I love so much of what the Portland Timbers have done this year.

By adding Jonathan Rodríguez in the winter transfer window, Portland created a three-pronged attack that packs a punch with Evander and Felipe Mora. They improved their defensive work so much over the final two-thirds of the year, too.The Timbers went from allowing the fifth-most xG per game in MLS in their first 12 games to allowing the seventh-lowest xG total per game in their last 22 matches.

Of the four wildcards team in the MLS Cup playoffs, the Timbers are the most likely to advance and pull off an upset in Round One.

Still, I just can't get over the giant hit Portland's trophy chances took when the team fell out of the guaranteed seven in the West and landed in the wildcard spots. Having to win 20% more soccer games than all of the other serious contenders? Sorry, Timbers. That spells trouble.