Three spots in the MLS Cup Playoffs remain with only two weekends left in the regular season. Wednesday's featured Eastern Conference matchup between the Columbus Crew and Chicago Fire could hand down even more verdicts as the season winds down (Check the latest MLS regular season standings).
The Columbus Crew can clinch the No. 1 seed and home field advantage in a Conference Championship game with a victory against Chicago in midweek while a win for the Fire at Soldier Field on Wednesday would move last year's MLS Cup runner-ups one step closer to securing a postseason berth.
However, the other three Eastern Conference teams will also be watching with baited breath as Wednesday night's game will also carry implications for them. Two results from Wednesday's game would give D.C. United a ticket to the postseason while New England's faint hopes will be bolstered by a Fire loss, setting up an intriguing showdown between the two teams on the final weekend of the season. The MetroStars' hopes of finishing atop the Eastern Conference also rest on the Crew dropping points which they have rarely done in their current 15-game undefeated streak (7-0-8).
In the Western Conference the final MLS Cup Playoff berth is up for grabs between the defending MLS Cup champion San Jose Earthquakes and the Dallas Burn. A combination of results next Saturday, Oct. 9 could render meaningless their direct matchup scheduled for the last game of the season. At the top of the Western Conference, the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup champion Kansas City Wizards are one step away from clinching the No. 1 seed which would mean that the road to MLS Cup 2004 would go through Arrowhead Stadium in a Conference Championship featuring the Wizards.
What follows are the scenarios in play ahead of the upcoming set of matches (playoff scenarios will be updated following Wednesday's match between the Columbus Crew and Chicago Fire):
Columbus Crew clinch No. 1 seed in Eastern Conference with:
(a) win vs. Chicago Fire in midweek
D.C. United clinch MLS Cup Playoff spot with:
(a) Chicago Fire loss or tie in midweek
(b) win or tie vs. New England Revolution
Chicago Fire clinch MLS Cup Playoff spot with:
(a) win vs. Columbus Crew in midweek + New England Revolution loss or tie
(b) tie vs. Columbus Crew in midweek + New England Revolution loss
New England Revolution eliminated from MLS Cup Playoff contention with:
(a) loss vs. D.C. United + Chicago Fire win or tie
(b) tie vs. D.C. United + Chicago Fire win
Kansas City Wizards clinch No. 1 seed in Western Conference with:
(a) win vs. San Jose Earthquakes
(b) Los Angeles Galaxy loss or tie
San Jose Earthquakes clinch an MLS Cup Playoff spot with:
(a) win vs. Kansas City Wizards + Dallas Burn loss
Dallas Burn eliminated from MLS Cup Playoff contention with:
(a) loss vs. Los Angeles Galaxy + San Jose Earthquakes win
At the end of the regular season four teams qualify from each conference and advance to the home-and-home, aggregate goal MLS Cup Conference Semifinals (No. 1 vs. No. 4 and No. 2 vs. No. 3). The two teams left standing in each conference will meet in a Conference Championship with the winners of each advancing to MLS Cup 2004 at The Home Depot Center on Nov. 14 (live on ABC Sports at 3:30 p.m. ET).
Individual tickets are now available for MLS Cup 2004, which will be broadcast live on ABC Sports at 3:30 pm (ET) on Sunday, Nov. 14, at The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif. Individual ticket prices are as follows: $55 (sidelines), $40 (corners), $32 (upper deck) and $28 (goal line). For more information or group sales, contact the Los Angeles Galaxy toll-free at 1-877-3GALAXY or visit www.lagalaxy.com. To purchase tickets today, visit Ticketmaster or call at 1-800-366-8652.
