This Week in MLS - October 23, 2018

• It all comes down to MLS Decision Day presented by AT&T
• Western Conference showdown to determine top seed
• It’s win or go home for Galaxy in the West and Montreal in the East
• Atlanta controls own destiny as Supporters’ Shield race vs. Red Bulls comes down to finale
• MLS Week 35: Match Notes

It all comes down to MLS Decision Day presented by AT&T
This Sunday is
MLS Decision Day presented by AT&T
and the drama intensifies as all 11 final games of the 2018 regular season kick off simultaneously (4:30 p.m. ET) to determine who is in, and who is out of the Audi 2018 MLS Cup Playoffs.

• One spot remains in the East.  One spot remains in the West.  
  
• Atlanta United (69 pts.) and New York Red Bulls (68 pts.) are vying for the Supporters’ Shield, the top spot in the Eastern Conference standings, as well as the single-season points record currently held by Atlanta United (69 pts., 2018) and Toronto FC (69 pts, 2017).
  
• Sporting Kansas City, FC Dallas and newcomer LAFC are all in the hunt for one of the top two spots in the West, and with it a first-round bye.
  
• Will Chris Wondolowski (144 goals) break the MLS All-Time Goal-Scoring record held by Landon Donovan (145 goals) during the 2018 season?
  

It all comes down to Sunday’s matches.
How to Watch Decision Day 2018 presented by AT&T
The battle for the Western Conference top spot between No. 1
Sporting Kansas City
and No. 2
Los Angeles Football Club
will be the featured matchup on FS1 and FOX Deportes this week, with live look-ins to the drama unfolding throughout the other 10 matchups.
The 10 games will air on regional broadcast partners, as well as on ESPN+ and via MLS LIVE on DAZN in Canada. Blackout restrictions apply.
MLSsoccer.com
will set the stage with “Decision Day Central presented by AT&T” providing an hour of in-depth pregame coverage (starting at 3 p.m. ET) and an hour of postgame expert analysis (beginning at 7 p.m. ET) – all streaming live on
MLSsoccer.com
, and MLS social media platforms (
MLS Facebook
/

/
MLS YouTube
) as well as
FOX Sports Facebook
and

.
Western Conference showdown to determine top seed
First place in the West is at stake when top-ranked Sporting Kansas City (17-8-8, 59 pts.) and second-place LAFC (16-8-9, 57 pts.) square off as the featured matchup on FS1 and FOX Deportes.
With a win, Sporting will finish atop their conference for the first time since 2012.
Meanwhile, LAFC could become the only expansion team to finish atop the conference in their inaugural season.
It’s win or go home for Galaxy, Montreal on Decision Day
The fate of four teams will come down to the last week of the regular season as one spot remains in the East and one spot remains in the West.
The LA Galaxy own their fate. The club enters Sunday’s game undefeated in four consecutive matches thanks to the playmaking prowess of
Zlatan Ibrahimović
, who has scored in five straight games, with 22 total goals and 10 assists this season. A victory over the Houston Dynamo at StubHub Center on Sunday would pull the Galaxy above idle Real Salt Lake for the final spot in the West.
In the Eastern Conference, all eyes are on The Columbus Crew SC and the Montreal Impact.
For Montreal it’s not only win or go home, Montreal must win against the Revolution and hope that Columbus does not win against Minnesota United.  Montreal has won two straight, powered by three goals in that span by
Ignacio Piatti
, but Columbus knows a victory would secure a postseason spot.
LA Galaxy will clinch a berth in the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs IF

• LA Galaxy win vs. Houston Dynamo
  

Real Salt Lake will clinch a berth in the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs IF

• LA Galaxy lose or tie vs. Houston Dynamo
  

Montreal Impact will clinch a berth in the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs IF

• Montreal Impact win vs. New England Revolution AND
  
• Columbus Crew SC lose or tie vs. Minnesota United FC
  

Columbus Crew SC will clinch a berth in the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs IF

• Columbus Crew SC win vs. Minnesota United FC
  

OR

• Montreal Impact lose or tie vs. New England Revolution
  

Atlanta controls destiny as Shield race vs. NYRB comes down to finale
For the 10th time in league history, the Supporters’ Shield will be decided on the final weekend of the MLS Regular Season. Atlanta United and the New York Red Bulls are neck-and-neck in the race for the top seed throughout the Audi 2018 MLS Cup Playoffs.
Atlanta is looking to clinch in Toronto playing against the defending MLS Cup champions, last year’s Supporters’ Shield winners, and share the MLS record with Atlanta for most points in a season. The Red Bulls host Orlando City SC (both games at 4:30 p.m. ET on ESPN+) in search of their third Supporters’ Shield.
Atlanta United will capture the Supporters’ Shield IF:

