Sounders FC took over the top spot in teh Supporters' Shield standings. Here's a look at how the rest of the MLS Playoff races changed this week.
On Friday Sounders FC took control of the top spot in the chase for the Supporters’ Shield with its 2-0 victory over Real Salt Lake. Then on Saturday, Seattle watched as the rest of the playoff picture was thrown into a blender with a weekend of results that had four of five teams in the Western Conference change playoff positions while the East saw two new teams move into the top five and another emerge as the new leaders.
If the season ended today, Sounders FC would hold the top spot in the Western Conference and would face the winner of a one-game playoff between the LA Galaxy and the Portland Timbers. This comes after the Galaxy dropped from third to fourth in the standings with a 2-2 draw with Eastern Conference cellar-dwellers D.C. United. Portland had a chance to overtake LA, but a 1-1 draw with Chivas USA means it stays in fifth in the West.
On the other side of the Western Conference bracket, Real Salt Lake would face its Rocky Mountain rivals the Colorado Rapids. While RSL dropped to No. 2 in the standings, Colorado jumped from fourth to third with a 2-1 win over FC Dallas.
Dallas, Vancouver Whitecaps FC and the San Jose Earthquakes are all within striking distance in the West.
In the East, the New York Red Bulls jumped to the top spot with a 2-0 win over Toronto FC while Montreal suffered a home defeat to the Columbus Crew and Sporting Kansas City was idle. With that shift, Montreal would face Kansas City in the 2-3 matchup in the East while New York would await the winner of the 4-5 matchup between the Houston Dynamo and Chicago Fire.
The Dynamo jumped into playoff position by topping the Philadelphia Union 1-0 at PPL Park, knocking the Union down to sixth, though they are tied on points with fifth-place Chicago. The Fire owns the first tie-breaker over the Union with 11 wins to just 10 for Philadelphia. Chicago topped the New England Revolution 3-2 on Saturday to jump ahead of Philadelphia and New England, who held the Nos. 4 and 5 spots entering the weekend.
The first round of playoff games between No. 4 and No. 5 in each conference will be one match hosted by the higher seed. The winners of each conference semifinal series will meet in a two-leg conference final, with the two winners advancing to the MLS Cup final.
Remaining Schedules
Sounders FC (15-8-4; 3 home, 4 away)
Sept. 21 @ LA Galaxy (NBC Sports)
Sept. 29 vs. New York (ESPN)
Oct. 5 @ Colorado (NBC Sports)
Oct. 9 vs. Vancouver
Oct. 13 @ Portland (ESPN)
Oct. 19 @ FC Dallas (NBC Sports)
Oct. 27 vs. LA Galaxy (ESPN)
Real Salt Lake (14-9-6; 3 home, 2 away; 1 Open Cup)
Sept. 21 vs. San Jose
Sept. 28 @ Vancouver
Oct. 1 vs. DC United; US Open Cup final (Gol TV)
Oct. 5 vs. FC Dallas
Oct. 19 @ Portland
Oct. 23 vs. Chivas USA
Colorado (12-8-9; 2 home, 3 away)
Sept. 20 @ Portland (NBC Sports)
Oct. 5 vs. Seattle (NBC Sports)
Oct. 9 @ San Jose
Oct. 19 vs. Vancouver
Oct. 27 @ Vancouver
LA Galaxy (13-10-5; 4 home, 2 away; 3 CCL)
Sept. 18 vs. Metapan; CONCACAF Champions League
Sept. 21 vs. Seattle (NBC Sports)
Sept. 25 @ Cartigines; CONCACAF Champions League
Sept. 29 @ Portland (NBC)
Oct. 6 vs. Chivas USA
Oct. 16 vs. Montreal
Oct. 20 vs. San Jose (ESPN)
Oct. 24 @ Metapan; CONCACAF Champions League
Oct. 27 @ Seattle (ESPN)
Portland (10-5-13; 4 home, 3 away)
Sept. 20 vs. Colorado (NBC Sports)
Sept. 29 vs. LA Galaxy (NBC)
Oct. 6 @ Vancouver
Oct. 13 vs. Seattle (ESPN)
Oct. 19 vs. Real Salt Lake
Oct. 26 @ Chivas USA
FC Dallas (10-8-10; 3 home, 3 away)
Sept. 14 @ Colorado
Sept. 22 @ New York
Sept. 29 vs. Columbus
Oct. 5 @ Real Salt Lake
Oct. 12 vs. Chicago
Oct. 19 vs. Seattle (NBC Sports)
Oct. 26 @ San Jose (NBC Sports)
Vancouver (10-10-8; 3 home, 3 away)
Sept. 21 @ Montreal
Sept. 28 vs. Real Salt Lake
Oct. 6 vs. Portland
Oct. 9 @ Seattle
Oct. 19 @ Colorado
Oct. 27 vs. Colorado
San Jose (10-11-8; 2 home, 3 away; 2 CCL)
Sept. 17 vs. Montreal; CONCACAF Champions League
Sept. 21 @ Real Salt Lake
Sept. 29 @ Chivas USA
Oct. 9 vs. Colorado
Oct. 20 @ LA Galaxy (ESPN)
Oct. 23 vs. Heredia; CONCACAF Champions League
Oct. 26 vs. FC Dallas (NBC Sports)
