Sporting Kansas City’s 2-1 victory over the Philadelphia Union last night allowed the club to clinch the coveted No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference. The road to the MLS Cup now runs through Kansas City.

Joining them in the playoffs are the New York Red Bulls, Houston Dynamo, Chicago Fire and D.C. United. All four teams clinched a playoff spot last week, and heading into the final Saturday of the regular season, that is all we know.

The combinations are endless. Other than the No. 1 seed, no other seed in the Eastern Conference has been decided. There are three matches on Saturday that will clarify the playoff picture and provide the MLS with what should be an exciting night of soccer.

Chicago (currently third) is making its first playoff appearance since 2009, and can finish anywhere from second to fifth. A victory over D.C. United on Saturday would clinch the No. 2 seed, but a loss, coupled with a Dynamo victory, could leave the Fire free-falling to the knockout round.

The MLS’ midseason decision to change the first tiebreaker to goals scored is a detriment to the Fire. Of the four teams jockeying for playoff positioning, Chicago has the lowest goal tally (45).

They have not played well of late, losing three of their last four, and Chris Rolfe (eight goals with three assists) has only recorded one assist with zero goals in that stretch. He will need a better performance if he wants his team to avoid the knockout round.

Chicago’s opponent on Saturday, D.C. United (currently second), has won the MLS Cup a league-record four times, but is making their first playoff appearance since 2007.

They are traveling to Toyota Park on Saturday, where they have not lost since 2006 (3-0-3). A victory over the Fire would clinch the No. 2 seed, but like Chicago, a loss would send D.C. into the dreaded knockout round.

D.C., however, would be able to host the match at RFK Stadium on Halloween night. Many felt the injury to reigning MVP Dwayne De Rosario would hinder United’s playoff chances, but credit is due to Ben Olson for galvanizing his team and leading this respected franchise to its eighth playoff appearance.

The Red Bulls (currently fourth) are coming off an impressive showing vs. Kansas City last week—a 0-0 draw where New York displayed a level of tenacity and mental toughness. New York can finish anywhere from third to fifth and will go on the road in search of a crucial three points.

The rival Union—eliminated from playoff contention—would love nothing more than to send New York on the road to fight for their playoff lives. The Red Bulls have not fared well away from the confines of Red Bull Arena and are winless on the road since May 19.

New York has been surrounded by recent turmoil, with the firing of their general manger Erik Soler and the speculated departure of head coach Hans Backe. They have not allowed it to derail their season and still have the opportunity to finish strong—igniting a momentous run towards the MLS Cup.

The scenarios do not end there.

Lost in all this chaos are the dangerous Houston Dynamo (currently fifth). As it stands, the Dynamo would have to travel on Halloween for the knockout round, but with some help, Houston can find themselves in third by the end of Saturday night.

Things get complicated for the Dynamo, as they need a few results to work in their favor. Houston would have to defeat the putrid Colorado Rapids and hope that both the Red Bulls and Fire fall earlier on Saturday afternoon.

Houston has the benefit of knowing their fate beforehand. If they are locked into the final playoff spot before the start of their match, the Dynamo may choose to rest their players for the knockout round just four days later.

It is a strategy that could spark a Cinderella run towards their third MLS Cup championship.

Many were critical of the unbalanced schedule this year, but it has succeeded in providing the MLS with an exciting finish—one that is sure to leave its fanbase on the edge of their seats.

Follow Eduardo on twitter for more insight on a variety of sports topics. Follow @BR_Mendez

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Coach Ben Olsen's mostly unnoticed campaign to return D.C. United to its former Major League Soccer glory reached an important milestone last night. United clinched a spot in the 2012 playoffs with a 3-2, come-twice-from-behind win over the Columbus Crew.

Lewis Neal scored the winner in stoppage time. The dramatic goal bought United three priceless points that leap United to second in the Eastern Conference standings. The loss also eliminated the Crew from contention.

D.C. now sits just three points below Sporting Kansas City. It can finish on top of the conference with a win over Chicago in the last regular-season game on October 27 (coupled with a Sporting loss to Philadelphia three days earlier).

Is anyone outside the Washington Beltway noticing?

Though United has won the league cup four times, D.C. has not appeared in the playoffs since 2007, when Olsen was playing for, rather than coaching, the side.

Most observers noted the improved talent. The D.C. roster includes reigning MVP Dwayne De Rosario, a healthy Chris Pontius back from a broken leg and Honduran national Andy Najar. Before the start of this season, United added Nick DeLeon, Danny Cruz, Emiliano Dudar and Hamdi Salihi.

