The Seattle Sounders enter today's match in unfamiliar territory. For the first time since they entered MLS in 2009, they neither control their own playoff destiny nor are already eliminated. In other words, there are scenarios where they can get into the playoffs with as little as a tie or could miss the playoffs entirely even if they win.

Their attitude all week has been that all they can do now is put themselves in the best position possible and hope other results go their way. If they beat LAFC today, that could shoot them up as high as 7th if the three teams ahead of them drop points. Even short of that dream scenario, a Sounders win would allow them to get in as long as at least one of those teams drop points.

In LAFC, they face a team in nearly as bad of a slump as their own. LAFC have won just 2 of 15 games since the end of their Leagues Cup campaign, a slide so bad that it got first-year coach Marc Dos Santos fired. New coach Xavi Tamarit has gone just 1–1–3, which includes an embarrassing loss at home to Minnesota United last week. They’ll also be missing several key contributors, mostly notably goalkeeper Hugo Lloris who suffered a back injury.

Notes

Today is the Fan Appreciation Match, which will include thousands of giveaways as well as the opening of the 300 section.
Today also marks the final day that fans can cast ballots for the GM vote, which they can do in person and online until 11:59 PM.
The Sounders’ enter today with a goal-difference of -3. They’ve never finished with a negative goal-difference in any MLS season.

Clinching scenarios

The Sounders can finish as high as seventh or as low as 10th with a win. Here are the various scenarios that can at least put them in:

Seattle win vs. LAFC AND LA lose/draw at Salt Lake or…
Seattle win vs. LAFC AND Portland lose/draw at Austin or…
Seattle win vs. LAFC AND Colorado lose/draw at Dallas or…
Seattle draw vs. LAFC AND Portland lose at Austin AND Colorado lose at Dallas or…
Seattle draw vs. LAFC AND Portland lose at Austin AND Minnesota lose/draw vs. San Jose or…
Seattle draw vs. LAFC AND Colorado lose at Dallas AND Minnesota lose/draw vs. San Jose or…
Seattle draw vs. LAFC AND Portland lose at Austin AND Seattle win tiebreaker over Minnesota or…
Seattle draw vs. LAFC AND Colorado lose at Dallas AND Seattle win tiebreaker over Minnesota