For the second straight weekend, Sporting Kansas City's playoff pursuit will unfold on national television. Sunday's pivotal home game against rivals Real Salt Lake will air live at 4 p.m. CT on FS1 and FOX Deportes, and a limited number of tickets for the Western Conference clash remain available at SeatGeek.com.
#SKCvRSL is one of three MLS matches slated for a national audience. One carries significant importance in the Western Conference playoff race, while the other could decide who takes home the Supporters' Shield title.
Chicago Fire vs. LAFC | 2:30 p.m. CT Saturday | Twitter & Univision
Expansion side LAFC (14-7-8, 50 points) have enjoyed an excellent debut campaign under head coach Bob Bradley. The club currently occupies third place in the West, a point behind Sporting KC and three points behind leaders FC Dallas. With a road win over lowly Chicago on Saturday, LAFC would claim a provisional hold of first place ahead of Dallas' visit to Portland on Saturday night and Sporting KC's meeting with RSL on Sunday. The Fire (7-16-7, 28 points) took a 2-0 loss to New York City FC on Wednesday to become the first Eastern Conference side to be mathematically eliminated from postseason contention.
New York Red Bulls vs. Atlanta United FC | Noon CT Sunday | ESPN
In one of the most anticipated regular season matches of 2018, Atlanta United FC (19-5-6, 63 points) and the New York Red Bulls (18-7-5, 59 points) will lock horns with the Supporters' Shield hanging in the balance. Atlanta would all but secure the regular season championship with a victory, which would also guarantee the Five Stripes a 2019 Concacaf Champions League berth based on their aggregate point total from 2017 to 2018. Should the Red Bulls prevail, however, they would move within a point of Atlanta in the Supporters' Shield table and set the stage for a pulsating final month of the regular season.
Sporting Kansas City vs. Real Salt Lake | 4 p.m. CT Sunday | FS1
Sporting KC (15-8-6, 51 points) can clinch a club-record eighth straight playoff berth Sunday when they host fifth-place Real Salt Lake (13-11-6, 45 points). Manager Peter Vermes' men are squarely in contention for a top-two finish in the West and the Knockout Round bye that goes with it.
RSL, on the other hand, hope to leap into the top four with a victory in the same venue where they lost the 2013 MLS Cup on penalties. Sunday's contest is the first of two straight home games for Sporting KC, who are set to host Zlatan Ibrahimovic and the LA Galaxy next Saturday, Oct. 6.
