MLS Decision Day scenarios: How FC Dallas can clinch a playoff spot on Saturday

Major League Soccer calls it “Decision Day.” And that is precisely what it is.

Saturday is the last day of the regular season and each conference’s games will take place simultaneously. This way, no team has a competitive advantage due to the results of other games to know what they need to qualify for the playoffs.

Eastern Conference games will be held at 5 p.m. (CT). Western Conference games will start at 8 p.m. (CT).

FC Dallas will seek a place in the playoffs by visiting the Los Angeles Galaxy, who have already been eliminated from postseason contention.

FCD is in eighth place in the Western Conference with 43 points, 10 wins and a plus-1 goal differential. The top nine positions in each conference advance to the postseason. The eighth and ninth teams will compete in a wildcard game. The first MLS tiebreaker is total wins, followed by goal differential.

With a win against the Galaxy, FC Dallas will secure its place in the postseason. A draw or defeat could leave the team out of contention.

Behind FCD is San José, also with 43 points and 10 wins but a worse goal differential (-4).

Kansas City and Minnesota, with 41 points, are also looking for a place in the postseason in the Western Conference. KC has 11 wins, while Minnesota has 10.

FC Dallas missed the opportunity to clinch a playoff berth when it tied 1-1 with the Colorado Rapids at Toyota Stadium on Saturday.

A victory would have given FCD the peace of mind of traveling to Los Angeles with a postseason ticket in hand.

“It’s not time to give up,” said FC Dallas coach Nico Estévez.

“We have to embrace the moment, we have to embrace the opportunity presented to us to achieve our goal of reaching the playoffs,” Estévez said.

Outlook for Decision Day In the Western Conference:

Qualified for the playoffs: St. Louis CITY SC, Seattle Sounders FC, LAFC, Real Salt Lake, Vancouver Whitecaps FC, Houston Dynamo FC, Real Salt Lake, Vancouver Whitecaps FC

Eliminated from contention: Austin FC, Colorado Rapids, LA Galaxy.

FC Dallas qualifies for the playoffs if:

– FC Dallas wins vs. LA Galaxy.

– FC Dallas draws vs. LA Galaxy and Portland Timbers lose vs. Houston Dynamo FC.

– FC Dallas draws vs. LA Galaxy and San Jose Earthquakes lose/tie vs. Austin FC.

– San Jose Earthquakes loss vs. Austin FC and FC Dallas have an advantage in the tiebreaker over the San Jose Earthquakes or Sporting Kansas City tie vs. Minnesota United FC.

Tiebreaking procedures

In the event that two or more teams finish the regular season with an equal number of points, the following tiebreakers will be used:

Total number of wins

Goal Differential (GD)

Goals For (GF)

Fewest Disciplinary Points* per match

Away Goals Differential

Away Goals

Home Goals Differential

Home Goals For

Coin Toss (tie of two clubs) or Drawing of Lots (tie of three or more clubs)

How the playoffs will be played

In the first phase of the playoffs, the teams in eighth and ninth place in each Conference will face each other in a single elimination game.

The winner of the wild card match will advance to the next round, which will be played in a best-of-3 series.

Every Round One game will have a winner; no ties, no aggregate score.

The matches will be hosted in a home-away-home format:

Match 1: higher seed hosts

Match 2: lower seed hosts

Match 3: higher seed hosts

If a match is tied at the end of regulation, no extra time will be played. Teams will participate in kicks from the penalty spot to determine the winner.

The first team to win two matches will advance.

Four teams from each conference will advance to the Conference Semifinals.

Single-elimination matches, hosted by the higher seed.

If the score of a Conference Semifinal game is tied at the end of regulation, two 15-minute extra time periods will be played in their entirety. If the score is still tied at the end of the two extra time periods, teams will determine the winner via a penalty kick shootout.

Conference Finals

Single-elimination match hosted by the higher seed.

If the score of a Conference Final game is tied at the end of regulation, two 15-minute extra time periods will be played in their entirety. If the score is still tied at the end of the two extra time periods, teams will participate in kicks from the penalty spot to determine the winner.

The winner of each Conference Final match will advance to MLS Cup presented by Audi.

MLS Cup presented by Audi

A single match hosted by the higher seed.

If the score of the game is tied at the end of regulation, two 15-minute extra time periods will be played in their entirety. If the score is still tied at the end of the two extra time periods, teams will participate in kicks from the penalty spot to determine the winner.

Playoffs schedule

Wild Card matches: Oct. 25-26.

Round One Best-of-3 series matches: Oct. 28-Nov. 12.

Conference Semifinals and Conference Finals: Nov. 25-Dec. 3.

MLS Cup: Dec. 9.

How to watch

FC Dallas @ LA Galaxy

Where: Dignity Health Sports Park

Time: 8 p.m.

Streaming: Apple TV

Find more FC Dallas coverage from The Dallas Morning News here.