What We Want to Happen Today 9/29

A full slate of MLS games tomorrow with 13 league games, and the one team without an MLS game, the Columbus Crew in action against Cruz Azul in the Campeones Cup. While Sporting Kansas City takes the field tonight against FC Dallas here’s a look at potential rooting interests for KC fans in the other league games tonight.

Miami at Atlanta

What we want to happen: Draw

A game between two teams that can technically catch Sporting in the league’s single table the best option here is to go with each team dropping points. Atlanta United sits 10 points behind KC on 36 points with eight games to play while Inter Miami sit on 32 points with nine games to play. If you want to cheer for one team to win, go with Miami who trail KC by more points.

Cincinnati at Toronto

What we want to happen: Does Not Matter

The first game that doesn’t matter for Kansas City this season. FC Cincinnati and Toronto FC are 26th and 27th respectively in the league’s single table. Toronto already cannot catch Sporting on points as they currently sit on 19 points through 26 games, meaning their max point total is 43. Cincinnati can still technically pass Kansas City, but they’d have to take every single point still available to them this season and hope that KC doesn’t pick up any more points. Neither of those seems likely to happen so this game is one whose winner doesn’t matter.

Minnesota at DC

What we want to happen: DC win

There are two minds here, DC United and Minnesota United are level on points with 37. DC though has played 26 games to Minnesota’s 25. DC having played more games that Minnesota is one reason to go for them to get all three points over Minnesota. The other reason is the fact that Minnesota is a conference team for KC and DC is not. Yes a DC win could in theory affect KC’s potential to host MLS Cup if the two met up, but right now the conference points are more of the focus so cheer for the team in the other conference.

New England at Montreal

What we want to happen: New England win

As I said on the weekend, the Supporters’ Shield at this point is the New England Revolution’s. It would take a monumental collapse by them to not win it this season. With that in mind the hope has to be that someone else will knock them out in the playoffs while KC makes MLS Cup so they can host. So New England keeping the point total of the rest of the Eastern Conference is the important thing here. CF Montreal are the third team level on 37 points along with the previously mentioned DC and Minnesota.

Philadelphia at New York

What we want to happen: New York win

The New York Red Bulls sit on 30 points through 25 games, while the Philadelphia Union sit on 38 through the same number of games. The easy choice here is to go with the team that sits 16 points behind Sporting at this time.

NYCFC at Chicago

What we want to happen: Chicago win

The Chicago Fire can no longer catch Sporting KC’s current point total. They sit on 24 points through 27 games, meaning their maximum point total is 45 points, one short of KC’s current total. So in match ups with teams that can still catch Sporting KC, like New York City FC, who sit on 39 points, you’ll want to cheer for the Fire.

Orlando at Nashville

What we want to happen: Draw

This is a bit of a tough one as a draw allows Nashville SC to move level on points with KC. At the same time though a win by Orlando City would move them to just five points of KC. In this case Nashville moving level with KC is probably preferable, because KC also hold the tie breaker on Nashville with 13 wins to Nashville’s 11.

Austin at Colorado

What we want to happen: Austin win

If Austin FC win out and KC don’t pick up any more points, they can finish level on points with KC. We all know that’s not going to happen for the expansion team, so in this case you want to cheer for them against the Colorado Rapids who sit one point behind KC with a game in hand still on Sporting.

Vancouver at Houston

What we want to happen: Houston win

KC fans are cheering for a lot of teams that they don’t necessarily like this week, and here’s another one. The Houston Dynamo’s max point total is 47, one point ahead of KC, so them catching Sporting seems extremely unlikely. The same can probably be said for the Vancouver Whitecaps, but they sit within 13 points of KC, so them dropping points is preferred here.

LA at Salt Lake

What we want to happen: Draw

Another case of two teams closing in on KC dropping points. The LA Galaxy sit eight points behind KC on 38 points while Real Salt Lake sit 10 behind Sporting on 36. Having neither team close that gap too much is the important part here.

Portland at LAFC

What we want to happen: LAFC win

The Portland Timbers sit on 40 points, just six behind KC. Los Angeles FC sit only 13 behind KC so them winning isn’t an ideal situation for KC, but them closing the gap to 10 is better than the Timbers closing it to three or even five points in the case of a draw.

Seattle at San Jose

What we want to happen: San Jose win

Like the LAFC win above, it would allow the San Jose Earthquakes to move within 10 points of where KC currently is. But combine a Seattle Sounders loss with a Sporting win in Dallas, and KC would go back atop the Western Conference and keep the Earthquakes 13 points back.