What We Want to Happen Today 9/17

It's a busy day of MLS games today, with plenty of games having a big impact on Sporting Kansas City and their playoff hopes. With Sporting playing on Sunday, they get to scoreboard watch today and hope that come Sunday morning they're still in fifth place in the West.

Vancouver at Seattle
What we want to happen - draw

A draw keeps either side from closing the gap by more than a point, and it takes a point off the board as well. With the Whitecaps only five points behind and the Sounders seven (but two games in hand) Sporting don't want either one of the two teams to gain too much ground on them, but better they split the points than one get all three.

Philadelphia at Portland
What we want to happen - Philadelphia win

With a West vs East match up, take the East team almost every single time, even if it hurts the fantasy of an MLS Cup at Children's Mercy Park. A win by Portland would see them jump over KC and into fifth place. Sporting want that "buffer" between them and the red line.

Dallas at NYCFC
What we want to happen - Dallas win

Really at this point KC's chances of catching Dallas are pretty much nonexistent, Dallas sits 12 points clear with only 15 points left available for KC. NYCFC is still catch-able for that fantasy MLS Cup run, so hope that Dallas doesn't have a hangover from their US Open Cup win.

San Jose at Colorado
What we want to happen - Colorado win

Similar to Dallas I am not sure that KC has any chance of catching Colorado, they sit seven points ahead of KC and have two games in hand on Sporting. On the other hand, San Jose still has two games in hand on KC and sits just six points behind Sporting, so them dropping points is the result KC needs more in this game.

Houston at Salt Lake
What we want to happen - Houston win

Houston still sits rooted to the bottom of the Western conference with 26 points while Salt Lake sit five points ahead of KC for one of those wild card home games. Dropped points by Salt Lake and a KC win would see Sporting close the gap to just two points with the same number of games played.

Columbus at Orlando
What we want to happen - Columbus win

The fantasy of an MLS Cup at Children's Mercy Park, hope the teams closer to a playoff position lose, Orlando is currently in seventh, tied with DC for the final playoff spot in the East, Columbus is at the bottom of the East, so Orlando dropping all three is most ideal.

New England at Montreal
What we want to happen - New England win

Like the Columbus at Orlando game, keep the team higher up the table from getting all three points. Montreal is only one point behind KC in the overall table, so New England picking up all three is the result KC want here.