Four teams had chances to lock up Audi 2015 MLS Cup Playoff spots this weekend. None of them succeeded.
Columbus Crew SC, D.C. United, New England Revolution and Vancouver Whitecaps all were unable to collect all three points and in doing so have yet to book their spots in the playoffs.
Those four teams will likely clinch their berths in the coming weeks but two teams in the middle of the Western Conference standings scored huge wins this weekend to increase their chances at making the postseason.
On Saturday night the Portland Timbers scored a huge road win in Columbus, defeating Crew SC to get their first win since August 15. That win put them four points clear of the San Jose Earthquakes.
After some frustrating performances at home, the Quakes came back on Sunday to get a get all three points at Avaya Stadium against a surging Real Salt Lake side. The win puts them just one point behind the Timbers, and the No. 6 seed.
Does your team sit above or below the red line? Check out the current standings and the new 2015 playoff rules. Then take a gander below at the current playoff scenarios, if the season ended after Week 29:
EASTERN CONFERENCE (Seed in Parentheses)
Byes to Conference Semifinals:
(1) New York Red Bulls, (2) New England Revolution
Conference Knockout Round Matches:
(3) Columbus Crew SC vs. (6) Montreal Impact
(4) D.C. United vs. (5) Toronto FC
WESTERN CONFERENCE (Seed in Parentheses)
Byes to Conference Semifinals:
(1) LA Galaxy, (2) Vancouver Whitecaps
Conference Knockout Round Matches:
(3) FC Dallas vs. (6) Portland Timbers
(4) Seattle Sounders vs. (5) Sporting Kansas City
It was a moribund weekend in the Supporters' Shield race as only one of the top nine teams was able to get a win. The Galaxy's 3-2 win vs. Dallas moved them to No. 1 in the Shield standings, two points above the Whitecaps and New York Red Bulls.
Nine teams sit within five points of the Shield lead. The Red Bulls and Dallas hold an edge over their competition, each having games in hand.
Will the playoff matchups and Shield standings hold through the final weekend of the season? Take a look at the table below, which illustrates each team's remaining matches and the strength of schedule.
The strength of schedule metric takes into account the average points per game (PPG) each team's oppponents earn at home and on the road. The lower the PPG, the easier the schedule.
For example, if FC Dallas traveled to play the LA Galaxy, who have averaged 2.5 PPG at home, and then hosted the Vancouver Whitecaps, who have averaged 1.53 PPG on the road, their opponents PPG would be 2.02.
| Road to the Playoffs | ||
| Team | Games Remaining | Strength of Schedule Rank (Opp. PPG) |
| Eastern Conference | ||
| New York Red Bulls | 5 (CLB, MTL, @TOR, PHI, @CHI) | 5 (1.28) |
| New England Revolution | 3 (@CHI, MTL, @NYC) | 4 (1.21) |
| Columbus Crew SC | 3 (@NY, @TOR, DC) | 18 (1.67) |
| D.C. United | 3 (NYC, CHI, @CLB) | 1 (1.02) |
| Toronto FC | 4 (PHI, NY, CLB, @MTL) | 7 (1.35) |
| Montreal Impact | 5 (@ORL, @NY, @COL, @NE, TOR) | 15 (1.55) |
| Orlando City SC | 3 (MTL, NYC, @PHI) | 2 (1.03) |
| New York City FC | 3 (@DC, @ORL, NE) | 12 (1.42) |
| Philadelphia Union | 3 (@TOR, @NY, ORL) | 19 (1.73) |
| Chicago Fire | 3 (NE, @DC, NY) | 11 (1.40) |
| Western Conference | ||
| LA Galaxy | 3 (@SEA, POR, @SKC) | 20 (1.78) |
| Vancouver Whitecaps | 4 (@SJ, DAL, @DAL, HOU) | 13 (1.44) |
| FC Dallas | 5 (HOU, @VAN, VAN, @RSL, SJ) | T-8 (1.36) |
| Seattle Sounders | 3 (LA, @HOU, RSL) | 3 (1.11) |
| Sporting Kansas City | 4 (@POR, @SJ, COL, LA) | 6 (1.30) |
| Portland Timbers | 4 (SKC, @RSL, @LA, COL) | 14 (1.51) |
| San Jose Earthquakes | 3 (VAN, SKC, @DAL) | 16 (1.56) |
| Houston Dynamo | 3 (@DAL, SEA, @VAN) | 17 (1.63) |
| Real Salt Lake | 4 (@COL, POR, DAL, @SEA) | 10 (1.38) |
| Colorado Rapids | 4 (RSL, MTL, @SKC, @POR) | T-8 (1.36) |
Do you think your team will make the playoffs? Let us know why in the comments below.
