Toronto and Kansas City have faired pretty well so far this winter. (Getty Images)

Many clubs are a few weeks into their pre-seasons and now that the international transfer window has shut, it is a good time to look at how each MLS side has done so far this winter. (Note: the MLS window doesn’t close until April, which means players who failed to land new jobs in Europe can still head to MLS.)

Keep in mind, these grades are based on the offseason to this point, not on how good I think the team will be. I know there will and can be a lot more moves between now and April. I’ll go more into how I think each team will be before the start of the season with various rankings and previews then. The transaction page at MLSSoccer.com was where the majority of the info seen on this post came from.

I’ve also thrown in some thought about what I think each club still needs before the start of the season in terms of depth and areas of concern.

(Side note: I’m not including any Supplemental Draft picks in with any of the teams. Some players have already been let go by their clubs while some are still trying to make the teams. Once they have definitely signed we’ll discuss it more)

Chicago Fire

Players in: G Jay Nolly (12/5: trade from Vancouver); F Kheli Dube (12/12: Re-Entry Stage 2/New England); M Rafael Robayo (1/9: free/Millonarios); F Federico Puppo (1/11: free/Danubio); D Austin Berry (1/12: SuperDraft); F Lucky Mkosana (1/12: SuperDraft); D Hunter Jumper (1/12: SuperDraft)

Players out: F Christian Nazarit (12/7: option declined); F Gabriel Ferrari (12/7: option declined); G Alec Dufty (12/12: option declined); M Baggio Husidic (12/12: Re-Entry Stage 2/Colorado); G Jon Conway (12/12: Re-Entry Stage 2/LA Galaxy); F Diego Chaves,(1/15: free/Palestino)

What is still needed: Defensive help and another striker

Thoughts: For some reason the Transaction page lacks the losses of Yamith Cuesta and Josip Mikulic, Those two losses leave their defense in a bit of a pickle. Only Cory Gibbs and Jahil Anibaba have MLS experience. That being said however I did like their SuperDraft with them landing Berry and Jumper. There will be some growing pains in the back for sure to start out with but I think before long they’ll be okay. I’m very interested to see how Puppo works up top with Dominic Oduro, Patrick Nyarko and Pavel Pardo. If it works out that could be a very nice move for the Fire. Losing Diego Chaves is a tough loss even though his output wasn’t a whole lot last season due to injuries (six goals, one assist). Frank Klopas still has some work to do here, that is for sure.

Grade: C-

Columbus Crew

Players In: D Carlos Mendes (12/5: Re-Entry Stage 1/New York); G Matt Lampson (12/15: Home Grown); M Milovan Mirosevic (1/4: free/Universidad Católica); F Olman Vargas(1/6: free/Club Herediano); F Ben Speas (1/11: Home Grown); F Ethan Finlay (1/12: SuperDraft); D Aubrey Perry (1/12: SuperDraft); M Kevan George (1/12: SuperDraft)

Players Out: D Josh Gardner (11/23: expansion draft); M Santiago Prim (11/23: waived); D Dejan Rusmir (11/23: waived); F Andrés Mendoza (12/6: option declined); M Kevin Burns (12/12: option declined); F Jeff Cunningham (12/12: option declined); M Robbie Rogers (1/11: free/Leeds United)

What is still needed: Possibly another striker and some defensive depth

Thoughts: Still no word on what Emmanuel Ekpo will be doing this season. Is he still with the club or not? The club hasn’t talked about it too much this winter but from what I can gather he is a free agent (some MLS side should take note and grab him). Outside of that the club did lose a couple big names in Mendoza and Rogers but Gardner could be one of the tougher losses in the back. On the flip side they did bring in Mendes from New York, which I thought was a smart move and they signed two home grown players. Vargas could be a huge addition for them down the road, as will Mirosevic. The Crew went young once again this winter with their moves and I think it will pay off for them.

