We are into the final three months of the 2012 MLS season and the conference races are heating up. Each conference is afforded five spots, allowing 10 of the 19 MLS teams into the playoffs. Over the last two seasons, the playoff format has changed, going from eight teams to ten, adding wild card teams and taking them away. Gone are the days of a team on the east coast making a run through the western ranks to win the western conference championship. The format also allows for teams to have less travel through the playoffs. This year, fans are guaranteed a west versus east MLS Cup final, hosted by the team with the better record.
Before the season started, the MLS Board of Governors met and decided on the new tiebreaker rules in case teams are tied at the end of the regular season.
1. Goals For
|
Eastern Conference |
|
Western Conference |
|
|
New York |
38 |
San Jose |
45 |
|
Houston |
35 |
LA Galaxy |
39 |
|
DC United |
35 |
Real Salt Lake |
35 |
|
Montreal |
35 |
Seattle |
31 |
|
Sporting KC |
28 |
Colorado |
29 |
|
New England |
26 |
Vancouver |
26 |
|
Chicago |
25 |
FC Dallas |
26 |
|
Toronto FC |
25 |
Portland |
20 |
|
Philadelphia |
22 |
Chivas USA |
14 |
|
Columbus |
20 |
2. Goal Differential
|
Eastern Conference |
|
Western Conference |
|
|
Houston |
10 |
San Jose |
17 |
|
DC United |
8 |
Seattle |
9 |
|
Sporting KC |
7 |
Real Salt Lake |
7 |
|
New York |
4 |
LA Galaxy |
0 |
|
Chicago |
1 |
Vancouver |
-2 |
|
Columbus |
-1 |
Colorado |
-3 |
|
Philadelphia |
-2 |
FC Dallas |
-6 |
|
New England |
-2 |
Chivas USA |
-7 |
|
Montreal |
-8 |
Portland |
-17 |
|
Toronto FC |
-15 |
3. Fewest Disciplinary Points
|
Eastern Conference |
|
Western Conference |
|
|
New England |
275 |
Chivas USA |
319 |
|
DC United |
292 |
Colorado |
324 |
|
Houston |
305 |
Portland |
348 |
|
Columbus |
317 |
FC Dallas |
377 |
|
Chicago |
322 |
Seattle |
390 |
|
Toronto FC |
339 |
San Jose |
404 |
|
New York |
368 |
LA Galaxy |
405 |
|
Philadelphia |
370 |
Vancouver |
416 |
|
Sporting KC |
382 |
Real Salt Lake |
420 |
|
Montreal |
4. Road Goals
|
Eastern Conference |
|
Western Conference |
|
|
Sporting KC |
16 |
LA Galaxy |
20 |
|
New York |
16 |
San Jose |
19 |
|
Houston |
14 |
Seattle |
15 |
|
Toronto FC |
14 |
Real Salt Lake |
12 |
|
DC United |
11 |
FC Dallas |
12 |
|
Chicago |
10 |
Vancouver |
9 |
|
Montreal |
10 |
Chivas USA |
8 |
|
New England |
10 |
Colorado |
8 |
|
Columbus |
8 |
Portland |
2 |
|
Philadelphia |
6 |
5. Road Goal Differential
|
Eastern Conference |
|
Western Conference |
|
|
Sporting KC |
2 |
San Jose |
4 |
|
Columbus |
-2 |
Seattle |
0 |
|
Houston |
-4 |
Chivas USA |
-2 |
|
Chicago |
-4 |
LA Galaxy |
-3 |
|
DC United |
-7 |
Real Salt Lake |
-4 |
|
New York |
-8 |
Vancouver |
-8 |
|
Philadelphia |
-8 |
FC Dallas |
-9 |
|
New England |
-8 |
Colorado |
-11 |
|
Toronto FC |
-8 |
Portland |
-18 |
|
Montreal |
-16 |
6. Home Goals
|
Eastern Conference |
|
Games Played |
|
Montreal |
25 |
13 |
|
DC United |
24 |
11 |
|
New York |
22 |
10 |
|
Houston |
21 |
11 |
|
Philadelphia |
16 |
10 |
|
New England |
16 |
11 |
|
Chicago |
15 |
11 |
|
Sporting KC |
12 |
11 |
|
Columbus |
12 |
9 |
|
Toronto FC |
11 |
11 |
| Western Conference | ||
| San Jose | 26 | 11 |
| Real Salt Lake | 23 | 13 |
| Colorado | 21 | 12 |
| LA Galaxy | 19 | 11 |
| Portland | 18 | 12 |
| Vancouver | 17 | 11 |
| Seattle | 16 | 11 |
| FC Dallas | 14 | 13 |
| Chivas USA | 6 | 11 |
7. Home Goal Differential
|
Eastern Conference |
|
Western Conference |
|
|
DC United |
15 |
San Jose |
13 |
|
Houston |
14 |
Real Salt Lake |
11 |
|
New York |
12 |
Seattle |
9 |
|
Montreal |
8 |
Colorado |
8 |
|
Philadelphia |
6 |
Vancouver |
6 |
|
New England |
6 |
LA Galaxy |
3 |
|
Sporting KC |
5 |
Portland |
1 |
|
Chicago |
5 |
Chivas |
-5 |
|
Columbus |
1 |
FC Dallas |
-7 |
|
Toronto FC |
-7 |
8. Coin Toss (between 2 teams) or Drawing of Lots (3 or more teams)
With these new rules, MLS seems to be rewarding teams for good behavior on the field as well as teams who don’t form a defensive shell when on the road.
The MLS playoffs start on October 31st and if the season ended today they would see the fourth and fifth place teams in each conference facing off in a one game match. DC United (4) would host the Chicago Fire (5) in the east and Vancouver (4) would host defending MLS Cup champions LA Galaxy (5). The east winner would go on to face the Houston Dynamo and the west winner would face Supporter Shield leaders San Jose. New York (3) would host Sporting KC (2) and Seattle (3) would host Real Salt Lake (2) to start the home and home quarterfinals.
