The MLS playoffs kicked off on Thursday with Chicago’s 2-0 win over Dallas. The other three quarterfinal series kick off this weekend. Senior Editor Ridge Mahoney previews the matchups. LOS ANGELES-METROSTARS How the MetroStars will play in the playoffs with recent additions Gilmar and Ross Paule adds mystery to this matchup. The Galaxy is healthier and has a more potent attack (52 goals to 38) so the infusion of Gilmar and Paule into the Metros’ offense is critical. Midfielder Tab Ramos was diagnosed with a stress fracture in his left leg Thursday and will miss the playoffs. The teams are nearly dead even in goals allowed and were all-square in their head-to-head meetings. The teams split their regular-season games with each team winning 2-0. The Metros won on an goal and an assist by Clint Mathis, who a few weeks later would suffer the knee injury that knocked him out for the season. Since his injury the Metros have played .500 soccer. The Galaxy didn’t score in its win until Luis Hernandez, who had come on as a sub, scored in the 87th and 88th minutes. Hernandez reported back to the Galaxy Thursday for training after missing practice on Tuesday without informing the club. Galaxy coach Sigi Schmid said his absence won’t affect his status for the playoffs although Hernandez has been fined and trained for only about 10 minutes Thursday because of a hip flexor injury. If the series goes to three games the players will bear a rough travel schedule with two cross-country trips and the matches within a six-day period. The Metros’ attack is built on the counterattack strikes of wide midfielders Petter Villegas and Mark Chung. Los Angeles relies on the speed of Hernandez and Cobi Jones and the midfield work of Mauricio Cienfuegos, Simon Elliott and Peter Vagenas. Prediction: The Galaxy gets by in three rugged games. MIAMI-KANSAS CITY Preki and Chris Henderson get a chance for revenge on their former team after playing vital roles in the Wizards’ championship run last year. That KC team conceded only 29 goals in 32 games. The 2001 edition gave up 53 goals in 27 games (second worst in the league) and Coach Bob Gansler has often used a four-man back line to plug the leaks. Much of the Wizards’ malaise can be traced to midfield. Kerry Zavagnin and Matt McKeon haven’t been as dominant defensively and Preki and Henderson added a lot of punch to the attack. Roy Lassiter led KC with seven goals this season but he’s not the gamewinner Miklos Molnar was last year (12 goals regular season, five more in the playoffs including the only goal of MLS Cup 2000). The Wizards did beat the Fusion, 2-1, early in the season. Miami romped, 5-1, in the rematch on the way to scoring a league-high 57 goals. Defender Peter Vermes and keeper Tony Meola will need a lot of help to contain a Fusion attack that produced three of the league’s top six scorers (Alex Pineda Chacon, Diego Serna, and Preki). Prediction: The Wizards scrape out a tie but go down in three games. COLUMBUS-SAN JOSE Both teams finished with 45 points and the Crew got the homefield advantage by winning the season series via a 2-1 victory at home and 2-2 tie in San Jose. Both teams are teeming with speed but also have guile and experience in midfield. How San Jose central midfielders Richard Mulrooney and Ronnie Ekelund cope with Crew catalysts John Wilmar Perez and Robert Warzycha as well as John Harkes and Brian Maisonneuve may dictate the outcome. There are gamebreakers on both sides of the ball. Landon Donovan had a superb rookie season and Ronald Cerritos shook off a subpar 2000 season to score 11 goals. The Crew’s Jeff Cunningham is the kind of slashing attacker that requires the opponent to get numbers around the ball. San Jose needs the leadership of defender Jeff Agoos to keep things tight at the back. The Quakes have the league’s best defense (29 goals allowed in 26 games) but lost twice at home — to Chicago and Dallas — by 1-0 scores after conceding early goals. “We’re better if we’re ahead by a goal or level,” says Coach Frank Yallop. “If we have to come from behind, we struggle sometimes.” Since Greg Andrulis took over as head coach, the Crew is 12-4-4 and has been shut out only once. Columbus has the homefield advantage, the Quakes have the better defense. Prediction: Columbus, barely.