1 reason each team can win MLS Cup ... and 1 reason they won't
The 2016 MLS playoffs is reaching its grand conclusion but two more teams will need to be eliminated before a final showdown can be played. The league's conference championship round will do just that.
After a lengthy international break, all four teams will be raring to go.
Here's one reason why each side could taste glory this season ... and one reason they won't.
Montreal Impact
Why they could win: The Montreal Impact are not only in good form; this is a team that knows what it means to compete in tournament knockout stages. Even though this is the furthest the Impact have been in the MLS playoffs, this team was in a similar position in the CONCACAF Champions League in 2015. That experience playing under pressure could see this side through to the end.
Why they won't: Simply put, the Impact haven't got the defensive rigidity needed to keep their opponents off the scoresheet over two legs. While Ignacio Piatti can be a difference-maker, Montreal only defeated Toronto once this season during the Reds' poorest spell of 2016. Facing the prospect of a "401 Derby" against their on-fire rival makes for a tough task.
Toronto FC
Why they could win: Toronto FC is in-form, healthy, hungry for revenge, and firing on all cylinders. Sebastian Giovinco and Jozy Altidore are finding the back of the net with regularity, Michael Bradley is enjoying his finest spell in a red uniform, and Greg Vanney's 3-5-2 formation is working wonderfully on the defensive end. It's all coming together at just the right time for Toronto FC.
Why they wont: It's Montreal, a team that can bring up old wounds - as rivals do - as the bell tolls on; last year, the Impact knocked Toronto FC out of its first-ever playoff appearance with a 3-0 win and while the Reds have grown heaps and bounds since then, so have the Impact. While Toronto's on-field qualities are certainly enough to progress, the real battle is a mental one for the Reds.
Colorado Rapids
Why they could win: The Colorado Rapids are the most defensively-solid team in MLS this season, having conceded a shockingly low 33 goals in 36 matches. The Rapids' defensive core is their greatest strength and, should it hold, Colorado would play host to the 2016 MLS Cup final. The Rapids are unbeaten at home all year, a mighty record Toronto or Montreal would need to then snap.
Why they won't: While the Rapids have earned praise all year for their low goals-against column, the reality is that sometimes, that's not enough; simply put, Colorado does not score enough goals, posting a mere 40 thus far, third-lowest in the league and the lowest among all playoff teams. This balance might be enough to see the team through to the end but in the final, clutch goal scorers are key.
Seattle Sounders
Why they could win: The Seattle Sounders surged into the playoffs with a late-season push and secured their spot in the Western Conference Championship. It is this momentum that could see Seattle claim its first-ever MLS Cup. This team has changed tremendously since the season began and under new management, the Sounders look to have found a recipe for consistent results.
Why they won't: It's been a turnaround year for Seattle, whose mid-season shift was due, in large part, to the addition of Nicolas Lodeiro and the goal scoring heroics of Jordan Morris. However, the former is new to the MLS playoffs and the latter is a rookie, currently dealing with a tweaked hamstring; that, plus the absence of Clint Dempsey, spells out a clear lack of experience.