MLS Playoff Power Rankings: Who is most likely to win MLS Cup?
“We will be here next year. Will you?”
The banner displayed by Vancouver Whitecaps fans as their team took on the Portland Timbers on Decision Day said it all. While the Timbers were fighting for their first away win of the year, and a necessary one in order to make the 2016 MLS playoffs, the Whitecaps players were playing to prove they deserve a spot in next season’s squad after a disappointing season.
You may think that the desire for greater success would trump that of wanting to not end on a bad note. You would be wrong. Vancouver didn’t just beat Portland, it dominated the defending MLS Cup champs, to the tune of a 4–1 win that was far and away the most surprising result from an otherwise tame Decision Day.
"There has to be some long, hard discussions, reflection on what went wrong," Portland head coach Caleb Porter told reporters in the aftermath of the game. “We’re definitely very disappointed in the season...there are going to be some changes.”
What hasn’t changed, though, is the imbalance of the MLS playoff field, a fixture of a league that inexplicably continued to admit over 50% of its teams to the postseason. Some of the remaining 12 teams are quite good. Some are just a level below. But with some, you could make a compelling case that, based on the eye test alone, these teams don’t deserve the chance to take home the most important trophy in the league.
This week’s Power Rankings concern only the teams involved in the playoffs, but it feels like there’s just as much of a difference from top spot to last as there ever was with all 20 squads involved.
Offensive player of the week: Giles Barnes, Vancouver Whitecaps
Of all of the disappointments Vancouver has dealt with this season, Giles Barnes may be up near the top despite only being acquired midseason from the Houston Dynamo. The Jamaica international was brought to Vancouver to aid the team’s ailing attack, but he didn’t score his first goals for the club until breaking out with a fine double on Sunday. Barnes was everywhere, pressuring Portland’s back four, getting his teammates involved, and providing goals via strong blasts:
And nice, delicate little touches:
If only he'd produced that more frequently and earlier in the season.
Defensive player of the week: Jelle Van Damme, LA Galaxy
This is a tough week to judge defenders considering that so many teams played weakened sides and the stakes were not the same for all. But within that context, Jelle Van Damme had another fine game at center back for the Galaxy in a 0–0 draw with FC Dallas. Dallas only needed a tie and LA already confirmed its seeding, but all the same, Van Damme was imperious in shutting down attacks and making sure nothing could dent the Galaxy’s confidence heading into its playoff match next weekend.
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