Neither team would be mathematically eliminated with a defeat, but a loss on Saturday at Avaya Stadium would just about be a nail in the coffin for both the Seattle Sounders and San Jose Earthquakes.
San Jose and Seattle are both battling to reach the red line, with the seventh-place Earthquakes (32 points) and eighth-place Sounders (31 points) fighting to catch the Portland Timbers (35 points) for sixth in the West.
Saturday’s result will go a long way towards determining which club has the best shot at catching Portland, with a winner set to dramatically increase their playoff chances.