The Union can clinch a spot in MLS’ Eastern Conference playoffs this weekend. Here’s how.
A win against New England locks the Union in, but they can also do so with a draw and some help.
The Union’s 15-game unbeaten streak in regular-season play is one of the most impressive feats by any team in MLS this season. But it’s no secret that a lot of the games have been against teams that were equally bad when the run started, and worse lately.
That started to change when the Union went to Chicago, but that 3-1 win was helped significantly by Jack Elliott’s ejection at the end of the first half. Then came Saturday’s 2-2 tie with Charlotte, which was a fair measure of good teams one point apart in the standings.
Now comes another big test. New England comes to Subaru Park on Saturday third in the East, on the heels of a win over fourth-place Chicago that put a four-point gap between those clubs. The Revolution (16-10-4, 52 points), Miami, and first-place Nashville — which almost has the Supporters’ Shield clinched — are the class of the conference.
If the Union beat the Revolution, they will clinch a playoff spot. They can also do so with a draw against New England but would need one of the following scenarios to occur:
Red Bull New York DRAW vs. Inter Miami CF
Columbus Crew DRAW vs. Toronto FC, or
Red Bull New York LOSS vs. Inter Miami
The gap from third to the Union in sixth (13-10-7, 46 points) is just six points with four games to go. That isn’t so big, though the Union will follow Saturday’s game with a visit to Nashville.
The men from Music City should seal their trophy Saturday afternoon at last-place CF Montréal. If they do, Wednesday will be the celebration. If they somehow don’t, Wednesday could be the night they clinch it with a result against the Union, last year’s winners.
Richter knows this is the stretch that lots of outsiders have circled as the one that will prove the Union’s true level.
“It’s a pretty cool position for us to be in, where we get on our great run over the last couple of months and now we get the tests of, ‘Is this the company that we belong in?’” he said. “For us to be successful, to continue to show that these are the teams that we are competing with, the teams that we can compete with, we have to be at our best going into the game on Saturday.”
