The race for the MLS Cup is underway.

The first leg of the MLS Conference Finals began Sunday with the Eastern Conference Finals, as the Columbus Crew hosted the New York Red Bulls followed by the Portland Timbers playing host to top seed FC Dallas in the Western Conference Finals.

Columbus is the only team in this field of four that knows what it's like to win a championship. As irony would have it, the Crew beat the Red Bulls back in 2008 to win their first MLS Cup. The Red Bulls haven't made it to the Finals since.

On the West side, FC Dallas hasn't been to the MLS Cup since 2010, when it fell to the Colorado Rapids in extra time thanks to an own goal. The four-year-old Timbers franchise is looking for its first-ever trip to the MLS Cup Finals.

Here's a rundown of Sunday's first-leg action.

It didn't take long for the Crew to put their stamp on the Eastern Conference Finals. In fact, it took all but nine seconds.

Justin Meram scored the fastest goal in MLS playoffs history, nine seconds in, to put Columbus up 1-0. From there on, the Crew dictated the pace and played stellar defense to keep the Red Bulls in check.

ESPN FC provided the clip of Meram's goal:

As the series shifts to New York for the second leg, the Crew will go in with all the momentum. Kei Kamara added a bit of insurance with a goal in the 85th minute to put Columbus up 2-0. Not only are the Crew up two goals on aggregate, but the Red Bulls did not score a goal on the road, which means New York will need to pull off a miraculous comeback to advance to the Finals.     

But as the FC Dallas/Seattle Sounders series told us, anything is possible. New York, with a game at home, is not out of this yet.

The second leg is set for 7:30 p.m. ET on Nov. 22 in New York on Fox Sports 1.

Both home teams took care of their respective business on Sunday. Portland got three goals, including a crucial late goal in the 90th minute from Nat Borchers to give the Timbers a much-needed 3-1 win over FC Dallas in Portland.

Liam Ridgewell got things started in the 23rd minute with a score off a corner kick. Daron Asprilla would add some insurance in the 53rd minute to take a 2-0 lead.

Fox Soccer provided a replay of Ridgewell's goal:

But FC Dallas, being the resilient bunch they are, came back 10 minutes later as David Texiera lofted a touch shot into the back of the net for a crucial away goal. Going into next Sunday's second leg, that may turn out to be very crucial. Even though Portland scored one more time later in the match, should FC Dallas win 2-0, they'll advance on a 3-3 aggregate with more road goals than Portland.

MLS has a clip of Texiera's clutch goal:

It was a rough day for the top seeds on the road, but that's why two legs are needed in the playoffs. 

The second leg is set for 5 p.m. ET on Nov. 29 on ESPN.

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The Major League Soccer postseason returns to the pitch on Sunday as four teams continue their respective quests to hoist the MLS Cup on December 6.

Each of the remaining quartet advanced to the conference final round in a different way, but all four are more than deserving of their spots in the final four. 

Sunday's two-game slate starts at a sold-out Mapfre Stadium, where the Columbus Crew host the New York Red Bulls in the first leg of the Eastern Conference Final.

The visiting Red Bulls impressed for the majority of the regular season, but they struggled to finish off D.C. United in the semifinal round, as they needed a late Bradley Wright-Phillips goal in the second leg to secure passage into the next stage of the playoffs.

Jesse Marsch's side must perform better on Sunday in order to take an advantage back to Red Bull Arena for the second leg on Nov. 29. In order to achieve success on the road, the Red Bulls need yet another big game out of captain Dax McCarty, who will be locked in a head-to-head battle with Columbus playmaker Federico Higuain. 

The play of the back line will also be critical to the success of the Supporters' Shield winners. United States international Matt Miazga was tied for second in aerials won during the regular season, per WhoScored.com. The player level with the young defender on 4.5 aerials per game is Kei Kamara, who displayed superb aerial ability in Columbus' second-leg victory over Montreal on Nov. 8.

Keeping the Sierra Leone international out of the picture will be a tough task for Miazga, but a blueprint on how to stop Kamara was laid out by the Impact in the first leg of the conference semifinals. If Miazga and the rest of the Red Bulls back four can replicate what the Impact did to the Crew at Stade Saputo, they will be one step closer to the final match of the postseason.

