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4 key battles to watch in the MLS conference finals

The next round of the 2016 MLS playoffs is set to kick off Tuesday evening, with the Montreal Impact hosting Toronto FC and the Seattle Sounders facing the Colorado Rapids in the Eastern and Western Conference championships.

Here are four key positional battles to watch in these two home-and-away tilts.

Ignacio Piatti vs. Steven Beitashour

The most dangerous player on the field for Montreal, Ignacio Piatti will look to attack down the left flank and will need to deal with the constant movement of TFC right wing-back Steven Beitashour as a result.

Piatti best operates cutting in and striking from the edge of the box but that's a spot that will be harder to find space within as Toronto's 3-5-2 formation has Beitashour and Eriq Zavaleta occupying the area, with Michael Bradley quick to close down from his deep-lying No. 6 position in midfield.

Containing Piatti will be key for Toronto, but if the Argentine winger can break with pace and leave Beitashour behind him, Zavaleta might find himself in a tough spot defensively. How Piatti deals with Beitashour's marking will define the Impact's attacking shape.

Jozy Altidore vs. Laurent Ciman

Conversely, Toronto FC ace Sebastian Giovinco will keep the likes of Hassoun Camara and Victor Cabrera occupied on the left, but far more important to Toronto's cause is how effectively Jozy Altidore can make Montreal's defensive leader Laurent Ciman a non-factor while on the attack.

Ciman is a strong, physical player and excels when faced with the prospect of marking and stopping quick attackers like Bradley Wright-Phillips or David Villa, but against Altidore, that physicality won't provide an instant advantage.

If Altidore can draw Ciman away from Giovinco effectively, it would open up space for the Atomic Ant to exploit, and conversely, if Ciman leaves Altidore unmarked, the U.S. striker can continue stoking the flames of his red-hot form.

Nicolas Lodeiro vs. Jermaine Jones

Over in the Western Conference, Seattle Sounders maestro Nicolas Lodeiro - largely due credit for his team's playoff entrance and subsequent performances - will have to deal with one of the more difficult defensive midfielders in the league in the form of Colorado Rapids enforcer Jermaine Jones.

Fortunately, Lodeiro has the benefit of playing the 35-year-old Jones as he comes off both a knee injury that sidelined him for 13 weeks prior and a poor showing with the U.S. men's national team during the recent international break.

Still, this will be an intense clash in midfield as Jones is no stranger to fleet-footed creative midfield types; he's seen his share in the Bundesliga and his tough-tackling could just prove stopper to Lodeiro's otherwise indomitable runs.

Nelson Valdez vs. Zac MacMath

Jones isn't the only player dealing with recovery, as injuries have hampered both the Sounders and the Rapids in recent weeks.

Seattle star striker Jordan Morris, fresh off a Rookie of the Year award victory, tweaked his hamstring in the buildup to this match and might be replaced with Nelson Valdez as a result. Rapids star goalkeeper Tim Howard was ruled out for the rest of 2016 after undergoing groin surgery, an injury he picked up while away with the U.S. national team.

In his stead, Zac MacMath returns to Pablo Mastroeni's starting lineup and he'll be hoping to return to form double-quick as Valdez has found his scoring feet at last in the midst of Seattle's playoff run. How MacMath deals with Valdez may determine this series' end.

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