The push for the MLS Cup Playoffs has reached a fever pitch as clubs enter the final month of the regular season. What was once a marathon has become a sprint with Decision Day looming on Oct. 23.
The first weekend of October offers up multiple matches that Sporting Kansas City fans will want to watch closely. Vermes’ men presently occupy fifth place in the Western Conference, but look into the rearview mirror and see Seattle Sounders FC and Portland Timbers just two points behind.
At the same time, the gap between Sporting Kansas City and fourth-place Real Salt Lake has shrunk to two points, meaning a home playoff game is within reach.
Western Conference standings (through Sept. 29)
<strong>TEAM</strong> |
<strong>GP</strong> |
<strong>W</strong> |
<strong>L</strong> |
<strong>T</strong> |
<strong>PTS</strong> |
1. FC Dallas <strong>- x</strong> |
31 |
15 |
8 |
8 |
53 |
2. Colorado Rapids |
29 |
12 |
5 |
12 |
48 |
3. LA Galaxy |
31 |
11 |
5 |
15 |
48 |
4. Real Salt Lake |
31 |
12 |
10 |
9 |
45 |
<strong>5. Sporting KC</strong> |
<strong>31</strong> |
<strong>12</strong> |
<strong>12</strong> |
<strong>7</strong> |
<strong>43</strong> |
6. Seattle Sounders FC |
30 |
12 |
13 |
5 |
41 |
7. Portland Timbers |
31 |
11 |
12 |
8 |
41 |
8. Vancouver Whitecaps FC |
31 |
9 |
14 |
8 |
35 |
9. San Jose Earthquakes |
30 |
7 |
10 |
13 |
34 |
10. Houston Dynamo |
29 |
7 |
11 |
11 |
32 |
x - Clinched playoff spot
Tiebreakers - Number of wins, then goal differential, then goals for
Now let’s jump into the games to watch for Week 30. Playoff implications abound in virtually every match, but the following four contests are particularly important to Sporting Kansas City.
Sporting KC at New England Revolution
Saturday — 6:30 p.m. CT (38 The Spot, SKCTV)
Sporting KC finally got the monkey off its back last Saturday, defeating San Jose 2-1 to snap a 12-game road winless skid. Vermes’ side will want to carry that momentum into Gillette Stadium, where the Revolution have hit full-blown desperation mode. New England is four points below the red line with three games to play, and while they have won three of their last four, pressure weighs heavily on the home side. Both teams are among the league leaders in chance creation, so this one may come down to who is more clinical with their opportunities.
Portland Timbers at Colorado Rapids
Saturday — 8 p.m. CT (MLS Live)
On paper, this is a very promising matchup for Sporting KC. The Portland Timbers have yet to win on the road (0-9-6), while the Colorado Rapids have yet to lose at home (9-0-5). Needless to say, any points dropped by the Timbers would be welcome news in Kansas City.
Portland is at risk of becoming the first defending champion to miss the MLS Cup Playoffs the following year since LA in 2006, while Colorado has enjoyed a remarkable turnaround campaign thanks to a stingy defense that has conceded just five goals in 14 matches at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park. Statistical trends favor the Rapids in this one, but the quality of Portland’s Darlington Nagbe, Diego Valeri and Fanendo Adi is undeniable.
Real Salt Lake at San Jose Earthquakes
Saturday — 9:30 p.m. CT (MLS Live)
A woeful stretch of two wins in 19 games has all but eliminated San Jose from the playoff race. Dominic Kinnear’s side will look to embrace the spoiler role against a streaky Real Salt Lake outfit that has just two points from its previous four games and hasn’t scored in 270 minutes.
Goals could be at a premium — as they often are at Avaya Stadium — but it’s worth noting that RSL has yet to earn a road clean sheet in 2016. Dropped points from the Claret and Cobalt could open the door for Sporting KC to take fourth place in the West. Conversely, a win in San Jose and help from elsewhere could see Real Salt Lake return to the postseason after missing out in 2015.
Seattle Sounders FC at Vancouver Whitecaps FC
Sunday — 7 p.m. CT (FS1)
Seemingly dead to rights at the end of July, Seattle has since become the league’s hottest team under interim coach Brian Schmetzer. Spurred by in-form striker Jordan Morris and midfield revelation Nicolas Lodeiro, the Sounders have gone 6-1-2 since Aug. 7 to displace Portland for the sixth and final playoff spot (by virtue of the total wins tiebreaker).
Fresh off victories against LA and Chicago, Seattle heads north of the border to face a Vancouver club that has just one win in its last 11 games. Three points would do wonders for the Sounders’ playoff chances, as they still have a game in hand on Sporting KC, Portland and RSL. A loss, meanwhile, would amp up the pressure on a team that will miss Clint Dempsey (irregular heartbeat) for the rest of the season.
Other national TV games
Viernes de Fútbol features an interconference clash between the bottom-dwelling Houston Dynamo and a New York City FC side battling for first place in the East (7 p.m. CT, UniMas). Led by lethal striker David Villa, NYCFC sits atop the league's scoring charts with 1.77 goals per game.
Following a busy slate of Saturday action, Soccer Sunday kicks off with Orlando City SC hosting the Montreal Impact (12 p.m. CT, ESPN). The eighth-place Lions find themselves in a must-win scenario, while Montreal will hope that Didier Drogba and Ignacio Piatti can lift the side into the East's top four.
