What We Want to Happen Today 9/28

Sporting Kansas City helped themselves this past weekend, getting the win on the road in San Jose, but also got some help around the league with Portland dropping points allowing KC to jump back into fifth. Tonight there are a number of midweek MLS matches that could also help Kansas City on their path to clinching a playoff berth. Even though it wasn't MLS related, KC did already get one result last night that helps them out some. The Portland Timbers kept their CCL quarterfinal qualification hopes alive with a win in El Salvador last night. That means that the Timbers will have the chance to advance should they defeat Saprissa and overturn the goal difference against them (-2) in that game. That could potentially cause some lineup shuffling for them as the game is the week before the final regular season game.

Here are tonight's games.

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

While a Montreal win allows the Impact to close the gap with KC to just two points in the overall table, it'll virtually eliminate the Earthquakes from being able to catch Kansas City. It would leave them nine points back with only 12 points left available to them. Them having nothing to play for in the final game of the season could be a blessing for Kansas City as well.

Chicago at Seattle
What we want to happen - Chicago win

With five wins in their last eight games, Seattle is probably the hottest team in MLS. Hosting the current "wooden spoon" leader tonight doesn't give me much hope of the Fire getting the result tonight, but with the games in hand the Sounders still have, and their position in the table, keeping them as far away from KC as possible is a plus. A win by Seattle tonight would see them jump ahead of the Timbers and into sixth place, just two points behind KC, still with a game in hand.

Orlando at Toronto
Columbus at DC
What we want to happen - Orlando and Columbus wins

Really these games only affect Kansas City in the single table and the potential of an MLS Cup hosted in KC. Toronto is getting close to being uncatchable for KC, sitting five points clear of them currently, while DC currently sits sixth in the East on 37 points. Keeping the rest of the East alive to fight for points while keeping those in playoff position close to KC is what we're going for.