Grade: B-

DC United

Players In: D Robbie Russell (11/29: trade from RSL); M Nick DeLeon (1/12: SuperDraft);  F Maicon Santos (1/18: free); M Danny Cruz(1/20: trade from Houston); D Emiliano Dudar(1/25: free/BSC Young Boys)

Players Out: M Santino Quaranta (12/7: retired); DMarc Burch (12/12: Re-Entry Stage 2/Seattle); M Clyde Simms (12/12: Re-Entry Stage 2/New England); M Brandon Barklage (12/12: option declined); G Steve Cronin (12/12: option declined); F Joseph Ngwenya (12/12: option declined); D Jed Zayner (12/12: option declined); D Devon McTavish (12/22: retired)

What is still needed: Defensive depth and another striker

Thoughts: It looks like they lost more than they gained but really when it comes down to it Ben Olsen has done a solid job this winter. Getting players like Cruz, Russell, Santos were all smart moves while rookie DeLeon was a nice pick last month. The big question will be if Dudar can make an impact with the side or not. I still believe their defense could use a little more work but these moves should help Perry Kitchen move back into his more natural spot in the defensive side of the midfield.

Grade: B-

Houston Dynamo

Players In: M Nathan Sturgis (12/29: trade from Toronto); F Colin Rolfe (1/12: SuperDraft); MWarren Creavalle (1/12: SuperDraft)

Players Out: F Brian Ching (11/23: expansion draft); MFrancisco Navas Cobo (11/23: waived); GEvan Newton (11/23: waived); F Carlo Costly(11/24: option declined); D Hunter Freeman(12/12: Re-Entry Stage 2/Colorado); F Jason Garey (12/12: option declined); D Eddie Robinson (1/11: retired); M Danny Cruz (1/20: trade to D.C.)

What is still needed: Depth all around but most pressing need is a couple strikers

Thoughts: I’m not exactly sure what the Dynamo are waiting on here this winter. Possibly the Bring Ching situation shook them more than they thought it would. Only three moves this winter and two of them came from the SuperDraft. That isn’t enough at all for a club that will have additional games on their slate this season with the CCL. Even with the new format of that tournament it will still be more games to deal with than what they have had the last couple of seasons. The good news in all of this though is the club has to have plenty of cap space. Nearly all the players they lost this winter took up plenty of caps space, especially Costly, Ching and Freeman. For now this club feels incomplete but I don’t like giving out those kinds of grades.

Grade: D-

Montreal Impact

Players In: D Nelson Rivas (10/3: free/Inter Milan, Italy); G Evan Bush (10/21: NASL Impact); DSinisa Ubiparipovic (11/1: NASL Impact); M Hassoun Camara (11/3: NASL Impact); D Jeb Brovsky (11/23: expansion draft); DBobby Burling (11/23: expansion draft); F Brian Ching (11/23: expansion draft); D Josh Gardner (11/23: expansion draft); M Justin Mapp (11/23: expansion draft); M Sanna Nyassi (11/23: expansion draft); D James Riley (11/23: expansion draft); D Seth Sinovic (11/23: expansion draft); M Collen Warner (11/23: expansion draft); D Zarek Valentin (11/23: expansion draft); F Justin Braun (11/23: trade from Chivas USA); M Gerson Mayen (11/23: trade from Chivas USA); D Tyson Wahl (11/23: trade from Seattle Sounders); M Bryan Arguez (11/25: free/Ft. Lauderdale Strikers);  M Davy Arnaud (11/28: trade from Sporting KC); G Donovan Ricketts(11/28: trade from LA); M Ian Westlake (12/5: NASL Impact); M Miguel Montaño (12/7: free/Seattle); G Greg Sutton (12/9: free/New York); M Patrice Bernier (12/19: free/Lyngby); M Felipe Martins (12/21: free/FC Lugano); D/FAndrew Wenger (1/12: SuperDraft); M Calum Mallace (1/12: SuperDraft); D Geinier García(1/17: trade from Vancouver); D Shavar Thomas (1/20: free)

Players out: D James Riley (11/23: trade to Chivas USA); D Seth Sinovic (11/28: trade to Sporting KC)

What is still needed: That big-named player they’ve been talking about for weeks would be nice.

