[For Soccer America Senior Editor Ridge Mahoney’s playoff analysis and team positional rankings, check out the Sept. 25 issue of Soccer America Magazine.] Kansas City (No. 1) vs. 8. Colorado (No. 8). Kansas City romped over the Rapids in the regular season, winning three games and tying the fourth. Colorado scored just two goals in the four games. The Wizards lost at home to Los Angeles and Miami after the All-Star break. The Rapids’ leaky defense conceded 59 goals this year. Pick: Kansas City in three. Tampa Bay (No. 4) vs. Los Angeles (No. 5). The teams split during the regular season, but Luis Hernandez missed the match in Tampa that the Mutiny won, 2-0. Much of the Galaxy’s hopes depend on Hernandez and Cobi Jones. It will miss Olympians Sasha Victorine up front and Dan Califf in the back. Might the Galaxy players try to provoke Big Mama? Pick: Mutiny in three. Chicago (No. 2) vs. New England (No. 7). Both teams are well-coached, but the talent gap is wide. In the season series, the Revs won one game and tied the other against a Fire team lacking Hristo Stoitchkov. Those games were played in the spring, before Peter Nowak got revved up. Pick: Chicago in two. MetroStars (No. 3) vs. Dallas (No. 6). Jason Kreis didn’t a score a goal in the 1999 playoffs, and comes into the 2000 playoffs on a seven-game goalless streak. If he and Ariel Graziani re-ignite, the Burn can exploit the Metros’ woes in defense and in goal. Pick: Metros in three.