Major League Soccer has dubbed the final match day of its regular season “Decision Day,” because that’s when the final places in the league’s 18-team playoff tournament are decided.
Only two of those spots remain unclaimed, but that hardly makes this Decision Day anticlimactic. LAFC and the Galaxy both go into their finales Saturday with a chance to finish first in the Western Conference and secure home-field advantage through the first three rounds of the postseason, greatly easing their paths to a possible MLS Cup appearance.
The Galaxy (19-7-7) top the standings with 64 points and will clinch their first conference title in 13 seasons with at least a draw in Houston.