move on...

FC Dallas should triumph over Colorado...but watch out. Colorado could pull off the upset, especially with Jeff Cunningham, former Miami Fusion star Diego Serna, and former LA forward Jovan Kirovski as the options up top.

If San Jose loses to LA, it will be the biggest bust in MLS history. There is just no reason for them to lose- they are simply too good.

The Metros are going to win MLS Cup 2005 over the San Jose Earthquakes- they're going to ride the play of Youri Djorkaeff, Amado Guevara, and Ante Razov all the way.

Today is the last day to vote for anyone that hasn't done so .

DC United looked absolutely horrible last night. I thought Peter Nowak's head was going to explode by the end of the match. The Chicago Fire had scoring chance after scoring chance, but thankfully couldn't get the ball in the net. The only break that the Fire got was getting away with an obvious, uncalled foul on Jaime Moreno in the penalty box, which should have resulted penalty shot for DC United. However, all things considered, I am pleased that DC United got out of Chicago with at least a scoreless tie. They should be much better next weekend at home.

Hey, does the away goal rule apply in the playoffs?

~Simon

I don't think so. The away goals rule is generally a European thing. In aggregate series in South America, if the aggregate score is tied after two matches, the game goes to penalty kicks. In MLS, I think the rule is that the match goes two a 30 minute "golden goal" overtime period, then penalty kicks.

And now, for your reading pleasure, a cameo JIP appearance in a soccer thread! wink Did I hear correctly that the teenage wonder Freddy Adu was suspended? What's the story?

Something about "comments detrimental to the team." He said to the media on Thursday that coach Peter Nowak's style was confusing him and hindering his development; however, it was also reported that those comments were not the reason for the suspension.

HUGE news out of the Eastern Conference playoffs...a goal from Amado Guevara in the 34th minute gave the Metros a 1-0 win over NE. The win was only the sixth playoff win in club history, and the first since 2001.

In tonight's other match, Colorado and FC Dallas tied 0-0.

Many fans down in DC are pretty annoyed with Freddy Adu, and feel that he owes the team an apology. He whined about not getting enough playing time, even though he really hasn't taken advantage of the some of the playing time that Peter Nowak did give him this season. Adu also stated that he is considering going to Europe to play. That is all fine, but he should not have said any of this stuff right before the playoffs. This is a distraction. Nowak is only trying to put the best team out there and do what is best for DC United, not Adu. However, today's Washington Post reports that Adu will suit up for Sunday's deciding game against the Chicago Fire at RFK Stadium.

Europe? He'll get even less playing time over there. That's the whole reason Landon Donovan asked to come back from Bayer Leverkusen. I think this is just a learning experience for him. He's young and eager.

Talk has been going around the internet that Metros GM and President Alexi Lalas may consider trying to pry Freddy away from DC. I HATE this idea for multiple reasons:
1. The front office at DC is simply not dumb enough to let Freddy go. I may not like DC United, but I'll be the first to admit that they know what they're doing when it comes to players and trades.

2. In order to get him, the Metros would have to make an absolutely INSANE deal. The article I read suggested sending the allocation the Metros will get if Amado Guevara decides not to come back to MLS, Eddie Gaven, Mike Magee, and the Metros first round draft pick. If that trade ever went through, I think I'd switch my alliegence to any other team in MLS. (That's mostly due to the fact that I think Eddie Gaven has WAY more potential than Freddy, plus he actually contributes regularly.)

3. We're still talking about a few years till Freddy REALLY is dominant! The Metros have wasted so many chances, trading good players for crap and wasting money bringing in foreign stars only for them to flop. This is NOT the time to be taking a risk like this.

4. DC WILL NOT LET FREDDY GO! What luck have the Metros had in prying young players away? Little- in 2004, they tried to get young midfielder Danny Szetela out of Columbus, only for the Crew to demand the trade of Amado Guevara and Mike Magee in exchange. The price is simply too high right now.

All that said, don't be surprised to see Freddy in New York. Alexi Lalas will say the Metros don't want him, but he's MLS's version of Real Madrid president Florentino Perez- saying he doesn't want him confirms that he DOES want him. Lalas also cares little about what the fans want- firing Bob Bradley was not a popular decision, and hiring anyone other than interim coach Mo Johnston would be even less popular. Lalas's vision of a "SuperClub" could begin with Freddy Adu coming to the Metros. At this point, I feel like Lalas is ready to offer the whole team just to get Freddy...

I couldn't stomach watching the second half of DC United's humiliating 4-nil defeat (worst DC defeat ever at RFK) to the Chicago Fire. Congratulations to the Fire, who completely dismantled DC United in every facet of the match. Losing your center defenseman, Facundo Erpen, in the first five minutes completely unraveled the defense. Freddy Adu's ongong behavior has been a distraction. Nick Rimando's horrible play in goal couldn't save the team. Christian Gomez's disgusting spitting display and subsequent red card that could lead into a suspension next season made it worse. But, excuses cannot change the outcome which, in my opinion, was the worst in DC United franchise history.

Steven Goff of the Washington Post:
"D.C. United didn't just lose yesterday at RFK Stadium, ending its uneven season and raising critcal questions about it direction. The club was embarrassed -- by the Chicago Fire, which slapped United with a 4-0 loss in the finale of their MLS first-round playoff series; by its ruinous performance; and by its petulant behavior as the match slipped away".

I cannot add much more to that... :mad:

It was a pretty horrific loss if you're a DC United fan. Christian Gomez's red card was about the stupidest play I have ever seen- the ref was standing RIGHT next to him when he spit in C.J. Brown's face.

But, I'm not a DC United fan, so I celebrated two AMAZING goals, Ivan Guerrero's second and Jesse Marsch's. Guerrero's second bent amazingly between two DC defenders. Marsch's volley was nothing short of spectacular.

I think DC would have been better off with either Freddy Adu or Lucio Filomeno starting up top; Jamil Walker's first touch was horrible at best. Nick Rimando was completely out of position on the first goal as well.

The Metros' loss was even more heartbreaking though. Holding a 1-0 lead from the first leg, the Metros came to NE, and went up 1-0, 2-0 on aggregate, on a Youri Djorkaeff goal. However, after shutting the Revs out for a almost 160 minutes out of 180, the Metros conceded 3 goals, to Jose Cancela, Pat Noonan, and Khano Smith, to lose the series 3-2.

I think the real question is who are you going to root for Cattledog? I'm personally rooting for Chicago, mostly because one of my brothers graduated from the University of Dayton, Chris Rolfe's alma mater, and the other brother is a senior there.