Possession will also be a key factor in determining the victor in Columbus. The Red Bulls and Crew are first and second in the league possession table, per WhoScored.com, which means something has to give on Sunday. Columbus' young duo of Wil Trapp and Tony Tchani will face one of their toughest tests of the season as they square off against Sacha Kljestan, Felipe and McCarty. 

Expect to see the first half played in midfield as both sides feel each other out, but do not be surprised if the dynamic wingers on both rosters begin to open up play in the second half with plenty at stake. 

Based off the attacking superstars on the respective rosters in the second game of the night, the contest between FC Dallas and Portland should be more open than the Eastern Conference Final first leg. 

Mauro Diaz and Fabian Castillo are sure to bring plenty of fireworks to the pitch for Oscar Pareja's side, who came out on top of a dramatic penalty shootout against Seattle to stay alive in the postseason. However, the South American duo aren't the only players in the FC Dallas squad who have shone moving forward recently.

The big X-factor in the match at Providence Park could be left back Ryan Hollingshead, who has rediscovered himself as a defender after fighting for time in midfield for the majority of the season. 

Portland's formula for success will be a bit different to the one of the visitors since Diego Valeri and Rodney Wallace are both suspended because of yellow-card accumulation. That means more pressure will be heaped on the shoulders of Darlington Nagbe and Fanendo Adi.

While everyone is aware of Nagbe's talent, Adi has flown under the radar with Nagbe and Valeri in the same starting XI. The lanky Nigerian has turned himself into a more consistent forward of late, as he has five goals since the start of October. 

On the defensive side of the pitch, both sides possess a sterling center back who will cause fits for the opposing forwards, but Portland enters with a large advantage. Offseason acquisition Nat Borchers has been solid in the middle of the defense all season next to Liam Ridgewell, and he will go up against the out-of-form David Texeira on Sunday. FC Dallas' Matt Hedges will have a more difficult task on his hands given Adi's recent level of production in front of goal.

As for predictions, we'll take a 1-1 draw in Columbus and a 2-1 FC Dallas victory over Portland. 

Conference Final 1st-Leg Schedule

New York Red Bulls at Columbus Crew (Sunday, 5 p.m. ET, ESPN)

FC Dallas at Portland Timbers (Sunday, 7:30 p.m. ET, Fox Sports 1)

Players to Watch

Michael Parkhurst, CB, Columbus Crew

United States international Michael Parkhurst will face a big challenge on Sunday as he will be without center-back partner Gaston Sauro, who will be serving a one-game yellow-card suspension. 

With Sauro out, Parkhurst will most likely line up next to Tyson Wahl, who is no slouch but is a bit less consistent than Sauro. 

If Parkhurst and Wahl can limit the opportunities of Wright-Phillips in the final third, they will force others to step up and score for the Red Bulls. Forcing Lloyd Sam or Mike Grella to beat the Crew may end hurting the Red Bulls too much in the first leg. 

Kemar Lawrence, LB, New York Red Bulls

The best individual matchup of Sunday's games will come on the right flank of the Columbus attack, as Red Bulls left back Kemar Lawrence squares off against Ethan Finlay.

Lawrence is one of the up-and-coming talents in MLS, and he has rarely made a wrong step during the 2015 campaign. The Jamaica international only faced Finlay once this season, on July 4, so his skill set is still fairly new to the Columbus winger.

If Lawrence shuts down Finlay, the Crew will have to rely more on Higuain or Justin Meram to set up Kamara for chances in the box. And given McCarty and Miazga's recent success, they could follow Lawrence's lead and silence Higuain and Kamara.

David Texeira, FW, FC Dallas

Texeira is the one player keeping FC Dallas from being a complete team. The Uruguayan has been less than stellar up top during the postseason, but he does have two chances to redeem himself against Portland.

In 134 minutes against the Sounders, Texeira attempted two shots, one of which was on target. In the second leg at home, he put in a poor performance that forced him off the pitch in the 63rd minute. 

Scoring his first goal since October 17 will not be an easy task against Borchers and Ridgewell, but if Texeira breaks his scoring drought, FC Dallas could be in pole position to hoist the MLS Cup in a few weeks.

Darlington Nagbe, AM, Portland Timbers

Nagbe was always going to be under the microscope, but the eyes on him will multiply with Valeri and Wallace suspended.

The newly capped United States international will be relied on to open up the FC Dallas defense with his speed and technical ability. 