The touted newcomers would add depth up and down the field, most acknowledged, but talk of a United return to glory felt premature.

That may prove correct. For fans of the black and red, though, making the playoffs beats the alternative. The dry spell has been long enough to erase elite expectations. Now, just being there is enough.

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Thierry Henry has led the New York Red Bulls to fourth in the Eastern Conference (53 points), but sit just four points ahead of sixth-placed Columbus Crew. 

With Sporting Kansas City visiting Red Bull Arena tonight, New York will attempt to walk away with a crucial three points from the top team in the conference.

They are three points that could save the club from a collapse of epic proportions. 

The Red Bulls found themselves in first place following their 2-0 victory over the Houston Dynamo on Aug. 10, but have been wildly inconsistent since then and are now in danger of missing the playoffs.

They are a pedestrian 3-2-2 in their last seven matches, with two of those victories coming against the lowly Timbers and Toronto FC. They failed to elevate when the level of competition increased and have only managed one point vs. playoff teams in that stretch (a 2-2 draw vs. D.C. United on Aug. 29).

To make matters worse, New York’s potential implosion has been assisted by curious personnel decisions.

The infelicitous firing of general manager Erik Soler and the speculation of head coach Hans Backe’s departure at year's end is an unnecessary added distraction.

With the level of talent they possess and the amount they spent to obtain it, there is still no excuse for the team’s recent downward trend. 

The Red Bulls were undefeated at home (10-0-3) when Sporting KC visited back in September, but fell 2-0 and suffered their first home loss of the year.  A similar result tonight will be demoralizing and detrimental to New York’s future heading into the final week of season.

A trip to rival Philadelphia awaits the Red Bulls on Oct. 26. Given their horrid performance on the road this year (4-7-5), there is no telling which team will arrive on the pitch.

Thierry Henry has been nothing short of spectacular this year (14 goals with 12 assists) and may have to dig deeper in order to carry his team to the playoffs. Luckily, some help is on the way.

Lloyd Sam was impressive in New York’s 4-1 victory over Toronto FC, but suffered a hamstring injury before the match's conclusion. His anticipated return will provide an added dimension to the Red Bulls’ attack as they attempt to exploit the absence of midfielder Roger Espinoza (ankle sprain).

A draw will help the Red Bulls inch closer to a playoff birth, but there is no denying a victory is necessary for their psyche. One point will fail to ignite a momentous run towards the MLS Cup.

New York must send a message to themselves and the rest of the Eastern Conference, that with the MLS Cup six weeks away, they still belong in the conversation. 

Follow Eduardo on twitter for more insight on a variety of sports topics. Follow @BR_Mendez

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David Beckham's 20-year football career has been punctuated by remarkable comebacks and a staunch resilience that demonstrates you can never count the former Man United and Real Madrid man out.

But time is the enemy of all athletes, and even Becks can't keep playing forever.

Despite being handed a coaching role in England's World Cup 2010 set-up—after injury ruled him out of the squad—Beckham has been clear that professional football management is not in his future.

And he hardly seems likely to follow his old friend Gary Neville into punditry.

So with the two most obvious career options for ex-footballers seemingly out of the question, what should David Beckham do once he finally hangs up his boots?

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The sad and stunning downfall of seven-time Tour de France-winning cyclist Lance Armstrong has little to do with the world of American soccer. A connection exists, though, and everyone who watched the United States men's national team defeat Guatemala on Tuesday night already knows it.

The U.S. won that match 3-1, and with the victory advanced to the final round of CONCACAF, qualifying for the 2014 World Cup. All was right with U.S. soccer that night, except for the location of the match.

Livestrong Sporting Park.

Now, I have no problem with Livestrong Sporting Park itself. Let me be clear on this point: Livestrong Sporting Park is a magnificent venue for soccer, and the noisy, intense atmosphere created in the stadium that night was perfect for a home qualifying match.

My problem has to do with that first word, Livestrong. That part of the stadium's name refers to the Livestrong Foundation, also known as the Lance Armstrong Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping cancer survivors and their families through the recovery process.

It's a cause that's close to Armstrong's heart. Amstrong himself is a cancer survivor, and the Livestrong Foundation has produced almost immeasurable good through his work as its chairman.

As we all know by now, however, Armstrong stepped down (via NY Times) as chairman Wednesday in the wake of the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency's release of massive and damning evidence against him.

It was the right thing to do, as was Nike's decision to end its endorsement deal with Armstrong this week. Now it's time for Sporting Kansas City to do the right thing and end its association with Livestrong.

