How the MLS Playoff picture looks with two matchdays to go

Three playoff places are still be completed as the 2024 MLS regular season enters the final furlong. 15 teams have already filled the 18 available berths with the top seven teams per conference anxious to avoid an 8th/9th place finish and avoid the jeopardy of the wild card round and head directly to the conference quarter-finals.

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Things are wide open in the Eastern Conference where we know that Inter Miami have been named Supporters’ Shield winners. The Herons advance with the other top six placed sides but at present two places remain open with seven sides still in contention for two spots. Montreal, Toronto FC, Philadelphia and DC United are strongly placed but DC United, Atlanta, Nashville and even second from bottom New England still hold a slender mathematical chance of securing a wild card berth.

Seventh placed Charlotte are guaranteed postseason action but could be leapfrogged by Montreal should results go the way of the Canadian side.

Things are a little clearer in the Western conference where just one space in the postseason remains up for grabs with a dogfight on the cards between Portland Timbers and Austin FC for the final space with Los Verdes beating the Oregon side earlier this week delivering a major blow for Phil Neville in his first season at Providence Park.

The Timbers are still firm favourites to advance and a win/draw over Dallas coupled with Austin losing or drawing at LA would see Portland progress.

MLS Week 37 fixtures

The final round of Decision Day games are earmarked for 20 October with kickoff times yet to be confirmed by the league.