The 2017 Major League Soccer regular season is nearing its end, and the Seattle Sounders are right where they want to be. Seattle sits alone atop the Western Conference table with seven regular-season matches remaining before it tries to defend its 2016 MLS Cup title.

As the calendar flips to September and every match becomes more and more crucial, let’s outline the five biggest storylines to watch down the stretch.

FAVORABLE SCHEDULE

Six of the Sounders’ seven remaining games are against Western Conference opponents, with a trip to Philadelphia to battle the Union the lone out-of-conference match.