Thoughts: For an expansion team, this club sort of feels like the Seattle Sounders when they came into the league. Smart moves, a couple risky ones and enough MLS guys that could make this club very watchable in year one. They are young for the most part but talented enough that they could surprise some people. If they can get that big DP signing that they have been claiming to have on the radar before the season starts then this grade could end up being higher. But overall I can’t fault them too much for what they have done thus far.

Grade: B+

New England Revolution

Players In: D Danleigh Borman (12/5: Re-Entry Stage 1/Toronto); F Nate Jaqua (12/12: Re-Entry Stage 2/Seattle); M Clyde Simms (12/12: Re-Entry Stage 2/D.C. United); D John Lozano(1/9: free/América de Cali); M/F Fernando Cárdenas (1/9: free/América de Cali); M Kelyn Rowe (1/12: SuperDraft); D Tyler Polak (1/12: SuperDraft); F Jose Moreno (2/2 loan/Once Caldes)

Players Out: F Alan Koger (11/23: waived); D Otto Loewy (11/23: waived); M Andrew Sousa (11/23: waived); F Milton Caraglio(11/30: option declined); F Monsef Zerka(11/30: option declined); D Ryan Cochrane(12/1: option declined); M Franco Coria (12/1: option declined); M Pat Phelan (12/1: option declined); F Kheli Dube (12/12: Re-Entry Stage 2/Chicago); F Rajko Lekic (1/31: free/Lyngby)

What is still needed: A go-to striker with experience (Moreno may be that guy), and some depth on the wings

Thoughts: Jay Heaps has done a decent job so far this winter are building his roster. He cut a lot of fat and made some interesting calls early on. Re-signing Shalrie Joseph to a DP deal was fairly smart and if his three Colombian players can pan out like others have in this league then he could have a competitive team in 2012. I still have a ton of reservations about this club though for this season. I want to like what they have done this winter but I have a feeling it won’t be nearly enough to be a playoff side. They are too young in some places and we still don’t know how well this offense will actually be.

Grade: D+

New York Red Bulls

Players In: D Connor Lade (12/5: Home Grown); D Jonathan Borrajo (1/5: free/Hamarkameratene); D Markus Holgersson (1/12: free/Helsingborg); F Kenny Cooper (1/12: trade from Portland); G Ryan Meara (1/12: SuperDraft);  G Jeremy Vuolo (1/25: free/AC Oulu); D Wilman Conde (1/30: rights from Chicago)

Players Out: G Alex Horwath (11/23: waived); DMychal Jones (11/23: waived); D Tyler Lassiter (11/23: waived); M Marcos Paullo (11/23: waived); M John Rooney (11/23: waived); D Teddy Schneider (11/23: waived); DCarlos Mendes (Re-Entry Stage 1/Columbus); D Chris Albright (12/12: option declined); GBouna Coundoul (12/12: option declined); DTim Ream (1/26: transfer/Bolton Wanderers)

What is still needed: A goalkeeper with plenty of good experience, defensive cover, depth in the midfield

Thoughts: The Conde-Holgersson combo in the back could be good. Keyword there is could. I do think it is a step in the right direction though for this season. You have to imagine it will still be a high expectation season for Hans Backe and these Red Bulls though. The depth is still an issue but is getting better. It still comes down to their goalkeeper situation for me though, it hasn’t gotten any better and don’t think for a moment that Vuolo is the right answer there. He’s decent but not nearly decent enough if the club goes through some growing pains with this new defense.

