What We Want to Happen Today 9/25

As Sporting KC sit and have another day before they take on the Seattle Sounders on Sunday there are 10 MLS games today to take a look at. Here’s a look at how KC fans may want to root tomorrow in the games as they watch much of the rest of the league take the field.

Atlanta at Philadelphia

What we want to happen: Draw

Atlanta United sit 10 points behind KC with nine games left coming into this game. The Philadelphia Union sit 11 points back with 10 games to play, one more than Sporting has. The easiest thing for KC here would be a draw to allow neither team to really close the game much.

Orlando at New England

What we want to happen: New England win

This choice may be a little controversial as Sporting is trailing the New England Revolution in the Supporters’ Shield race, and have two games in hand on the Revs. If Sporting wins their two games in hand though they’ll still be seven points behind the Revolution on points. Orlando City meanwhile sit just eight points behind KC having played the same number of games. At this point of the year you probably have to concede the Shield to the Revs and hope someone knocks them off in the playoffs so that you host. With that in mind you want Orlando to drop points to not close the gap on KC.

Montreal at Columbus

What we want to happen: Columbus win

CF Montreal sit nine points back of KC with the same number of games played. The Columbus Crew meanwhile sit 15 points back with one more game played than KC. The Crew can still catch KC, but it involves them taking maximum points in five of their final eight, and KC not picking up any more points. So in this case it’s a matter of cheering for the team with fewer points.

Cincinnati at DC

What we want to happen: Cincinnati win

Straight forward enough, for FC Cincinnati to catch KC they have to earn almost one and a half times their current point total of 20. Cincinnati has 20 points through 24 games and have a max point total of 50 while Sporting sit on 46 points. It’s a tall ask for Cincinnati to even consider catching KC. DC United meanwhile are 12 points back with nine games left. Still a tall ask, but it’s an easier ask than Cincinnati catching KC, so go with the team that has a harder time catching Sporting.

Toronto at Colorado

What we want to happen: Toronto win

Finally a match up with a Western Conference opponent as the Colorado Rapids host Toronto FC. Toronto can technically catch Sporting as their max point total is two points more than Sporting’s 46 but that seems extremely unlikely. The Rapids meanwhile sit just two points back with a game in hand, so them dropping points is what KC fans need to cheer for, as unlikely as that seems given Toronto’s injury/absence situation right now.

Houston at Minnesota

What we want to happen: Houston win

The Houston Dynamo sit on 26 points with eight games left, meaning their max point total is 50, while Minnesota United sit 12 points back of KC with a game in hand. KC taking only four points the rest of the way seems unlikely so again KC fans want to cheer for the team further down the standings.

New York at NYCFC

What we want to happen: New York win

Like their midweek match up a few days ago, Sporting want to cheer for the New York Red Bulls in this situation to keep New York City FC seven points behind Sporting. A win by the Red Bulls would still see them 16 points behind KC with only nine games left.

LAFC at San Jose

What we want to happen: draw

An argument can easily be made for a San Jose win here to level them with Los Angeles FC on points at 33, especially since both teams will only have eight games (24) points available to them after the game. That said neither team getting all three points is the bonus here so that neither closing the gap on KC too much in the West.

Dallas at Vancouver

What we want to happen: Dallas win

FC Dallas will have just seven games left after this game, and with a win would sit on 30 points, 16 behind KC with only 21 points available. That would also leave the Vancouver Whitecaps on 30 points with nine games to play. In this situation it is giving a win to the team with fewer points left available to them who still trail KC by a decent margin.

Salt Lake at Portland

What we want to happen: draw

The Portland Timbers sit on 37 points from 25 games, while Real Salt Lake sit one point behind at 36 with the same number of games played. A draw keeps the Timbers eight points back of KC and Salt Lake nine points instead of allowing Portland within six points or RSL within seven. Points dropped by both teams is the key here.