The Knockout Round is upon us.
And that means four teams are hosting opponents in front of their home fans, for at least one game during these Audi 2016 MLS Cup Playoffs. The important note: Only two out of 12 away squads have advanced since the current format was initially implemented in 2012.
Four more teams join in the hosting fun during the Conference Semifinals – if you haven't already, block out Nov. 6, antsy supporters – and here's a look at what to expect out of the locales.
Eastern Conference
The Debs
Toronto FC fans got a taste last season, but in opposition territory. That didn't end well.
In 2016, BMO Field has proven a solid source of support: the Reds only dropped three games (8-6-3), in this first season following following a multi-year renovation. Yet two of those losses – and four of the draws – came during a home-heavy final stretch that started with TFC primed for a Supporters' Shield run. To be fair, that stretch overlaps a five-game absence by Sebastian Giovinco. He's back.
As for the fans, expect them to be rocking from the March to the Match and on through the pregame concert – until the first gut-punch. Maybe it's a missed opportunity, or a fluky goal for Philadelphia (3-9-5 on the road, BTW), or an unsettling injury. Something is coming, and it's then we'll find out if nine seasons of dread are flying back to the forefront, or can be repressed because belief in this squad, and that singular Seba-pointed star triangle, proves unshakeable. A Reds victory brings a true debutant to the Great White North:
New York City FC are MLS's best road squad, logging a 7-7-3 mark only approached by Toronto's 6-6-5. The converse, of course, is a middling 8-3-6 mark at Yankee Stadium.
But, driven by Patrick Vieira's commitment to playing out of the back, they've largely made the adjustment to their tight home field – ripping off a 4-0-1 mark to close out their Bronx slate. Playing in front of 27,000-plus fans every time out (the league's third-best mark) has created a rousing atmosphere ready to load up for the franchise's postseason debut – they've neared 50,000 fans on occasion, and you know the marketing folks will be gunning for the full capacity sellout.
We don't yet know whether NYCFC will host Toronto, D.C. or Montreal in the Conference Semifinal, and it's one to note. As noted, TFC were the league's second-best away squad, and the Impact are a solid 4-6-7 on the road, while D.C. – for all their second-half success – are only 2-6-9.
The Originals
These two squads have been here before, though, yes – only one has made it through the full bracket … Four times. [Ducks tomatoes]
But this version of the New York Red Bulls have turned Red Bull Arena into one of the league's toughest home venues, leading the league with 13 victories in front of the friendly fans. RBNY (13-2-2 at home; 17-8-9 overall) have the clever, thirsty fanbase ready to rouse their team across the threshold in this rollicking two-year run.
It's not going to hurt that they've twice bested the Impact at home this year, without losing to Philly (2-0-1) at all. They split at home against Toronto FC, though the loss came in the season opener, kicking off that awful (pre-Aurelien Collin) 1-6-0 start. BWP posted a memorable hat trick in the Red Bulls' 3-0 win over Toronto on May 28.
As for D.C. United, just because they've got an eye on Buzzard's Point doesn't mean RFK hasn't held it down in the interim. Bolstered by their second-half rocket ride, United finished the season 9-4-4 at home, having gone unbeaten locally (6-0-3) since a June 1 loss to Seattle – a run that includes four straight victories.
They're only guaranteed to host a single game, against up-and-down Montreal, who neither won nor lost more than two consecutive games all season (though they did draw four straight April 27 to May 14). If United and Philly advance, New York City FC come to D.C., where they were picked apart in a 3-1 victory during Week 33. Otherwise, it's all Atlantic Cup all day, and both bases will be amped.
Western Conference
The Rivals
They won't meet in the Knockout Round – or any Conference Semifinal permutation – but four times have Seattle and LA met in the playoffs, with the Sounders finally breaking through in last year's Knockout Round.
The LA Galaxy rode an 8-1-8 home record to a solid third-place showing out West, grinding out wins and half of their league-high 16 ties. That lone loss came to the red-hot Sounders on Sept. 25. With a top-five crowd of 25,000-plus supporters rocking out each game, the StubHub Center provides a challenging environment for whomever visits. The fans expect victories, and the team comes through – often.
Real Salt Lake travel to the City of Angels on Wednesday, and they do so after finishing the regular season with 11 road losses, locking them in a three-way tie behind Chicago's league-worst 14. A Galaxy win pits LA against Colorado, who hold the league's lone unblemished home record (11-0-6) – but a mediocre 4-6-7 mark on the road.
Seattle Sounders FC, which have risen all the way to fourth since Nicolas Lodeiro arrived, turned in yet another strong home campaign (10-5-2). Their fifth-straight season with double-digit home victories is surely due in part to the league-high 42,000 fans (111% of capacity!) coming through the turnstiles each game — more than 10,000 ahead of second-place Orlando.
They'll host Sporting Kansas City for the Knockout Round, a squad that produced two of its three road wins within the first five games this year. That said, they have beaten the Sounders twice (March 6: 1-0; July 24: 3-0). If Seattle and LA advance, it's Supporters' Shield leader FC Dallas (5-7-5 away; 17-8-9 overall) on deck; if they pair a win with an RSL upset, the churning Rapids rush in.
Sides of the Shield
The two Supporters' Shield contenders were neck-and-neck all season, and dominant home form drove each squad's success.
FC Dallas turned in a 12-1-4 mark, defending Toyota Stadium with soul-crushing fury for a dedicated (if admittedly intimate) fanbase. The loss of Mauro Diaz means that season mark is sitting a bit pretty, but it'd be foolhardly to doubt FCD's depth – and Oscar Pareja's masterful management.
Whether it's Seattle, SKC or Real Salt Lake emerging to challenge their race for the treble, FC Dallas should be in strong shape to limit the away goals during the Conference Semifinal, and keeping an opponent scoreless for the home leg is the best way to position your squad for advancement.
And that, of course, brings us to the Colorado Rapids. Unquestionably the strongest home squad this season – there's a zero in that loss column, remember – they logged a record-low 0.41 goals against average at Dick's Sporting Goods Park. Their seven shipped scores were only ever matched by 2010 RSL, which played two fewer games.
The only question is this: Can Colorado push one across their opponent's goalmouth? Experience winning close games is crucial – they've earned a record-tying 13 one-goal victories (DAL, 2006; SJ, '13) – but playing toward those results leaves a razor-thin margin during a time when variance rises. A single goal against Portland in Week 33, and they're holding the Supporters' Shield; hopefully the Denver crowd can help boost the spirits so they're not rueing another lost opportunity in two weeks.
