Playoff Watch: Saturday's MLS winners and losers

• by Paul Kennedy  @pkedit, Sep 30, 2018

D.C. United, a 5-0 victor over Montreal, wasn't the only winner on Saturday, a day with big implications for the MLS playoffs.

Winners
1. FC Dallas became the first team in the Western Conference to clinch a playoff berth when it earned a point with its 0-0 tie at Portland.

Results: MLS, Week 31

2. The New York Red Bulls (who host Atlanta United on Sunday) clinched a bye in the Knockout Round when NYCFC lost at Minnesota, 2-1.

3. D.C. United moved to within two points of sixth-place Montreal in the Eastern Conference with two games in hand -- and its next four games at home -- with its 5-0 over the Impact.

4. Seattle climbed to fifth place and within a point of fourth-place Portland in the Western Conference with a game in hand when it got back on the winning track with a 4-0 win over Colorado.



5. LA Galaxy remained very much alive in the Western Conference when it beat Vancouver, 3-0, and moved to within one point of Real Salt Lake.

Losers
1. Montreal will be hard-pressed to hold on to sixth place in the Eastern Conference after being crushed by D.C. United.

2. Columbus missed a chance to pull away from Philadelphia in the battle for fourth place in the Eastern Conference when it had to settle for a 0-0 tie at Mapfre Stadium with the Union, which was coming off its 3-0 loss at Houston in the Open Cup final.

3. LAFC remained in third place in the Western Conference behind FC Dallas and Sporting KC when it lost to Minnesota United, 2-1.

4. Vancouver is now four points behind the Galaxy and five points behind RSL after losing at the StubHub Center.



5. New England fell off the pace in the battle for sixth place in the Eastern Conference when it lost to Toronto FC, 4-1, after leading 1-0 in the first half.

Eastern Conference:
PTS (GP) TEAM (W-L-T)
63 (30) x-Atlanta United (19-5-6)
59 (30) x-NY Red Bulls (18-7-5)
53 (32) x-NYCFC (15-9-8)
48 (31) Columbus (13-9-9)
47 (31) Philadelphia (14-12-5)
40 (31) Montreal (12-15-4)
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38 (29) D.C. United (10-11-8)
35 (30) New England (8-11-11)
33 (30) Toronto FC (9-15-6)
31 (31) e-Chicago (8-16-7)
25 (29) Orlando City (7-18-4)

Western Conference:
PTS (GP) TEAM (W-L-T)
54 (30) x-FC Dallas (15-6-9)
51 (29) Sporting KC (15-8-6)
50 (30) LAFC (14-8-8)
48 (31) Portland (13-9-9)
47 (30) Seattle (14-11-5)
45 (30) Real Salt Lake (13-11-6)
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44 (31) LA Galaxy (12-11-8)
40 (30) Vancouver (11-12-7)
36 (30) Minn. United (11-16-3)
35 (30) Houston (9-13-8)
24 (30) e-Colorado (6-18-6)
20 (31) e-San Jose (4-19-8)
x-clinched playoff berth.
e-eliminated from playoffs.