Admittedly, that's unlikely to happen. Earlier this week club president Robb Heineman said the name would stay (per Reuters):

"It's really about helping those afflicted with cancer," said Heineman. …"We've got an agreement for another four years for it to be Livestrong Sporting Park. We don't stick our head in the sand ... but it doesn't change how we feel about the Foundation and the work they do."

Unfortunately, sticking their head in the sand is exactly what Heineman and Sporting are doing.

Yes, Armstrong did step down as Livestrong's chairman. And yes, Livestrong does great things for cancer survivors. But no, Sporting Kansas City should no longer be associated with Livestrong and Armstrong.

Sporting's decision to support the fight against cancer was and still is laudable. Partnering with Livestrong was worthwhile, and not only because the club pledged to give $7.5 million to the foundation over the next six years (via Yahoo! Sports).

Armstrong was an American sporting hero, and leaving aside the doping allegations, he remains a role model for his fightback from life-threatening testicular cancer. Fighting cancer is a worthwhile pursuit, and that's true even if the public face of Livestrong is an accused cheat.

But there are other ways to fight cancer. There are other organizations—the American Cancer Society and Susan G. Komen Race For the Cure immediately come to mind—and they are all deserving of our time and money and the high profile generated by an association with a sports team.

If fighting cancer is the most important issue, why not switch to a new charity that's free of the stink of alleged cheating?

No man is bigger than the fight against cancer, and no matter how much good Armstrong has done, the alleged cheating taints it all.

It's true that the allegations are still only allegations, but the evidence is convincing and the damage done to cancer survivors is profound.

As long as the Livestrong name stays on the stadium, Sporting Kansas City will be associated with perhaps the worst cheating scandal in the history of American sports. And the worst part about all of this is that neither Sporting nor the cancer survivors affected by this story have done anything wrong.

Follow @MikeCummings37

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Today, I had the opportunity to spend a few minutes talking to USMNT legend Tony Meola.

Meola earned 100 caps in his international career and minded the net for the U.S. in the 1990 and 1994 World Cups. He was also a part of the 2002 World Cup squad.

In his Major League Soccer career, Meola played the majority of his career for the Kansas City Wizards, helping the team win the MLS Cup in 2000, a year that saw Meola win League MVP, Goalkeeper of the Year and MLS Cup MVP honors.

Meola is in Kansas City ahead of the U.S. final group stage World Cup qualifier as part of Allstate’s “Good Hands FC” program that works with youth goalkeepers.

Meola talked about Sporting KC, the growth of Major League Soccer, the USMNT, Jurgen Klinsmann and even Brad Friedel.

Can you tell me a little about what you’re doing in Kansas City?

“I’m out here around the U.S.-Guatemala World Cup qualifier with Allstate as part of this promotion that we’ve been doing for the last two years around the country. Tonight we will be in a local community here. We’re going to surprise a group of players and be part of a clinic that is also going to be supported by Sporting. At the end, AllState’s nice enough to give the kids brand new gear, a full kit with everything that they need to get through the season and a ticket to tomorrow’s night’s [U.S.-Guatemala] game.”

So you’ve been doing this for the last two years?

“I’ve been doing it for two years around the country and this is the first time I’m getting back to KC, so when this came on the schedule at the beginning of the year—I’ve been looking forward to this trip for awhile.”

This is kind of a homecoming for you, isn’t it?

It sure is—I wish I had more time - it’s great to be back. I just got a nice tour of the stadium, tomorrow I’ll head out, Peter [Vermes] invited me to practice, so I’ll head out to training. And then, tomorrow night enjoy what we hope is going to be a great night.”

The stadium is a little bit different than when you were there?

“Yeah, they did a great job. They put a lot of time, effort and funding into the stadium. They certainly didn’t miss too much that’s for sure.”

So what are your thoughts on how Major League Soccer has changed since your playing days?

“Well, obviously there’s more teams, a lot more travel. With the new rules they definitely have some advantages with designated players, and bringing some of those players into the fold, into the mix, I think it helps the American players and it helps the quality of play. And I think the player pool is bigger than it was back then.”

Did you get to watch the U.S. - Antigua match the other night?

“I did, I watched it on a computer which drives me crazy. I feel like I might as well listen to it on the radio like in the 60’s. First, and most importantly, they [the U.S.] got the result. From there, the quality of play wasn’t great. Antigua and Barbuda, at a point, looked really dangerous and there was a stretch of time in the middle of that game where they almost looked like they were going to take the three points. But, the U.S. got the goal they needed and now they come back knowing exactly what they have to do. A tie, or a win and they go through to the next round and that’s the most important thing. Certainly, it was not a great game for the U.S.”

