MLS Week 18 Predictions

Once again there are only eight matches this weekend with Los Angeles and Toronto FC sitting idle.  Here are my predictions:



Predicted Score
Vancouver	1	Real Salt Lake	1
Seattle	1	Colorado	1
Columbus	2	San Jose	1
Chicago	2	Portland	0
Houston	2	Kansas City	2
FC Dallas	2	D.C. United	1
Chivas USA	1	New York	1
New England	1	Philadelphia	1

I think the best matchup will be Chivas vs New York.  In their previous matchup, Chivas shocked the Red Bulls at home thanks to a Justin Braun hat trick.  Braun has scored only one other goal the rest of the season so don't expect a repeat performance.  New York is the highest scoring team in the league overall (1.7 goals/match) and on the road (1.6 goals/match) but Chivas has been stingy at home allowing 0.9 goals/match.  On offense, Chivas has struggled to score at home with 1.1 goals per match which is actually lower than their road scoring average of 1.4 goals/match.  RBNY's road defense has been their Achilles heel, allowing 1.5 goals/match.

The outcome of this match could have big playoff implications.  New York and Philadelphia are neck-and-neck for the Eastern Conference title.  Anything less than a point for the Red Bulls will hurt their chances of winning the conference.  I'm currently projecting Chivas for the final playoff spot.  Anything less than a point puts their playoff hopes in limbo.