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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
Sport
Tom Dart

By surfing the playoff expansion trend, MLS has devalued the regular season

MLS Apple Don Garber Patrick Crakes NBA Sporting Kansas City The Chicago Fire
Teams such as Sporting Kansas City are still in with a chance of winning MLS Cup, despite relatively modest campaigns so far
Teams such as Sporting Kansas City are still in with a chance of winning MLS Cup, despite relatively modest campaigns so far. Photograph: Rick Bowmer/AP

Not even the most gifted medium could divine much of a big-game aura from a match between sides in 10th and 11th place in MLS’s Western Conference. Yet there is a potential playoff spot riding on the result of Sporting Kansas City v Minnesota United on Saturday.

It is the last weekend of the regular season: Decision Day, in league marketing-speak. It will be Thank-A-Commish-Day in Kansas City or Minnesota should either of these mediocre teams still harbor dreams of lifting the MLS Cup at the final whistle.

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