With just six games left in the regular season, Orlando City is coming down the home stretch in the push for the playoffs. If the season ended today, Orlando City would be the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference. But the players will have to work hard in these last six matches to make sure they hold onto that slot-- with a few teams just a few point, and others barely ahead, let’s take a look at the Eastern Conference playoff picture.
# |
Club |
PTS |
GP |
W |
L |
T |
GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
4 |
Philadelphia Union |
41 |
29 |
11 |
10 |
8 |
3 |
5 |
Montreal Impact |
38 |
28 |
9 |
8 |
11 |
-1 |
<strong>6</strong> |
<strong>Orlando City SC</strong> |
<strong>34</strong> |
<strong>28</strong> |
<strong>7</strong> |
<strong>8</strong> |
<strong>13</strong> |
<strong>-2</strong> |
# |
Club |
PTS |
GP |
W |
L |
T |
GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
7 |
New England Revolution |
33 |
29 |
8 |
12 |
9 |
-14 |
8 |
D.C. United |
33 |
28 |
7 |
9 |
12 |
-1 |
D.C. United
Next Match: Chicago Fire-- Sept. 16 8:00PM
D.C. United dropped down a slot this week, after earning a last minute 2-2 draw against the New York Red Bulls. That draw puts D.C. United at 33 points-- just one slot behind the New England Revolution. D.C. will play their next match against the Chicago Fire, the team just below them in the Eastern Conference rankings. Looking ahead to the rest of their season, D.C. United does not have an easy schedule. They’ll face New York City FC and Toronto FC before wrapping up the regular season, but the main determinate of their playoff slot will probably be their two games against Orlando City.
New England Revolution
Next Match: Montreal Impact-- Sept. 17 7:30PM
The New England Revolution bumped up a slot this week with a convincing 3-1 victory over New York City FC. They appear to be coming out of their slump, with wins against difficult opponents in their last two matches. They currently have 33 points, putting them just below Orlando City in the rankings. But they also have one more game in hand, with 29 games played to Orlando City and D.C. United’s 28. They will play their next match against the Montreal Impact, the current 5th seed in the Eastern Conference. They’ll face Montreal twice in their last five matches-- games that will be crucial to the final Eastern Conference standings.
Montreal Impact
Next Match: New England-- Sept. 17 7:30PM
The Montreal Impact faced off against the Philadelphia Union this weekend, earning a 1-1 draw and a point. They remain the 5th seed in the Eastern Conference with 38 points, four points ahead of Orlando City. They’ll play their next match against the New England Revolution. Montreal will have to bounce back after a two game slump, and deal with a New England team reeling with confidence. They’ve got some difficult matches remaining in their schedule, including games against the #1 and #2 teams in the Eastern Conference-- Toronto FC and the New York Red Bulls. They’ll also face off twice against the New England Revolution.
Philadelphia Union
Next Match: Portland Timbers-- Sept. 17 6:00PM
The Philadelphia Union drew against the Montreal Impact this past weekend, keeping them afloat in the 4th seed in the Eastern Conference. While the draw tightened the gap between Philadelphia and the lower seeds, they’re still sitting at 41 points, four more than Montreal and eight more than Orlando City. But they’ve also played one more game than both Montreal and Orlando, and their remaining schedule leaves them vulnerable. They’ll face off twice against the New York Red Bulls and once against Toronto FC.
If The Playoffs Started Today…
So, what would the Eastern Conference playoffs look like if the season ended today? You can see the full matchups here. Orlando City would travel to take on the #3 seed, New York City FC, in the knockout round match. If they won, they would go on to play a home-and-home aggregate series against the #1 seed, Toronto FC.