Grade: B-

Philadelphia Union

Players In: M Nizar Khalfan (11/23: waiver draft/Vancouver); F Josué Martínez (12/7: transfer, Deportivo Saprissa); M Jimmy McLaughlin (12/12: Home Grown); M Gabriel Gómez (12/21: Indios/Mexico); D PorfirioLópez (12/22: Dalian Haichang/China); FChandler Hoffman (1/12: SuperDraft); M Greg Jordan (1/12: SuperDraft); D Raymon Gaddis(1/12: SuperDraft)

Players Out: D Juan Diego González (11/23: waived); G Thorne Holder (11/23: waived); M Justin Mapp (11/23: expansion draft); G Chase Harrison (12/12: option declined); M Stefani Miglioranzi (12/12: option declined); F Levi Houapeu (1/17: option declined); M Morgan Langley (1/17: option declined); M/D Ryan Richter (1/17: option declined); D Joe Tait(1/17: option declined); F Veljko Paunovic (1/18: retired); G Faryd Mondragón (1/30: released); F Sébastien Le Toux (1/30: trade to Vancouver); M Kyle Nakazawa (2/1: trade to LA)

What is still needed: Backup goalkeeper, some depth in the midfield and in defense

Thoughts: What a difference a couple days makes for a club like this. Losing Mondragon and Le Toux in one day was rough. Peter Nowak is committing to the youth movement in a big way and I don’t mind it really. I know fans are attached to players like Le Toux but give it some time and it should all work out. I do like their other moves with Martinez and Gomez coming on board. Lopez should also be an interesting player to watch while Hoffman and Gaddis should be able to contribute in their rookie seasons. Adding some depth behind Zac MacMath has to be done before the start of the season though. That is a huge area of concern.

Grade: C

Sporting Kansas City

Players In: D Seth Sinovic (11/28: trade from Montreal); M Paulo Nagamura (11/29: trade from Chivas USA); M/D Bobby Convey (12/2: trade from San Jose); F Dom Dwyer (1/12: SuperDraft); DCyprian Hedrik (1/12: SuperDraft); M Michael Thomas (1/18); F Jacob Peterson (1/19: free/San Jose Earthquakes)

Players Out: M Davy Arnaud (11/28: trade to Montreal); M Jéferson (11/23: waived); D Scott Lorenz (11/23: waived); M Craig Rocastle(11/23: waived); D Seth Sinovic (11/23: expansion draft) M Milos Stojcev (11/23: waived); F Omar Bravo (12/12: Cruz Azul/Mexico); D Shavar Thomas (12/12: option declined)

What is still needed: More defensive depth and cover

Thoughts: I still have to think that the Eastern Conference will go through KC this season. I’ve really enjoyed the moves that Peter Vermes has made this season. Their defense should be better while their offense will be just as tough, if not tougher in 2012. Convey should be a fun addition to watch. I do still have concerns about their defense going into 2012. I think they need at least one or two more moves in that area to ease my mind a bit. Also, this club will have to get mentally tougher in 2012 as they lost a lot of games late due to lack of maturity. Still, overall, not a bad winter.

Grade: B

Toronto FC

Players In: D Jeremy Hall (11/29: trade from Dallas); M Reggie Lambe (12/7: free/Ipswich Town); M Luis Silva (1/12: SuperDraft); D Aaron Maund(1/12: SuperDraft); D Geovanny Caicedo(1/26: LDU Quito); D Miguel Aceval (1/30: Universidad de Concepción)

Players out: D Kyle Davies (11/23: waived); M Matt Gold (11/23: waived); M Leandre Griffit (11/23: waived); F Javier Martina (11/23: waived); DDemitrius Omphroy (11/23: waived); D Eddy Viator (11/23: waived); M Gianluca Zavarise(11/23: waived); D Danleigh Borman (12/5: Re-Entry Stage 1/New England); M Nathan Sturgis(12/29: Trade to Houston) F Mikael Yourassowsky (1/18: waived); D Andy Iro(1/20: declined extension); F Peri Marosevic(1/20: declined extension)

What is still needed: Some depth up top behind Koevermans

Thoughts: Is this going to be a playoff team in 2012? Time will tell on that one but one thing is clear, this club is much better than before. Smart moves this winter that followed the smart moves that took place late last year. They seem to have brought in some defenders that they are very high on in Aceval and Caicedo. If those two moves pan out, then expect huge things from this side in 2012. Aron Winter is certainly taking this club places and its nice to see the management there give him the time and freedom to do it.

