There are four teams in contention for the final three Western Conference playoff spots: the Seattle Sounders, Real Salt Lake, Sporting Kansas City and the Portland Timbers. With the Sounders and RSL squaring off at CenturyLink Field on Decision Day (1 p.m. PT; ESPN, 107.7 The End, El Rey 1360AM), here are previews of Portland and Sporting KC’s matches against the Vancouver Whitecaps and San Jose Earthquakes, respectively.
Vancouver Whitecaps vs. Portland Timbers
BC Place, Vancouver, B.C., MLS Live
Is the 17th time the charm? The Portland Timbers are winless in 16 road matches this season, the only Major League Soccer team this year without three points away from home. Yet, despite their road woes, the Timbers still control their own destiny for the 2016 Audi MLS Cup Playoffs. If they beat the Whitecaps in Vancouver, the Timbers will secure a postseason berth. But it will be easier said than done.
In addition to accomplishing a feat they haven’t done all season, the Timbers will be without Diego Chara and Liam Ridgewell, who are suspended because of yellow-card accumulation. The Timbers are also coming off a draw with Costa Rican side Deportivo Saprissa, which eliminated Portland from the Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League and prompted head coach Caleb Porter to say that the match “probably hurts as much as any game since I’ve been here.”
The Whitecaps have already been eliminated from MLS playoff contention, but they can still win their third Cascadia Cup in four years if they defeat Portland by three goals or more.
Sporting Kansas City vs. San Jose Earthquakes
Children’s Mercy Park, Kansas City, Kan., MLS LIVE
Like the Timbers, Sporting Kansas City controls its own destiny and can earn a playoff berth with a home win over the San Jose Earthquakes on Decision Day.
Sporting defeated the Earthquakes in San Jose less than a month ago, but it’s the club’s only win since Aug. 27. SKC has gone 1-2-3 in its last six matches.
SKC will be without Diego Rubio, who tore his ACL last week, but Brad Davis (calf), Justin Mapp (calf) Chance Myers (thigh) and Jacob Peterson have been upgraded to questionable. Dom Dwyer has scored four goals in his last five matches and will carry the offensive burden for Sporting.
San Jose has already been eliminated from playoff contention, but defeated SKC 5-0 at Children’s Mercy Park in its previous trip to Kansas City last summer.
