Preview: Sporting KC looks to clinch playoff spot in Decision Day finale vs. San Jose Earthquakes

The 2016 MLS regular season culminates Sunday when Sporting Kansas City hosts the San Jose Earthquakes in a monumental Decision Day showdown at Children's Mercy Park. All 20 MLS teams will kick off simultaneously at 3 p.m. CT with Audi MLS Cup Playoff spots, Supporters' Shield honors and the Golden Boot scoring title all up for grabs.

SKCTV and 38 The Spot will air three hours of live Decision Day television coverage from 3-6 p.m. CT, while listeners can follow the action on ESPN 99.3 FM (English) and La Grande 1340 AM (Spanish). A limited number of tickets for Sunday's game are available at Ticketmaster.com as Sporting Kansas City looks to secure a club-record sixth consecutive playoff berth with a victory. Additional in-game updates can be found at the SportingKC.com MatchCenter and through the Sporting KC Uphoria mobile app, which will provide Decision Day score updates throughout the afternoon.

As part of Fan Appreciation Day, supporters in attendance will receive a free team poster courtesy of match sponsor Park University, all jerseys sold in-stadium will be 50 percent off, and fans who download Sporting KC Uphoria will be entered to win a free copy of FIFA 17 on Xbox One.

Sporting Kansas City (12-13-8, 44 points) controls its own destiny heading into Week 34, knowing that three points against the already-eliminated Earthquakes (8-11-14, 38 points) would vault the club into the 2016 Audi MLS Cup Playoffs. Manager Peter Vermes' men can also advance to the postseason with a draw or loss, but would need help from elsewhere. If Sporting KC ties San Jose, the Portland Timbers (12-13-8, 44 points) must lose or draw at Vancouver Whitecaps FC in order for Kansas City to punch its playoff ticket. Should Sporting KC lose, Portland must lose to Vancouver by an equal or greater margin for Kansas City to stay above the red line and join the playoff party.

Currently holding the sixth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference, Sporting Kansas City can finish the regular season as high as fourth if results fall their way. This scenario would require a win over San Jose, a draw between fourth-place Real Salt Lake and fifth-place Seattle Sounders FC, and a better goal differential than the Timbers (should Portland defeat Vancouver).

Vermes' side is coming off a hard-earned 0-0 draw at Real Salt Lake last Sunday. The hotly contested battle saw Sporting KC center back Matt Besler and goalkeeper Tim Melia deliver standout performances, spearheading a defense that earned its first clean sheet in nearly two months. The club will be without forward Diego Rubio for the remainder of the season after the 23-year-old striker tore his ACL in training last week, but Brad Davis (calf), Justin Mapp (calf), Chance Myers (thigh) and Jacob Peterson have all been upgraded to questionable ahead of Sunday's affair.

Dominic Kinnear's Earthquakes are one week removed from a scoreless stalemate of their own — a cagey contest against Vancouver that was symptomatic of San Jose's barren 2016 campaign. The club ranks last in MLS with 32 goals, six fewer than any other team, and will miss the playoffs for a fourth consecutive year. Further compounding struggles has been San Jose's form away from home. Kinnear's side has a single victory in its last 18 MLS road matches dating back to 2015 (1-10-7), a 2-1 result at Vancouver on Aug. 5.

Sporting Kansas  carry an eight-game home unbeaten streak into the regular season finale, winning six and drawing two while averaging an impressive 2.4 goals per game. Sporting Kansas City forward Dom Dwyer has scored in four of his last five games to move into a tie for fourth on the MLS chart with 16 goals, third most in club single-season history. Midfield talisman Benny Feilhaber has added six goals and 12 assists of his own, including eight assists in his last 10 league appearances. Kansas City natives Besler and Kevin Ellis are likely to partner in central defense as Sporting KC aims to post consecutive shutouts for the first time since July.

With their playoff hopes already dashed, San Jose will embrace the spoiler role at a venue it last visited in August 2015. The Earthquakes claimed a resounding 5-0 win in their most recent trip to Children's Mercy Park, with U.S. international Chris Wondolowski bagging a brace to spark last summer's rout.

Wondolowski has eight goals in 12 regular season appearances against Kansas City, including the decisive penalty kick in the Earthquakes' 1-0 home win on April 24. Sporting Kansas City exacted revenge at Avaya Stadium on Sept. 24, earning their first win in San Jose since 2000 thanks to goals from Dwyer and Ellis.

The home team in this fixture holds a remarkable 18-2-2 record across all competitions since 2004. The Earthquakes had lost 10 straight games in Kansas City prior to winning 5-0 last August.

While Rubio is the only certain absentee for Sporting Kansas City, San Jose will be without four injured players on Sunday. Dynamic winger Quincy Amarikwa tore his ACL against Sporting KC on Sept. 24 to join defender Clarence Goodson (back), midfielder Marc Pelosi (knee) and forward Mark Sherrod (knee) on the sidelines.

Prior to kickoff on Sunday, ticket holders are invited to the All For The City Fan Appreciation Tailgate beginning at noon CT on the Sprint Plaza. Two Guys & A Grill will offer a $10 all-you-can eat buffet and NFL football games will be shown on a large TV screen.