What are your impressions with Jurgen Klinsmann so far?

“You know, that’s always the question, I hear it all the time. About playing better and the style and for me, I look at things, maybe, in a simple format. What I judge personally is, do you get to the World Cup and then do you get out of the first round. For me, that’s success because those standards have been set. I would think with this group of players, and I would hope that the expectations of the fans, at a minimum, anything short of that is not a success. And I don’t think they [the players] look at it any differently.

Everyone says the style of play—tell me what has changed in the style of play? If he [Klinsmann] said we’re going 3-5-2, well that’s a completely different style, or a straight 4-3-3, or something different, I just don’t see it. I think forget the style of play, let’s worry about getting this team prepared, getting this team clicking on all cylinders on game day and every game day.”

Do you have any predictions for tomorrow?

“It’s a tough game. I do see the U.S. winning the game and scoring a couple of goals. But, Guatemala is dangerous right now. They understand - they win the game they’re going through. And with a tie the two of them can go through. There’s a lot at stake for Guatemala. The U.S. has an advantage—if they lose they can still go through, but then it will depend on Jamaica who hasn’t been kind to the U.S. the last couple of weeks and they’re not going to start now. I think that at some point, this group of guys is just going to have to start rolling over some of these teams.”

You mentioned that qualifying for the World Cup is the goal. You’ve been part of the legacy of this country starting with 1990 with getting us back to being a modern soccer nation.

“Yeah, you look at that and couple it with ‘94 and from that point on, the expectations changed. And that’s good. That’s all positive. Positive from a fan stand point. And with this team they should expect more. They should demand more. You’ve got guys playing all over the world at a high level now. And they [the fans] should expect that this team tomorrow night and going forward—they can get through these games.”

You mentioned the ‘94 team—that meant a lot to my generation—seeing you guys perform on the world stage here in the United States and how much that helped grow the game. It helped make us excited and really proud to be soccer players because we were kind of outcasts at that time in this country. What do you guys, the ’94 guys, see as your role in the development of the game here in the U.S.?

“What we really had there was a group of guys with a lot of desire. And then we had really the first group of guys to play at that stage that American fans could see - Alexi Lalas, Cobi Jones, Earnie Stewart, Marcelo Balboa—those recognizable names. We were the first crop of guys that people recognized and had the opportunity to [see]. It was a good era for sure to be part of. But now we need to continue to advance and continue to grow and we’re doing that. The last two away games haven’t been pretty for the U.S., but hopefully we get through this and when the time comes—we’re well on our way to looking like how we all think the group should look.”

I’m sure you saw this. Last week Brad Friedel’s consecutive game streak in the EPL came to an end. I’m sure the American goalkeeper community has some collegiality. I’m wondering if you had any thoughts on that streak coming to an end?

“Yeah, you know it’s crazy. I read Villas-Boas’ rationale and the reasoning. I would have thought by now, he’s [Friedel] established himself to be in a position where he didn’t have to go through that. I thought it was strange that they brought [Hugo] Lloris in at this point and not someone younger. But, they made the decision and Brad will for sure deal with it like he also does—professionally.”

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Jurgen Klinsmann has been under a lot of heat for the mediocre performance of his American team. Games that shouldn't be difficult have turned into long hard-fought battles where every second of the 90 minutes proves to be vital.

The World Cup Qualifier against Antigua and Barbuda wasn't supposed to take extra time to secure a USA victory, but it did. But it wasn't the regular group of Americans that have rescued the stars and stripes time and time again.

Landon Donovan wasn't dressed, so there was no magic from No. 10. It wasn't Clint Dempsey, the EPL star who has been clutch for the red, white and blue. It wasn't Michael Bradley, the Series A player who has been trained his whole life for moments like this. Heck, it wasn't even Herculez Gomez, who has played great as of late.

When the USA had its back against the wall with a matter of mere seconds remaining, it was the Major League Soccer players who made the difference.

In fact, every goal and assist came from an MLS player. Eddie Johnson resurrected his international career with two goals, including the stoppage-time clincher. His two year hiatus has allowed him to come back better prepared to succeed.

The first goal started with Graham Zusi. The Sporting Kansas City player sent in a corner, which eventually went to the foot of Bradley, who laid it back off to Zusi. With one touch, Zusi sent in a perfectly floated ball into the box and the Seattle Sounders star deflected the ball into the back of the net.

In the 90th minute, it was San Jose Earthquakes star Alan Gordon who made the most of his first cap. Gordon sent in a cross to the back post and a composed Johnson was able to place the ball to the opposite side of the net.

