With five of the six Eastern Conference playoff spots formally locked up after last weekend's results, focus now shifts to the lower half of the table where four deadlocked teams look to overtake the New York Red Bulls in the sixth and final position.
The Chicago Fire clinched their spot in the 2017 postseason with a 4-1 win over San Jose last Wednesday, Sept. 27, and continue to jockey for seeding and the opportunity to host their their first playoff match with two games now remaining on their regular season calendar.
Here's an update of where the rest of the field stands entering another big round of late-season matches:
1.