Following midweek results for the Columbus Crew and the San Jose Earthquakes, both teams have now been eliminated from MLS playoff contention.
Another set of clubs have now been eliminated from MLS playoff contention this season with Columbus Crew and the San Jose Earthquakes midweek results in their respective matches. Each team had a small chance of making the postseason but their hopes have now come to an end. They will be looking ahead and wanting to do better next year.
Only a year after taking part in the MLS Cup Final and being league runner-ups, the Crew will now have to deal with the disappointment of missing the postseason. They were the second best team in the Eastern Conference last season but are only in eighth place this year. It was a surprisingly down season for Columbus.
After making the playoffs for the past two years, the Crew will not qualify for the third time in five seasons. (Wikipedia) Defensive woes coupled with early season struggles and the trading of Kei Kamara led to the eventual downfall of Columbus. Their 2-2 draw against the Chicago Fire on Thursday, October 13th was the result that eliminated them from the postseason.
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On the other hand, the San Jose Earthquakes miss the playoffs for the fourth straight season. Their recent run of unsuccessful years extends much farther as they have missed the postseason in seven of the last nine years. The last time they made the playoffs was back in 2012. (Wikipedia)
San Jose’s 2-1 loss to the Colorado Rapids on Thursday, October 13th was the game that led to their elimination from postseason contention. They had a small chance of making the playoff before the match but after the result, their fate had been decided. After finishing in seventh place in the Western Conference last year, they are currently in eighth place this season.
These two clubs join the Chicago Fire, Orlando City SC, the Vancouver Whitecaps, and the Houston Dynamo as team who have been eliminated from playoff contention so far this year. The New York Red Bulls, New York City FC, Toronto FC, the Colorado Rapids, FC Dallas, and the Los Angeles Galaxy have all clinched their spots in the postseason. A number of other teams are still fighting for spots but it will all be resolved over the final two weeks of play in Major League Soccer.
Now that the season is essentially over for the Columbus Crew and the San Jose Earthquakes, they can try to build for next year. Both clubs can now experiment with their line-ups and maybe give some young players a chance in their final matches. They will be looking for a bounce back year in 2017.