No one could foresee
how the tables turned until the end of a campaign, where four squads that
almost had its ticket to the postseason, are now on the hunt for the last three
spots.
I mean a very heated
and contested competition for this weekend matches with squads of the likes of
the Portland Timbers, Seattle Sounders, Real Salt Lake and Sporting Kansas City
and all of them from the Western Conference.
A total showdown in
the West, with these four squads looking for their continuance into the next
stages of league play, better known as the postseason, seeing their aims, in
netting a direct pass with a win, seen a
bit difficult but not impossible in order to assure that spot.
As the stage is set for
Sunday, being the last day for Major League Soccer to conclude its operations,
three will be the number of squads that will make it into the grand ball.
So far, the Portland Timbers
the defending champions and seeing their campaign taking a twist for the worst
and exposing certain weaknesses by playing as visitors, where they never
managed to win a match in this campaign.
Still the prospects
of playing a modest squad riddled with a long list of its key players in the DL
and already eliminated from playoff contention in the Vancouver Whitecaps, the Canadians
at the end can play the role of spoilers.
However, in the case
of the Portland Timbers to net their direct pass into the playoffs, a win with
no doubt will deliver the pass into the Promised Land.
Still if things turn
to worst for Caleb Porter and his squad, with a tie, they will need a SKC loss
or if the Timbers lose, they will need SKC to lose by a differential of two or
more goals than Portland.
That is one scenario,
going to the Midwest with the Boys of the Sporting Kansas City suddenly taking
a dive in their last matches of the campaign and suddenly giving the Portland
Timbers some fighting hope.
For Sporting Kansas
City Boss Peter Vermes this touted as a possible candidate to one-day take over
the duties in the USMNT, this time he will be on the verge of elimination if
his squad loses in their last match of the campaign.
Against another squad
already out of playoff contention in the San Jose Quakes, these coming as
underdogs and possibly playing a role in favor of the Pacific Northwest squads,
still their chances to get a pass will be to win.
As there is no
tomorrow for the Boys from Kansas, as a tie with San Jose they can net a pass
with a loss or tie from Portland in their match against Vancouver, if SKC
losses their chances are if Portland losses by the same margin or fewer goals
than Portland.
Another squad that
did stage a revival after experiencing a negative streak and all of a sudden with
interim Boss Brain Schmetzer, who did manage to turn things around for the best
at Emerald City, l lately with several draws the Sounders , suddenly are
fighting for their pass.
As the former S2
Manager applying his magic without his talisman player in Deuce Dempsey, but
with newcomers Nicolas Lodeiro and Alvaro Fernandez and seeing the return of
his top defensive man in Roman Torres.
The Rave Greens are
serious candidates to snag a spot into the playoffs and not seeing their streak
interrupted in this time of the campaign, something that the Rave Greens
proudly state their presence in the league playoffs since their inception in
MLS.
For the Seattle Boys
playing against another squad in need of netting appositive result to net its
direct pass with a win against RSL being ideal, still a loss from SKC against San
Jose will do as well a Portland loss or tie in their match at Vancouver.
Last, we have the
fourth squad in Real Salt Lake and its Manager Jeff Cassar looking forward to one
of those three spots in play and playing against the Seattle Sounder’s, in this
match and with no doubt this will have the essence of an all-around final.
The Royals with no
doubt they will have their backs against the wall and playing with all the pressure
as a visiting entity at Century Link Stadium in Seattle, with a win or a tie in
Seattle they can seal their pass. Another way to net their pass will be with a
loss or a tie from Sporting Kansas City when these play against the Quakes or a
Portland Timbers loss or tie against the Caps.
Tomorrow will be a
day of multiple challenges for these four squads, as many ask will the Portland
squad finally win a league game on the road, or Sporting Kansas City win their
respective matches or Real Salt Lake wins.
At the end, what will
the final lineup and its schedule will be in the Western Conference to start next
week with the always-exciting league playoffs, which will it, be at the end.
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