There is less than a month remaining on the 2019 MLS regular season schedule and things are tight in the Western Conference. With most teams having just five matches left to play, it’s time to take a gander at what the 2019 MLS Cup Playoffs would look like if the season ended today.
LAFC has clinched the top spot in the West and would have a first-round bye. So we will ignore their schedule for the remainder of the season. Real Salt Lake is in second place and would host seventh-seeded FC Dallas at Rio Tinto Stadium. Seattle Sounders FC is even with RSL on points, but RSL holds the first tie-breaker with 14 wins to 13 for Seattle. The Sounders would host sixth-seed Portland, who is ahead of No. 7 Dallas on the win total tie-breaker. Finally, Minnesota United FC would host the San Jose Earthquakes in a matchup to determine who will face LAFC in the second round.
Now that we’re caught up on playoff matchups, let’s look at the remaining schedules for each team as the teams sprint to the finish.
1. LAFC – 19-4-6, 63 points *clinched first in the West
2. Real Salt Lake – 14-11-4, 46 points; 2 home, 3 away
Road record of home opponents – 6-21-2, 20 pts., 0.69 ppm
Home record of road opponents – 19-12-12, 69 pts., 1.30 ppm
Sept. 15 at Minnesota (8-1-5, 29 pts., 2.07 ppm)
Sept. 21 at New England (7-5-3, 24 pts., 1.60 ppm)
Sept. 25 vs. LA Galaxy (4-9-2, 14 pts., 0.93 ppm)
Sept. 29 vs. Houston (2-12-0, 6 pts., 0.43 ppm)
Oct. 6 at Vancouver (4-6-4, 16 pts., 1.14 ppm)
3. Seattle Sounders FC – 13-9-7, 46 points; 3 home, 2 away
Road record of home opponents – 12-25-6, 42 pts., 0.98 ppm
Home record of road opponents – 16-7-7, 55 pts., 1.83 ppm
Sept. 15 vs. New York Red Bulls (4-7-3, 15 pts., 1.07 ppm)
Sept. 18 vs. Dallas (3-9-2, 11 pts., 0.79 ppm)
Sept. 22 at DC (6-4-5, 23 pts., 1.53 ppm)
Sept. 29 at San Jose (10-3-2, 32 pts., 2.13 ppm)
Oct. 6 vs. Minnesota (5-9-1, 16 pts., 1.07 ppm)
4. Minnesota United FC – 13-10-6, 45 points; 2 home, 3 away
Road record of home opponents – 14-18-11, 53 pts., 1.23 ppm
Home record of road opponents – 16-5-5, 53 pts., 2.04 ppm
Sept. 15 vs. RSL (3-8-3, 12 pts., 0.86 ppm)
Sept. 22 at Portland (7-3-2, 23 pts., 1.92 ppm)
Sept. 25 vs. Kansas City (3-7-4, 13 pts., 0.93 ppm)
Sept. 29 vs. LAFC (8-3-4, 28 pts., 1.87 ppm)
Oct. 6 at Seattle (9-2-3, 30 pts., 2.14 ppm)
5. San Jose Earthquakes – 13-11-5, 44 points; 2 home, 3 away
Road record of home opponents – 9-13-7, 34 pts., 1.17 ppm
Home record of road opponents – 26-5-10, 88 pts., 2.15 ppm
Sept. 14 at NYCFC (9-1-5, 32 pts., 2.13 ppm)
Sept. 21 at Atlanta (10-1-3, 33 pts., 2.36 ppm)
