MLS Playoffs 2014: Galaxy look to join Revolution in final

But they aren’t great. They aren’t unbeatable. They aren’t perfect.

In MLS, no team is. The salary cap restraints make it impossible for an MLS team to be flawless. They’ll have to make the best out of a bad fullback situation, don’t have a reliable striker, are short on athleticism or lack dependable depth. There is always something, even for the best of teams.

The Sounders are, of course, attempting to become the first MLS team to win the treble. They’ve already claimed the U.S. Open Cup and Supporters’ Shield -- just the second team in league history to accomplish that particular double -- but those will feel a bit empty if they don’t have the MLS Cup to go along with them.

1. Can the Sounders defense continue to hold? The Sounders have proven they can play solid defense when they need to. Over the last five games against two of the best offenses in the league, they’ve allowed just four goals, never more than two in a game and posted shutouts in both their home games. But nothing magically changed about them, either, this is still mostly the same personnel that allowed 50 goals during the regular season. Either way, they’ll need to hold firm again if they are going to advance.

At this point, it’s tough for the Revs to surprise people anymore. They have been so good for months that the expectation is for them to lay waste to their opponents. New England is 11-1-1 since signing Jermaine Jones, and their lone loss came in a match that Jones didn’t even start. The Revs are expected to win every match they go into, home or away.

Of course, it does help to be at home, as the Revs will be on Saturday. New England has been drawing big crowds late in the season, and they also have the added benefit of terrible turf that they are far more used to than any opponent can be. To give that edge to a team that is already flying might as well be cheating.