Seattle vs. Kansas (Saturday, 8.30pm)
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Sporting Kansas City have another opportunity on Saturday to clinch a playoff berth and also close the gap for first-place in the Western Conference when they battle the Seattle Sounders from Lumen Field.
Seattle earned a 1-1 draw in midweek versus the Colorado Rapids to guarantee that they will finish in a top four position this year, while KC need only a point to assure their place in the MLS Cup playoffs.
We say: Seattle Sounders 2-2 Sporting Kansas City
Even though both sides are missing some key attacking pieces, these are two of the deepest offensive teams in the league and among the most experienced, so expect to see each of them find at least a couple of openings.
Neither side have a problem picking themselves back up following a defeat, with KC a perfect 6-0 after a loss while the Sounders have only dropped consecutive MLS games once this year.
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Columbus Crew vs. NY Red Bulls (Saturday, 11.00pm)
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In the MLS Eastern Conference on Saturday, 10th-placed Columbus Crew will welcome New York Red Bulls, who sit a place higher in ninth position.
Both sides harbour playoff ambitions, and a win for either side would be crucial, with the season nearing its conclusion.
We say: Columbus Crew 2-1 New York Red Bulls
Both sides enter the fixture in fine form, and the contest is a tough one to call, but with the home side winning the last four meetings, we think Columbus Crew will collect a narrow victory.
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Toronto vs. Montreal (Sunday, 12.30am)
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CF Montreal will look to keep a hold of their playoff place in the Major League Soccer Eastern Conference standings on Saturday, when they travel to take on Toronto.
The visitors currently occupy sixth spot but remain just a point ahead of eighth-placed New York City, meaning a run of results is vital in the final straight of the regular season.
We say: Toronto 1-2 CF Montreal
Given the struggles of the home side and Montreal's need for a victory, we see the visitors leaving with all three points on Saturday.
The Reds' campaign looks to be coming to a disappointing end, and they could be outfought by a side who have far more to battle for at this stage.
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Philadelphia vs. Nashville (Sunday, 12.30am)
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Third-placed Philadelphia Union host second-placed Nashville SC on Sunday in the Eastern Conference, with both sides closing in on securing a playoff spot.
The home side are looking to bounce back after defeat last time out, while Nashville are unbeaten in their last six outings, but are also winless in their last five games.
We say: Philadelphia Union 0-1 Nashville SC
Philadelphia will be disappointed with their result last time out, and Nashville could see that as a good opportunity to get back to winning ways themselves after so many draws in their recent games.
Nashville know how to beat Union as they demonstrated in July, and granted that was a few months ago, but Union did lose to fellow top three side New England by a 1-0 margin in their last home defeat, and Nashville will be looking to do the same.
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NY City vs. DC United (Sunday, 12.30am)
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New York City FC have the opportunity to leapfrog DC United and climb into the playoff positions with a win against Hernan Losada's side, who travel to the Red Bull Arena on Sunday.
As the table stands, DC United are just above New York City in the Eastern Conference, but the two teams are both on 41 points with four games to play of the regular season.
We say: New York City FC 1-1 DC United
Both of the previous meetings between these two sides this season have ended as 2-1 victories for the home team, but with a lot to lose for DC United, they are expected to not allow New York City to leapfrog them in the table.
Neither side are in great form heading into this fixture, which suggests that they could cancel each other out in a cagey affair as neither team can afford to lose this fixture.
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Inter Miami vs. Cincinnati (Sunday, 1.00am)
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Inter Miami's hopes of reaching this year's playoffs are diminishing each gameweek, but they did keep their dreams alive with a win last time out, which has left Phil Neville's side six points behind seventh-placed DC United.
FC Cincinnati are also nearing their final position in the Eastern Conference, which is looking likely to be rock bottom as they currently sit five points behind Toronto.
We say: Inter Miami 2-0 FC Cincinnati
After a very positive result last time out, Neville will be ensuring that his players follow that up with another home victory against the bottom-placed team.
Miami have more to play for than Cincinnati, suggesting that the hosts should be more motivated to win on Sunday, and each game is like a final for Inter Miami now to try and make up the points gap to the playoffs.
