The Playoff Race!

The race for the final #5 slot is definitely within FC Dallas’ grasp!

It pretty much boils down to this. Dallas and Vancouver are now tied on matches played. Dallas still has to overcome a 2 point deficit, but with both clubs having only 4 matches to play, it all comes down to who will perform the best in those four matches.

Vancouver – 38 pts

Seattle (Home)

(48 pts)

Vancouver will have a break since their next 3 matches will be at home. Seattle at home will still be a tough task for them. Seattle is still fighting for playoff position and will want to claim all 3 points.

DFE Prediction: 2-1 Seattle 

Chivas USA (Home)

(28 pts)

Chivas is arguably the worst club in MLS. So you can only assume Vancouver will pick up max points in this match.

DFE Prediction: 2-0 Vancouver

Portland (Home)

(29 pts)

Portland rises up for big matches. Although this match might look like nothing, anytime any of these clubs from the Northwest meet they have rivalries on the line. I expect Portland to give Vancouver all they can handle.

DFE Prediction: 2-2 Draw

Real Salt Lake (Away)

(49 pts)

Vancouver will then head back on the road to face a tough RSL club in their house. I truly cannot see Vancouver pulling out max points Away.

DFE Prediction: 3-1 RSL

DFE FINAL POINTS PREDICTION FOR VANCOUVER: 42 points 

FC Dallas – 36 pts

San Jose (Away)

(60 pts)

Dallas will get the toughest task in this first match by heading on the road to San Jose. However, let’s not forget Dallas had San Jose in their grasp last time they met. A draw here would go along way, especially if Vancouver drops points to Seattle. San Jose pretty much has the playoffs and supporter shield already in their hands. They may not approach this match with much thought.

DFE Prediction: 2-2 Draw

Chivas USA (Away)

(28 pts)

Dallas is starting to play tough. If they want to be in the playoffs they will need to go in and completely abuse clubs like Chivas. Chivas has nothing to play for and Dallas must win this match.

DFE Prediction: 3-1 Dallas

Seattle (Away)

(48 pts)

Seattle will be the real playoff test that will challenge Dallas. Dallas has the capabilities to perform big in big moments. I’m not sure that they can pull this match off. I believe a draw is very possible but for the sake of prediction let’s pencil in a loss.

DFE Prediction: 2-1 Seattle

Chivas USA (Home)

(28 pts)

Dallas will arrive in this last home match needing to win. Dallas will rise to the occassion and pull off an amazing match at home in front of a packed Sunday house in Dallas since everyone will know this match is for all the marbles.

DFE Prediction: 2-0 Dallas

DFE FINAL POINTS PREDICTION FOR Dallas: 43 points (Dallas claims 5th place spot)

Possible USMNT players

With plenty to play for last Tuesday against Jamaica, U.S. coach Jurgen Klinsmann pulled out a lot of the offensive stops in search of a much-needed three-point haul. Looking to add some punch after a listless away performance, the coach inserted the attack-mindedGraham Zusi on one side of the field, went with just two defensive midfielders, compared to the three he used in Kingston, and instructed his players to go forward incessantly.

The results were instantaneous. Though they couldn’t put the ball in the net in the first half, the Americans struck the woodwork three times, had a whopping 80 percent of possession and pinned the Jamaican attack in its own defensive third.

It was an impressive display — one American fans will hope to see repeated — but it still wasn’t quite the full-out attack the Americans are capable of. That comes down to personnel. The U.S. once again played without a true creator in the center of the field, and though Jose Torres served admirably as a stand-in left winger, he is miscast out wide.

Things of course will change when Landon Donovan returns to the fold. But the veteran’s appearances are becoming fewer and farther between, and the day seems to have arrived when planning for his absence has become a necessity. As far as that No. 10 spot, Klinsmann doesn’t seem to like any of the veteran options — Sacha Kljestan, Benny Feilhaber or Freddy Adu, to be specific.

