The Seattle Sounders are through – and all four of the other participating MLS teams can join them in the knockout rounds of the CONCACAF Champions League, if the chips fall just right.
For the LA Galaxy, it’s pretty straightforward: Defeat Motagua in Honduras on Oct. 20 and they’ll escape Group A (the de facto Group of Death in the CCL). Same goes for the Colorado Rapids, who guarantee themselves a spot in the knock-out rounds with a win at Santos Laguna.
It's a little messier in Group C. If either FC Dallas or Toronto FC win, they're through and the other goes home. A draw, however, would see it come down to goal differential - a scenario that favors FCD unless Tauro FC beat Pumas UNAM, a combination of results that would see all four teams finish on eight points and most likely knock both MLS sides out.
Here are the quarterfinal scenarios heading into the final week of group-stage games in the Champions League, as provided by CONCACAF:
GROUP A
LA Galaxy will advance IF
• They defeat Motagua on Oct. 20 OR
• They draw with Motagua AND Alajuelense defeat Morelia on Oct. 18
Morelia will advance IF
• They defeat Alajuelense OR
• They draw with Alajuelense AND Motagua defeat or draw with LA Galaxy
Alajuelense will advance IF
• They defeat or draw with Morelia OR
• Motagua defeat LA Galaxy
GROUP B (Santos Laguna already advanced)
Colorado will advance IF
• They defeat Santos on Oct. 19 OR
• Metapán and Real España draw on Oct. 20
Isidro Metapán will advance IF
• They defeat Real España AND Santos defeat or draw with Colorado
Real España will advance IF
• They defeat Isidro Metapán AND Santos defeat or draw with Colorado
GROUP C
FC Dallas will advance IF
• They defeat Toronto on Oct. 18 OR
• They draw with Toronto AND Pumas defeat or draw with Tauro on Oct. 19
Toronto FC will advance IF
• They defeat FC Dallas
Pumas UNAM will advance IF
• They defeat or draw with Tauro OR
• They lose to Tauro by fewer than seven goals and Dallas draw Toronto
Tauro will advance IF
• They defeat Pumas AND Dallas draw with Toronto
*If Tauro defeat Pumas, and Dallas and Toronto draw, all teams will finish with eight points, in which case final positions will be determined by goal difference. Going into the final round, Pumas lead with a plus-5, Tauro zero, Dallas minus-2 and Toronto minus-3.
GROUP D (Seattle already advanced)
Monterrey will advance IF
• They defeat or draw with Seattle on Oct. 18 OR
• Herediano defeat or draw with Comunicaciones on Oct. 19
Comunicaciones will advance IF
• They defeat Herediano AND Seattle defeat Monterrey
