With just four games left of the MLS regular season, here are five things to look out for this weekend.
Montreal Impact v DC United: Can Drogba and Montreal stay on track before heading on the road?
Didier Drogba has got off to a storming start for the Quebec-based club with five goals in his first five matches. A 2-1 win against the struggling Chicago has helped solidify their hold on a play-off spot. The five point gap between them and Orlando in seventh makes it likely Montreal will be jockeying for a higher play-off seed, especially with Toronto just a single point in front.
And their opponents DC United have been slipping drastically since early summer. Between March and June, DC had lost five games with 20 games played. In a three month period since, they have lost six in 10. DC's strong start to the season means dropping below the red line looks unrealistic, but the threat of being taken over looms.
Play-off history has shown that momentum is vital, meaning an away win could help bring stability. Having won two of the last three meetings at Stade Saputo, Montreal's four-game unbeaten streak could be at risk, and they play their next four games on the road.
San Jose Earthquakes v Real Salt Lake: Which team could make the play-offs after this season-defining clash?
Portland's away loss to New York Red Bulls on Sunday secured a play-off spot for Bradley Wright-Phillips & Co. At the same time, a loss for the Timbers has opened the door for San Jose and Real Salt Lake to creep into play-off contention.
Yet San Jose looked to be well on their way to secure a play-off berth after a fantastic August, which saw them win four of their five matches, including a derby day win against LA Galaxy. But September has seen a slump in their form, picking up two points in four matches.
Real Salt Lake's late run of form has now placed them with an outside chance of qualification, with the summer signing of Juan Manuel Martinez - nicknamed "Burrito" - proving a real difference maker on the wing in Jeff Cassar's fluid 4-3-3.
Should Portland draw or lose against Columbus - who could guarantee play-offs this weekend - San Jose could go above the red line. For Real Salt Lake, they need to win and Portland to lose if they are to grab the last play-off spot.
Sporting Kansas City v Seattle Sounders: Will a weakened Sporting KC keep pace with a greatly improved Seattle Sounders?
Sporting Kansas City face a Seattle team on a resurgent run since mid-August. Obafemi Martins has scored in four games in a row to launch the Sounders into a position of being just three points off conference leaders Vancouver.
But Sporting KC are breathing down their necks, just one point behind with a slightly better points per game percentage. Peter Vermes labelled his team's performance "horrific" against Houston in their midweek loss, which could have pushed them into joint-second.
Maybe it was pressure, maybe it was fatigue, but trying to topple Seattle may be difficult as two of their most influential players, Matt Besler and Benny Feilhaber, will be serving one-game bans.
And not only will the incentive of points and play-offs be there, but Sporting Kansas City will compete in the US Open Cup final on Wednesday night against Philadelphia Union.
Peter Vermes will want momentum going into that game as they bid to win their first silverware since lifting the MLS Cup in 2013.
LA Galaxy v FC Dallas: Could LA Galaxy maintain their home form to make up for troubles on the road?
Two teams touted to be strong contenders go head-to-head just over a month since the Galaxy won the last meeting between the two 2-1 thanks to a Robbie Keane brace.
But considering these two are battling right at the top of the Western Conference, neither have been in sparkling form in recent weeks.
The Galaxy suffered their third consecutive shutout - after scoring 13 goals in the previous four matches - losing for a second time in that stretch in a 3-0 defeat at Real Salt Lake on Saturday evening. The night before, FC Dallas lost 3-1 to Sporting Kansas City.
The story all season for LA Galaxy has been their inability to replicate their home form on the road. If you look at a table just showing wins at home across the whole of MLS, LA Galaxy sit at the top, but away from home, they rank 17th out of 20.
So this is a home game that the likes of Steven Gerrard, Robbie Keane and Giovani Dos Santos, would love to win. As both clash on Sunday with the aim of achieving a higher seed, the Galaxy will be desperate to have home advantage should they make the play-offs.
Vancouver Whitecaps v New York City FC: Can Vancouver prove they are not cracking under the pressure?
Although Vancouver leads the Supporters' Shield standings, their recent form has been mixed. The Whitecaps have lost three of their last five matches. Their last league game was a defeat to Seattle Sounders, putting an end to their four-game win streak at home.
But their inconsistency is not at the same level as New York City, who would need to win the remaining four games and hope Montreal and/or Toronto enter a rough patch to make the play-offs.
Only two expansion clubs have reached the play-offs in their first season, and with Frank Lampard admitting this week he "needs more time" to gel with Pirlo, early teething problems were expected. But two wins in a row have lifted the sense of doom and gloom around the club, and a win against Vancouver would be a real statement.
But the Whitecaps currently have a chasing pack behind them, and will want to maintain their position at the top of the table to keep a play-off advantage and possibly secure their first-ever Supporters' Shield.