Jack Bell
New York Times
September 19, 2007

The two division leaders in Major League Soccer — D.C. United in the East and Houston in the West — and New England have clinched playoff berths.

This season, the playoff scheme has been adjusted. Instead of the top four teams in each conference advancing, the top two teams in each conference will qualify, along with the four other teams with the most points, regardless of conference. The playoffs are scheduled to begin in late October, with the championship to be played Nov. 18 in Washington.

Chivas USA , which is unbeaten in its past seven league matches and has lost only twice in its past 12 games, can clinch a playoff berth with a victory or a tie Saturday against Kansas City . F.C. Dallas can also secure a postseason berth if it beats Chicago tomorrow night, then Colorado loses and Columbus either loses or ties Saturday.

With Los Angeles , Real Salt Lake and Toronto F.C. out of the picture, seven teams are in contention for the five remaining berths.

The misery continues in Toronto after another 90 minutes without a goal, increasing the expansion team’s league-record streak to 822 minutes. Toronto out shot Real Salt Lake by 13-1 last weekend but extended its streak without a victory to 11 games, even though Real Salt Lake played 55 minutes with 10 men.

“Today I’m actually speechless,” the usually loquacious Mo Johnston, the Toronto coach, said after the game. “Whatever they try in front of the goal, it’s just not going in.”

Through its struggles on the field, Johnston ’s club remains one of the league’s top draws, averaging 20,098 a game, second in M.L.S. to Los Angeles.

One final note: Johnston received a two-year contract extension.

·      Defender Nick Garcia played in his 219th match for Kansas City last weekend. Garcia has been with the Wizards for all eight seasons he has been a professional, since being drafted out of Indiana University in 2000.

·      Red Bulls striker Juan Pablo Ángel, who has 15 goals and is tied for second with Eddie Johnson among the league’s goal scorers, is one goal from tying the single-season club record set by Adolfo Valencia with the MetroStars in 2000.

·      M.L.S. is expected to announce by the end of the year where two expansion teams will begin play, possibly by 2009. Philadelphia, with plans to build a stadium in Chester, Pa.; St. Louis, with plans to build in Collinsville, Ill.; and Seattle have apparently moved to the top of the list. It is possible the league will add two more teams by 2010, for a total of 16, which could include a second team in the New York metropolitan area.