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You may not have noticed, but we only have about a month until Decision Day. The end is nigh.
Before we get there though, there will be plenty of big games to take in that will shape the final stretch of the playoff race. Here are the best of the bunch.
FC CINCINNATI - COLUMBUS CREW
This one has been on a “Game of the Season” contender trajectory for a while, but it got a whole lot more interesting with Columbus’ loss to Seattle over the weekend. The Crew head into this Saturday two points behind FC Cincinnati with a game in hand. This is Cincy’s big chance to put five points between them and the Crew in the race for second place in the East. Even with a game in hand for the Crew, that’s going to be a difficult distance to close for a Columbus side dealing with fixture congestion and a Campeones Cup to worry about.
This is probably the third biggest Hell Is Real ever besides the first one and the one that saw the Crew earn their spot in last year’s MLS Cup. Whoever ends up second in the East this season not only gets bragging rights but, most importantly, gets home-field advantage if they have to see the other in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
LA GALAXY - LAFC
Saturday is an all-time great Tier One of the Watchgridometer kind of day. Whoever had the foresight to bless us with Hell Is Real and El Tráfico on the same night should be given a raise and a major award. That person probably couldn’t have foreseen just how good these two were going to be though. There are about five teams who have a genuine shot at winning MLS Cup in 95% of timelines and we somehow are lucky enough to have four of the five engrossed in major rivalries with one of the others.
Anyway, it might be fair to say this one will determine who wins the West? LAFC are four points behind the Galaxy with two games in hand. An LAFC win sets them up perfectly to leapfrog the Galaxy down the stretch. A Galaxy win might make the gap too large to close as LAFC works through fixture congestion and a U.S. Open Cup final.
ORLANDO CITY SC - CHARLOTTE FC
This one doesn’t carry the weight of Hell Is Real or El Tráfico, but it’s the second-most critical game left in the race for the final home playoff spot in the East. Lately, Orlando have been the only team that seems interested in actually winning it. The New Yorks and Charlotte have been stumbling toward the finish line at a snail’s pace. That’s left the door open for Orlando, who, as of today, are just two points behind fifth-place New York City FC and six points and a game in hand behind the Red Bulls. Both feel extremely catchable.
HOUSTON DYNAMO FC - VANCOUVER WHITECAPS FC
The messiest playoff race left is whatever exactly is going on with the final home playoff spot in the West. Fourth-place Colorado are only four points ahead of eighth-place Portland and the teams in between all have a point separating them with a different number of games played. You need a corkboard, some pins and some red yarn to sort it all out. But we do know for certain that Houston and Vancouver are two of those teams pushing for fourth. And both have new Designated Players that they’re counting on to push their attack over the top and into contender territory.
FC CINCINNATI - LAFC
Once both teams get through their big rivalry games this weekend, this is the toughest game remaining on either team’s schedule. Columbus and the Galaxy will be keeping a close, close eye on this one. The Galaxy especially. It’s hard to see where else LAFC would even accidentally drop points after El Tráfico.
NEW YORK RED BULLS - NEW YORK CITY FC
A massive, massive Hudson River Derby… that would admittedly feel a whole lot bigger if both teams could get their lives together between now and this game. The Red Bulls have won two of their last 12 MLS games and NYCFC have won two of their last 11. These two have taken a full speed Wile E. Coyote run into a painted wall.
Still the winner of this one may have an inside track on fourth place in the East. That could very well mean hosting rights for a subway series between the two in the first round of the playoffs.
SEATTLE SOUNDERS FC - HOUSTON DYNAMO FC
VANCOUVER WHITECAPS - PORTLAND TIMBERS
I grouped these two together because they may just be the pair of games that finally untangle the middle of the West. Or maybe make it more confusing over the last couple of weeks. Either way, the teams at the top of the West will be keeping a close eye on these as they begin to start worrying about which high-upside, dark-horse caliber team they’ll have to deal with in Round One. The only team at the top of the conference that would end up feeling comfortable with who they end up facing is LAFC if they get Seattle.
COLUMBUS CREW - INTER MIAMI CF
This is FC Cincinnati’s version of the LAFC-Cincy game. It’s by far the biggest chance left for the Crew to drop points. It also feels like a potential Eastern Conference final preview.
COLORADO RAPIDS - LA GALAXY
Who knows where the middle of the West will be in a few weeks, but the Rapids could either be scrapping for the final home playoff spot here or latching onto an opportunity to jump RSL for third place or even LAFC for second. They’re only three points behind RSL and four points behind LAFC. They’ll need to be excellent down the stretch to catch up to those two though and this seems like a clear spot for points that make or break whether or not they cross the “excellent” threshold.
VANCOUVER WHITECAPS FC - SEATTLE SOUNDERS FC
COLORADO RAPIDS - SEATTLE SOUNDERS FC
One more pairing here and both include Seattle. These two games will make or break the Sounders’ playoff push. These could be the difference between a home playoff spot or a Wild Card spot. And then, of course, they still have to deal with Portland on Decision Day. Seattle have somehow turned into the most pivotal team in the West’s playoff race.
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