MLS Review Week 27: Squeaky Bum Time

By: Daryl | October 7th, 2007

Alex Ferguson squeky bum time Alex Ferguson has never coached in MLS. But if he did, he’d definitely call October “squeaky bum time.” While Fergie was referring to the Premiership title run-in, no one in MLS is really sweating about who wins the Supporters Shield. If they were, they’d be sweating on a very tight race where DC United lead Chivas by 3 points and Chivas have a game in hand. If that was the Premiership run-in then Sky Sports would be hailing it as “the greatest in recent history.” Instead, with two or three games to go (depending on your team) everyone’s looking at 8th place. Because squeaky bum time in MLS is all about the race for sixth from bottom.

I’m not going to waste time complaining about the lack of a single table. If you’ve got any interest in MLS then you’ve heard it all before. You’ve probably even said it all before. So when even Chivas themselves care so little about the Supporters Shield that they leave their first choice strikers in California while the rest of the team goes to Salt Lake, the best thing to do is just sit back and enjoy whatever drama comes our way as the remaining teams scramble for the playoffs.

The other big problem you’re sick of hearing about is that too many teams make the post-season anyway. But try telling that to the five teams who don’t. If it’s so easy to make the playoffs, then how much does your team suck when they don’t make it? A lot, that’s how much.

This week’s results, and what they do to the playoff picture:

(Home teams first, because that’s the way it should be)

Toronto 2-1 New York
Kansas City 1-1 DC United
Real Salt Lake 2-3 Chivas
Chicago 2-1 New England
Columbus 1-3 Dallas
Colorado 1-0 Toronto
Houston 1-2 LA Galaxy

So DC, Chivas, New England and Houston are already there. Dallas join them after that win over Columbus.

While MLS is denying that New York have clinched a spot, Metrofanatic makes a convincing argument that NYRB are in whatever happens, mostly because Chicago and LA can’t both win their final game as they play each other. But if they keep losing to teams like Toronto then it’s going to be a very short post-season anyway. New York can make it official in one of their last two games vs Kansas (home) and LA (away.)

For the remaining teams it looks like this:

Kansas City (37 points, two games to go) are almost trying not to make the play-offs. Maybe they’re gunning for a better draft pick? Even though they’re currently in 7th overall, one win in the last seven is just asking for trouble. And maybe asking Eddie Johnson to pack his bags sooner than expected. They have two games to go, vs New York (away) and Dallas (away.)

Chicago (36 points, two games to go) are clinging on to 8th place with a 2-1 win over the Revs. (By the way, the Revs won the US Open Cup, which may even rank lower than the Supporters Shield. Moral dilemma: Given the choice would you have your team win the Open Cup and finish 9th, or win nothing and finish 8th?) Chicago have a tough run in though vs DC United (away) and LA Galaxy (home.)

Colorado (32 points, two games to go) got back on track today and have one tough game vs Chivas (away) and easy game vs Real Salt Lake (home.)

Columbus (31 points, two games to go) looked a possibility at one stage, but are now flushing themselves down the toilet. They have two more chances, but both are rough games vs New England (away) and DC United (away.)

And now the really interesting team: LA Galaxy (30 points, three games to go.) They looked like goners not so long ago, but suddenly, without so much as a Beckham corner kick, they’re the hottest team in MLS with four straight wins. Maybe Alexi Lalas wasn’t just trading out of desparation, maybe all that stuff he kept saying about finding strong characters who could handle the unique “Beckham situation” is paying off with a forged in hellfire charge at the playoffs. They have home games against Toronto and New York, before the big one. If all goes to plan, then maybe LA’s visit to Chicago Fire on the final day of the regular season will be a Beckham vs Blanco Designated Player fight to the finish for the eighth and final play-off spot. Even I could market that. But the bigger question is whether, if fit, it would be wise to re-introduce the distracting Beckham factor to a team that’s winning without him.