The inside track on MLS playoff MVP

To find your Major League Soccer playoff MVP, a good place to start is the upsets.

San Jose manufactured the real stunner so far, overturning the odds by going into New Jersey to ambush the DP-heavy Red Bulls. Bobby Convey’s breakout night was certainly instrumental as Frank Yallop’s Earthquakes found a way. But Jon Busch’s performance over two legs had a bigger influence. He was all that and more in the first leg. Without some of his great work in the San Jose goal, New York would have taken a bigger margin back to Red Bull Arena, probably erecting a bridge too far for the Earthquakes. In the return leg Busch made more big saves and cut down enough opportunities to make a difference once again.

Dallas manufactured the other playoff upset so far – as we wait for Seattle’s chance to spurn the odds tonight in its opening round return leg against David Beckham, Landon Donovan and the Los Angeles Galaxy.

Dallas’ David Ferreira provided something meaningful to all three FC Dallas goals in the series. He whipped the pass into Jeff Cunningham for the home team’s opener in last week’s 2-1 win. Later, he was brilliant in holding off four challengers to slip the ball over to Eric Avila for the dramatic game-winner.

Last night Ferreira’s ball into Brek Shea turned into Dax McCarty’s goal. Around that service, Ferreira pulled his weight defensively with committed challenges and lots of scurrying about. (Although he was the one who kept Robbie Findley onside on RSL’s goal.)

So, for me, it’s either Busch or Ferreira so far, with 90 minutes of first-round playoff soccer (and perhaps even more) still to play tonight at the Home Depot Center.

By the way, about tonight’s Galaxy-Sounders match: Sigi Schmid’s men won’t have a chance unless they can match the Galaxy’s intensity and desire. It was men against boys last week in that department, with L.A. claiming the early series edge. On the other hand, home teams are 2-3-2 so far in the playoffs. So tonight’s match is certainly worth watching.