Grade: B

Wilman Conde is back in MLS with the Red Bulls. (Getty Images)

This news had been around for some time. The New York Red Bulls and the Chicago Fire finally made it official today though. Wilman Conde is finally going to the Big Apple.

The fun part about this deal however is that it is really a few years too late. Conde wanted to be in New York when former Red Bull and Fire boss Juan Carlos Osorio was in the Big Apple. When Osorio left Chicago for New York, Conde demanded a trade to New York and it never went through.

Conde spent three seasons with the Fire – playing in 73 games, starting 66 and notching four goals and four assists – while  being named MLS Best XI in 2009 and earned All-Star nods in 2009 and 2010. The dude was impressive during his time in Chicago to say the least.

But will this translate well for the Red Bulls as a replacement for Tim Ream? Time will tell on that front.

New York has also signed  Swedish defender Markus Holgersson this winter to help beef up their defense. Both should be a vast improvement over the Ream/Marquez/Keel combos that the Red Bulls used last season.

Reports this morning suggest that the Fire are getting around $150k in return in allocation for Conde. That is some solid return in my opinion for a guy that might not be the same player that he was two or even three years ago.

One thing is certain, this deal is a big gamble on the part of the Red Bulls. Something they and their fans are all too familiar with. Possibly over spending yet again while giving up a good amount of allocation to a conference rival. In my book, you never make big deals with conference rivals. Never. Ever.

It will be interesting to see what kind of deal the Red Bulls got here with Conde. If he is the same guy that was in the league with the Fire, then they certainly got a heck of a player. If he is on the decline like some suggest then it will fall right in line with how this club typically spends. On paper this seems good but giving Conde’s track record and New York manager Hans Backe’s history with the club, this could be a very intriguing situation to watch this season.

They have an interesting video on the new sponsor.

Chicago came very close to the post season, now they have to focus on saving the right 11 for the expansion draft. (Getty Images)

I took a day or so off from writing these lists, but I hope to get to at least two today.

Today, we are focusing on the Chicago Fire. Frank Klopas’ team struggled out of the gate due to injuries and youth but once former manager Carlos de los Cobos was shown the door, the Fire turned things around in the summer and ended up being a decent team for 2012. I’ll go ahead and say it, this will be a tough team next season and one that should contend.

To recap, I’ve already looked at Chivas USA, D.C. United, the New England Revolution, the Portland Timbers, the San Jose Earthquakes, Toronto FC and the Vancouver Whitecaps.

Keep in mind the rules of the expansion draft, to read more about them click here.

Protected List: 

1. Pavel Pardo – He proved to be quite a pickup for the Fire, much better than folks expected.

2. Dominic Oduro – Talk about a resurgence. Oduro nearly lead the league in goals this season and quickly became a guy that they could lean on for their attack.

3. Patrick Nyarko – Possibly one of the most underrated players in the league. So good at setting up things.

4. Marco Pappa – A key player, no doubt about it. Big question will be if they can hold on to him.

5. Diego Chaves – When healthy, he was one of their best strikers this season.

6. Baggio Husidic – He’s quickly became one of the better midfielders for this club, definitely showing a lot of growth in 2011.

