Two nationally televised matches bookend Week 24 in Major League Soccer as the postseason picture continues to take shape.
Sporting Kansas City fans are sure to have their eyes on Saturday's showdown with FC Dallas at Children's Mercy Park, a pivotal battle featuring a pair of teams separated by just two points in the upper half of the Western Conference table. But two other contenders in the West, namely the Portland Timbers and Seattle Sounders FC, will take the field Friday and Sunday, respectively.
Without further ado, let's take a look at this weekend's lineup on FS1 and FOX Deportes.
Portland Timbers vs. New York Red Bulls | 9 p.m. CT Friday, FS1 & FOX Deportes
The New York Red Bulls punched their ticket to the 2017 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Final with a 3-2 exra-time win at FC Cincinnati on Tuesday. Having sealed a spot in the championship against Sporting Kansas City on Sept. 20 at Children's Mercy Park, the Red Bulls (12-9-2, 38 points) face a quick turnaround when they travel to face the Portland Timbers (9-9-7, 34 points) at Providence Park.
New York has won six of eight matches in league play, while the Timbers have just two victories to show from their last 10 fixtures and suffered a 4-1 setback at Toronto FC last Saturday. The Red Bulls are in better form, but playing in Portland just three days after a 120-minute effort in Cincinnati could give the home side an edge.
Seattle Sounders FC vs. Minnesota United FC | 9 p.m. CT Sunday, FS1 & FOX Deportes
This one, to be frank, is a mismatch on paper. Seattle (10-7-7, 37 points) is riding an eight-game unbeaten streak, including wins in five of their last six, to surge into a first-place tie atop the West. The Loons (6-13-4, 22 points) continue to languish at the bottom of the standings and are still looking for their first-ever road win, with just two points to show from nine previous away games.
U.S. international Clint Dempsey has hit his stride of late, bagging six goals in his previous five appearances, to complement a Seattle defense that boasts four straight shutouts.