If Nagbe pounces early and feeds Adi for a few solid chances in the box, Portland has a chance to dominate the match at Providence Park. Conversely, if Nagbe fails to show up, the Timbers could fall into a big hole against the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference.

Joe Tansey covers MLS for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter, @JTansey90. 

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And then there were four.

The New York Red Bulls, Columbus Crew, FC Dallas and Portland Timbers advanced to the MLS Conference finals. The former two will square off in the East, with the latter two battling in the West.

Columbus and Dallas overcame deficits from the first leg before progressing. As a result, both sides have catapulted into the top three of the power rankings this week.

As always, the eight conference semifinalists will be graded based on the following criteria:

Here are the latest MLS playoff power rankings.

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The most exciting start to a Major League Soccer postseason in recent memory left us wanting more and then some after Sunday's slate of four matches concluded. 

In those four conference semifinal showdowns, plenty of star players delivered standout performances that earned them a good amount of accolades. 

Although we aren't handing out any postseason hardware yet, we do have a good idea who the 10 best players of the postseason to date are. 

Due to the small sample size on which we based the MLS Playoff Power Rankings, there was plenty of movement in the 10 positions this week. The stars closest to the top of the list were the most consistent over the last two weekends of play. 

Continue reading on to see which player stood out among the pack and earned the top spot in our MLS Playoff Power Rankings. 

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Former Arsenal midfielder and Manchester City reserve manager Patrick Vieira has been appointed as New York City FC's new head coach, signing a three-year contract with the MLS franchise on Monday.  

The team confirmed the news on its official website. Club president Tom Glick expressed his delight at bringing the former France international into the club:

The open position of head coach at New York City FC has prompted significant interest and I have no doubt that in Patrick, we have one of the most impressive young coaches I have encountered. Patrick’s ability, vision and the respect in which he is held by everyone who works with him, speaks volumes for his character and capacity to succeed. I am excited to work with him and I know the energy he will bring to the role will have a hugely positive impact across the Club.

As reported by Mark Booth for City's official website, Vieira is excited to get started:

I am delighted to take up the role of Head Coach of New York City FC. To work with this squad, with Claudio Reyna and Rob Vartughian and the fantastic support team that is in place is an exciting prospect for any coach. 

I would also like to thank everyone at Manchester City and most of all Brian Marwood, my coaching and support team and of course the wonderful young men who make up the Elite Development Squad, for all of their support and commitment and for making my time here so stimulating and enjoyable. 

Vieira finished his playing career with City, which falls under the same ownership structure as NYCFC. Upon retiring, he turned to coaching, finding plenty of early success with the Citizens' youth squads.

The 39-year-old moved to the reserve squad in 2013 and continued to make a name for himself, leading to plenty of speculation regarding where he might end up next. The Manchester Evening News' James Robson thought Fulham may have been an option after the team parted ways with Kit Symons on Sunday.

Ultimately, the move to New York City FC makes sense. It gives Vieira the chance to stay within the same structure he has worked in for the last few years, and he'll continue to communicate with the same people who have guided him to success ever since he turned to coaching.

Mark Ogden of the Daily Telegraph still thinks it's a risky move, however:

NYCFC is a wildly ambitious project and one that's expected to yield results before too long. Former head coach Jason Kreis was relieved of his duties at the end of the club's first-ever MLS season for failing to make the play-offs, a feat that would have been almost unheard of for an expansion team.

With the likes of Andrea Pirlo and David Villa plying their trade in New York, Vieira won't be that much older than his star players, something he's not used to after years of working with City's youth teams. He has limited experience at the senior level, so the move is risky from NYCFC's perspective.

Likewise, this could make or break Vieira's coaching career, and some may think he's taking the step up to a major club a little too soon. But the Gunners' legend is yet to show any signs of not being up to the task, so fans of NYCFC should be excited about the future after his appointment.

Vieira will start as the club's new head coach on January 1 2016. 

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The playoff field in Major League Soccer was cut in half on Sunday as four teams secured positions in the conference finals with different types of victories. 

The New York Red Bulls opened the quadruple header with a boring 1-0 win over rival D.C. United. Columbus added more excitement to the day as it took down Montreal 3-1 in extra time to advance to the Eastern Conference Final against the Supporters' Shield winners. 

In the Western Conference, FC Dallas beat Seattle in an instant classic, while Portland downed Vancouver with a pair of away goals at BC Place. 

