With all The Countdown to Decision Day officially underway, the team you should focus some of your simultaneous match-watching energy on is …
The Colorado Rapids.
Colorado? Battling LA for worst in the West? Eliminated last month?
Yup.
There do exist Colorado reasons to watch [Lists Marlon Hairston 3x, shouts out Dillon Serna, looks up Stefan Aigner's name, checks watch to see if it's Alan Gordon time] but they could well prove the season's biggest spoiler.
With two games remaining on the docket, the Rapids recently knocked FCD down a peg, limiting their "game in hand" on Real Salt Lake and the San Jose Earthquakes to a single "point in hand" – with RSL next up (Sunday, 7 pm ET | MLS LIVE).
That final Rocky Mountain Cup contest (RSL has already laid claim to the trophy after a pair of wins) could well determine whether the Claret and Cobalt complete their staggering four-month rise from last in the Western Conference to playoff hopeful.
But they currently trail Dallas for that final slot, and must take points at Colorado to relieve some of the pressure they'll surely face against the sturdy defense of Sporting Kansas City on Decision Day.
And then, on that final Sunday of the 2017 season, when the Rapids travel to Seattle, is likely to determine whether the Sounders pick off that second bye, are hosting a Knockout Round match or are – in an unlikely scenario – spending their title defense sharing my View from Couch.
For all Colorado's road woes (1-13-2), they've pieced together more postive results in their last six matches (2-2-2) than the previous 12 (1-3-8), including a shock win at Houston that tagged the Dynamo with their first home defeat.
Are they playing for next season? Sure: New coach, couple new pieces, generous PT wherever it bodes well moving forward. But knocking their rivals out of the playoff picture and dealing the reigning champs a Decision Day dud could make for good game-watching in the current campaign. See you 'round these MLS LIVE streets.
