The race is heating up for the final MLS Cup playoff spot in the Western Conference with only a handful of matches to go in the regular season.
The Western Conference is much more straightforward compared to the Eastern Conference. In the East, seven teams are still alive battling it out for the final two spots in the division while the West has just one spot remaining. Get the full breakdown below on who has qualified for the playoffs in the Western Conference.
MLS Western Conference: Who Has Qualified?
- Colorado Rapids
- Houston Dynamo
- LAFC
- LA Galaxy
- Minnesota United
- Real Salt Lake
- Seattle Sounders
- Vancouver Whitecaps
Starting at the top of the division, rivals LA Galaxy and LAFC lead the pack and are among the favorites to hoist the MLS Cup in December.
Seattle Sounders and Real Salt Lake aren't too far behind in third and fourth place respectively. Colorado Rapids impressed under new head coach Chris Armas to clinch a postseason spot alongside the consistent Houston Dynamo, while Vancouver Whitecaps continues to remain competitive under Vanni Sartini.
First-year boss Eric Ramsay—who was an assistant coach at Manchester United—became the youngest coach in MLS history upon his arrival at 32-years-old and led Minnesota United to the postseason. A 0–0 draw vs. RSL was enough for the Loons to qualify as they hope to climb further up the table and out of the Wild Card spot.
MLS Western Conference: Who Controls Their Destiny, Who Needs Help?
Only Austin FC and Portland Timbers remain in the mix for the final spot in the Western Conference. Austin faces a tough road ahead sitting six points behind Portland in 10th place with two matches to go.
The Verde and Black did give itself a chance by taking down the Timbers 1–0 Wednesday night. The Timbers' final two matches are against Dallas and Seattle while Austin face off against tougher competition: the Galaxy and Rapids. If Austin is to snatch the final postseason spot from Portland, it needs to win its final two matches and hope that Portland's goal difference takes a massive hit.
MLS Western Conference: Who Has Been Eliminated?
San Jose Earthquakes, Sporting Kansas City, St. Louis CITY and FC Dallas have all been eliminated from postseason contention and will begin to build toward the 2025 season.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as MLS Cup Playoffs 2024 Qualification: Western Conference Breakdown.
