MLS Playoff race update

The race to the MLS Cup Playoffs has come down to a dramatic final week of the regular season. Four teams -- the Chicago Fire, Kansas City Wizards, Colorado Rapids and Los Angeles Galaxy -- are vying for the two remaining playoff spots.

Chicago is in the driver's seat because by the time they host the Galaxy on Sunday, the Fire will know exactly how many points, if any, they will need to secure from that game. Kansas City controls its destiny, as a win against host FC Dallas on Saturday will send the Wizards to the postseason regardless of other results. The Galaxy is the only team with two games remaining, including a supercharged MLS Primetime Thursday match against the New York Red Bulls on ESPN2 (11 p.m. ET). Colorado must win against Western Conference rival Real Salt Lake on Saturday and get help from other results.

Over the weekend, D.C. United clinched the Supporters' Shield, given to the Major League Soccer team with the best regular season record, and became the first team to earn the honor two years in a row. United will be the top seed in the Eastern Conference. New England has secured the second seed in the East, and New York is the third seed. New England and New York will face each other in an Eastern Conference Semifinal Series with the Red Bulls hosting the first game on Saturday, Oct. 27 at Giants Stadium at 7:30 p.m. ET. New England will host the second game on Saturday, Nov. 3 at Gillette Stadium at 7:30 p.m. ET.

If Houston earns at least a point against Real Salt Lake on Monday night, it will set up a showdown versus Chivas USA on Saturday night for the top seed in the Western Conference.

The schedule of games for the final week of the MLS regular season is below.

The MLS Cup Playoffs begin on Thursday, Oct. 25 on ESPN2. MLS Cup 2007 takes place on Nov. 18 in Washington, D.C., where a champion will be crowned for the 12th time in League history.

Below are the scenarios in which teams could clinch or be eliminated this week:

Chicago Fire:

• Will clinch a playoff spot IF:
· Chicago defeats LA on Sunday OR IF
· Chicago ties LA on Sunday AND any two of the following occur:
· LA fails to win against NY on Thursday
· Kansas City loses to FC Dallas on Saturday
· Colorado fails to win against RSL on Saturday OR IF
· Chicago loses to LA on Sunday AND any two of the following occur:
· LA loses to NY on Thursday
· Kansas City loses to FC Dallas on Saturday
· Colorado fails to win against RSL on Saturday

• Will be eliminated from playoff contention IF:
· Chicago ties LA on Sunday AND both of the following occur:
· Kansas City defeats FC Dallas Saturday
· Colorado defeats RSL on Saturday OR IF:
· Chicago loses to LA on Sunday AND any two of the following occur:
· LA earns at least a point against NY on Thursday
· Kansas City earns at least a point against FC Dallas on Saturday
· Colorado defeats RSL on Saturday

Los Angeles Galaxy:

• If LA defeats NY on Thursday, the Galaxy will clinch a playoff spot IF:
· LA ties or defeats Chicago on Sunday AND either of the following occur:
· Colorado fails to win against Real Salt Lake on Saturday
· Kansas City loses to FC Dallas on Saturday

• If LA ties NY on Thursday, the Galaxy will clinch a playoff spot IF:
· LA defeats Chicago on Sunday AND either of the following occur:
· Colorado fails to win against RSL on Saturday
· Kansas City loses to FC Dallas on Saturday

• Will be eliminated from playoff contention IF:
· LA loses to New York on Thursday OR IF:
· LA ties New York on Thursday AND
· LA ties or loses to Chicago next Sunday

Kansas City Wizards:
• Will clinch a playoff spot IF:
· Kansas City defeats FC Dallas on Saturday OR
· Kansas City ties FC Dallas on Saturday AND any two of the following occur:
· LA fails to win BOTH of its two games
· Colorado fails to win against Real Salt Lake on Saturday
· Colorado wins by less than three goals^
· Chicago loses to LA on Sunday

• Will be eliminated from playoff contention IF:
· Kansas City loses to FC Dallas on Saturday AND either of the following occur:
· Colorado defeats Real Salt Lake
· LA earns six points from its two games OR IF
· Kansas City ties FC Dallas on Saturday AND any two of the following occur:
· Chicago earns at least a point against LA on Sunday
· Colorado defeats Real Salt Lake by three goals on Saturday
· LA earns six points from its two games

^Note: Because Colorado and Kansas City tied both times they met this season, their placing will be determined by goal differential if they finish the season tied in points.