Some of the best play of the postseason to date came from FC Dallas' win on penalties over Seattle. Due to their impressive performances in the win, four of the playoff heroes for Oscar Pareja's side feature in our MLS Team of the Week. Each of the other three victors also placed multiple players into the best 11 from the conference semifinal second legs. 

Continue reading on to see who was named to our latest MLS Team of the Week. 

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The MLS Playoffs' Final Four is set.

The New York Red Bulls are the first team to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals after a 1-0 win over D.C. United on Sunday, winning 2-0 on aggregate. The Red Bulls will take on the Columbus Crew in the Eastern Conference Finals starting on Nov. 22.

The Crew, down 2-1 on aggregate heading into the second leg against the Montreal Impact, forced extra time with Ethan Finlay's goal in the 78th minute. Kei Kamara scored his second goal on the night in the 111th minute to give Columbus a 4-3 lead to set up a matchup with the East's top two seeds going at it for a spot in the MLS Cup.

Teams: New York Red Bulls vs. Columbus Crew

When: first leg on Nov. 22; second leg on Nov. 29

Where: first leg at Mapfre Stadium; second leg at Red Bull Arena

Time: first leg at 5 p.m. ET; second leg at 5 p.m. ET

TV: ESPN, Watch ESPN, ESPN Deportes, MLS Live

Teams: FC Dallas vs. Portland Timbers

When: first leg on Nov. 22; second leg on Nov. 29

Where: first leg at Providence Park; second leg at Toyota Stadium

Time: first leg at 7:30 p.m. ET; second leg at 7:30 p.m. ET

TV: Fox Sports 1, TSN, MLS Live

After a shocking finish in regulation and a dramatic ending in penalty kicks, FC Dallas is moving on to the Western Conference Finals after winning 4-2 in penalty kicks over the Seattle Sounders. The match was scoreless for 84 minutes until Tesho Akindele scored the first goal of the match to give Dallas a 1-0 lead, and the road goals difference would've put them in the West Finals in regulation.

But that didn't happen. Chad Marshall headed in a goal off a corner kick in the 90th minute to give Seattle a 3-2 aggregate lead. Just when it seemed like the Sounders were moving on, Walker Zimmerman scored one minute later to send the game into extra time.

After no action in the next 30 minutes, FC Dallas converted on all of its penalty attempts, including the winner from Zimmerman to advance.

FC Dallas will be heading to Portland on Nov. 22 to take on the Portland Timbers for the first leg of the Western Conference Finals. The Timbers beat the Vancouver Whitecaps 2-0 in the second leg of the conference semifinals in Vancouver behind a 31st-minute goal from Fanendo Adi. Diego Chara finished off the match with a goal in the 94th minute.

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The first weekend of conference semifinal action across Major League Soccer determined very little and left us wanting more out of the four head-to-head clashes. 

Sunday's playoff quadruple-header should produce more excitement, along with the required clarity as four teams will move into the conference finals that begin after the November international break. 

The New York Red Bulls were the only road team to win the first leg, while Montreal and Seattle pulled off 2-1 wins over Columbus and FC Dallas respectively. Vancouver and Portland played to the only draw of the first-leg weekend, the Whitecaps and Timbers both failing to find the back of the net at Providence Park.

Now the focus shifts to the business end of the conference semifinals, which begin with one of the league's best rivalries at Red Bull Arena. 

The first match between the Red Bulls and D.C. United wasn't much of a contest. Jesse Marsch's men left with a one-goal advantage thanks to Dax McCarty's game-winning header in the second half. To make matters worse for the Black and Red, they failed to record a shot on target in the home defeat.

The good news for Ben Olsen's side is there is still plenty of time to make up for a match that many D.C. fans hope to forget sooner rather than later. D.C. must attack the vulnerable Red Bulls back four from the start of the match. In order to capitalize on the lack of depth in the home team's defense, Fabian Espindola and Alvaro Saborio must interchange well in the final third. Nick DeLeon must also try to exploit his mismatch against midfielder-turned-right back Sal Zizzo.

How the Red Bulls defense copes with the pressure and realignment after Damien Perrinelle's season-ending injury will be the deciding factor in Sunday's first match. Ronald Zubar, who some think should be suspended for the second leg because of an atrocious challenge in the first meeting, will partner the reliable Matt Miazga at center back. Kemar Lawrence should perform well at left back like he has all season, but Zizzo at right back is the weak link United must target. 