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Chicago Fire vs. Salt Lake (Sunday, 1.00am)
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The Chicago Fire have an opportunity to extend their unbeaten streak to three games on Saturday when they host Real Salt Lake at Soldier Field in their final regular-season home fixture of 2021.
Frank Klopas collected his first victory as interim manager when the Fire won in Cincinnati for the first time 4-3, while Salt Lake captured the Rocky Mountain Cup last week with a 3-1 win over the Colorado Rapids.
We say: Chicago Fire 1-2 Real Salt Lake
In the ultra-competitive Western Conference playoff race, no teams still in contention seem to be faltering, and we do not expect RSL to drop points in this one.
The Fire may be playing their best soccer of the season, but Salt Lake have come through all year when they need it most and with their top attacking threats in fine form, look for them to spot plenty of gaps in the Chicago backline, a backline that have conceded nine goals over their last three games.
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Minnesota Utd vs. Los Angeles (Sunday, 1.00am)
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The race to secure a playoff position continues in the Western Conference on Sunday, in particular when Los Angeles FC travel to face Minnesota United, who are currently sixth in the table.
Los Angeles are only three points behind Vancouver Whitecaps, who occupy the final playoff spot at the moment, while Minnesota could open up a five-point gap between themselves and Real Salt Lake depending on other results also.
We say: Minnesota United 2-1 Los Angeles FC
Both teams come into this fixture in similar form, but being on home soil Minnesota will need to use that to their advantage at this crucial part of the season.
LAFC did record a good result in their last away game against Dallas, but Sunday's match is against a side much higher up the table, and that will be a tougher test for Bradley's side.
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Colorado vs. Portland (Sunday, 2.00am)
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As they enter their 31st game of the regular season, the Colorado Rapids have a chance to move a little closer to a playoff berth on Saturday when they host the Portland Timbers from Dick's Sporting Goods Park.
The Rapids were nine minutes away from upsetting the Seattle Sounders earlier this week but ultimately played to a 1-1 draw, while the Timbers have dropped a pair of heartbreaking fixtures, although they are still in fourth place with 46 points.
We say: Colorado Rapids 1-1 Portland Timbers
These teams are in the top four of the Western Conference for a reason, because they are solid technical sides, who traditionally do not concede more than a goal in a game against the majority of their opponents.
The return of Diego Chara should give the Timbers a boost as they seem to struggle to earn results without him, while having Diego Rubio back should help the Burgundy Boys look a little more potent in the final third.
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LA Galaxy vs. Dallas (Sunday, 3.00am)
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A pair of solid performances have the Los Angeles Galaxy back on the right path to the postseason, as they have a chance to move into a top four position in the Western Conference when they host Dallas on Saturday.
Marco Ferruzzi remains without a victory as the interim coach of the Toros after his side squandered a pair of advantages, losing 3-2 to Los Angeles FC, while the Galaxy have now won two in a row after going winless in nine.
We say: Los Angeles Galaxy 2-0 Dallas
Greg Vanney is used to these pressure situations as a manager, and he knows that their schedule down the stretch will be challenging, so expect to see a lot of conviction and purpose from his team on Saturday.
Dallas are without a win on the road in four straight contests, and perhaps the only good news for them at the moment is that there are only four games left in their season.
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Earthquakes vs. Vancouver (Sunday, 3.00am)
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Vancouver Whitecaps will battle to keep hold of their top-seven spot in the Major League Soccer Western Conference standings on Sunday, when they travel to take on San Jose Earthquakes.
Both sides come into the game on the back of victories, as the hosts thrashed Austin FC 4-0 while their visitors ground out a crucial 3-2 away win over Portland Timbers.
We say: San Jose Earthquakes 1-3 Vancouver Whitecaps
While the Quakes put on an eye-catching display last time out, we back Vancouver Whitecaps to put their third straight victory on the board on Sunday.
The hosts do have a slim chance of making the playoffs, but the visitors have far more to work for at this stage, and we see them outfighting their hosts.
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Barney Corkhill
