
With the Western Conference playoff picture still fuzzy, the second Viernes de Futbol match between Sporting Kansas City (13-9-9, 48 points, West #4) and the San Jose Earthquakes (12-12-8, 44 points, West #6) will carry huge playoff implications (11 p.m. ET, UniMás). With a postseason berth up for grabs, Sporting KC would clinch a spot into the Audi 2015 MLS Cup Playoffs with a win at Avaya Stadium. The spotlight will be on SKC forward Krisztian Nemeth, who bagged a brace for Hungary in a Euro 2016 qualifier and is coming off of a performance that resulted in a contender for MLS Goal of the Year. This will be San Jose’s final home match of the regular season, where they’ve gone 7-3-6 on the year and where U.S. international Chris Wondolowski has scored six of his 16 goals this campaign. The Earthquakes currently hold the sixth and final playoff spot in the West and a full three points could go a long way towards keeping them above the red line for good.
The Houston Dynamo’s (11-13-8, 41 points, West #8) postseason livelihood hangs in the balance entering its MLS Soccer Sunday showdown with Seattle Sounders FC (14-13-5, West #5) at 5:00 p.m. ET (ESPN, ESPN Deportes). Houston enters Week 33 trailing the San Jose Earthquakes (West #6) and Portland Timbers (West #7) by three points, making this an absolute must-win. The Dynamo can lean on several battle-tested veterans including DaMarcus Beasley, Brad Davis, Will Bruin, and Boneik Garcia to grind out a positive result in the club’s biggest game of the season. That will be easier said than done against a Seattle Sounders FC team riding its longest unbeaten streak in MLS. With Obafemi Martins and Clint Dempsey back at full health and mid-summer signings Nelson Valdez and Andreas Ivanshictz settled in, Seattle has recorded a 3-0-3 record in its last six games and is positioning itself for another run at its first MLS Cup.
Reigning MLS Cup champions LA Galaxy (14-9-9, 51 points, West #2) will look to secure a top finish in the West against a Portland Timbers (12-11-8, 44 points, West #7) squad that is facing a must-win situation on MLS Soccer Sunday at the StubHub Center at 7 p.m. ET (FS1, FOX Deportes). In their final home match this season, the Galaxy will look defend their home turf, where they’ve gone 24-2-7 dating back to March 8, 2014. Portland, sitting just below the red line behind San Jose (West #6) with a game in hand, will rely on MLS shutout leader Adam Kwarasey (12) to stymie the Galaxy attack along with Argentinian attacking trio Diego Valeri, Lucas Melano and Maxi Urruti to put pressure on the LA backline. With a midweek match against RSL on Wednesday, Portland have the opportunity to make up a total of six points in the standings and move itself clear above the red line.