Following their 3-0 win over the Portland Timbers, the Colorado Rapids pushed themselves up to No. 7 in the Western Conference with an international break upcoming. That break will extend through this week, and going into their game against the LA Galaxy on Friday they are still down away from the playoff spots.
Chivas USA losing to the Seattle Sounders in the only MLS action of the weekend kept the positions exactly the same for the Rapids going into the Galaxy game. That's a good thing for Colorado -- as written by Burgundy Wave, there's actually still hope for the Rapids in the playoff hunt, as long as some results continue to go their way:
Currently, Colorado has 29 points. Look at the competition three spots ahead of them:
* FC Dallas 33 Points
* Vancouver Whitecaps 37 points
* LA Galaxy 43 pointsThose are the only teams the Rapids have any prayer of catching. They've blown their chance to get extra points from Dallas with those two unfortunate losses, but they play both the Whitecaps and Galaxy at least once more each. Two wins against the Galaxy somehow would slice the deficit down from 14 points to a more manageable eight, while also gaining extra ground on the Caps for that fifth playoff spot. Essentially, winning four or five of their remaining six games could get the team into the big show.
While very unlikely, the playoffs are still legitimately within reach for the Rapids provided they get a miracle or two chipped their way as the season reaches its climax. The team has six games remaining on its schedule.
For more on the Colorado Rapids, head over to Burgundy Wave. If you want more on the world of soccer in general, check out SB Nation's Soccer Hub.