By Ridge Mahoney
Senior Editor, Soccer America

A left back scored eight goals, a right back notched five, a midfielder whoÆd scored just three goals in six seasons tripled that total in 2006. The coach who built D.C. United goes against his former team, two of his former assistants are in the playoffs as well.

Who says parity is boring? The MLS playoff structure, like many of the leagueÆs policies, can be criticized, but itÆs a sure bet the die is cast and no revamping is likely before postseason play gets underway Saturday.

In the first round, teams play two games, to be decided by total goals and then penalties, if necessary, with the higher-seeded team playing the first game on the road. Away goals carry no extra weight and there is no overtime.

WESTERN CONFERENCE
No. 4 Colorado vs. No. 1 Dallas (Saturday, 9 pm ET, Fox Soccer Channel)

Yes, Dallas has revenge motivation working in its favor, having been upset by Colorado in the first round last year. Yet elevation may work to the Rapids advantage in the first game, especially in the final 15-20 minutes, and so, too, could frigid conditions.

Snow fell in the Denver area during the week, and if thereÆs one player whoÆs not fond of crunching through the permafrost, itÆs a hothouse plant like Carlos Ruiz. Fortunately, Kenny Cooper and Ronnie OÆBrien can play on winter wonderlands, yet Dallas canÆt be confident of overturning any deficit it may incur on the road when it plays the return leg at Pizza Hut Park. Colorado keeper Joe CannonÆs season goals-allowed average escalated this season to a flabby 1.55, but in pressure situations, he can stonewall a barrage better than anyone.

FC Dallas has played a whole season without resolving its problems down the middle of the field. Defenders Drew Moor, Dave Wagenfuhr and Clarence Goodson have all enjoyed promising spells only to turn sour, and Greg Vanney isnÆt as reliable as his resume would suggest. With Terry Cooke throwing in crosses the central core will be tested.

Central midfielders Richard Mulrooney and Simo Valakari donÆt necessarily mesh, and OÆBrienÆs insistence on playing inside rather than out wide further muddies the team scheme. Cooper, a revelation in his first MLS season, has played some at left mid, although the strongest XI would probably feature Cooper and Ruiz up front with livewire Ramon Nunez bolting down that flank. If the attack is faltering, Nunez would be replaced with Abe Thompson with Cooper moving to midfield. But Nunez's runs could be Colorado's undoing.

For the Rapids, midfielder Kyle Beckerman, who had scored three goals in his previous six seasons (104 games), nailed seven this year to tie for the team lead with Nicolas Hernandez, so anything is possible. Hernandez is a classic poacher who can decide these pressure games with a half-chance, but so can Ruiz and Cooper.

The Rapids can be outplayed and still win, but not two years in a row. The pick, without great conviction, is Dallas.
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WESTERN CONFERENCE
No. 2 Houston vs. No. 3 Chivas USA (Sunday, 4 pm ET, ESPN2)

The Earthquakes rang the closing bell on their overachieving and underappreciated history last year by flubbing their playoff series with the Galaxy, and a few weeks later were told by AEG to find new homes in Houston or new employment.

Most of the players made the move and were retained for the entire season. For enduring these upheavals reasonably well and finishing second in the conference, Coach Dominic Kinnear deserves more than scant mention for Coach of the Year honors. The prize could go to Chivas USA boss Bob Bradley, but in the head-to-head matchup of their teams, the Dynamo has an edge.

Brian Ching is healthy, and Francisco Palencia is not, although Paco has been in training for more than a week and is expected to play in the series. Ante Razov finished the season with 14 goals but has been off-form the past month while battling injuries.

This might be the best first-round playoff aesthetically, as every midfield matchup is intriguing: Chivas slasher Juan Pablo Garcia and Dynamp orchestrator Dwayne DeRosario can disrupt defenses in wildly disparate ways; Sacha Kljestan and Jesse Marsch must also deal with HoustonÆs Ricardo Clark and Brad Davis; and adding Chivas' rookie of the year Jonathan Bornstein makes the mix truly enticing.

Pat Onstad gives Houston a slight edge in goal, as Bradley has used both Brad Guzan and Preston Burpo this season. Yet neither defense has been as reliable as the coaches would have liked. Defender Craig Waibel's five goals is a stat of note.

A Chivas USA triumph wouldnÆt be a major upset, but over two games, Houston should prevail.

EASTERN CONFERENCE
No. 1 D.C. United vs. No. 4 New York Red Bulls (Saturday, 2 pm ET, Direct Kick, HDNet)

D.C. United has been sputtering and the New York Red Bulls are under little pressure, so some elements of a shocker are present, especially since the Red Bulls host the first game on a Meadowland surface few teams can fathom.

But the class edge is considerable, unless Youri Djorkaeff and Amado Guevara are both in scintillating form and can carve through the D.C. midfield pairing of Ben Olsen and Brian Carroll. The return to fitness of Alecko Eskandarian should strain the Red Bull defense until it cracks, yet Christian Gomez had better come to play, because Jaime Moreno is going to be banged up.

The teams finished the regular season separated by 16 points and unless United has just nothing left, it wins.

EASTERN CONFERENCE
No. 2 New England vs. No. 3 Chicago (Sunday, 1 pm ET ABC)

These teams are surging into the playoffs on good runs. New England is 6-2-2 since the All-Star break, Chicago is 8-4-1.

Moving Justin Mapp inside gives the Fire a different look, and with the massive Nate Jaqua out wide rather than up top, the fluidity of ChicagoÆs attack will certainly test New EnglandÆs three-man back line, as forwards Andy Herron and Chris Rolfe can buzz into space, and Ivan Guerrero is also dangerous on the left.

If Mapp is active enough to draw tight marking, there will space galore for the other four attackers to attack the Rev defenders. To buttress his three-man back line Revs coach Steve Nicol could use a midfielder more as a left back to supplement Avery John, Michael Parkhurst and Jay Heaps.

The Revs' Pat Noonan is back in training after sports hernia surgery, Daniel Hernandez has been cleared to play, and Shalrie Joseph resumed full training this week. Jeff Larentowicz has played well in central midfield to shore up the middle behind Andy Dorman and Clint Dempsey; if those two attackers are clicking, there will be chances for Taylor Twellman to score and Steve Ralston to hit the final pass.

Chicago won the season series, 2-1-1 and seems to have stabilized itself defensively with the insertion of Tony Sanneh into central defense. The midfield battles will be fierce but the series will be decided by whichever team is sharper in the penalty areas and which goalkeeper plays better. The pick: New England.