The playoffs are a week away but seven MLS clubs still remain in the running for three open spots, including one automatic birth from the eastern conference. This week’s rankings saw a few shifts including FC Dallas’ on-going run up the boards and possibly into the playoffs.

Elsewhere on the board we saw Toronto gain a little grown while Colorado and Chicago continue to slip. Even though both the Fire and Rapids would be in the playoffs today things don’t look so clear going into the final week of the season since neither have clinched a spot in the second season.

Team	Rank (Last Week)	Record (W-L-T)	Comments
	1 (1)	13-6-10 46 pts.	Didn’t clinch their second straight Supporter’s Shield but a home win this weekend will easily do it.
	2 (2)	11-6-12 45 pts.	Played it safe on the road and got a very respectable draw in Houston.
	3 (3)	12-8-9 45 pts.	Discipline wise this club is really hurting themselves going into the playoffs.
	4 (4)	13-9-6 45 pts.	Had to find a way to get a draw against the pesky Quakes. Two games left, they need a Crew loss and two wins to get a Supporter’s Shield in their trophy case.
	5 (5)	11-7-11 43 pts.	First expansion club since the Chicago Fire to clinch a playoff birth. I think we all recall how that turned out.
	6 (8)	11-12-6 39 pts.	Is Dallas really going to crash the playoff party? A win on the road in Seattle could bring one of the biggest turn around in league history.
	7 (6)	10-7-12 42 pts.	I haven’t liked where the Fire have been heading for a while now. A good draw against the Revs could end up bad if they fail to beat Chivas on Thursday. They could end up in a massive tiebreaker situation.
	8 (7)	10-10-9 39 pts.	They never seemed to cash in on those extra games in hand did they? Now they stand to not reach the playoffs as they are in the middle of a huge tiebreaker mess.
	9 (10)	10-10-9 39 pts.	Beat New York and they should be in the playoffs for the first time. They looked like they wanted it against RSL, can they do it against the lowly Red Bulls?
	10 (11)	9-8-12 39 pts.	It comes down to the final day of the year yet again for DC. Just wonder if they can do it this year or if it will be another repeat of last season.
	11 (9)	10-9-10 40 pts.	Currently in the playoffs if the season ended today but they do control their own destiny unlike others around them. Just as I mentioned a couple months ago it comes down to the final game of the year against rivals RSL.
	12 (12)	10-12-7 37 pts.	Couldn’t make the most of that extra game last week. Now the tough task is upon them, they need three points and a lot of other things to happen.
	13 (13)	7-13-9 30 pts.	This club continues to make good clubs look bad. Just have to wonder if this is a sign of what is to come next season.
	14 (14)	8-13-8 32 pts.	I believe the countdown to hiring Preki is upon this club. I really do believe he will be coaching in KC next year, that and this roster will be torn in half.
	15 (15)	4-19-6 18 pts.	One more game in Giants Stadium and this terrible season will be over. My question comes back, can they reach 20 points on the season and spoil TFC’s playoff dreams?

One of the final weeks of the regular season has come and gone but the goals were definitely spot on for week 31 in Major League Soccer. Below are some of the best.

Order: George John, Maykel Galindo, Brandon McDonald, Justin Braun, Josh Wolff, Nate Jaqua, Luciano Emilio, Jim Brennen, and Fabian Espindola.

It's do or die for Toronto FC. (Getty Images)

Big time weekend ahead for Major League Soccer. Four clubs have punched their tickets to the post season dance with four remaining spots left open to possibly all get snatched up this weekend.

You can pretty much put a playoff implication on every game this weekend. Either a team will come closer to clinching a spot, will clinch a spot or will be eliminated from contention. Its pretty much as simple as that as we head into the final two weeks of the regular season.

Going into the weekend it is important to see where everyone stands. There will be plenty of scoreboard watching from players, coaches and fans this weekend.

Eastern Conference
1. Columbus (13-5-10, 49 pts., 2 games remaining) – X
2. Chicago (10-7-11, 41 pts., 2 games remaining)
Western Conference
T1. Chivas USA (13-9-5, 44 pts., 3 games remaining) – X
T1. Houston (12-8-8, 44 pts., 2 games remaining) – X
T1. Los Angeles (11-6-11, 44 pts., 2 games remaining) – X
Wild Cards
2. Seattle (10-7-11, 41 pts., 2 games remaining)
3. Colorado (10-8-10, 40 pts., 2 games remaining)
4. New England (10-10-8, 38 pts., 2 games remaining)
BOTTOM SEVEN OUT
Real Salt Lake (10-11-7, 37 pts., 2 games remaining)
FC Dallas (10-12-6, 36 pts., 2 games remaining)
D.C. United (8-8-12, 36 pts., 2 games remaining)
Toronto FC (9-10-9, 36 pts., 2 games remaining)
Kansas City (8-12-8, 32 pts., 2 games remaining)
San Jose (7-13-8, 29 pts., 2 games remaining) – Eliminated from contention
New York (4-19-6, 18 pts., 1 games remaining) – Eliminated from contention

For Colorado, Seattle and Chicago it is simple this weekend. You win and you are in. New England can do the same with a win along with a couple other items (DC, Dallas, TFC, and RSL all draw or losing their games this weekend).On the flip side for Kansas City they are all but mathematically eliminated here, they would need about 40 different things to happen to even have hope of reaching the playoffs. In other words this weekend will should put their eliminated status in for good.

Everyone is in action this weekend except for New York who played and lost again in the midweek. As always feel free to leave your score predictions and thoughts below. Continue Reading…