MLS: All the possible Decision Day permutations and predictions

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PORTLAND, OR – SEPTEMBER 07: Portland Timbers celebrate Brian Fernández goal in injury time during the last seconds of the dramatic Portland Timbers win over Sporting Kansas City on September 7, 2019, at Providence Park in Portland, OR. (Photo by Diego Diaz/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images). /

Decision Day is here. The MLS regular season has just one game remaining and there is a whole lot still to decide. Here are all the possible permutations and predictions for what might happen.

Decision Day is almost upon us. At the start of the Major League Soccer regular season, there were 14 places available in the MLS post-season. Now, there are just two.

Both of those come in the Western Conference with four teams still in the hunt for the remaining two spots. Meanwhile, there are battles for home-field advantage in both conferences.

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Let’s start with the battle for second place in the East.

CHESTER, PA- AUGUST 31: Josef Martinez #7 of Atlanta United heads to the ball during the Major League Soccer match between Atlanta United and Philadelphia Union. The match was held at Talen Energy Stadium in Chester, PA on August 31, 2019, USA. Philadelphia Union won the match with a score of 3 to 1. (Photo by Ira L. Black/Corbis via Getty Images) /

Who takes 2nd in the East?

Now: ATL 55 – PHI 55

Both Atlanta United and the Philadelphia Union had their chances to win the Eastern Conference, but in the end, New York City FC had too much for the pair of them. Now, they have a battle for second place.

Both teams currently sit on 55 points, with Atlanta sitting above due to having 17 wins to the Union’s 16. The simple fact of the matter is that if the Five Stripes win on Sunday evening, they will take second place in the table.

Atlanta will face the New England Revolution this weekend, a team they last faced in April where they took a 2-0 victory away from Foxborough thanks to an Ezequiel Barco brace. Philadelphia face a much tougher task on Sunday. They face the side that overhauled this duo to take the top spot in the Eastern Conference, New York City FC.

If the Union better Atlanta’s result, then they will take second spot and the ‘best’ draw in the first round of the playoffs in the East. However, all Atlanta need to do to grab that second place is to match Philadelphia’s result. A victory would give them the second spot, no matter what the Union do, by virtue of having more wins.

Matches with Playoff Permutations:

ATLANTA UNITED v New England Revolution

PHILADELPHIA UNION v New York City FC

What Each Team Needs for 2nd:

ATL – Win or match PHI

PHI – Better ATL

Prediction:

ATL win, PHI tie

(2) ATL 58 – (3) PHI 56

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