Who will join Seattle Sounders FC among the last four teams standing in the Audi 2017 MLS Cup Playoffs?
That question will be answered Sunday when the three remaining conference semifinal second legs air nationally. In the Eastern Conference, Supporters' Shield champion Toronto FC and red-hot Columbus Crew SC will be heavily favored to advance, while the Portland Timbers and Houston Dynamo are deadlocked after a scoreless first leg.
In conjuction with Sunday's scintillating tripleheader, MLSsoccer.com will air 30 minutes of live pregame coverage starting at 1:30 p.m. CT on Facebook, YouTube and Periscope, with a half-hour postgame show slated for approximately 8:30 p.m. CT.
No. 1 Toronto FC vs. No. 6 New York Red Bulls | 2 p.m. CT Sunday, ESPN
Toronto FC is on a mission to achieve the first treble in MLS history, having won the Canadian Championship and Supporters' Shield during a historically dominant 2017 campaign. The Reds will take a 2-1 aggregate lead into Sunday's match at BMO Field after Victor Vazquez and Sebastian Giovinco scored first-half goals on Monday at Red Bull Arena. New York replied with a second-half penalty kick from Daniel Royer, but Jesse Marsch's side face the daunting prospect of handing TFC just their second home loss of the season in order to win the series or force extra time.
No. 2 New York City FC vs. No. 5 Columbus Crew SC | 4 p.m. CT Sunday, ESPN
It seems that the stars are aligning for Crew SC, who cruised to a rampant 4-1 triumph in Tuesday's first leg in Columbus. Head coach Gregg Berhalter's men haven't lost since late August, and as long as they avoid a three-goal defeat to David Villa and NYCFC at Yankee Stadium, they will punch their ticket to the conference finals for the second time in three years. No MLS team is currently playing better than Crew, and their late-season surge only adds drama to the soap opera concerning the team's future in Columbus.
No. 1 Portland Timbers vs. No. 4 Houston Dynamo | 6:30 p.m. CT Sunday, FS1
While Toronto FC and Columbus are already within touching distance of the conference finals, nothing separates Portland and Houston ahead of Sunday's decisive fixture at Providence Park. A scoreless draw in Monday's first leg leaves all to play for this time around, with defending MLS Cup champion Seattle awaiting the winner. Another 0-0 tie would force extra time, while a draw with goals would send Houston through on away goals. Portland still holds the narrow edge, however, as the Timbers are 11-2-4 at home and the Dynamo are just 1-9-7 away.
