The Seattle Sounders are hosting the Colorado Rapids on Sunday (1 p.m. PT; JOEtv, Univision-Seattle, 107.7 The End, El Rey 1360 AM | TICKETS) in the final match of the 2017 MLS regular season. The Sounders clinched a playoff berth last week with a win over FC Dallas and can now secure a Knockout Round bye this weekend.
Seattle is in third place in the Western Conference with 50 points, two behind first-place Vancouver and even on points but trailing in the Total Wins tiebreaker with Portland. The top two teams in each conference earn automatic qualification for the conference semifinals. Here’s how the Sounders can do it:
- Seattle Sounders WIN versus Colorado Rapids
— OR —
- Seattle Sounders TIE versus Colorado Rapids AND
- Portland Timbers LOSE versus Vancouver Whitecaps AND
- Sporting Kansas City TIE or LOSE versus Real Salt Lake
The Sounders can only finish as high as second place by virtue of Portland and Vancouver playing each other. Seattle can finish as low as fifth if it loses and Sporting Kansas City and the Houston Dynamo both win (Houston and Seattle would be even on both points and the first tiebreaker, Total Wins, but the Dynamo would own the second tiebreaker, Goal Differential).
