What We Want to Happen This Weekend 9/16-9/17

Sporting Kansas City’s playoff hopes took a massive hit last Saturday in Miami during their 3-2 loss to Inter Miami, but they’re still alive and Saturday night in Minnesota, Sporting has a six pointer against Minnesota United. With Sporting’s playoff hopes hanging by a thread there’s going to be some scoreboard watching by fans to see where KC ends up. There’s actually a chance that Sporting ends this weekend’s slate of matches in a playoff spot if things break their way. Obviously for KC to make the playoffs, Sporting need to defeated Minnesota on Saturday night, but there are thirteen other games this weekend, so here’s a look at who Sporting fans should be cheering for in those other games this weekend.

New York City vs New York
What We Want to Happen – Draw

There’s not much to make of this New York Derby in terms of what KC fans want to happen. The only little thing to hope for is a potential MLS Cup match up between the two and who would host if that happened. A draw keeps either team from catching KC on points, so let’s go with that for this one.

Atlanta vs Miami
What We Want to Happen – Draw

Like the New York Derby, this result only matters for potential MLS Cup hosting, so keeping both teams from grabbing all three points is probably the best choice here.

Charlotte vs DC
What We Want to Happen – Draw

Third result in a row where KC fans are going to want to be cheering for the draw simply to keep either team from collecting all three points.

Montreal vs Chicago
What We Want to Happen – Draw

Copy and past here, neither team can pull away entirely from KC this weekend, so let’s go with both teams dropping points again.

Orlando vs Columbus
What We Want to Happen – Draw

This one is close to not matter for KC fans. With Sporting having six games left, their maximum point total is fifty. A win for Orlando City tonight takes them to fifty points. A win for the Columbus Crew takes them to forty-eight. So a draw technically keeps both teams within touching distance of KC for at least another week.

Philadelphia vs Cincinnati
What We Want to Happen – Cincinnati win

Simply because Sporting cannot catch FC Cincinnati’s point total at this point, so a Cincinnati win keeps Sporting within touch distance of the Philadelphia Union, however unlikely catching them actually is.

Toronto vs Vancouver
What We Want to Happen – Toronto win

The first Western Conference team of the weekend. These East vs West games are fairly simple for the most part moving forward, cheer for the team in the East. The Vancouver Whitecaps sit six points clear of Sporting currently with two games in hand. Dropped points by Vancouver allows KC to try to close the gap today.

Dallas vs Seattle
What We Want to Happen – Seattle win

While Sporting is only nine points behind the Seattle Sounders, there are also nine teams between the two teams in the standings. So catching the Sounders seems extremely unlikely. FC Dallas meanwhile is only two points clear of Sporting and currently sit in the ninth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference. So cheering for Seattle the the right choice here.

Houston vs St. Louis
What We Want to Happen – St. Louis win

Yes I know how this sounds for KC fans, but KC needs as many teams within close touching distance of them as possible to drop points. The Houston Dynamo are seven points clear of KC, St. Louis City is sixteen. So in this case, Sporting wants the Dynamo to drop all three points more than they want to dislike St. Louis right now.

Colorado vs New England
What We Want to Happen – New England win

Really there’s not much in this one with the New England Revolution almost out of range for KC to catch and the Colorado Rapids thirteen points behind Sporting in the West. In this case go for the team in the East, increase the distance between Sporting and the Wooden Spoon.

Los Angeles FC vs LA Galaxy
What We Want to Happen – LAFC win

The LA Galaxy are two points behind Sporting currently and have two games in hand. So here the choice is you let LAFC pull themselves further away from Sporting in the standings for the playoff, but you keep the LA Galaxy at least two points behind Sporting heading out of this weekend.

San Jose vs Salt Lake
What We Want to Happen – Salt Lake win

Another game that KC fans will likely cringe having to cheer, but it’s the same argument as the Dallas and Seattle game. Between Sporting and Salt Lake there are seven teams and eight points. Between Sporting and San Jose are just three teams and five points. A win for Salt Lake combined with a KC win would see them close the gap to two.

Austin vs Portland
What We Want to Happen – Draw

Sunday’s one game, this result is simple, both teams drop points. They are both one point ahead of KC coming into this match day, so a draw combined with a KC win would see Sporting jump both of them. If those two results can be combined with a Dallas loss to Seattle, Sporting would actually end the match day in the ninth and final playoff spot.