SB Nation Power Rankings, Tier 2: Enjoy The Playoffs

There are really two tiers within this one tier, as FC Dallas, the Seattle Sounders and the Colorado Rapids all just barely missed out on Tier 1, while Sporting Kansas City and the San Jose Earthquakes fit this tier are little more clearly. It is interesting to note that our voters only considered two teams, SKC and the New York Red Bulls, to be likely playoff teams.

FC Dallas: Watching the youngsters develop

Coming off their most successful season in club history, the Toros underwent a surprisingly significant amount of change since their MLS Cup appearance. Gone are major contributors like Dax McCarty, Heath Pearce, Atiba Harris and Jeff Cunningham. Mostly in their place are younger players like Ruben Luna, Eric Avila, Eric Alexander and Fabian Castillo. All but Castillo have been with the team for at least a year, and are expected to play larger roles than they have in the past. There are seven teenagers already listed on the team's roster - six of whom were signed as Home Grown Players - and just eight players older than 25. FC Dallas may not be the youngest team in the league, but they will likely be the youngest to be competing for the MLS Cup. If Schellas Hyndman can guide this team to some silverware this year, this could be the start of the next MLS dynasty.

Seattle Sounders: Taking the next step

Two U.S. Open Cup titles and two playoff appearances in two years is obviously nothing to be embarrassed about. But Sounders officials have not minced words as they've made it clear that simply repeating those feats will not be satisfactory. At the very least, the Sounders expect to compete for the Supporters' Shield, advance deep into the MLS Cup playoffs, as well as continuing to perform well in the Open Cup and CCL. They are bold goals, to be sure, but this is a team that has spent as heavily as anyone outside of New York and Los Angeles and has done everything in its power to eliminate the standard excuses.

In order to do that, they'll need to stay healthier than they were last year, as well as have a more varied attack. Last year, Fredy Montero and Steve Zakuani combined for more than half of the team's goals. With Designated Players Alvaro Fernandez and Blaise Nkufo benefitting from full training camps, they'll need more production out of both of them. The Sounders should also benefit from a fully fit Jhon Kennedy Hurtado, who has made great strides in returning from last year's knee injury. The ingredients for a special season are there.

Colorado Rapids: Potentially the final season of the hit action series C+C Goal Scoring Factory

While the nickname doesn't appear to be sticking, the fact of the matter is that Conor Casey and Omar Cummings are in the midst of a very impressive run of tandem success. In the last three seasons, the two Rapids forwards have combined for 70 goals and 30 assists, easily the best combined total of any two current teammates. The only MLS teammates to have posted better numbers are Landon Donovan and Edson Buddle (a combined 81 goals and 37 assists since the 2008 season), but they are no longer playing in the same league. Donovan and Juan Pablo Angel are currently teammates and also have more combined goals and assists (82 and 41 since '08), but did not accomplish those numbers while playing on the same team. If Casey and Cummings can continue to produce this way, they will likely become the most prolific teammates over a four-year period in league history.

Part of the reason for that is teammates as good as Casey and Cummings simply are rarely able to remain together for such a long period. This will actually be their fifth season together, and it's hard to see them getting to a sixth. Neither are Designated Players, although Casey's salary is close, and Cummings, in particular, has started to draw interest from overseas. Enjoy it while it lasts as MLS is likely to see such a pairing anytime in the near future.

Sporting Kansas City: Road to Ruin or Riches?

This should really be a banner year for the team affectionately referred to as the Sporks. They are opening a new stadium, Livestrong (sorry, I'm not capitalizing all 10 letters) Sporting Park, will have the services of Designated Player Omar Bravo, could have the next great American star in Teal Bunbury and generally play an attractive brand of soccer. But all of that would be somewhat wasted if this team fails to make the playoffs, something that is given an extra grade of difficulty because of the 10-game roadtrip they'll embark upon at the start of the season.

Failing to make the playoffs will not ruin this season, but it will certainly keep it from being the yearlong celebration that it has the potential of becoming. Soccer in Kansas City has never been a slam dunk, and this seems like a time when it could really turn the corner. With 10 teams making the playoffs, and at least three of them from each conference, SKC does not have to play great to start the season. But anything less than 10-12 points will make for a mighty hill to climb.

San Jose Earthquakes: Who emerges as the secondary scorer?

As was repeatedly chronicled, Chris Wondolowski carried a nearly unbelievable amount of the scoring load for the Earthquakes last year. He scored a MLS record 53 percent of his team's goals, while leading San Jose to the playoffs for the first time since their return to the league in 2008. Expecting a repeat performance is beyond unrealistic.

For San Jose to build on last year's success, they'll need a considerably more diverse attack. Wondolowski was one of just three players on his team to score more than once and no other player scored more than three times. The most obvious candidate to carry the scoring load is newly acquired Steven Lenhart (six goals in 2010), but Ryan Johnson is only a year removed from an 11-goal campaign in 2009. Whether it's those two or some other group of players, there's simply no conceivable the Quakes can build on their success if the Wondo-to-nothing game is once again a staple of their success.