• Atlanta United win vs. Toronto FC
  

OR

• Atlanta United tie vs. Toronto FC AND a Red Bulls draw or loss vs. Orlando City SC
  

OR
New York Red Bulls lose vs. Orlando City SC


Red Bulls will capture Supporters’ Shield IF:

• New York Red Bulls win vs. Orlando City SC AND Atlanta United tie or lose vs. Toronto FC
  

OR

• New York Red Bulls draw vs. Orlando City and score less than 8 goals more than Atlanta AND an Atlanta loss by 1 goal (if Atlanta loses by 2 or more goals, a Red Bulls tie would award the Red Bulls with the Shield)
  

FOR MORE:
Playoff qualification, tiebreakers
MLS Week 35: Match Notes
Sunday, October 28, 2018
Chicago Fire vs. D.C. United, 4:30 p.m. ET (ESPN+)

• D.C. United extended their undefeated streak to nine games, winning their fifth in a row and completed a seven-game homestand at Audi Field unbeaten – and qualified for the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs – all in a 3-1 win against New York City FC on Sunday afternoon.
  
• Wayne Rooney scored a pair of goals for United; he has scored eight goals (and added one assist) in the past six matches, dating back to Sept. 16. Luciano Acosta scored a goal and added an assist, now tied for the league lead with 17 assists.
  
• The Fire suffered a second consecutive defeat, falling 2-1 to Atlanta United at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
  
• The teams are meeting for the second time this season, on the back end of a home-and-home series over the final four weeks of the season. Rooney converted a penalty kick nine minutes from full time to cap D.C. United’s comeback in a 2-1 win on Oct. 7 at Audi Field.
  
• United’s win in the first meeting ended a two-game Fire winning streak in the series, taking both meetings a year ago, one at each ground, putting an end to a nine-game United undefeated streak in the series from 2014-16.
  
• The Fire are undefeated in the past three meetings at Toyota Park, with the teams reaching draws in their two previous meetings in Bridgeview before the Fire’s win there last year.
  

Colorado Rapids vs. FC Dallas, 4:30 p.m. ET (ESPN+)

• The Rapids gained a second consecutive result on the heels of a seven-game losing slide, reaching a goalless draw with the San Jose Earthquakes at Avaya Stadium on Sunday afternoon. It was a second consecutive shutout for the Rapids.
  
• FC Dallas suffered a second successive defeat, falling 3-0 to Sporting Kansas City at Toyota Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
  
• The teams are meeting for the second time this season. Cristian Colmán netted the equalizer in the 89th minute for FCD, canceling out a Joe Mason goal for the Rapids in the 62nd minute, leaving the teams in a 1-1 draw on April 7 at Toyota Stadium.
  
• The teams have played to four consecutive 1-1 draws at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park over the past three seasons. The Rapids have won just one of their past eight home matches against FCD, with four draws, dating back to the 2012 season, now winless in their past five meetings with Dallas in Commerce City, Colo.
  
• Dallas has won the two meetings at Toyota Stadium, ending a three-game winless streak in the series in Frisco, Texas.
  

Columbus Crew SC vs. Minnesota United FC, 4:30 p.m. ET (ESPN+)

• Crew SC suffered a second consecutive loss and saw their winless run stretched to three games, falling 2-1 to Orlando City SC at Orlando City Stadium. Federico Higuaín scored the lone Crew SC goal directly from a free kick, putting an end to a 267-minute goalless drought.
  
• Minnesota United FC put an end to their TCF Bank Stadium history, suffering a third consecutive defeat in a 3-1 loss to the LA Galaxy on Sunday afternoon.
  
• The final MNUFC match at TCF Bank Stadium drew an attendance of 52,242, breaking the Minnesota state record for attendance for a soccer match, since a crowd of 49,572 fans came to Metropolitan Stadium in 1976 to watch the Minnesota Kicks of the NASL.
  
• The teams met once last year, in Minnesota United FC’s inaugural MLS campaign, with Crew SC taking a 1-0 win on July 4 at TCF Bank Stadium.
  

