MLS Playoffs – Who’s in and who’s out

By on October 12, 2014

The MLS may be criticized for being different from its European competitors in the regard that it does not run a single table league system, however, as the MLS Playoffs near it is hard to ignore the entertainment it creates. Not just the battle for the regular season title, which is still a heated battle between LA Galaxy and Seattle Sounders, who are tied on points with two Gameweeks to go, but for the remaining Playoffs spots themselves.

This past weekend, five spots were sealed by Real Salt Lake, FC Dallas, Sporting Kansas City, New England Revolution, and New York Red Bulls, as the five clubs got results again San Jose Earthquakes, LA Galaxy, Chicago Fire, Montreal Impact, and Toronto FC, respectively. These results have those clubs join the Sounders, Galaxy, and D.C. United in the eight already booked playoff positions. This weekend’s results also left Philadelphia Union, who lost to Columbus Crew in an enthralling match which saw them go from 2-0 up to 3-2 down late on in just 262 seconds, and Dynamo out. Chivas USA, Colorado Rapids, San Jose, Montreal, Chicago, are alongside them in those who have had their Playoff hopes dashed already.

Two spots still, remain untaken, though, one in each Conference, with two teams fighting for them in each. In the Wests either Vancouver Whitecaps or Portland Timbers will have they hearts broken in the next two weeks, and Columbus Crew and Toronto in the Eastern Conference. The Crew sit in perhaps the best position, needing just a single point out of Philadelphia or New York to seal their spot, however, things are a lot more interesting in the West.

This past week Portland went as low as to support their rivals the Sounders as the faced the Whitecaps, and while their enemies are currently in a battle for the regular season title ironically went on to lose 2-0. Thus, the Whitecaps are one pint ahead of Portland with two matches to go.

QUALIFIED FOR PLAYOFFS:
Seattle Sounders FC, LA Galaxy, Real Salt Lake, FC Dallas (Western Conference)
D.C. United, Sporting Kansas City, New England Revolution, New York Red Bulls (Eastern Conference)

ELIMINATED FROM PLAYOFFS:
Chivas USA, Colorado Rapids, San Jose Earthquakes (Western Conference)
Montreal Impact, Chicago Fire, Philadelphia Union, Houston Dynamo (Eastern Conference)

About Alex Morgan

Alex Morgan, founder of Football Every Day, lives and breaths football from the West Coast of the United States in California. Aside from founding Football Every Day in January of 2013, Alex has also launched his own journalism career and hopes to help others do the same with FBED. He covers the San Jose Earthquakes as a beat reporter for QuakesTalk.com and his work has also been featured in the BBC's Match of the Day Magazine.