All attention will be on the U.S. Men’s National Team and the rest of World Cup qualifying this weekend during the international “break,” but MLS plays on.
Three matches are on the docket in the U.S. on Saturday, all three of which have big playoff implications for the clubs involved.
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Here’s a look at this weekend’s MLS fixtures and what kind of impact they have on this season’s MLS Cup playoffs.
New York Red Bulls vs. Vancouver Whitecaps -- 5 p.m. ET
The New York Red Bulls have a game in hand over the four Eastern Conference teams chasing down the sixth seed, and a victory over the Vancouver Whitecaps would ensure Jesse Marsch and Co. are going back to the postseason.
The Whitecaps -- on the other hand -- have already booked their place in the MLS Cup playoffs, but can move a step closer to locking down the top seed out West with a win at Red Bull Arena.
Minnesota United vs. Sporting KC -- 8 p.m. ET
The Loons haven’t been eliminated from postseason contention yet, and coming off of the team’s massive road win against Atlanta on Tuesday night Adrian Heath’s men should be hungry for another big performance.
For Sporting KC, they have the most games left of any team in MLS over these final few weeks (4), which means that Peter Vermes’ group can either really help or hurt themselves heading into the postseason. That stretch of matches includes three road trips if you’re counting Saturday’s visit to Minneapolis.
Colorado Rapids vs. FC Dallas -- 9 p.m. ET
FC Dallas has reportedly dodged a huge bullet by not being docked points by MLS for fielding an ineligible player, and a win on Saturday could lift the Texas side from eighth to fifth.
The Rapids are simply looking to play spoiler at this point after a poor effort throughout the regular season, and while a loss for Dallas wouldn’t bury them in the playoff race, it would certainly apply more pressure than the club has felt in some time.