One ticket booked, 11 to go. Currently, the New York Red Bulls are the only team to have secured a spot in the Audi 2015 MLS Cup Playoffs. Four teams can secure their spot this weekend.
Sporting Kansas City entered the week with a magic number of 10 and following Wednesday’s loss to the Houston Dynamo, that number remains the same. Sitting in fifth place in the Western Conference, Sporting KC is currently in a dogfight for playoff position with every match carrying extreme importance.
With that said, here are the matches that we’ll be watching this weekend that could impact Sporting KC's playoff standing:
Columbus Crew SC vs. Portland Timbers - Saturday | 6:30 p.m. CT | MLS Live
The Portland Timbers are currently in sixth place in the Western Conference. Caleb Porter’s side is only three points back of Sporting KC for the fifth spot in the division, but they are also one point ahead of the San Jose Earthquakes for seventh place. Columbus has one of the most dynamic attacks in Major League Soccer and has scored the second most home goals in MLS (32). If Portland can pick up a result on Saturday, it would put added pressure on Sporting KC to do the same the following day.
Vancouver Whitecaps vs. New York City FC - Saturday | 9 p.m. CT | MLS Live
Vancouver has been one of the surprise teams in MLS this year and currently leads the Western Conference with 48 points. They also lead MLS with 15 wins which could be important if tiebreakers come into play for playoff seeding. Sporting KC are only four points back of Vancouver and level on games played. A win on Saturday could strengthen Vancouver’s grip on one of the top two seeds in the Western Conference and a first round playoff bye.
Sporting KC vs. Seattle Sounders FC - Sunday | 4 p.m. CT | ESPN, ESPN Deportes
There is a reason this game is on main ESPN. Seattle boasts a plethora of attacking options including U.S. Men’s National Team striker Clint Dempsey and 2014 MLS MVP finalist Obafemi Martins. The duo have combined for a whopping 90 goals and assists over the past two years. The Sounders also sit one point ahead of Sporting KC in the standings with one more game played. Seattle has yet to score on Sporting KC this year with Peter Vermes’ club earning a 0-0 draw at CenturyLink Field and a 1-0 victory in June at Sporting Park.
San Jose Earthquakes vs. Real Salt Lake - Sunday | 6 p.m CT | FS1, FOX Deportes
Two teams fighting for their playoff lives square off on national TV on Sunday. San Jose is only a point behind Portland for the final playoff spot in the West, but Dominic Kinnear’s side is winless in four straight. Real Salt Lake has won back-to-back matches by a combined 6-1 scoreline and is only three points back of the final playoff spot. A loss on Sunday will make the climb to the playoffs that much more steep.
LA Galaxy vs. FC Dallas - Sunday | 8:30 p.m. CT | FS1, FOX Deportes
Sunday’s MLS finale is a must-watch for any soccer fan. LA and Dallas both have their sights set on the MLS Cup and the Supporters’ Shield. A win for either team on Sunday would go a long way toward the second goal as both teams currently sit one point back of Vancouver Whitecaps FC. The Galaxy are winless (and scoreless) in their past three matches, while Dallas are coming off a 3-1 loss last Friday at Sporting Park. Both teams are also three points ahead of Sporting KC in the Western Conference standings.