7. Sebastien Grazzini – Key for them down the stretch.

8. Logan Pause – A veteran, their leader really.

9. Jalil Anibaba – Rookie of the year candidate, a must save really.

10. Orr Barrouch – Played in a lot of games this season, didn’t start a whole bunch but one they may have to save.

11. Cory Gibbs – I went back and forth on this one, he was key for them in defense this year, especially late in the year.

Home Grown/Generation adidas players:

• Sean Johnson
• Corben Bone
• Victor Pineda
• Kellen Gulley

Unprotected List:

• John Conway
• Dan Gargan
• Kwame Watson-Siriboe
• Daniel Paladini
• Gonzalo Segares
• Mike Banner
• Michael Videira
• Josip Mikulic
• Pari Pantazopoulos
• Steven Kinney
• Cristan Nazarit
• Alec Duffy
• Gabriel Ferrari
• Yamith Cuesta

Notes:

The big questions on my list are probably Barroach and Gibbs. The rest I think are locks. The real question will be if Sean Johnson graduates out of the GA program. If he does, then he will certainly be protected over one of those two. No doubt about that.

I thought about Gargan over someone like Pause or Gibbs as well but in the end those two seemed more valuable in a long-term situation to the Fire than Gargan does right now.

What do you think Fire fans? Any issues here?

Seattle lifted their third straight USOC last night, others should take note. (Photo via Seattle Sounders Communications)

First off, congratulations to the Seattle Sounders FC on their third straight US Open Cup title. Its a feat that has to be commended since three-peats in sports happen so rarely anymore.

That said, other teams have to start taking note of this competition. I think the 2011 edition of the USOC was better than previous ones since a few more clubs got a little more into it than in the past. It seems over the last few years that Seattle, DC, and Chicago really take it serious with a few others mixed in depending on if they had to qualify through the ridiculous process that MLS teams have to go through in this tournament.

Like this year you had Sporting Kansas City, Real Salt Lake and FC Dallas get a little more into this competition.

For teams like this, the USOC is in some ways the easiest way to qualify for the CONCACAF Champions League. As long as that incentive is still hanging around to the victors of this tournament, you’ll see some teams like Seattle and Salt Lake push a little harder.

But back to the main point, teams have to get serious in 2012 in this tournament. Sure the bidding process takes a little bit of the fun out of it for some and we all know Seattle, DC and probably now Kansas City will do whatever they can to make sure they have some home cookin’ in the later rounds. But teams have to begin to throw out the idea that this competition is below them.

For ages it has been that teams having to deal with this tournament, the regular season and other competitions like SuperLiga and the CCL is too much. The travel, roster issues, injuries (dude everyone has those), and salary cap restrictions. All excuses made at some point by MLS clubs in the USOC.

Seattle is proving today that you can be competitive in all competitions and not exhaust your roster to the fullest. They’re in the playoffs, off to the knockout stage of the CCL and are still within a beat of the Supporters’ Shield. They threw out the age old excuses that travel and roster complications go into this tournament and handled it with class.

As rosters continue to expand and the salary cap continues to grow, MLS teams have no more excuses for putting in a solid effort in this competition. I love an underdog as much as the next guy but we should never see a Richmond Kickers make it through to the semifinal round.

I’m not saying this would be the case everywhere but teams that have to qualify into the main bracket next year should take it more serious. I know not everyone is a Seattle right now or even on their level in MLS (other than LA and maybe RSL) but the ability to not have the mindset that this competition is an annoyance and a hassle to your roster has be there.  Not only do you have the CCL berth on the line but winning a trophy like this is always a boost to your club and the fans. Believe me, fans love trophies. You can’t tell me this morning that Red Bull fans wouldn’t take a USOC trophy today over winning last night’s LA game.

I still believe the USOC has a ways to go before it is truly great. I’ve gotten into those points before and honestly, I don’t feel like reprinting them here. Possibly the biggest thing that can make the USOC really great is if all MLS teams have a shot at making it that way. Throwing out the qualifying process for MLS teams and letting them all be apart of the stupid bidding process will make it better.