As for the Red Bulls attack, we expect the central-midfield trio of McCarty, Sacha Kljestan and Felipe to show up. The big question surrounding the Red Bulls moving forward is how much production they will get out of Bradley Wright-Phillips, who only had one shot on goal in the first leg.

Production from a top scorer who was mostly silent in the first leg is a major storyline for Columbus in Sunday's second match against Montreal. Columbus' leading scorer Kei Kamara was taken out of the first leg by the Impact center back duo of Laurent Ciman and Victor Cabrera. Donny Toia also limited the influence of Ethan Finlay on the right wing. Luckily for the Crew, Federico Higuain looked dangerous at Stade Saputo and finished a key away goal in the first half before Montreal struck twice. 

If the Crew can't get their attacking operation moving, they have to rely on their full backs to open up the wings moving forward and limit the opportunities the Impact receive on the counter. Harrison Afful and Waylon Francis may not be able to provide the scoring threat Finlay does, but they are capable of sending in quality deliveries into the box for Kamara to attempt to link up with.

Everyone will focus their attention on Didier Drogba in the Impact attack, and rightfully so, but Ignacio Piatti is the player who truly dictates how the club looks in the final third. If Piatti can stir up some chances early in the match, Montreal may be able to set the pace of the game at Mapfre Stadium. However, if Montreal concedes first, the match could end up wide open with the Impact needing to chase for an away goal.

FC Dallas will look to benefit from their away goal in the first leg on Sunday at home against Seattle in the third second-leg matchup of the weekend. Despite having the critical away goal in their pockets, Dallas must get going early and strike for a quick tally. That process seems simple with Fabian Castillo and Mauro Diaz driving the attack, but if one of the pair is shut down, the forwards, who haven't had a ton of success recently, must find spaces to create.

Just like Montreal, Seattle has big names at the top of its formation, but a pair of unlikely heroes may be the most valuable players for the Sounders in the second leg. Andreas Ivanschitz and Andy Rose have both made key contributions in the Sounders' two postseason wins thus far. Ivanschitz scored and impressed on the wing in the first leg of the conference semifinal, while Rose shut down Steven Gerrard and Juninho in the knockout-round win over the LA Galaxy.

If Sigi Schmid gets a true team performance out of his squad, Seattle will move a step closer to the winning its elusive first MLS Cup.

The fourth game on Sunday night might end up being the one that goes to extra time and even penalties. Vancouver and Portland enter BC Place scoreless, and given the way the first leg went, we could be in for a long night. Portland dominated the possession battle and the majority of the chances in the first leg, but it could not get a shot past the superb David Ousted. Vancouver had a few chances, but it wasted most of them, including Octavio Rivero's shot over the net in the first half. 

The X-factor in the Cascadia Cup clash will be the health of Pedro Morales. The dynamic Chilean, who is still working his way back to full strength, brings an extra gear to the Vancouver attack and takes the pressure off Kekuta Manneh and Rivero. Even if Morales comes off the bench in the second half, he may be able to give the Whitecaps the boost required to reach the Western Conference final. 

Since everyone loves making predictions, we'll take the Red Bulls and Impact in regulation in the East. The Sounders are our pick in the game between them and FC Dallas, while Vancouver should have enough to squeak past Portland, even if it takes extra time and one goal to do so.

Conference Semifinal 2nd-Leg Schedule (All Games on Sunday) 

D.C. United at New York Red Bulls (3 p.m. ET, ESPN)

Montreal Impact at Columbus Crew (5 p.m. ET, ESPN)

Seattle Sounders at FC Dallas (7:30 p.m. ET, Fox Sports 1)

Portland Timbers at Vancouver Whitecaps (10 p.m. ET, Fox Sports 1)

Players to Watch

Chris Rolfe, AM/FW, D.C. United

When D.C. United have needed a critical goal in the past two seasons, Chris Rolfe has usually been involved. The veteran attacker didn't create much in the first leg against the Red Bulls from the right wing because of the play of the Red Bulls' Lawrence and the inefficiency of the entire D.C. attack. 

Rolfe could line up at forward, but with United in need of an away goal early in the match, expect him to start on the wing again with Espindola and Saborio up top. 

If Rolfe can either create space between himself and Lawrence on the wing or cut inside and crowd the center of the pitch while working with the two forwards, D.C. should test Luis Robles early and often. 

