Western Conference title within reach with a win, help

The Colorado Rapids have a tremendous opportunity in front of them.

Win, and get a little help, and the Rapids could finish Sunday with the Western Conference title and a firstround bye into the MLS Cup Playoffs.

The Rapids are technically in third place but are tied with second-place Sporting Kansas City in points (with one less win) and are one point behind the Seattle Sounders.

Colorado will take on Los Angeles F.C. in a Decision Day matchup on Sunday afternoon, while Sporting KC and Seattle play their regular-season finales at the same time. The Rapids have to win to have any shot at winning the Western Conference.

“For us, we really need to focus on the task at hand,” head coach Robin Fraser said. “They’re a really good team that are going to be very difficult to beat.”

If the Rapids win, they will need help from Real Salt Lake and the Vancouver Whitecaps. RSL plays in Kansas City and it likely needs a win to make the playoffs. Vancouver sits in sixth place currently and also has a lot to play for at home against the Sounders.

The Rapids have to win and need Sporting KC and the Sounders to both lose or draw in order to win the West and earn a bye.

“We can’t control what Seattle or Kansas City (do),” Fraser said. “There is nothing we can do to affect that. The only thing we can control is our effort and concentration and intensity.”

If one of those teams lose or draws and the Rapids win, the Rapids finish second, clinching a spot in the Concacaf Champions

League next season.

The most likely scenario is the Rapids finish in third place, where they have been the majority of the season.

If the Rapids are able to find themselves in first place come Sunday night, it would be the first time they have ever won the Western Conference regular season. If they’re able to get a win or draw, it will establish a club record for most points in a single season.

“If we win and it doesn’t fall our way, we did our best and we can go and do our thing (in the playoffs),” defender Auston Trusty said. “But we want to put ourselves in a position where it can fall our way.”

The Rapids’ matchup with LAFC is listed for a 4 p.m. MT kickoff and is expected to start at 4:25 p.m. All other Western Conference teams will kick off at the same time.