But if the coach is to continue getting the most out of the American attack, he’ll need some offensive weaponry to plug in when Donovan or Clint Dempsey is missing, or when the coach simply wants to up the ante in attack.

A good example of that will come as soon as Oct. 12, when the U.S. visits Antigua and Barbuda. The Americans will need to win comfortably in the Caribbean to set themselves up and avoid some potential heart-stopping moments in the group finale against Guatemala a few days later. In fact, a sizable goal differential in Antigua could well put the U.S. all but through, so the attack will be crucial.

With the options for instant offense limited on last week’s roster, whom could Klinsmann call on to boost the team going forward? Here are some young contenders to consider:

Chris Pontius, F, DC United – The DC United attacker is perhaps the uncapped player fans would most like to see get a call from Klinsmann. Thoughts are that he’s earned it with 11 goals and three assists this MLS campaign, while leading a surging DC offense that never fails to provide entertainment.

At the national level, Pontius could offer cover on both wings and an ability to attack the goal from a deeper position — something particularly lacking in the away loss to Jamaica. Zusi filled the right wing well enough in the return leg, but it’s hard to argue that Pontius, who unlike Zusi plays out wide for his club, couldn’t do an equally remarkable job if given the chance.

Mix Diskerud, MF, Rosenborg – Diskerud has proved to be one of those exceptional players who seldom fails to get the job done when given the chance. The U.S. national team may not have a job for a pure No. 10, but the Norwegian-American has shown a penchant for dropping a little deeper on the field and chipping in with the dirty work in the middle.

That said, there’s little indication of where Diskerud stands on Klinsmann’s depth chart, despite a recent impressive run of form at the club level. But should Klinsmann decide that it’s a good idea to have a true ball handler pulling the strings in the middle — instead of the likes of Jermaine Jones – Diskerud should be one of the first young players to get a look.

Joe Corona, MF, Club Tijuana – Corona plays a central catalyst role for Tijuana — one of Mexico’s most successful clubs the past year — and also can play out wide on either wing. Perhaps the young midfielder closest to actually making an impact on Klinsmann’s team, Corona has impressed enough in the past few months to have made several camp rosters, but not enough to see the field.

That looked set to change with the U.S. needing offense in Columbus. But Klinsmann opted to go with the more experienced Torres on the left and the up-and-coming Zusi on the right, shedding some doubt on Corona’s standing in the pecking order. Still, the San Diego native will make an interesting mid-term option anywhere across the midfield when Klinsmann wants to kick-start the attack.

Josh Gatt, MF, Molde – By now, U.S. national team fans likely know Gatt’s star-crossed story: called into the U-20 qualifiers last year, he wasn’t released by his club; summoned for Olympic qualifying camp, he was called back to Norway after Molde suffered early season injuries; and, after being called into Klinsmann’s camp this month, he suffered a hamstring injury.

If the speedy winger ever does play for the U.S., it’s easy to see what Klinsmann might have in mind by calling him to the full team so soon in his young career. The American attack counts heavily on speed and guile on the wings for success, and Gatt, 21, is a great young candidate to provide that going forward.

Eric Lichaj, D, Aston Villa – One of the early personnel questions of Klinsmann’s tenure has been: What, exactly, does he have against Lichaj? The young right back, who also can play on the left — and did, successfully, in last year’s Gold Cup — is starting regularly in the English Premier League.

Lichaj also can help out extensively on offense by getting forward well and putting in a decent cross. He’s not set to take Steve Cherundolo‘s place just yet, but with Timmy Chandler still on the national team fence, the multitalented Lichaj seems like a no-brainer to have in the mix.

USMNT Jermaine Jones

If Jermaine Jones isn’t the most polarizing player on the U.S. squad, he’s got to be pretty close.

Because for a large contingent of national team observers, it doesn’t seem to matter that Jones is the lone USMNT starter playing in the UEFA Champions League, or that his club team, Schalke, is perennially one of the Germany’s best.

It doesn’t seem to matter that two separate U.S. coaches, current boss Jurgen Klinsmann and his predecessor, Bob Bradley, valued Jones’ pedigree and competitiveness enough to make him a staple in the Yanks’ midfield.

