THE MLS PLAYOFFS ARE UPON US, and there are some very interesting knockout games on the docket. It’s hard to believe, for instance, that either Seattle Sounders or the Los Angeles Galaxy will not survive the week. And it’s a shame that either Didier Drogba or Sebastian Giovinco will sit out the vast majority of the postseason.

Here are my predictions for the first batch of games.

Seattle Sounders vs. Los Angeles Galaxy

The Sounders host the Galaxy on Wednesday night (10pm ET, UniMas) in a first-round matchup of star-filled squads.

SEATTLE OUTLOOK: At the risk of stating the obvious, Seattle is going to need serious production from its strike duo of Clint Dempsey and Obafemi Martins. Seattle’s lack of depth revealed itself the summer when both Martins and Dempsey were out and the team sputtered.

The good news is that the Sounders don’t need to be deep to go deep in the playoffs. And the fact that Dempsey is firing in all cylinders is key. Following the Sounders’ 3-1 win over Real Salt Lake, he made a comment that likely caused alarm among Galaxy supporters.

“I feel real good,” Dempsey said. “This week, I was able to train all week. I felt sharp and in the game felt good. It took me a while coming back from that hamstring injury I was dealing with… Now, I feel like I’m getting my legs back and able to make those runs behind the back line.”

LOS ANGELES OUTLOOK: This team just needs to wake up. The Galaxy has more talent than anyone in the league but has played poorly heading into the playoffs, particularly in a recent 5-2 loss to Portland that exposed the team’s uneven backline. L.A. needs Omar Gonzalez to raise his game and it’ll need Giovani Dos Santos, Robbie Keane, and Gyasi Zardes to outgun Dempsey and Martins up front.

One benefit for the Galaxy is experience. Many of the players have been here before, after all, and it has the best coach in league history at the helm. To walk out of Seattle victorious, though, will take a true team effort. Prediction: Seattle 2, Los Angeles 1

Portland Timbers vs. Sporting KC

In a game that features two teams coming off crucial wins to end the regular season, Portland will host Kansas City on Thursday night (10pm ET, UniMas). The two teams are very different in their styles, making it a tough game to predict.

PORTLAND OUTLOOK: The Timbers are playing very well at the moment, having outscored opponents 10-3 in winning three straight contests. Portland, in fact, has not lost since an October 3 clash with, yep, Kansas City. SKC triumphed in that match 1-0 thanks to an unreal goal from Krisztian Nemeth.

Timbers boss Caleb Porter has opened things up for Portland and, in particular, Darlington Nagbe, who is suddenly playing his best soccer of the season. On Sunday he scored twice in an impressive 4-1 rout over the lowly Colorado Rapids. When the Timbers are on, they are athletic and explosive; when they are off, they are a disjointed mess. Fortunately for Portland, it appears to be much more of the former than the latter at the moment.

KANSAS CITY OUTLOOK: Led by Graham Zusi, Matt Besler, and Dom Dwyer, Sporting Kansas City possesses strong veteran leadership. Besler and his backline partner, Kevin Ellis, will need to be at the top of their games to combat Portland’s surging attack.

Most importantly, Benny Feilhaber is going to have the spotlight on him more than any other player in these playoffs. Many American soccer fans feel that Feilhaber should be starting for the U.S. men’s national team, but Jurgen Klinsmann simply doesn’t rate the midfielder. Could a standout performance in the playoffs earn him a long-awaited call-up? Prediction: Portland 3, Kansas City 2

D.C. United vs. New England Revolution

D.C. United will host the New England Revolution on Wednesday (7:30pm ET, UniMas) in a matchup of two original MLS teams—and two teams that are struggling to find consistency.

D.C. OUTLOOK: At this point, who knows? The team was absolutely embarrassed on the final day of the season in a 5-0 beat-down at the hands of the Columbus Crew. Yes, D.C. United had a pair of nice wins in the two previous games against Chicago and New York City FC, but neither of those sides had anything to play for. Prior to those two wins, United has managed just one point from its previous six matches.

If United hopes to beat the Revolution, it will need a huge game from goalkeeper Bill Hamid and the central-defensive spine of Bobby Boswell, Steve Birnbaum, and Perry Kitchen will need to work miracles to  contain New England’s explosive attack.

NEW ENGLAND OUTLOOK: Taking on a battered and shell-shocked opponent, the Revolution will likely attack early and often. Jay Heaps’ club has so many weapons—from Charlie Davies and Lee Nguyen to Juan Agudelo, Kelyn Rowe, and Diego Fagundez—that D.C. won’t be able to isolate and neutralize any one individual.

Nguyen, though, could be the difference-maker. He’ one of the best attacking midfielders in the league, and his precision passes will likely slice holes in D.C. United’s backline. Prediction: New England 3, D.C. United 0

Montreal Impact vs. Toronto FC

Two of the league’s best forwards will face off when Montreal hosts Toronto on Thursday night (7pm ET, UniMas).

After years of futility and disappointment, Toronto FC finally made it to the MLS. Despite high-profile (and high-cost) players like Michael Bradley, Jozy Altidore, and MVP-to-be Sebastian Giovinco, it only managed to secure a No. 6 seed. Meanwhile, Montreal has risen from the ashes after a league-worst record in 2014. Vetaran striker Didier Drogba joined the team in August and instantly transformed the squad into an MLS Cup contender.

MONTREAL OUTLOOK: This team has been through a lot this year, beginning with a shocking run to the CONCACAF Champions League final. After a slow start to the MLS season, the Impact gradually picked up steam—and then Drogba’s arrival took things to a new level. The Impact didn’t get a bye, obviously, but it’s still a team that no one wants to play.

Since his arrival in August, Drogba has 11 goals in 11 games (one goal every 79 minutes). Ignacio Piatti, meanwhile, is one of the league’s better playmakers, and he and Drogba should have a field day against a Toronto defense that conceded 58 goals in 2015.

TORONTO OUTLOOK: Toronto FC will surely need first-rate performances from its designated players, but more importantly, its defense must play its best game of the season. TFC may be the underdog, but it does have players capable of making offensive magic happen. It would hardly be surprising for Giovinco to do something remarkable, Bradley to control the midfield, or Alitdore to be dangerous up top.

The defense, however, is going to have to figure out a way to prevent Drogba from continuing his rampage through MLS defenders. TFC didn’t seem to have any answers on Sunday: The Ivory Coast icon scored twice against TFC in a 2-1 in a playoff preview. Prediction: Montreal 3, Toronto 1

That's how Brian sees things unfolding tonight and tomorrow—what do you think? Leave your take in the Comments section below.

 Brian Sciaretta is an American Soccer Now columnist and an ASN 100 panelist. Follow him on Twitter.