A game that the Americans so badly needed was starting to fall out of grasp, but the MLS players proved to be the difference. The American league is growing in quality and it showed last night.

Sure, Antigua and Barbuda is no Spain or England, but three points is three points and American-groomed players were the difference. It wasn't any of the Americans that play in foreign countries, which there is nothing wrong with. But to see somebody other than Donovan translate MLS success onto the international level was a joy to see.

Rather than continue to search for American talent abroad, Klinsmann might ought to look right in his own backyard. The MLS players have showed the difference they can make on the national team. And with a quickly growing league, the pool of talented players has never been greater.

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Notice anything pink about Major League Soccer over the weekend?

It was almost impossible not to.

MLS, like the National Football League and other American professional sports leagues, is participating in Breast Cancer Awareness Month this October. To mark the occasion, a number of MLS players designed special cleats with Adidas.

The color of Breast Cancer Awareness Month is pink, and for that reason, so were the special cleats.

Several players participated in the effort, including Fredy Montero of the Seattle Sounders, Teal Bunbury of Sporting Kansas City, Chris Pontius of DC United, Darlington Nagbe of the Portland Timbers and Kenny Cooper of the New York Red Bulls.

Wearing his new shoes, Montero scored in Seattle's 3-0 victory over Portland on Sunday.

All of those players designed the shoes themselves (you can do the same thing at miadidas.com), and the results were on display around the country this past weekend.

For Bunbury, designing the cleats had personal meaning.

"I wanted to make something fun and exciting and that definitely looked good," Bunbury said in a press release. Mainly though I wanted to show my continued support of Breast Cancer Awareness having that a family member was recently diagnosed with Breast Cancer. Having the ability to design my own cleat gave me the freedom to express my passion for the game."

Cooper expressed similar sentiments.

"My inspiration for why I designed my boots with pink stripes and laces are all those who have had breast cancer," he said. "I know when I look down on my boots and see the pink that represents Breast Cancer Awareness that I will be inspired by their hope and strength."

The MLS regular season ends this month. After three rounds of playoffs, the MLS Cup will be held Dec. 1 at a location to be determined.

Follow @MikeCummings37

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The Los Angeles Galaxy came into Saturday's game against Real Salt Lake unbeaten in seven straight MLS matches. LA came off a disappointing 1-1 draw against the Colorado Rapids, while RSL was dominant in a 4-0 shutout of Chivas USA.

As the playoffs near, this game was of utmost importance as it featured the second- and third-place teams in the Western Conference. RSL was only ahead of LA by two points in the standings, and both teams wanted to capture points in order to stay as far away as possible from dropping to fourth place.

Avoiding the play-in match between the fourth- and fifth-place teams in the playoffs will provide rest and an automatic berth to the conference semifinals.

The Galaxy's defense took a big hit last week when center back AJ DeLaGarza injured his knee, likely sidelining him for the remainder of the regular season.

In addition, right before kickoff, it was reported that left back Todd Dunivant was out with a hip pointer injury. Losing half of their championship backline against a potent RSL attack did not bode well for LA.

Replacing the two injured defenders were rookies Bryan Gaul and Tommy Meyer. Both turned in decent performances, but Meyer did make a few mistakes that almost led to goals.

Los Angeles opened up the scoring with a beautiful volley by Robbie Keane (watch it here) in the 17th minute. RSL's Fabian Espindola responded with two quick goals, separated by just three minutes.

Overall, the Galaxy defense did well, but all it took were a couple mental lapses to give RSL the three points that were up for grabs. LA had plenty of great scoring chances, but they were just unable to finish.

To add to the bad night that the Galaxy had, Landon Donovan picked up a knee injury and had to be subbed out of the game. This is also bad news for the US Men's National Team, since their World Cup Qualifying against Antigua & Barbuda and Guatemala are in about a week.

Los Angeles' schedule doesn't get any easier. They play the first-place San Jose Earthquakes on Oct. 21 then finish off the regular season against the fourth-place Seattle Sounders.

Both matches are crucial in determining playoff seeding for the Western Conference, and winning them could provide a lot of positive momentum heading into the playoffs.

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Over the past few years, American players heading to Europe has been among the hottest topics for USMNT fans to discuss. U.S. fans realize that the more top-notch experience their players are getting in Europe, the better the U.S. team is likely to be because of that experience.

And while the road to Europe is not always dotted with success stories, as several prominent Americans have struggled in their European exploits, the move has, in many cases, pushed American players to the forefront of some of the bigger clubs in Europe.

Without further ado, here are nine Americans who will likely be plying their trade in Europe one day.

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