The Supporters’ Shield could be clinched, MLS Cup Playoff fates will be sealed and a coach or two could earn a full-time job.
We don’t know just how it’ll play out, but we do know that there’s plenty on the line in Week 33.
Here’s a full rundown of all of Sunday’s action:
D.C. United (No. 5 in East, 43 points) vs. New York City FC (No. 2 in East, 51 points)
3 pm ET on MLS LIVE
NYCFC have already clinched a playoff berth and D.C.’s position looks somewhat comfortable, but there’s still a ton on the line in the District on Sunday.
Currently tied with the Red Bulls atop the East but trailing their New York rivals due to the wins tiebreaker, City will look to stay in the hunt for the conference’s top seed – and the home field advantage that comes with it – with a win at D.C.
That won’t exactly be an easy task, however. United are one of the hottest teams in all of MLS (5-1-6 record in their last 12) and would clinch a playoff berth with a win on Sunday. A loss, and D.C. could be looking at a dogfight for the sixth and final playoff spot. Trust that Ben Olsen’s men will be plenty motivated this weekend.
Chicago Fire (No. 10 in East, 28 points) vs. New England Revolution (No. 7 in East, 39 points)
3 pm ET on MLS LIVE
Chicago’s season has been done for a while, but the Revs will have it all on the line on Sunday. New England trail Philadelphia by three points for the East’s sixth and final playoff spot and, with the wrong combination of results, could be eliminated from contention if they don’t beat the Fire in Bridgeview. History isn’t exactly in their favor, either – New England have won just twice at Toyota Park, with their last win at Chicago, who will clinch the dreaded wooden spoon with a loss or draw, coming in March 2013.
Montreal Impact (No. 4 in East, 44 points) vs. Toronto FC (No. 3 in East, 49 points)
3 pm ET on ESPN in the US, TSN2 and RDS in Canada
A pair of heated rivals battling for playoff seeding – yeah, this is a big one. Toronto are fighting to avoid the Knockout Round by claiming a top-two seed in the East. The Reds are still actually in the hunt for the conference crown, too, and could take sole possession of the lead with a win on Sunday coupled with losses by both of the New York clubs.
It’s a bit of a different story for Montreal, who are looking to clinch a playoff spot and solidify a home Knockout Round match with a win on Sunday. They’ll need the victory, too, as D.C. and Philly are hot on their heels.
New York Red Bulls (No. 1 in East, 51 points) vs. Columbus Crew SC (No. 8 in East, 36 points)
3 pm ET on MLS LIVE
If things break their way, the Red Bulls could all but officially clinch the East on Sunday. A win against Columbus coupled with an NYCFC loss at D.C. would essentially seal the No. 1 seed for Jesse Marsch’s men, who, in that scenario, would head into the final week of the season with a three-point lead and double-digit goal difference advantage over their New York rivals. A loss or draw to already-eliminated Columbus, who drew at Chicago on Thursday, would really open things up. The Red Bulls don’t want to go down that rabbit hole.
Philadelphia Union (No. 6 in East, 42 points) vs. Orlando City SC (No. 9 in East, 35 points)
3 pm ET on MLS LIVE
It’s do-or-die time for the Union, who are flailing to the finish with a 0-3-2 record in their last five games. Philly now sit in sixth in the East, three points ahead of New England for the final playoff spot. They’ll clinch with a win against Orlando and a Revs loss/draw at Chicago, and could potentially move all the way to fourth – the lowest seed guaranteed to host a playoff game – should D.C. and Montreal stumble. With the firing Red Bulls looming on Decision Day in Week 34, the Union will want to handle things against ninth-place Orlando – who are fighting for jobs under new head coach Jason Kreis – on Sunday.
Real Salt Lake (No. 5 in West, 45 points) vs. Sporting Kansas City (No. 6 in West, 43 points)
5 pm ET on MLS LIVE
Any match between RSL and SKC is guaranteed to run hot, but this one might hit a new level. The rivals are both fighting for their playoff lives, with SKC just two points ahead of Portland for the sixth and final playoff spot in the West and RSL looking to snap out of a late swoon (0-3-2, 2pts in their last five matches) to get back in position to host a Knockout Round match. Salt Lake would clinch a playoff spot with a win, while a Kansas City victory could throw things completely up in the air depending on what Portland does against Colorado. Things could get wild – really wild – in Sandy on Sunday.
San Jose Earthquakes (No. 8 in West, 37 points) vs. Vancouver Whitecaps (No. 9 in West, 35 points)
5 pm ET on MLS LIVE in the US, TSN in Canada
Both San Jose and Vancouver are out of contention for the playoffs, so there’s not much at stake here but position in January’s SuperDraft. San Jose have an obvious edge as the home team, but could be dealing with some tired legs after losing on Thursday at Colorado. Focus turns to two young up-and-comers who have been given a run of late: San Jose's dynamic 21-year-old playmaker Tommy Thompson and Vancouver's precocious 15-year-old Alphonso Davies, who is already wowing crowds.
Houston Dynamo (No. 10 in West, 33 points) vs. LA Galaxy (No. 3 in West, 48 points)
5 pm ET on MLS LIVE
The Galaxy are already in, but can’t finish any higher than third in the West. Still, they could face a battle for that spot, with Seattle and Salt Lake both within striking distance of LA. Bruce Arena’s boys will look to shore up that spot – and the home playoff game that comes with it – with a win at already-eliminated Houston, who have yet to decide whether or not interim head coach Wade Barrett will return in 2017.
FC Dallas (No. 2 in West, 56 points) vs. Seattle Sounders (No. 4 in West, 45 points)
5 pm ET on MLS LIVE
We’ve got history and we’ve got huge stakes. There are plenty of matches that are must-see this weekend, and this is one of them.
For the first time in what feels like forever, Dallas aren’t leading the Supporters’ Shield race, trailing the Rapids by one point. With a match at LA looming in the finale, they’ll probably need to win Sunday to have any shot of claiming the regular season title and securing home-field throughout the playoffs.
They’ll have their hands full against Seattle, who, even with Wednesday’s home draw against Houston, have been the hottest team in the league since August (7-1-3, 24pts in 11 matches). The Sounders will aim to cap their remarkable turnaround with a win at Toyota Stadium, the same building where their 2015 playoff run came to a heartbreaking end. They’ll be without Ozzie Alonso due to suspension, but the Sounders would clinch a playoff berth and potentially move into third in the West with a win in Frisco.
Portland Timbers (No. 7 in West, 41 points) vs. Colorado Rapids (No. 1 in West, 57 points)
5 pm ET on ESPN in the US, MLS LIVE in Canada
Colorado could write a new chapter in their incredible Cinderella story of a season on Sunday, as a win at the Timbers coupled with a Dallas loss to Seattle would clinch the Supporters’ Shield for the Rapids. Even a draw would be a huge result for Colorado, as it’d ensure that they’d host MLS Cup if they advance that far and would no doubt leave them feeling pretty good about their Shield chances heading into their finale at home against Houston.
A Rapids win would be the stuff of storybook, but it’ll be an awfully tall task. The Timbers are 11-3-2 at home this year and desperately need a win. The defending MLS Cup champs are in seventh in the West, two points behind sixth-place SKC and four back of fourth-place RSL. They’d be eliminated Sunday with a loss and a Sporting KC win at RSL. Conversely, they’d move above the red line with a win and an SKC loss and could climb into sixth with a win coupled with a draw in Salt Lake, depending on the goal difference tiebreaker. The Timbers Army knows all about those scenarios, of course, and they’ll have Providence Park jumping as their team tries to keep hope alive.
