The facts
Weeks remaining: 4
Playoff spots open: 10
Number of teams that have clinched: 0
Who can qualify this weekend:
The New York Red Bulls, Real Salt Lake and Seattle Sounders FC all can clinch playoff berths with wins. The Red Bulls (because they play earlier on Saturday) have the opportunity to become the first club to officially clinch a 2013 post-season berth. There is also a chance that the same trio could qualify Saturday even with a loss – but that gets complicated, depending on other results etc. So we’ll leave it here for now.
Who can be eliminated this weekend:
No teams are in position to join Chivas USA, Toronto FC and D.C. United on the list of “officially eliminated.” On the other hand, Dallas and Vancouver are in the most vulnerable spots, facing all-but-certain elimination in the West with a weekend loss, combined with wins by Colorado and Los Angeles.
The weekend’s most meaningful games:
Chicago at D.C. United: The Fire sits in eighth place, but could vault all the way into fifth (Past the “red line!”) with a win, depending on other Eastern Conference results. The opportunity is there against D.C. United, with absolutely nothing to play for and still coming down off the U.S. Open Cup high. (The match is previewed here.)
Montreal at Houston: The Supporters Shield has slipped from reach over the last three weeks for Montreal, so it’s now all about remaining in front of Houston and others for that third place. (Fourth- and fifth-place must navigate an additional playoff round.) Friday’s match brings a huge opportunity for the Dynamo, where in-form striker Will Bruin (pictured at right) has helped revive signs of life in the attack, to leapfrog the Impact into third place.
New England at New York: The Red Bulls can clinch a playoff spot, as noted above. Oh, Mike Petke’s team still has a shot at Supporters Shield, although Seattle has two games in hand (and therefore a huge leg up.)
Toronto at Philadelphia: This is a huge opportunity for John Hackworth’s Union; the team that cannot collect all three points at this time, at home, against already eliminated TFC probably does not deserve a post-season berth. So, there’s a ton on the line at PPL Park.
Sporting Kansas City at Columbus: The Crew has won three in a row, including two on the road, in this improbable late-season reach. Heroic as the September surge has been under interim manager Brian Bliss, post-season chances will take a massive blow if the men in yellow cannot get all three points at Crew Stadium on Saturday.
FC Dallas at Real Salt Lake: The Red Stripes’ last strands of playoff ambition depend on taking advantage of an RSL team potentially tired and / or dispirited from Tuesday’s huge U.S. Open Cup bummer. It’s a tall order, winning at Rio Tinto. Then again, D.C. United just did it.
Seattle at Colorado: The Rapids’ young bunch of over achievers probably needs six points from its remaining four matches to get in – unless they lose next week at San Jose. Then they might need nine points, which makes Saturday’s contest at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park particularly important.
Chivas USA at L.A. Galaxy: The two-time defending champs were thinking possible Supporters Shield two or three weeks ago. Now, they are one loss from potentially slipping out of the playoff picture. With several stars potentially missing next week’s match (due to World Cup qualifiers), Bruce Arena’s team needs three points in this L.A. derby.
Portland at Vancouver: One more win probably gets the Timbers in, while Vancouver probably needs to win three of four just for a chance.
The standings going into Week 32
