Seattle Sounders FC kept their grip on fourth place in the Western Conference with a decisive 3-0 win over Vancouver Whitecaps FC on Saturday, and took another huge step to the Audi 2015 MLS Cup Playoffs with just four games remaining on the schedule.
If the season ended after Week 29, the Sounders would carry the No. 4 seed into the one-game Western Conference Knockout Round against Sporting Kansas City, who currently occupy the No. 5 spot. The Sounders would host that game at CenturyLink Field, where they're 10-4-1 this season.
The two teams will meet in a possible playoff preview at Sporting Park in Kansas City on Sunday (2 pm PDT; ESPN), their third and final meeting of the regular season. SKC won their most recent matchup 1-0 at Sporting Park on June 6, and the two teams played to a 0-0 draw at CenturyLink Field on May 23.
SKC posted a huge 3-1 win over FC Dallas on Friday, snapping a five-game winless streak. They’ve won three of their past eight games and are led chiefly by playmaking midfielder Benny Feilhaber, who scored two goals in the win over Dallas and now has 10 goals and 14 assists on the season. Striker Dom Dwyer also has 10 goals on the season.
The Sounders, meanwhile, have won four of their past six games and are currently on a four-game unbeaten streak in MLS play.
While no team in the Western Conference has clinched a postseason berth, the New York Red Bulls became the first team in MLS to lock down a playoff spot over the weekend with a 2-0 road win over the Portland Timbers.
Here’s a look at where each team stands after Week 29 and the potential playoff scenarios:
WESTERN CONFERENCE (Seed in Parentheses)
Byes to Conference Semifinals:
(1) Vancouver Whitecaps, (2) FC Dallas
Conference Knockout Round Matches:
(3) LA Galaxy vs. (6) Portland Timbers
(4) Seattle Sounders vs. (5) Sporting Kansas City
EASTERN CONFERENCE (Seed in Parentheses)
Byes to Conference Semifinals:
(1) New York Red Bulls, (2) Columbus Crew SC
Conference Knockout Round Matches:
(3) New England Revolution vs. (6) Montreal Impact
(4) D.C. United vs. (5) Toronto FC
