2011 MLS season team predictions

With the 2011 Major League Soccer season just a mere five days away, it's time (for me at least) to play the guessing game and try to predict where the 18 teams this upcoming season will finish.

2011 MLS REGULAR SEASON STANDINGS

Eastern Conference Predictions

1. New York Red Bulls
2. Sporting Kansas City
3. Houston Dynamo
4. D.C. United
5. Philadelphia Union
6. Columbus Crew
7. Toronto FC
8. New England Revolution
9. Chicago Fire

Western Conference Predictions

1. Real Salt Lake
2. Los Angeles Galaxy
3. Seattle Sounders FC
4. FC Dallas
5. Colorado Rapids
6. Vancouver Whitecaps FC
7. Chivas USA
8. Portland Timbers
9. San Jose Earthquakes

Overall Table Predictions

1. New York Red Bulls - E1/SS
2. Real Salt Lake - W1
3. Los Angeles Galaxy - W2
4. Seattle Sounders FC - W3
5. FC Dallas - WC #7
6. Sporting Kansas City - E2
7. Colorado Rapids - WC #8
8. Houston Dynamo - E3
9. Vancouver Whitecaps FC - WC #9
10. D.C. United - WC #10
11. Philadelphia Union
12. Chivas USA
13. Columbus Crew
14. Portland Timbers
15. Toronto FC
16. New England Revolution
17. San Jose Earthquakes
18. Chicago Fire

MLS CUP PLAYOFFS

Play-In Round

(7) FC Dallas deft. (10) D.C. United
(9) Vancouver Whitecaps FC deft. (8) Colorado Rapids

Quarterfinals

Eastern Conf. Semifinals

New York Red Bulls deft. Vancouver Whitecaps FC
Houston Dynamo deft. Sporting Kansas City in extra time

Western Conf. Semifinals

Rematches! Reverse results!

Real Salt Lake deft. FC Dallas
Seattle Sounders FC deft. Los Angeles Galaxy

Semifinals

Eastern Conf. Championship

New York Red Bulls deft. Houston Dynamo in extra time


Western Conf. Championship

Seattle Sounders FC deft. Real Salt Lake


Final


Seattle Sounders FC deft. New York Red Bulls

OTHER PREDICTIONS

• Real Salt Lake will make it to the final of the 2010–11 CONCACAF Champions League, but lose
• In the 2011–12 CONCACAF Champions League; both FC Dallas and Seattle Sounders FC will advance to the Group Stage, making it the first time in CCL history four American teams are in the Group Stage.
• FC Dallas, playing a similar style of soccer to Central American clubs, will be a challenging opponent for their competition. Should things go their way, not only will Dallas become the first MLS/American club to win in Mexico, but they will likely end group stage with possibly five wins and win their group.
• Sounders FC will advance to the quarterfinals as the second place team in their Group.
• Los Angeles Galaxy will perform poorly in Champions League, but they will end up advancing by some luck
• Colorado Rapids will not exactly tank in the tournament, but they will probably end up in third place
• In the U.S. Open Cup, U.S. Soccer and MLS will pray for a Portland vs. Seattle final; however, they will end with Portland making the finals, but Seattle losing to D.C. United in the semifinals. USSF will likely try to assemble the bracket in such a way that a Portland vs. Seattle final is likely, but when that happens, always backfires. 
• The 2011 Open Cup final match will be in Portland, but D.C. United will end up winning.
• Vancouver Whitecaps FC will gain a postseason birth, but the Timbers will fail to do so. 
• No SuperLiga will be played