MLS: Playoffs settled after Decision Day drama

The Colorado Rapids and San Jose Earthquakes missed out on a spot in the playoffs on the final day of MLS' regular season.

While only the order of the playoff places in the Eastern Conference remained to be settled heading into Decision Day, the West was more open.

Four teams – the Rapids, 'Quakes, Real Salt Lake and FC Dallas – were fighting it out for the remaining two postseason places.

And it was Dallas and RSL who made the cut at the last, thanks to a 2-1 win over the Vancouver Whitecaps and a 2-2 draw at St. Louis City SC, respectively.

Kaick grabbed the winner for Dallas in Vancouver, where Thomas Muller's penalty had cancelled out Osaze Urhoghide's opener, which came after an early red card for the hosts' Mathias Laborda.

St. Louis mustered 27 shots and 3.53 expected goals against RSL, and the pressure finally told when Joao Klauss equalised late on. But the visitors held onto a point that took them into the top nine, ahead of the 'Quakes, whose 2-1 comeback win over Austin FC proved fruitless, and Colorado, whose playoff hopes were quashed by Andrew Moran's 90th-minute equaliser in a 2-2 draw with Los Angeles FC.

RSL will take on the Portland Timbers, who were thrashed 4-0 at home by San Diego FC and have won just one of their last 10 matches, in the Western Conference Wild Card game on Wednesday.

Matters were more straightforward in the East.

Orlando City's 4-2 defeat to Toronto FC means they finished ninth, and will compete against the Chicago Fire – playing in the postseason for the first time since 2017 – in the Wild Card tie. 

Chicago will have home-field advantage due to an extraordinary finish to their 2-2 draw with the New England Revolution.

Dor Turgeman netted in the 96th minute to put New England ahead, only to then turn into his own net three minutes later.

The Columbus Crew, meanwhile, beat the New York Red Bulls 3-1 to ensure their place in the first round of the playoffs and set up a mouthwatering derby against FC Cincinnati, while Supporters' Shield winners, the Philadelphia Union, were beaten 2-0 by Charlotte FC.

D.C. United finished bottom of the overall standings with 26 points, as they drew 1-1 with Atlanta United.

Data Debrief: Whitecaps' run ended but Muller's streak rolls on

Dallas' victory saw Vancouver's eight-game unbeaten streak in MLS come to an end.

However, Bayern Munich great Muller did continue his fine form. He has now recorded at least one goal contribution in each of his first six MLS starts. The last player to do that was Chicago's Brandt Bronico in 2018.

Dallas, meanwhile, snapped a six-match winless streak on the road, earning their first away victory in MLS since they overcame Sporting Kansas City in June, while this was their first win in Canada since they beat Vancouver in September 2018.