Matchday

Matchday 35: How Saturday's games will impact the playoff race

24-BiggestGames

Jonathan Sigal

As we enter Matchday 35, only six of 18 spots in the Audi 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs are secure. Talk about pressure!

Whether you're watching on MLS 360 or a single game during Saturday's 14-game slate, be sure to follow the specific clinch/elimination scenarios.

FC Cincinnati vs. LAFC

Cincy and Luciano Acosta seemed destined to finish No. 2 or No. 3 in the East… but which spot? They're narrowly ahead of Hell is Real rivals Columbus on tiebreakers (both teams have 56 points).

LAFC's five-game slide has dropped them to No. 4 in the West, and there's no guarantee they get home-field advantage anymore. However, Denis Bouanga & Co. carry an emotional boost from winning the US Open Cup title Wednesday night.

D.C. United vs. Columbus Crew

Columbus have an outside shot of winning the Supporters' Shield, with an Oct. 2 visit from Inter Miami looming large. It's a must-win for Wilfried Nancy's group, which lost Campeones Cup to Club América on penalty kicks in midweek.

D.C. are 13th in the East, but just three points below the playoff line. They'll need a big-time performance from Golden Boot presented by Audi leader Christian Benteke to stay in the hunt.

Inter Miami CF vs. Charlotte FC

After back-to-back road draws where they allowed late equalizers, Inter Miami are expected to take care of business against Charlotte. Lionel Messi, with 14g/15a in 15 matches, is back fully healthy.

Charlotte are on the verge of clinching a playoff spot, extending their first season under head coach Dean Smith. They're just three points out of the East's top-four places, which grants home-field advantage to the higher seed in Round One.

CF Montréal vs. San Jose Earthquakes

After going 2W-0L-1D in their last three matches, Montréal enter a stretch of four very winnable games. They're just two points below the playoff line. Late surge, anyone?

San Jose are eliminated from playoff contention and bottom of the overall league standings, averaging 0.6 points per game and winning just five of 30 matches this season. The Wooden Spoon awaits.

New England Revolution vs. Nashville SC

New England are 15th in the East, technically not mathematically eliminated from the East's playoff race. But they're dead in the water, folks.

Nashville have gone 2W-0L-1D in their last three, ending an eight-match losing streak. Maybe Hany Mukhtar and Sam Surridge can pull off a miraculous great escape after all.

New York Red Bulls vs. New York City FC

Talk about high stakes in the Hudson River Derby! The winner could jump to fourth place in the East, depending on how other results unfold.

Two programming notes: Emil Forsberg is back available for the Red Bulls, while Santi Rodríguez is suspended (yellow cards) for NYCFC.

Philadelphia Union vs. Atlanta United

Philly have won five of their last seven matches, emerging from the ashes to sit ninth in the East (two points above the playoff line). Quietly, midfielder Dániel Gazdag is fifth in the Golden Boot race with 17g/2a.

This is a "six-pointer" for both teams, especially Atlanta United. Alexey Miranchuk & Co. are 11th in the East, three points below the line… the clock's ticking on their season.

Austin FC vs. Real Salt Lake

Austin's season is virtually done and dusted. They're 11th in the West, with one win in their last nine matches. The Sebastián Driussi-led side could get eliminated from playoff contention this weekend.

RSL are up to second in the West, looking to fend off Colorado and LAFC. After a two-plus month drought re: goal contributions, Cristian Arango (17g/12a) notched an assist last weekend.

Chicago Fire FC vs. Toronto FC

Chicago are on pace for a seventh-straight season of playoff-less soccer. How much change awaits the Fire this offseason?

Toronto are the only team that doesn't play on Decision Day. So while they're eighth in the East (36 points), Lorenzo Insigne and Federico Bernardeschi's playoff future is far from secure with three matches remaining.

FC Dallas vs. Orlando City SC

It might be too little, too late for FC Dallas. They're five points below the West's playoff line, in 10th place with four games remaining. But with Alan Velasco and Jesús Ferreira back in the squad, hope lingers.

A top-four finish is within grasp for Orlando, who can clinch a playoff spot this weekend. They'll need Facundo Torres and Duncan McGuire to step up.

Minnesota United FC vs. Colorado Rapids

Carried by Kelvin Yeboah scoring five goals in his first five MLS games, Minnesota are comfortably ninth in the West. Barring a late-season collapse, all that's left to determine is if they're a Wild Card team or something more.

Colorado are back in the playoffs after finishing bottom of the West in 2023. It's a remarkable turnaround during Chris Armas' first season, with second in the West achievable for Djordje Mihailovic, Zack Steffen & Co.

St. Louis CITY SC vs. Sporting Kansas City

We'll keep it real simple: St. Louis are eliminated from playoff contention with a loss or draw. If Minnesota draw or beat Colorado, they're also out.

Sporting KC are already out of playoff contention, and just lost the US Open Cup final at LAFC midweek. There's some solace in potentially ending their Midwest rival's season, though.

Seattle Sounders FC vs. Houston Dynamo FC

Seattle: Win and they're in playoffs. Houston: Win and they're in playoffs. Clinch scenarios involving other games are at play, too.

Which team completes the job and builds momentum towards a top-four spot in the West?

Vancouver Whitecaps FC vs. Portland Timbers

Vancouver (seventh in the West) and Portland (eighth in the West) both have playoff-clinching scenarios this weekend.

We know the story of both teams, too. Vancouver are a solid team, but can they enter a higher tier? Portland's attack is electric, but will their defense hold up?

Jonathan Sigal -
@JonathanSigal
Matchday

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