With seven teams separated by just six points in a log-jammed Western Conference table, the battle for one of the five remaining playoff positions will begin to take shape on Wednesday as the Houston Dynamo host second-place Sporting Kansas City in their first meeting of the season.
The midweek match was rescheduled from August due to the impact of Hurricane Harvey on the Houston area. The Dynamo continue to maintain a grip on fifth place, hovering only one point above the red line.
Houston snapped a six-match winless skid in its last match back on September 30, beating Minnesota United, 2-1, at home.