Ethan Finlay, RM, Columbus Crew

When you record over 10 goals and assists in the regular season, you are expected to have the same production in the playoffs. That was far from the case for Finlay in the first leg against Montreal. 

In order for Columbus to dictate the match at Mapfre Stadium—and keep the ball off the feet of Piatti and Drogba—Finlay must become more involved. 

If he reverses his first-leg performance on Sunday, the Crew should have plenty of fun in the final third, with Finlay firing on all cylinders and opening up space for the other wingers and overlapping full backs. 

David Texeira, FW, FC Dallas

We all know what Castillo and Diaz are capable of in the FC Dallas attack, but in order to truly challenge Seattle for every minute of the showdown at Toyota Stadium, David Texeira has to be more visible in the final third. 

Texeira scored on three occasions in the final month of the regular season, but he was unable to carry that form into the first leg at CenturyLink Field, as he put just one shot on goal. 

If Texeira can break free from the Seattle center backs, he should be able to link up well with the young attacking duo. If that occurs, FC Dallas could earn revenge against the Sounders after falling to Seattle at this stage in 2014.

Matias Laba, CDM, Vancouver Whitecaps

An argument can be made that Matias Laba is the best pure defensive midfielder in MLS. Unfortunately, few people across the league have been able to witness his skills because of the lack of attention Vancouver received during the regular season.

The 23-year-old rarely makes a bad play and stops most of the attacks that come his way. Since the Whitecaps must keep Portland off the scoreboard, they will rely on Laba to disrupt Diego Valeri and Darlington Nagbe in the middle of the field. 

If the former Toronto FC man can keep the two dangerous Portland players out of a rhythm, the Whitecaps should hold the upper hand for the most of the match at BC Place. 

Joe Tansey covers MLS for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter, @JTansey90. 

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David Beckham and the ownership group behind Miami's Major League Soccer expansion franchise are running into another snag with regard to the team's new stadium.

In an interview with David Smiley of the Miami Herald, Tim Leiweke, the man charged with spearheading the stadium bid, said that current landowners who occupy the space the club is looking to buy could prevent the construction a new venue.

"They know what we're doing and unfortunately they've let that create an absolutely unrealistic conversation," Leiweke said. "They can absolutely blow this deal up, and they probably will blow this deal up. We're willing to overpay. We just don't want to be the stupidest guys on the face of the earth."

With the substantial amount of public funding committed to the Miami Marlins' stadium, the city has been loath to repeat the situation with Miami's MLS team.   

As a result, Beckham and his partners have endured a difficult time getting plans in place for stadium construction. They originally desired a waterfront location but ultimately settled on a spot next to Marlins Park.

Many have criticized the commitment of Beckham and the investors behind the franchise. Leiweke admitted in the interview that "this has not been the smartest negotiation I've been a part of."

Sports Illustrated's Grant Wahl assumed Leiweke's comments are more about public posturing rather than signaling a real sense of panic:

The franchise is working against somewhat of a ticking clock. Smiley noted MLS has a board of governors meeting at the beginning of December, by which time Miami Beckham United is expected to have the framework in place for a stadium.

MLS was willing to admit New York City FC into the league despite the fact the club is forced to play in Yankee Stadium until a new soccer-specific venue is built.

But that decision was met with strong public backlash and derision, and it continues to be a point of contention with many fans.

MLS may want to avoid a similar issue in Miami, thus putting the club's future in doubt without firm stadium plans.

Plus, the league already experimented with a team South Florida, the Miami Fusion. The Fusion folded in 2001 after hemorrhaging money. The club wasn't helped by having to play in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, which is roughly an hour north of Miami.

Sports fans in South Florida are notoriously fickle. The Marlins ranked 28th in attendance last year and have generally drawn few fans outside of their World Series-winning seasons. The Florida Panthers, who play in Sunrise, Florida, also struggled to draw much interest in the area.

That's why it's imperative Miami Beckham United hit the ground running, and without a soccer-specific stadium near downtown Miami, that may be impossible.

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The MLS playoffs are underway and there's already been some incredible matches.

The Portland Timbers' win after an 11-round penalty shootout against Sporting Kansas City is the first moment that stands out. Juan Agudelo's bicycle kick will also live with MLS fans for many years.

Now that the playoff field has been trimmed down, it's time to rank all 12 teams that made the postseason. Every side will be graded on the following criteria:

Here are the latest MLS power rankings.

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