Photo by Anne-Marie Sorvin/USA TODAY Sports
By RYAN TOLMICH
With just six weeks remaining in the MLS regular season, crunch time is rapidly approaching for some of the league’s contenders.
In the Western Conference, FC Dallas and Sporting KC battle for postseason positioning, with the former still very much alive in the Supporters’ Shield race. The Vancouver Whitecaps remain in the hunt for the regular season crown as well, but now face a Seattle Sounders team in the thick of a playoff chase.
The East is just as tight, although the New York Red Bulls, D.C. United, Columbus Crew and New England Revolution can each clinch playoff berths with various scenarios.
Here’s a closer look at all of this weekend’s MLS action:
SPORTING KC vs. FC DALLAS (Friday, 7 p.m., UniMas)
With both teams jostling for Western Conference playoff position, Friday’s match between Sporting KC and FC Dallas could separate a contender from a pretender.
Sporting KC enter the weekend in one of the league’s biggest ruts, having lost five straight contests within the friendly confines of Sporting Park. Winless since August 15 and six points behind Friday’s opposition, Sporting KC may be without Amobi Okugo and Chance Myers, leaving some holes to be filled against an FC Dallas attack that is among the fastest in the league.
FC Dallas is streaking, having won three-straight after topping NYCFC last time out. Sitting just one point out of the conference’s top spot with a game in hand, an FC Dallas win could vault the team over the hump towards a Supporters’ Shield while also putting distance between themselves and the rest of the pack when it comes to playoff positioning.
TORONTO FC vs. COLORADO RAPIDS (Saturday, 2 p.m., MLS Live)
Following a lackluter performances against NYCFC, Toronto FC will need to rebound on short rest against the Colorado Rapids.
TFC looked as disjointed as ever in Wednesday’s loss, as the team’s trio of stars struggled to get any sort of hold on the game in Yankee Stadium. Yet, the Canadian side’s attack is one that still far overpowers that of the Rapids, as Sebastian Giovinco himself has scored only nine fewer goals than the Western Conference cellar-dweller.
Following news that Pablo Mastroeni will reportedly return next season, the Rapids’ main goal this campaign is to finish strong while setting the tone for what’s to come. Sitting at the bottom of the conference, a win Saturday could help achieve that goal as the Rapids look to rebuild on the back of their stingy defense.
NEW YORK CITY FC vs. SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES (Saturday, 7 p.m., MLS Live)
New York City FC picked up a statement win over Toronto FC on Wednesday, but it will mean little if the team fails to qualify for the postseason.
The expansion club has an uphill battle to do so, chasing TFC and the Montreal Impact for a potential playoff berth. The good news is that Frank Lampard and Andrea Pirlo are finding their footing, as the duo both stepped up in a major way to lead NYCFC to their midweek win. The bad news is that the team may be without David Villa, who remains questionable do to a hamstring issue.
Making matters worse is that NYCFC locks horns with opposition as desperate as they are, as the San Jose Earthquakes are in a playoff battle of their own. Sitting one point out of the highly-coveted sixth place, the Quakes let points slip midweek against the Impact, and could once again be without central defender Victor Bernardez for Saturday’s clash.
D.C. UNITED vs. COLUMBUS CREW (Saturday, 7 p.m., MLS Live)
D.C. Unites is slumping while the Columbus Crew are surging, making Saturday’s match between the two a key standoff of two Eastern Conference hopefuls.
Entering the weekend, D.C., who could clinch a playoff berth with a win, maintains a one point lead on the Crew, as the duo occupy the third and fourth spots in the East. Still both alive for a potential opening round bye, both sides are looking up at the New England Revolution and New York Red Bulls for the conference’s top positions.
In recent weeks, a three-game losing streak has had D.C. looking nothing like a contender, although a midweek CONCACAF Champions League result may help morale. The Crew, meanwhile, have managed results in five of their last six, as the trio of Ethan Finlay, Federico Higuain and league-leading goalscorer Kei Kamara will once again look to give the opposition all they can handle.
VANCOUVER WHITECAPS vs. SEATTLE SOUNDERS (Saturday, 7 p.m., MLS Live)
Cascadia clashes are always must-see events, but Saturday’s meeting between the Vancouver Whitecaps and Seattle Sounders is set to feature boatloads of playoff implications.
