The finish line is in sight! The long marathon has turned into a full-on sprint to the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs.
The playoff picture in the Western Conference is starting to look clearer, but that battle for playoff spots in the Eastern Conference appears murkier every matchday.
Who will get in and who will be going on an early vacation? The last few weeks of the regular season are as exciting as they have ever been in MLS.
This past weekend was no exception with some amazing matches. Let's look at where we stand.
El Tráfico
There is no question: El Tráfico is the best and most entertaining rivalry in MLS and it's not even close. It has everything: drama, hatred, respect and superstars. But what sets this rivalry apart is the goals. This derby averages over four goals per contest all-time. That is absurd and must-see TV!
This past week's edition of El Tráfico lived up to the billing. LAFC raced out to an early lead, but Galaxy came storming back with a dominant second-half performance to win 4-2 at home and stay unbeaten at Dignity Health Sports Park this season.
Galaxy now have full control of their own destiny to finish as the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference. I can only hope and dream that we get another El Tráfico in the playoffs this year.
Guess who's back? Messi's back, tell a friend.
After a long absence where Miami honestly didn't miss him all that much, Messi picked up right where he left off: Two goals, one assist, three points. Philadelphia went ahead 1-0 in the second minute, but Miami quickly took control and buried their chances for a 3-1 win.
Messi & Co. have won 27 points from losing positions, won five games in a row and won 16 of their last 20 matches. Pretty good!
Now all that is left for Miami to do is break the MLS single-season points record. Their target is 74 points, and they're well on pace at 62 points (2.21 points per game) with six regular-season matches left.
The other hottest team in MLS also resides in Florida.
Orlando City beat New England last weekend for a second straight 3-0 win and are now 6W-1L-1D in their last eight matches. Oscar Pareja's team is steadily climbing the table at the right time.
Facundo Torres has been in impressive form as of late, and when he is on his game, he is one of the best wingers in MLS.
After a poor start to the season, Orlando are now the favorite to finish fourth in the East and get that coveted home-field advantage in Round One of the playoffs.
I went on the record and said Charlotte had the best transfer window this summer when adding Tim Ream and Pep Biel. They also got Karol Swiderski back from his loan to Italy's Serie A.
But was this a mistake of "if it isn't broken, don't fix it?"
Charlotte were hard to play against and organized. Now, with the new additions, it seems the attack is not gelling. Dean Smith's team is 0W-2L-3D in their last five and sliding in the wrong direction.
It's been a tough season for New England from start to finish. There have been some flashes of excitement, but for the most part, the inconsistencies have stood out.
Caleb Porter was suspended and watched from the stands as the Revs were dominated, 3-0, by Orlando City last weekend.
The crazy thing is New England are only six points behind D.C. United for that final playoff spot and still have two games in hand. It's not impossible, but they need to start winning games by any means necessary.
RSL were firmly in the Supporters' Shield mix. But that hope is now gone after a poor month and going 1W-4L-1D in their last six matches. Now it's even looking like they won't finish in the top four of the Western Conference.
Pablo Mastroeni has been going back and forth at goalkeeper between veteran Zac MacMath and young Gavin Beavers, but neither has been good enough. I'm not sure Mastroeni even knows who his No. 1 will be come playoff time! That's worrisome.
I understood why RSL sold Andrés Gómez this summer, but he was crucial to this attack by stretching the defense and opening up space underneath for Diego Luna and Chicho Arango to operate. They need to find a new way to play without Gómez.