LA Galaxy vs. Houston Dynamo, 4:30 p.m. ET (ESPN+)

• The Galaxy stretched their undefeated streak to four games with a third win in that time, defeating Minnesota United FC 3-1 at TCF Bank Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
  
• Zlatan Ibrahimović scored his 22nd goal of the season and added his 10th assist; it was a fifth consecutive game with a goal for Ibrahimović, becoming the second player in MLS history to have two goalscoring streaks in one season of five games or more (the first: Roy Lassiter in 1996).
  
• The Dynamo suffered a third consecutive defeat, falling 3-2 to Seattle Sounders FC at BBVA Compass Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
  
• The teams are meeting for the second time this season. Memo Rodríguez scored his first goal of the season in the 90th minute, snapping a 2-2 tie and giving the Dynamo the victory on May 5 at BBVA Compass Stadium.
  
• The Galaxy had won three consecutive meetings at StubHub Center before the teams drew there last year. Their win on May 22, 2015, in Carson, Calif., was LA’s first league victory against the Dynamo since May 25, 2011, ending a five-game league winless run in the series. The Dynamo had won four consecutive league meetings between the teams before a 1-1 draw on March 21, 2015.
  
• The Dynamo win in the first meeting ended a three-game winless streak in the series on their home ground. The Galaxy won in Houston twice in 2016, their first wins ever at BBVA Compass Stadium.
  

New England Revolution vs. Montreal Impact, 4:30 p.m. ET (TVA Sports, TSN, ESPN+)

• The Revolution return to action after having the weekend off, their last match a 4-1 loss to Real Salt Lake at Rio Tinto Stadium last Thursday evening.
  
• The Impact stayed in the chase for the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs with a second consecutive victory, defeating Toronto FC 2-0 at Stade Saputo on Sunday afternoon. Ignacio Piatti scored both Impact goals, now with 16 for the season.
  
• The teams are meeting for the third time this season. Andrew Farrell scored his first goal as a professional, and the Revolution also got goals from Teal Bunbury, Diego Fagundez and Wilfried Zahibo as they rolled to a 4-0 win on April 6 at Gillette Stadium. Then on May 5, Piatti scored one goal and set up three others – two from Anthony Jackson-Hamel – as the Impact cruised to a 4-2 win at Stade Saputo.
  
• The Impact win in the last meeting ended a five-game winning streak for the Revolution in the series, over the past three seasons. That streak snapped a five-game undefeated streak for the Impact in the all-time series and ended a three-game Montréal winning run.
  
• The Revolution have also won the past three meetings at Gillette Stadium, their first home wins in the series in Foxborough since Sept. 13, 2014.
  

New York City FC vs. Philadelphia Union, 4:30 p.m. ET (ESPN+)

• New York City FC returned to play for the first time in three weeks and suffered a second consecutive loss, falling 3-1 to D.C. United at Audi Field on Sunday afternoon. David Villa scored the NYCFC goal, his 13th of the season.
  
• The Union had their four-game undefeated streak put to an end, falling by the game’s lone goal to the New York Red Bulls at Talen Energy Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
  
• The teams are meeting for the second time this season. Cory Burke and Ilsinho netted second-half goals as the Union claimed a 2-0 win on Aug. 18 at Talen Energy Stadium.
  
• The win in the first meeting ended a three-game winning streak for NYCFC in the series. NYCFC have won the past two meetings in the Bronx.
  

New York Red Bulls vs. Orlando City SC, 4:30 p.m. ET (ESPN+)

• The Red Bulls won their fourth consecutive match, defeating the Philadelphia Union by the game’s only goal at Talen Energy Stadium on Sunday afternoon. Kaku converted the spot kick as the Red Bulls recorded a shutout for the third time in their winning run.
  
• Orlando City SC put an end to their 13-game winless streak, winning for the first time since July 14 in a 2-1 victory against Columbus Crew SC at Orlando City Stadium. Yoshimar Yotún and Sacha Kljestan both converted penalty kicks for the OCSC goals, the winner coming in stoppage time.
  
• The teams are meeting for the second time this season. Dom Dwyer scored a pair of goals and Josué Colman netted the game-winner in the 86th minute, giving Orlando City a 4-3 victory on March 31 at Orlando City Stadium.
  
• The home team has won each of the past three meetings in the series. The visiting team won each of the first two meetings between the teams, both in 2015, with the Red Bulls winning 2-0 at the Citrus Bowl, and OCSC with a 5-2 triumph at Red Bull Arena. Those were the last away wins in the series.
  

