After pandemonium on Saturday, the Sounders FC will have to wait until Sunday to determine their first-round playoff opponents.
For a long time it looked like Seattle would be headed east. After their 2-1 loss to the Houston Dynamo, their fate hinged on the San Jose-Kansas City meeting and the Real Salt Lake-Colorado match later on Saturday.
Kansas City got a hat trick from Birahim Diop in a 4-1 Wizards victory. That did nothing to affect the Sounders other than to leave them as the 4th seed in the Western Conference Standings. Then in the RSL-Colorado match, the Rapids sped out to a 2-0 lead by the 51st minute with goals from Omar Cummings and Conor Casey. With the clock stopped on 90:00, Salt Lake got two goals from Alvaro Saborio, including one on a PK, to earn a 2-2 draw.
In a matter of five minutes of stoppage time, Seattle went from being the fifth seed in the West which would mean a move to the Eastern Conference Playoffs and a meeting with the Columbus Crew back to the fourth seed and uncertainty about their playoff opponent.
The Sounders will finish with the fourth seed in the West with 48 points. They will play against the top seed in the West. Who that is depends on the outcome of the LA Galaxy's match with FC Dallas on Sunday. A Galaxy win or tie would mean a matchup with a team that outscored Seattle 4-0 in Seattle and 3-1 in LA this year. A loss would mean Seattle faces the defending MLS Cup champions in Real Salt Lake. The two clubs drew both of their meetings this season.
The match starts at 5 pm Pacific Time and the Sounders will have their eyes undoubtedly on the Home Depot Center for the final regular season game on the MLS calendar.