What Jones’ detractors — a group that includes both fans and media members — notice most are the questionable tackles, the imperfect touches and the tendency to roam out of position. They see a red card waiting to happen in the unpredictable world of CONCACAF World Cup qualifying.

They do have an argument.

On Tuesday, opening day of the 2012-13 Champions League season, Jones got caught upfield during the second half of Schalke’s 2-1 win at Olympiakos. His shot had been blocked at the top of the Greek team’s box, and suddenly David Fuster was on a break that could have easily led to a goal for the hosts had Jones not been able to hack him down.

The tackle earned Jones a caution, but it was a textbook tactical foul. An intelligent play. About 20 minutes later, though, when Jones upended Jose Holebas with a studs-first challenge that miraculously went unpunished — well, that’s the kind of decision that makes the critics cringe.

But there does seem to be a method to Jones’ occasional madness when you look a little closer. For the all the bookings he gets — 14 in 20 Bundesliga games last season — he rarely gets sent off. He hasn’t been red-carded in 26 international matches — hasn’t really come close — and has just one yellow card in the four qualifiers the Americans have played this year.

“He’s not a young kid that’s just running around crazy,” said Mike Sorber, who was Bradley’s top assistant for the final three years of the coach’s tenure. “He’s trying to do it in a way that helps his team.”

Which, for the most part, he does.

At 30, Jones is a key player for Schalke, largely because of the intimidating presence he provides. Opposing midfielders have to be aware of him, and while he’s not a technician with the ball at his feet, his all-world athleticism and booming shot from distance offer a balance to his decidedly defensive game.

Klinsmann clearly values his qualities. Jones has developed a better understanding with his U.S. teammates since the German coach took over last year, and has looked most comfortable occupying the “No. 8″ role. It’s a position he could continue to play if Michael Bradley, who missed the last two matches with a leg injury, is deployed as more of a playmaker in the Americans’ next set of qualifiers. That would allow Jones to again pair with front fellow German-American Danny Williams, a partnership that showed promise in last week’s crucial home win against Jamaica.

“I can learn a lot from him,” Williams said of Jones after the match in Columbus, Ohio. “Whatever I want to know, he gives me advice, and I try to take it because experience is a big thing in soccer.”

It’s a huge thing for the U.S., which can’t afford to keep a player with Jones’ résumé on the bench, regardless of the risks, regardless of what fans and reporters say.

Yes, his critics have a valid argument. But here’s a retort: Legendary hard men like Roy Keane (Manchester United), Gennaro Gattuso (AC Milan) and Patrick Vieira (Arsenal) were polarizing players who picked up tons of yellow cards.

Their teams did OK, didn’t they?

Notes

• Nordsjaelland may have lost its Champions League opener Wednesday, but U.S. right back Michael Parkhurst still has five more group games to impress potential suitors. “It’s a big opportunity for me,” Denmark-based Parkhurst told the blog in Jamaica a couple of weeks ago. “I’m out of contract at Christmas so it’s a great time for me to play in big games in front of a lot of people. Those are important games to get my name out there. It’s a little easier to watch those games, and of course playing against the best guys in the world is a perfect way to prove yourself.”

• Sacha Kljestan has found national team invites hard to come by under Klinsmann, but performances like the one he put in against AC Milan on Tuesday can’t hurt his future prospects if any of the regulars get hurt, especially with the Yanks needing offense heading into to their last two semifinal-round qualifiers. Playing on the left side of Anderlecht’s midfield, Kljestan moved the ball quickly and effectively, and had the Belgian side’s best scoring chance in an entertaining scoreless draw.

• Graham Zusi is riding a wave of confidence after his breakout game for the Yanks in Columbus (check out the field-level highlights here). Zusi was involved in both goals in Sporting Kansas City’s 2-0 win at the New York Red Bulls on Wednesday night that keeps SKC atop MLS’ Eastern Conference.