Seattle Sounders FC vs. San Jose Earthquakes, 4:30 p.m. ET (ESPN+)

• Sounders FC won their fourth game on the trot, defeating the Houston Dynamo 3-2 at BBVA Compass Stadium. Nicolás Lodeiro recorded assists on all three Sounders FC goals, now tied for third in the MLS assist standings with 15 for the season.
  
• The Quakes put an end to their six-game losing skid but still saw their winless run extended, playing to a goalless draw with the Colorado Rapids at Avaya Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
  
• The teams are meeting for the second time this season. Raúl Ruidiáz scored the game’s lone goal in the 62nd minute, giving Sounders FC the victory on July 25 at Avaya Stadium.
  
• Sounders FC have a five-game undefeated streak alive in the overall series; the win in the first meeting was their first in northern California since 2010. Sounders FC have come away with points on each of their four visits to Avaya Stadium (three draws and a victory).
  
• Sounders FC have won the past two meetings at CenturyLink Field, including a 3-0 victory on July 23 in the last encounter there. The Seattle home win in 2016 put an end to a five-game Quakes undefeated streak in the league series.
  

Sporting Kansas City vs. Los Angeles Football Club, 4:30 p.m. ET (FS1, FOX Deportes)

• Sporting won a second consecutive match and extended their undefeated streak to four games, defeating FC Dallas 3-0 at Toyota Stadium on Sunday afternoon. Daniel Salloí scored his 10th goal of the season, his third in the past two games, and Johnny Russell also netted his 10th goal of the year.
  
• LAFC saw a two-game winning streak come to an end but still extended their undefeated streak to three games, reaching a 2-2 draw with Vancouver Whitecaps FC at Banc of California Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
  
• Diego Rossi netted both goals for LAFC, now with 12 goals for the season, while Carlos Vela added his 13th assist (to go with 13 goals).
  
• The teams are meeting for the second time. Gerso Fernandes and Ilie Sánchez netted goals on either side of halftime as Sporting took a 2-0 win on Aug. 11 at Banc of California Stadium.
  

Toronto FC vs. Atlanta United, 4:30 p.m. ET (TSN, ESPN+)

• TFC suffered a third consecutive loss, shut out for a second game in a row in a 2-0 defeat by the Montréal Impact at Stade Saputo on Sunday afternoon.
  
• Atlanta United won their second game in a row, defeating the Chicago Fire 2-1 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Sunday afternoon. The win gave Atlanta 69 points for the season, tying the all-time MLS single-season record set last year by Toronto FC.
  
• The teams are meeting for the second time this season. Josef Martínez scored a pair of goals for Atlanta United, but TFC’s Tosaint Ricketts hit for the leveler in stoppage time, leaving the teams in a 2-2 draw on Aug. 4 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
  
• The teams have reached 2-2 draws in each of their three meetings. The teams met twice in Atlanta United’s inaugural season, once at each ground – April 8 at BMO Field, and on Decision Day (Oct. 22) at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
  

Vancouver Whitecaps FC vs. Portland Timbers, 4:30 p.m. ET (TSN, ESPN+)

• Whitecaps FC saw their bid for a place in the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs come to an end, despite coming back for a 2-2 draw with the Los Angeles Football Club at Banc of California Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
  
• The Timbers booked their place in the postseason, defeating Real Salt Lake for the second time in three weeks, this time in a 3-0 victory at Providence Park on Sunday afternoon. Sebastian Blanco scored a goal, his 10th of the season, and added an assist, now with 11.
  
• The teams are meeting for the second time this season. Kei Kamara and Cristian Techera scored goals in the first half as Whitecaps FC took a 2-1 win on Aug. 11 at Providence Park.
  
• The win in the first meeting ended a three-game winning streak for the Timbers in the series. Whitecaps FC have won five times in 23 all-time MLS meetings between the teams, all coming in the past 15 meetings.
  
• The win in the first meeting was also the first for Whitecaps FC in Portland since June 1, 2014, a 4-3 victory, ending a six-game winless streak there. The Timbers win in Vancouver last season ended a three-game Whitecaps FC winning streak at BC Place, over the previous two seasons, their only league wins at home against the Timbers.
  
• The teams first met on May 16, 1975 in the old North American Soccer League, with the Timbers winning 2-0 at Empire Stadium in Vancouver. The teams have met 91 times in all, across a number of competitions – the Whitecaps hold a 38-35-18 advantage in the all-time record between the clubs. The teams met twice in the NASL playoffs, in 1978 and 1980, with each team advancing on one occasion.