With two consecutive shutout road wins under their belt, Sporting Kansas City currently occupies second place in the crowded Western Conference standings. That position could change, however, by the time Sporting KC hosts the Portland Timbers on Saturday night at Children's Mercy Park (tickets).
Three Western Conference clubs sitting immediately below Sporting KC in the table will take the field Wednesday for MLS matchups.
The midweek action is highlighted by a nationally televised showdown between fifth-place LAFC (10-7-6, 36 points) and sixth-place Real Salt Lake (10-9-5, 35 points) at Banc of California Stadium, set for 9 p.m. CT on ESPN2. A win for LAFC would move the side level with Sporting KC, the same team that handed them their first-ever home loss on Saturday.
In Wednesday's other contest, the third-place Timbers (10-4-7, 37 points) will have the opportunity to leapfrog Sporting KC with a win at D.C. United. The cross-conference clash will kick off at 7 p.m. CT and stream live on ESPN+.
MLS Western Conference Standings
| Points | Overall | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Club | PTS | PPG | W | L | T | GF | GA | GD |
| 1 | FC Dallas | 42 | 1.83 | 12 | 5 | 6 | 37 | 30 | 7 |
| 2 | Sporting Kansas City | 39 | 1.7 | 11 | 6 | 6 | 42 | 30 | 12 |
| 3 | Portland Timbers | 37 | 1.76 | 10 | 4 | 7 | 34 | 27 | 7 |
| 4 | LA Galaxy | 36 | 1.5 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 46 | 40 | 6 |
| 5 | Los Angeles Football Club | 36 | 1.57 | 10 | 7 | 6 | 45 | 39 | 6 |
| 6 | Real Salt Lake | 35 | 1.46 | 10 | 9 | 5 | 34 | 41 | -7 |
| 7 | Vancouver Whitecaps FC | 33 | 1.38 | 9 | 9 | 6 | 38 | 47 | -9 |
| 8 | Seattle Sounders FC | 32 | 1.39 | 9 | 9 | 5 | 26 | 26 | 0 |
| 9 | Minnesota United FC | 29 | 1.21 | 9 | 13 | 2 | 38 | 48 | -10 |
| 10 | Houston Dynamo | 27 | 1.17 | 7 | 10 | 6 | 39 | 34 | 5 |
| 11 | Colorado Rapids | 23 | 1 | 6 | 12 | 5 | 29 | 38 | -9 |
| 12 | San Jose Earthquakes | 16 | 0.7 | 3 | 13 | 7 | 33 | 43 | -10 |