Colorado Rapids:

• Will clinch a playoff spot IF:
· Colorado defeats Real Salt Lake on Saturday AND any two of the following occur:
· Los Angeles does not win both its games this week
· Chicago loses or ties Sunday
· Kansas City loses Saturday
· Kansas City ties Saturday and Colorado defeats RSL by three goals

• Colorado will be eliminated from playoff contention IF:
· Colorado fails to win against Real Salt Lake on Saturday OR IF any two of the following occur:
· Chicago wins Sunday
· Kansas City wins Saturday
· Los Angeles wins both its games this week

Other important permutations of this week's games include:

Chivas USA:

• Will clinch first place in the Western Conference IF:
· Chivas USA ties or defeats Houston on Saturday

Houston Dynamo:

• Will clinch first place in the Western Conference IF:
· Houston defeats Chivas USA on Saturday

If the season ended today, the eight teams below would qualify. They are listed according to their would-be opponents in two-game, aggregate goals playoff series:

*As the fifth team to qualify from the Eastern Conference, Kansas City would shift over to become the fourth seed in the Western Conference playoff bracket. Full qualification and seeding procedure is below.

MLS CUP PLAYOFF SCHEDULE
Individual clubs have information on specific dates for their respective home matches.

EASTERN CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS:

Game 1: Thurs., Oct. 25 - Sun., Oct. 28
Game 2: Thurs., Nov. 1 - Sun., Nov. 4

WESTERN CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS:
Game 1: Thurs., Oct. 25 - Sun., Oct. 28
Game 2: Thurs., Nov. 1 - Sun., Nov. 4

CONFERENCE FINALS:
Thurs., Nov. 8 teams and site TBD (ESPN2)
Sat., Nov. 10 teams and site TBD

MLS CUP

Sun., Nov. 18, Noon (ABC) at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C.

MLS PLAYOFF RACE

Key:
* Has clinched a playoff spot
Blue - Automatic berths in MLS Cup Playoffs
Black - Wildcard berths in MLS Cup Playoffs
Red - Currently out of playoffs

The qualification and seeding are as follow:

• Eight teams qualify for the 2007 MLS Cup Playoffs
• Playoff berths will be determined by points in the standings upon the completion of the regular season on Oct. 21; all 13 teams will have played 30 games.
· If two teams are tied on points, the first tiebreaker is head-to-head results, the second tiebreaker is goal differential, and the third is goals scored for the season. (Subsequent tiebreakers are available in the Fact and Record Book).
• The top two teams in each conference qualify and are seeded 1 & 2 in their respective four-team playoff conference brackets.
• The four MLS teams with the next most points, regardless of conference, receive "wildcard" berths.
· The four wildcard teams will be seeded according to conference first.
· If more than four teams qualify from one conference, those finishing lower than fourth in their conference will shift over to the other conference bracket.
· A team switching conference brackets will be seeded below all other teams in its new conference playoff bracket.

REMAINING MLS REGULAR SEASON GAMES
(All times Eastern)

Monday, October 15

Houston Dynamo at Real Salt Lake, 9:00 p.m.

Thursday, October 18

New York Red Bulls at Los Angeles Galaxy, 11:00 p.m. (ESPN2)

Saturday, October 20

New England Revolution at Toronto FC, 12:30 p.m. (HDNet, CBC)

Columbus Crew at D.C. United, 7:30 p.m.

Kansas City Wizards at FC Dallas, 8:30 p.m.

Real Salt Lake at Colorado Rapids, 9:00 p.m.

Houston Dynamo at Chivas USA, 10:30 p.m. (FSC, FSE)

Sunday, October 21

Los Angeles Galaxy at Chicago Fire, 3:00 p.m. (TeleFutura)