A look at the playoff picture as it stands this week as Sounders FC sits in second in the Western Conference.
With Sounders FC’s wins over Chivas USA and the Chicago Fire last week, it climbed to 14-8-4 and pulled to second place in the standings, within two points of Real Salt Lake (14-8-6) for the top spot in the Western Conference.
If the season ended today, Seattle would face third-seeded LA Galaxy, who fell to the Colorado Rapids on Saturday to slip to 13-10-4. The first match would be at the StubHub Center with Seattle hosting the second leg in a rematch of last year’s Western Conference championship series.
In the other side of the Western Conference bracket, Real Salt Lake would meet the winner of a one-game playoff between Colorado (11-8-9) and the Portland Timbers (10-5-12). Colorado and Portland are even with 42 points, but the Rapids would host the wild-card match by virtue of winning the first tie-breaker with their 11 wins.
In the East, there is a three-way tie atop the standings between the Montreal Impact, New York Red Bulls and Sporting Kansas City with 45 points. They are all even with 13 wins and the second tie-breaker, goals scored, sorts them out.
The Impact (13-7-6) has the top spot with their 45 goals, while New York (13-9-6) is second with 44 goals and Kansas City (13-9-6) is third with 41 goals.
So No. 2 New York would meet No. 3 Kansas City in one side of the Eastern Conference bracket while Montreal would await the winner of the one-game series between the Philadelphia Union (10-9-9) and New England Revolution (10-7-7), which would be hosted at PPL Park.
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
Real Salt Lake (14-8-6; 3 home, 3 away; 1 Open Cup)
Sept. 13 @ Seattle (NBC Sports)
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
Sounders FC (14-8-4; 4 home, 4 away)
Sept. 13 vs. Real Salt Lake (NBC Sports)
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)
LA Galaxy (13-10-4; 4 home, 3 away; 3 CCL)
Sept. 14 @ DC United
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)
Colorado (11-8-9; 3 home, 3 away)
Sept. 14 vs. FC Dallas
Sept. 20 @ Portland (NBC Sports)
Oct. 5 vs. Seattle (NBC Sports)
Oct. 9 @ San Jose
Oct. 19 vs. Vancouver
Oct. 27 @ Vancouver
Portland (10-5-12; 4 home, 3 away)
Sept. 14 @ Chivas USA
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 (10-7-10; 3 home, 4 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 (10-10-7; 3 home, 4 away)
Sept. 14 @ San Jose
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 (10-11-7; 3 home, 3 away; 2 CCL)
Sept. 14 vs. Vancouver
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)