At the end of the day though, the excuses front coaches, club front office members and even players has to stop. Hopefully fans around the country begin to take note of how Seattle has done it over these last three years. Their owners may have more money to spend on hosting games but at least they are doing it for their fans.

Beckerman, who was enjoying a very strong MVP-like season until his head butt on Paladini last night. The foul itself was clearly some emotions that could have been handled better by the official for a foul that apparently wasn’t called on Paladini.

Thankfully for Beckerman he didn’t severely injure Paladini. But given the league’s history this season with suspensions for rough fouls on players like Steve Zakuani and Javier Morales, I’d expect something to come down to Beckerman that will affect how RSL does for the rest of the season and possibly into the playoffs.

The play itself is pretty shocking. You may or may not like Beckerman but for RSL to lose him could be killer to their Supporter’s Shield hopes and even to their MLS Cup hopes. Losing a team captain like Beckerman is never easy to deal with, even if the club is as deep as RSL is.

Now the question comes out, how long will Beckerman be out? With four regular season games left and potentially anywhere between four and five playoff games, could the league punish Beckerman for more than four games? I kind of think he has to get at least two or three games here, if not maybe more.

What do you think?

My pal Daniel over at BigDSoccer.com just posted this photo on his twitter feed. Valencia of La Liga in Spain did this clever jersey sponsor idea of promoting their brand online instead of having a big time sponsor. I’d say for clubs like FC Dallas, the Colorado Rapids, the Columbus Crew, Sporting Kansas City and the Chicago Fire that this wouldn’t be a bad route for a year while they finalize any deals with a big company.

What do you think of someone like FC Dallas having @FCDallas on the front of their shirt for a year or even a few months while they finalize a deal with some local company? To me it is better than having a blank spot on a kit like some of these clubs have right now. It wouldn’t bring in cash right away like most of the deals do but it may drive up some jersey sales though.

Real Salt Lake could be a wild card team this post season. (Getty Images)

It seems as each season goes in Major League Soccer, the wild card positions in the playoffs seem to be the ones with the most to gain and the least to lose.

Just taking a gander at the teams who have won a MLS Cup over the last couple of seasons and it was easy to figure out why the wildcard spots are so valuable these days. Long gone are the days in MLS where a eight of the ten clubs make the playoffs, now days it is ten of 18. Big difference in quality and quantity.

Even with the odd structure of the new playoff system this season it still seems that a wild card stands to gain the most, even with a tougher schedule. We’ve talked a lot this season about how good the Western Conference is and how dicy the Eastern Conference can be.

At this point the playoffs look fairly even with five teams from each conference sitting in the playoff zone. Sadly though, the top five clubs in the standings are Western Conference teams, which means the Eastern side will possibly see another non-EC champion this year in the playoffs.

On the flip side for those Eastern Conference teams, four of those teams in the top five have busy schedules to close out the season, which means by the time the playoffs hit, they could be a bit gassed to make  deep run to MLS Cup. So let’s look at each club in the wildcard zone to see what their chances look like for the remainder of the year and into the playoffs should they make it.

I’m going to start in the West and work my way back East here.

Real Salt Lake (currently 4th in Western Conference)

RSL is the one team in the West that stands to possibly move up into the automatic bids if they can work their remaining schedule right. They had struggled for a few games but they did look better against Philadelphia and Chivas in their last two. Right now they are only four points back of Dallas for that third spot and you can tell this is a club that does not want to have to deal with an extra wild card game this season. Still, should they find themselves in the wildcard zone I view them as one of the most dangerous teams in that group. They’ll likely be the top one and end up in the Eastern Conference bracket. That’s a scary idea for teams like Columbus, Kansas City or Philadelphia.

