Metro Playoff Bound?

Following Metro’s crucial 2-0 win over Toronto FC this past Sunday, Team Energy Drink has 28 points with 10 games remaining.

With parity in MLS so prevalent that the table is bunched like a granny’s panties, knowledgeable observers — which does not include me — are predicting that it’s going to take 38 points to make the playoffs, albeit as one of the bottom seeds. Like any sport with playoffs, anything can pretty much happen once MLS’s postseason begins. The exception of course being that anything doesn’t seem to include teams other than Houston or New England meeting in the Cup Final.

The Revs stranglehold on the Eastern Conference berth in MLS Cup notwithstanding, the point is, that by winning two in a row against Eastern Conference foes, the Red Bulls are right in the thick of the playoff hunt. In fact, if the playoffs were to start today, New York would find itself the…

But the playoffs don’t start today, which means figuring out how many points Metro is likely to get during the final 10 games of the season. Let’s breakdown the remaining schedule, game-by-game.

1. 08/24 – Sunday Houston Dynamo 3:00 p.m. TeleFutura, MSG, WADO
Simply put, the Dynamo are playing the best football of any team in MLS right now. As good as Metro has looked the past two weeks, knocking off Houston could be a bridge too far. Let’s call it a 1-1 tie and the Red Bulls get one of the 10 points they’ll need.

2. 08/30 – Saturday @ D.C. United 7:30 p.m. FSC, FSE, WQBU
The Red Bulls haven’t won at DC since the Continental Congress when DC wasn’t even the nation’s capital. Not only have they not won at the Scum’s barn, but they haven’t even been competitive. With DC scrapping for a playoff bid too, there’s no reason to think that’s going to change now. Metro get zip from this game, losing 3-1 to the Scum.

September
3. 09/06 – Saturday @ Chicago Fire 8:30 p.m. FSC, FSE, WADO
Inexplicably, despite having great home support, the Fire suck at home. There’s no reason to think Metro can’t escape from the Windy City with at least a point. Call it a 2-2 draw and the Red Bulls suddenly need to get 8 points from their final 7 games.

4. 09/13 – Saturday Real Salt Lake 7:30 p.m. MSG, DK, MLSLIVE.tv, WADO
They’ll pick up three against RSL at The Swamp in this game, giving them 33 points with six games remaining.

5. 09/18 – Thursday @ Columbus Crew 7:00 p.m. ESPN2, Deportes,
It ain’t easy getting a result at Crew Stadium against Sigi’s side, and it will be even tougher this game since the Crew figure to be in the midst of a fight for the top spot in the Eastern Conference, and in need of every point. Columbus wins 3-2, leaving Metro in need of five points with five games remaining.

6. 09/27 – Saturday Colorado Rapids 7:30 p.m. MSG Plus, DK, MLSLIVE.tv, WADO
Nothing should make an MLS team in need of a dubbya happier than seeing the mismanaged and dispirited Colorado Rapids on the schedule. Red Bulls get the win, beating an irrelevant Colorado side 3-0. Metro has 36 points with four games left.

October

7. 10/04 – Saturday Toronto FC 7:30 p.m. MSG, DK, MLSLIVE.tv, WADO, WQBU
TFC is an entirely different side away from Fortress BMO. Losing Maurice Edu to Rangers won’t help matters. Metro gets another win, surpassing the magic number of 38 points with 39, and looking bound for the playoffs.

8. 10/09 – Thursday @ Real Salt Lake 10:00 p.m. ESPN2, Deportes, WADO, WQBU
Few teams are going to win at RSL’s new stadium this season, next season, or any season for that matter. Red Bulls lose 2-1 on the road, but are still in position for making the playoffs.

9. 10/18 – Saturday Columbus Crew 7:30 p.m. MSG, DK, MLSLIVE.tv, WADO, WQBU
Call it payback’s a bitch Saturday, as Metro notches a 2-0 win that clinches a playoff bid and knocks the Crew out of the top spot in the East. Red Bulls have 42 points and seem destined to play Real Salt Lake in the playoffs.

10. 10/23 – Thursday @Chicago Fire 9:00 p.m
The Fire need a result and get it, tieing the Red Bulls 1-1.

Metro goes 4-3-3 down the stretch to finish with a record of 11-9-10, good enough for 43 points and 3rd place in the East, earning them a first round playoff rendezvouz with Columbus, the 2nd place finishers in the Eastern Conference.

Playing The Odds: Our Picks For Saturday August 9

First up is Toronto FC visiting The Dick to take on the Colorado Rapids, Fox Soccer Channel’s MLS game of the week. Bet US lists the Rapids as pretty heavy home favorites — Colorado -150 vs. Toronto +360 — with the over/under at 2.5 goals. As tempting as it is to try to win some big bucks by betting on TFC, the numbers don’t justify it, as the Reds are a brutal 1-7 with only 10 goals scored away from Fortress BMO this season.

We’re taking the Rapids and the over.

Next on the docket for MLS today is a the Chicago Fire visiting New England. Sensing a post-Superliga letdown by the Revs, we’re going with the underdogs in this one, taking the Fire +260. The over/under is 2.5 and we’re taking the over, expecting a 2-1 Fire win.

The final game for today finds a rematch of last season’s Western Conference first round playoffs, with Kansas City hosting Chivas USA. Oddsmakers are favoring a draw in this one, as both the Wizards (+120) and the Goats (+185) are underdogs. We can’t really imagine that Chivas can get it done at the CAB without Sacha Kljestan, and Ante Razov and Mykel Galindo still trying to get their timing back. Although, Kansas City’s offense is anemic so a single goal would be enough for the Goats to get a result.

I don’t see that happening, which is why I’m going with the Wizards and the under.