Sept. 25 vs. Philadelphia (5-6-3, 18 pts., 1.29 ppm)
Sept. 29 vs. Seattle (4-7-4, 16 pts., 1.07 ppm)
Oct. 6 at Portland (7-3-2, 23 pts., 1.92 ppm)
6. Portland Timbers – 13-11-4, 43 points; 5 home, 1 away
Road record of home opponents – 20-35-17, 77 pts., 1.07 ppm
Home record of road opponents – 7-5-3, 24 pts. 1.60 ppm
Sept. 15 vs. DC (5-6-4, 19 pts., 1.27 ppm)
Sept. 18 vs. New York Red Bulls (4-7-3, 15 pts., 1.07 ppm)
Sept. 22 vs. Minnesota (5-9-1, 16 pts., 1.07 ppm)
Sept. 25 vs. New England (3-5-6, 15 pts., 1.07 ppm)
Sept. 29 at Kansas City (7-5-3, 24 pts., 1.60 ppm)
Oct. 6 vs. San Jose (3-8-3, 12 pts., 0.86 ppm)
7. FC Dallas – 12-10-7, 43 points; 2 home, 3 away
Road record of home opponents – 9-11-8, 35 pts., 1.25 ppm
Home record of road opponents – 24-10-11, 83 pts., 1.84 ppm
Sept. 14 at Chicago (7-2-6, 27 pts., 1.93 ppm)
Sept. 18 at Seattle (9-2-3, 30 pts., 2.14 ppm)
Sept. 22 vs. NYCFC (6-4-4, 22 pts., 1.57 ppm)
Sept. 29 at Colorado (8-6-2, 26 pts., 1.63 ppm)
Oct. 6 vs. Kansas City (3-7-4, 13 pts., 0.93 ppm)
8. LA Galaxy – 13-13-3, 42 points; 3 home, 2 away
Road record of home opponents – 9-26-11, 38 pts., 0.83 ppm
Home record of road opponents – 19-6-5, 62 pts., 2.07 ppm
Sept. 15 vs. Kansas City (3-7-4, 13 pts., 0.93 ppm)
Sept. 21 vs. Montreal (4-10-2, 14 pts., 0.88 ppm)
Sept. 25 at RSL (11-3-1, 34 pts., 2.27 ppm)
Sept. 29 vs. Vancouver (2-9-5, 11 pts., 0.69 ppm)
Oct. 6 at Houston (8-3-4, 28 pts., 1.87 ppm)
9. Sporting Kansas City – 10-12-7, 37 points; 2 home, 3 away
Road record of home opponents – 8-16-6, 30 pts., 1.00 ppm
Home record of road opponents – 26-6-11, 89 pts., 2.07 ppm
Sept. 15 at LA Galaxy (9-4-1, 28 pts., 2.00 ppm)
Sept. 21 vs. Colorado (2-8-4, 10 pts., 0.71 ppm)
Sept. 25 at Minnesota (8-1-5, 29 pts., 2.07 ppm)
Sept. 29 vs. Portland (6-8-2, 20 pts., 1.25 ppm)
Oct. 6 at Dallas (9-1-5, 32 pts., 2.13 ppm)
10. Colorado Rapids – 10-14-6, 36 points; 1 home, 3 away
Road record of home opponents – 3-9-2, 11 pts., 0.79 ppm
Home record of road opponents – 25-10-9, 84 pts., 1.91 ppm
Sept. 15 at Toronto (7-4-4, 25 pts., 1.67 ppm)
Sept. 21 at Kansas City (7-5-3, 24 pts., 1.60 ppm)
Sept. 29 vs. Dallas (3-9-2, 11 pts., 0.79 ppm)
Oct. 6 at LAFC (11-1-2, 35 pts., 2.50 ppm)
11. Houston Dynamo – 10-15-4, 34 points; 2 home, 3 away
Road record of home opponents – 7-15-8, 29 pts., 0.97 ppm
Home record of road opponents – 26-10-7, 84 pts., 1.95 ppm
Sept. 14 at Vancouver (4-6-4, 16 pts., 1.14 ppm)
Sept. 21 vs. Orlando (3-6-6, 15 pts., 1.00 ppm)
Sept. 25 at LAFC (11-1-2, 35 pts., 2.50 ppm)
Sept. 29 at RSL (11-3-1, 34 pts., 2.20 ppm)
Oct. 6 vs. LA Galaxy (4-9-2, 14 pts., 0.93 ppm)
