We have our first team booked into the Audi 2015 MLS Cup Playoffs and it's a team that has been there 12 of the last 13 years.
With their 2-0 win in Portland, the New York Red Bulls secured a playoff spot and held onto the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference.
Out west, the big result came in Vancouver as the Seattle Sounders shut out the Whitecaps to get a huge three points against their Cascadia rivals. Not only did they win the Cascadia Cup with their 3-0 win, but they also put five points between themselves and the red line.
Does your team sit above or below the red line? Check out the current standings and the new 2015 playoff rules. Then take a gander below at the current playoff scenarios, if the season ended after Week 29:
EASTERN CONFERENCE (Seed in Parentheses)
Byes to Conference Semifinals:
(1) New York Red Bulls, (2) Columbus Crew SC
Conference Knockout Round Matches:
(3) New England Revolution vs. (6) Montreal Impact
(4) D.C. United vs. (5) Toronto FC
WESTERN CONFERENCE (Seed in Parentheses)
Byes to Conference Semifinals:
(1) Vancouver Whitecaps, (2) FC Dallas
Conference Knockout Round Matches:
(3) LA Galaxy vs. (6) Portland Timbers
(4) Seattle Sounders vs. (5) Sporting Kansas City
Let's not forget about the Supporters' Shield either. There's a tight race at the top, as the Red Bulls and Whitecaps both sit at the top of the standings with 48 points. The good news for Red Bulls fans is that they have a game in hand on the 'Caps and have four of their remaining six games at home.
The top nine teams in the league sit just four points apart, so really, the Shield is anybody's to win at this point.
Will the playoff matchups and Shield standings hold through the final weekend of the season? Take a look at the table below, which illustrates each team's remaining matches and the strength of schedule.
The strength of schedule metric takes into account the average points per game (PPG) each team's oppponents earn at home and on the road. The lower the PPG, the easier the schedule.
For example, if FC Dallas traveled to play the LA Galaxy, who have averaged 2.5 PPG at home, and then hosted the Vancouver Whitecaps, who have averaged 1.53 PPG on the road, their opponents PPG would be 2.02.
| Road to the Playoffs | ||
| Team | Games Remaining | Strength of Schedule Rank (Opp. PPG) |
| Eastern Conference | ||
| New York Red Bulls | 6 (ORL, CLB, MTL, @TOR, PHI, @CHI) | 3 (1.22) |
| Columbus Crew SC | 4 (POR, @NY, @TOR, DC) | 15 (1.54) |
| New England Revolution | 4 (PHI, @CHI, MTL, @NYC) | T-1 (1.12) |
| D.C. United | 4 (@MTL, NYC, CHI, @CLB) | 4 (1.24) |
| Toronto FC | 5 (CHI, PHI, NY, CLB, @MTL) | T-1 (1.12) |
| Montreal Impact | 7 (CHI, DC, @ORL, @NY, @COL, @NE, TOR) | 8 (1.33) |
| Orlando City SC | 4 (@NY, MTL, NYC, @PHI) | 5 (1.29) |
| Philadelphia Union | 4 (@NE, @TOR, @NY, ORL) | 20 (1.82) |
| New York City FC | 4 (@VAN, @DC, @ORL, NE) | 14 (1.51) |
| Chicago Fire | 5 (@MTL, @TOR, NE, @DC, NY) | T-18 (1.60) |
| Western Conference | ||
| Vancouver Whitecaps | 5 (NYC, @SJ, DAL, @DAL, HOU) | 7 (1.32) |
| FC Dallas | 6 (@LA, HOU, @VAN, VAN, @RSL, SJ) | 16 (1.55) |
| LA Galaxy | 4 (DAL, @SEA, POR, @SKC) | 17 (1.59) |
| Seattle Sounders | 4 (@SKC, LA, @HOU, RSL) | 9 (1.36) |
| Sporting Kansas City | 6 (@HOU, SEA, @POR, @SJ, COL, LA) | 6 (1.30) |
| Portland Timbers | 5 (@CLB, SKC, @RSL, @LA, COL) | T-18 (1.60) |
| San Jose Earthquakes | 4 (RSL, VAN, SKC, @DAL) | T-10 (1.39) |
| Real Salt Lake | 5 (@SJ, @COL, POR, DAL, @SEA) | 12 (1.42) |
| Houston Dynamo | 5 (SKC, COL, @DAL, SEA, @VAN) | T-10 (1.39) |
| Colorado Rapids | 5 (@HOU, RSL, MTL, @SKC, @POR) | 13 (1.46) |
Do you think your team will make the playoffs? Let us know why in the comments below.
