The i’s are being dotted and the t’s crossed, as MLS heads into the final two matchdays of the season.
With a few playoff spots still up for grabs and seeding to be finalized, there is still plenty to play for.
Let’s dig into the biggest stories of the weekend ahead.
Fixture of the weekend
Third and Fourth in the Eastern Conference clash in Cincinnati this weekend as Orlando City get another test of their credentials after a narrow loss to Columbus in recent weeks.
Óscar Pareja’s side have been red-hot as of late, failing to win just three of their last 12 games in MLS, racing up into the top-four of the conference. But Facundo Torres and his mates will face one of the toughest tests in that run at TQL Stadium on Saturday.
Meanwhile, Cincinnati are winless in three including losses to NYCFC and LAFC, and will be keen to get back to winning ways before heading into the postseason.
Pat Noonan’s men seem to always find a way to compete in the big games, and a visit from arguably the most in-form team in the league is a solid test before playoff time.
Player to watch
Paul Rothrock has simply been a phenomenon for the Sounders this season. The Seattle native is living out every young footballer’s dream, playing a key role in the first team of his local club.
The forward has seemingly emerged overnight as a reliable playmaker for Brian Schmetzer’s side, chipping in with seven goal contributions in 23 games so far this season.
“He was able to take that opportunity and do good things with it,” Brian Schmetzer said of Rothrock. “I can’t give you a specific time as to when I penciled him in as an everyday starter, I’m not so sure I’m going to do it even now, but he’s certainly forcing my hand. I don’t think it would be wise of me to not start him.”
The Sounders have climbed up the standings in the Western Conference, and once Seattle are in the postseason they are always a threat.
Three questions ahead of the weekend
Are the real LAFC back after consecutive wins?
LAFC had been ice-cold after suffering a heartbreaking loss in the Leagues Cup final to the Columbus Crew, but with wins in two straight MLS games after securing silverware in the US Open Cup, they may have just rediscovered their form — and that is bad news for the rest of the Western Conference.
With a rematch of that Open Cup final against Sporting KC at the weekend, the SoCal club should make it three straight wins and give themselves further breathing room in 2nd place. The drop in form of the late summer had seemingly coincided with the arrival of star striker Olivier Giroud, but the Frenchman is finding his feet in the team more and more with each passing week.
An in-form LAFC heading into the postseason is a scary sight for opponents, and if they can get the World Cup winner to move well alongside the prolific Denis Bouanga and Mateusz Bogusz, the ceiling could be nearly out of sight.
Can D.C. United ride Benteke all the way to the playoffs?
With points truly at a premium in the Eastern Conference, all eyes will be on the race for the wildcard spots. Heading into the weekend, five teams are duking it out for the 8th and 9th, the coveted ‘play-in spots’.
D.C. United have an advantage in the form of a big Belgian striker. Christian Benteke has been on a one-man mission to drag the Black and Red to the postseason for the first time since 2019. The 33-year-old has knocked in 22 goals this season, the most of anybody in MLS.
Benteke has had to rescue his side more than he had probably hoped for at the beginning of the campaign, but with a nearly automatic scorer upfront and lousy streak to snap, Troy Lesesne’s side could have a leg up on their rivals in the final two weeks of the season.
Has the Timbers’ well run dry?
From mid-May until the Leagues Cup break in July and August, the Timbers looked like they might race up the Western Conference standings on the back of scintillating form from the attacking trio of Evander, Felipe Mora, and Jonathan Rodríguez.
Yet Phil Neville’s side have come back to earth as of late, failing to win all but one of their last five MLS games. Against an Austin side that was all but eliminated already on Wednesday, the Portland’s prolific attacking force appeared to be snatching at chances and were ultimately blanked in a disappointing 1-0 loss at Providence Park.
With defensive questions remaining unanswered, the Timbers will have to rely on those forward players in the last two games of the season if they are to avoid a road trip in the wildcard round. Having won just three of 16 away games this season, any trip away from home in the postseason seems like a non-starter for the Cascadia club.