The Sounders, as things stand, sit just two points above the dreaded red line, although the team has found itself beset by injuries yet again. Summer signing Roman Torres is done for the season after suffering a torn ACL, while Brad Evans may be absent due to concussion issues, throwing a dark cloud over a team that should be celebrating the returns of Obafemi Martins and Clint Dempsey after both missed a large chunk of the summer.
Having already thrashed the rival Sounders, 3-0, in August, the Whitecaps have loftier goals, as the team contends for a Supporters’ Shield. As for Saturday, the Whitecaps will need to win the midfield battle, as a potential duel between Matias Laba and Osvaldo Alonso could play a major part in who escapes BC Place with points in hand.
MONTREAL IMPACT vs. NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION (Saturday, 8:30 p.m., MLS Live)
With a win on Saturday, the New England Revolution will officially be postseason-bound.
After topping the New York Red Bulls midweek, the Revs have opened the door for a run at the conference’s top spot. Riding the hot feet of Diego Fagundez and Lee Nguyen, things are looking bright at Gillette Stadium as the Revs appear to be gearing up for another run to the MLS Cup.
The Impact appear to be playoff bound as well, but will need to take care of business to get there. Resting most of their starters and down a man, the Impact picked up a hard earned midweek point in San Jose. Now, the Canadian side will enter Saturday with plenty of rest, with stars Didier Drogba, Ignacio Piatti and Laurent Ciman rearing to go.
CHICAGO FIRE vs. ORLANDO CITY ( Saturday, 8:30 p.m., MLS Live)
The loser of Saturday’s clash between the Chicago Fire and Orlando City will be all but eliminated from the postseason.
Heading into the weekend, Orlando City sits five points behind Toronto FC, the team they are most likely to catch for a postseason berth. The Fire, meanwhile, are stationed five points behind them with a game in hand.
For Orlando City, all eyes will be on the trio of Kaka, Corey Ashe and Darwin Ceren, as the trio missed the Lions’ clash with the Columbus Crew last week. The Fire have some injury woes of their own as forward Gilberto looks to battle back from a hamstring injury.
REAL SALT LAKE vs. LA GALAXY (Saturday, 9:30 p.m., MLS Live)
Real Salt Lake will need a win Saturday to keep their playoff hopes afloat.
Sitting six points out of the final postseason race with just six games reamaining, RSL are in a dogfight for postseason play, a luxury the club has known each of the past seven seasons. In their path lies the LA Galaxy, a team that is looking to keep pace in the Supporters’ Shield race.
One point back with an extra game played, the Galaxy will need to leapfrog two teams to claim the regular season crown, making every point vital going forward in the pursuit of home-field advantage. Helping the Galaxy’s cause will be the health of Giovani Dos Santos, who appears ready to go despite picking up a knock in the team’s last match, a scoreless draw with the Montreal Impact.
PORTLAND TIMBERS vs. NEW YORK RED BULLS (Sunday, 5 p.m., ESPN)
For the New York Red Bulls, a win will be enough to push the team into a postseason berth. For the Portland Timbers, a win will prove absolutely vital in making sure they secure one.
Despite dropping the team’s last game against the New England Revolution, the Red Bulls can qualify for the playoffs with three points. However, the task at hand will need to be accomplished without captain Dax McCarty and fullback Connor Lade, both of whom will miss out due to yellow card accumulation.
The Timbers hold onto the West’s sixth position for dear life, with the San Jose Earthquakes currently chomping on their heels just one point back. Facing a Red Bulls team without their general in McCarty should help their cause, as Diego Valeri should see more time and space to pull strings in the center of the field.
PHILADELPHIA UNION vs. HOUSTON DYNAMO (Sunday, 7 p.m., Fox Sports 1)
Both the Philadelphia Union and Houston Dynamo have an outside shot at a playoff spot, but a win Sunday will be crucial if those hopes are to remain alive.
With six points between themselves and a playoff berth, the Dynamo will need to travel to PPL Park and get a result. To make matters worse, the Dynamo have been without fullback DaMarcus Beasley in recent weeks as the U.S. Men’s National Team regular heals ahead of October’s CONCACAF Cup.
The Union enter three points out despite playing three extra games than the sixth-place Dynamo. Both Maurice Edu and Andrew Wenger are questionable for Sunday’s game after missing out on the Union’s last contest, a 2-1 loss to the Columbus Crew.