ExtraTime Radio Podcast
LISTEN: One more day. That's all that remains in the 2017 MLS regular season. The guys address the news out of Columbus, then dig into Decision Day with one playoff spot in the balance and seeding scenarios for days. Plus, SI.com's Brian Straus helps give RFK Stadium a proper ETR sendoff. Subscribe so you never miss a show! Download this episode!
And so it's here, the final weekend of the season. Or as we call it around these parts, Decision Day presented by AT&T.
It's been a long, mostly good year. Scoring is up to 2.93 per game, the highest number in 15 years, and that's good because I like goals. Atlanta United have taken the nine-year-old Seattle expansion blueprint and improved upon it. TFC are making a run at "best MLS team ever." FC Dallas provided us a memorable season in the entirely other direction. There are about 30 guys who have "Newcomer of the Year" shouts. The balance of power shifted from West to East for the first time in a decade.
Lots of stuff has happened, much of it good. Gun to head I'd say this was a top three MLS season, alongside 1998 and 2012.
All games kick off on Sunday at 4 pm ET. Without further ado...
Atlanta United vs. Toronto FC: Atlanta have to go for it, because if they lose while Columbus and Chicago win, the Five Stripes are suddenly in fifth place and staring at a short-turnaround road game in the Knockout Round. They'll likely have Miguel Almiron back in at least some form, and Josef Martinez is due, by his very lofty standards.
But they'll be without Leandro Gonzalez Pirez. And the last time they played without LGP – the only time they've played without LGP – they shipped three goals to a usually punchless Orlando City team. Without him, they lack a certain security in key moments:
TFC have less to play for. They've already wrapped up the Supporters' Shield, and so now it's just a matter of fitness and sharpness. I'd expect Jozy Altidore to get a rest, and would hope they don't plan on running the injury-prone Sebastian Giovinco into the ground. I also imagine they don't plan on showing their cards any more than they have to, but at the same time I'm sure they'd love to get the win and make Atlanta's playoff path harder.
This one's on MLS LIVE in the US and TSN4 in Canada.
D.C. United vs. New York Red Bulls: The RFK Retrospective. Expect a few key Red Bulls players to get some rest in this one. And also, be very disappointed if United's XI don't come out and play like men possessed. That stadium deserves a proper, hellbent for leather send-off. Catch it on MLS LIVE.
Montreal Impact vs. New England Revolution: The Revs attempt to avoid the ignominy of breaking the 19-year-old league record for most road goals conceded, as well as the record for fewest road points taken. Montreal, meanwhile, are just trying to end on a high note, and can maybe squeeze a 10th goal out of Homegrown forward Anthony Jackson-Hamel?
This will be on TVA Sports and TSN5 in Canada, and on MLS LIVE in the US.
New York City FC vs. Columbus Crew SC: Certainly the biggest game of the weekend in the Eastern Conference. A road win by Columbus would guarantee them homefield advantage in the Knockout Round at the very least, and could propel them all the way up to the No. 2 spot in the conference. A loss guarantees NYCFC claim that two spot.
The Cityzens need to get back to what they did from March through August: Drive the ball right up the gut:
Columbus are better than they were two months ago, but you can still go at them right there. And for what it's worth, I wouldn't rule out the possibility of Gregg Berhalter doing something funky like a 5-4-1 or a 3-4-3 here. Watch this one on MLS LIVE.
Philadelphia Union vs. Orlando City SC: A farewell for probably a half-dozen OCSC players, if not more, after Kaká said goodbye last week. Probably the same for Philly. It'll be on MLS LIVE.
FC Dallas vs. LA Galaxy: Dallas were coming off back-to-back 60-point seasons, the first team in MLS history to do that. They were coming off a Supporters' Shield/US Open Cup double. They were coming off three straight years of improvement under Oscar Pareja. They were coming off a solid first half of the 2017 season. They were young, dynamic and good-bordering-on-great.
They have been a nightmare in the second half of the year. Here's a read from Peter Welpton chronicling just how bad Dallas have been since July 21. It's eye-opening.
They could still get in if they take care of business and San Jose don't. But the Galaxy have been feisty the last few weeks – Sigi Schmid's decision to play Gio dos Santos as a False 9 has been a clever one – and Dallas haven't. If FCD don't make the playoffs, this will go down as the worst second-half collapse in MLS history and there's nothing else even in the conversation.
The fact that they can't score hurts. The fact that they can't defend? That kills:
This one's on MLS LIVE.
Real Salt Lake vs. Sporting KC: A "must-win, and must-hope-two-other-teams-drop-home-points" for RSL, who've played some damn good ball over the past three months. Not over the past week, though, after a 1-0 loss at Colorado in which they drove in 50 crosses. It's probably not a great idea to replicate that against an SKC defense that is the league's best.
SKC need to win as well, or they're probably going to be playing a road Knockout Round game for the fourth time in four years, and we know how that ends.
The biggest issue for Sporting is that they still don't get runners through the lines. Back in 2015 Benny Feilhaber completed 28 through-balls. In 2017, that number's dropped to 11. See what happens in this one on MLS LIVE.
Portland Timbers vs. Vancouver Whitecaps: This will tell the story of how the West was won. The 'Caps can't let Diego Valeri shake loose for back-post headers, and the Timbers? The Timbers can't let the 'Caps get out and run:
Wild card: Set pieces! Vancouver are utterly dominant on restarts. Catch this on TSN1 in Canada and on MLS LIVE in the US.
San Jose Earthquakes vs. Minnesota United: The Quakes are somehow in control of their own destiny despite sporting – along with MNUFC – the league's second-worst goal differential at -22. They play some pretty ball and generate chances, but they don't score much (36 goals is third-worst in the league) and have a nasty habit of turning a one-goal deficit into a three-goal deficit in the blink of an eye.
But here's a thing: If you can't beat the Loons at home, you probably don't deserve to go to the playoffs. No disrespect to MNUFC who've had a pretty good second half of the year and have put other teams to the sword in big moments, but if the Quakes fall short and allow Dallas or RSL to sneak in, they should wag the finger of blame only at themselves.
Look for both San Jose fullbacks to push really high. This game is on MLS LIVE.
Seattle Sounders vs. Colorado Rapids: If Seattle win they claim the second spot in the West. And let's be honest: There's no reason to drop home points to Colorado.
MLS LIVE for this one.
Houston Dynamo vs. Chicago Fire: The lone interconference game of the weekend has seeding ramifications on both sides. A Houston home win – and yes, they're very good at home – could potentially bump them into the top four, which would give them a home game in the Knockout Round. A Chicago win could vault them up to second in the East, and few need an extra few days of rest like Chicago do, since they're desperately trying to get Bastian Schweinsteiger healthy.
On the field, I kind of feel like this is simple: Houston will try to throw their wingers forward whenever the Fire fullbacks overlap, which they do often and to great effect:
That's good soccer. But if the ball turns over and the transition happens quickly, it could mean Alberth Elis or Romell Quioto running at you. Good luck with that.
See how it unfolds on MLS LIVE.