Colorado Rapids (currently 5th in Western conference)

The Rapids are one of the four Western sides with CCL dates to deal with in the remaining part of the schedule. It seemed as I was saying they were dead in the water back in June or July is when they really hit their stride as a club. I still worry about their depth going late into the season with all the CCL games but it seems that Gary Smith has found a way to balance the two out. As long as the Rapids don’ slide too far down into the wild card area here, they stand to have a good shot at things.

Portland Timbers (currently 6th in Western Conference)

The Timbers sit just a point away from being in the wildcard mix. They’re currently tied with the New York Red Bulls but with only a few home games left on the season they have to find a way to win on the road. This Timbers squad certainly has some talent to cause issues in the playoffs. You also have to believe the league front office is hoping and praying to get them into the playoffs, especially if they can host a home game in the wildcard round. At the end of the day this club still seems like a long shot at best with their remaining schedule.

Chivas USA (currently 7th in Western Conference)

This is just one of those clubs you wonder about. They’re certainly good enough to reach the post season but their consistency remains a big issue here this season. If Robin Fraser can even get a tenth of the Juan Pablo Angel that we used to see in New York then the Goats could be fine here. This club does appear to be one of the ones that could end up getting on a roll real late in the season if everything lines up. Dan Kennedy has proven to be a top class keeper this season and he could help guide them in the playoffs.

Houston Dynamo (currently 3rd in Eastern Conference)

The Dynamo are listed here solely on the reason that they still have yet to win away from home this season. As long as they take care of business at home to finish out the season and pick up a win somewhere away from Robertson Stadium, this club will certainly make the post season. It comes down to whether or not it will be an automatic birth or a wildcard birth. This club is certainly talented to make a deep run if they can find success away from home.

Philadelphia Union (currently 4th in Eastern Conference)

The Union have taken a nose dive in recent weeks with their play and are starting to look like a team that is in their second year. The remaining schedule is pretty tough for this club as well. Freddy Adu, Sebastien Le Toux, Danny Mwanga and the rest of the team have to get on the same page here and the defense has to step up. What was a strong part of their club early on this season is starting to be very leaky. I really felt a couple months ago that this was a club that could make a deep run but now I’m not so sure. Getting a few games in a row where they look good will help get my feelings back on the good side with this club but they’ve looked a long way out from that recently.

New York Red Bulls (currently 5th in Eastern Conference)

Ah the Red Bulls. The one club that everyone is keeping an eye on right now. I will say one thing about them though, should they make the playoffs as a wild card team, they will be very tough to deal with. Why? All that talent has to eventually do something positive and for a short five-game span they could easily do it in the post season. This long layoff for the club will go a very long way in determining whether or not this Red Bull side reaches the post season or crashes out. I see them getting there but those last two or three games going into the post season will be key to show if this club is going to be a Cup contender like we all expected them to be or a club that crashes out in the first round again.

DC United (currently 6th in the Eastern Conference)

So much young talent with this club but really I feel they are a year away at this point. They could still sneak into the playoffs considering all the games-in-hand they have at the moment. Hard to believe it but they’ve actually played fewer games than RSL this season. I have reservations about whether or not this is a club that can pull off multiple wins in a row late in the year too.

Chicago Fire (currently 7th in the Eastern Conference)

Yes, a couple wins in a row and the Fire now sit just a few points shy of a playoff spot. Very weird how that works out but hey, give them credit for getting there. The last two months are always about momentum going into the playoffs and if the Fire keep this up they will certainly be a tough team to deal with. Their defense is coming together nicely and their offense is starting to take some serious shape. We know they draw a lot of games which means they are always in the game. What a story it would be if they made a run at things here too. Also, keep an eye on them in the US Open Cup final in Seattle next month. A win in that would mean huge things for this club going forward.

Very interesting possibilities either way, none too surprising as Seattle would always give the USSF the best possible chance at a good crowd for the final. Chicago out bid Dallas, while Dallas’ bid out-did Richmond.

2011 LAMAR HUNT U.S. OPEN CUP FINAL HOSTING POSSIBILITIES