Crew playoff hopes slim entering final day

The worst possible scenario occurred for the Crew during Wednesday's Major League Soccer action, making a playoff berth almost impossible on Sunday — the final day of the 2021 regular season.

The Crew are still alive. But with a 0-0 draw between New York Red Bulls and Atlanta United, and CF Montreal defeating Houston Dynamo 2-0, the Crew's odds of making the playoffs are as slim as they could be without being eliminated.

Entering the night, the Crew needed Montreal to lose or draw either Wednesday against Houston or Sunday against Orlando to guarantee that a win against Chicago Fire on Sunday would put the Crew ahead of Montreal to end the season. The Crew would hold the tiebreaker with more wins.

But what the Crew desperately needed to have a shot at the MLS playoffs was either back-to-back losses by the

Red Bulls or back-to-back losses by Atlanta to end the season, in addition to the Crew beating Chicago.

Since the Red Bulls and Atlanta tied, Atlanta is at 48 points and cannot be caught by the Crew, who have 44 points. The Red Bulls are at 47 points,

mathematically in range of the Crew. But the Red Bulls have a clear advantage in goal differential over the Crew.

If the Red Bulls — who currently hold the final playoff spot — lose Sunday at Nashville and the Crew beat Chicago, both teams are tied at 47 points. The first tiebreaker is total wins, which both teams would be tied at 13. The next tiebreaker is goal differential, where the Red Bulls have a seven-goal advantage.

The Crew have already scored more goals than the Red Bulls this season — which is the third tiebreaker. So, the Crew need to beat Chicago, and the Red Bulls must lose to Nashville, by a combined seven goals for the Crew to surpass Red Bulls.

If that somehow happens, the Crew needs Montreal to lose or draw against sixth-place Orlando, as well as a draw or a loss from D.C. United (44 points) at 13th-place Toronto FC.

MLS plans early start

MLS will return to its normal schedule structure in 2022 with the earliest start in the league's 26-year history, and a finishing date before the FIFA World Cup in Qatar begins in November.

The season begins the weekend of Feb. 26 and ends Oct. 9. MLS Cup will be played Nov. 5. jmyers@dispatch.com @_jcmyers

ADAM CAIRNS/COLUMBUS DISPATCH To make the playoffs, the Crew need to beat Chicago, and the Red Bulls must lose to Nashville, by a combined seven goals. Then, Montreal and D.C. United each need to lose or draw.