Colorado

Sounders can still get No. 2 seed (Oct 22, 2017)

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 1:20 p.m. ET

SEATTLE -- The defending MLS Cup champion Seattle Sounders still have plenty to play for in the regular-season finale, even after clinching a playoff berth last weekend.

The Colorado Rapids don't.

And perhaps that's what makes the match Sunday at CenturyLink Field intriguing.

The Sounders (13-9-11) can clinch the No. 2 playoff seed in the Western Conference with a victory, giving them a first-round bye. The Rapids (9-18-6), who met Seattle in the conference final last year, are finishing off a disappointing season in which they fired coach Pablo Mastroeni in mid-August.

"We're viewing it as a playoff game," Sounders coach Brian Schmetzer said. "It's a one-and-done. You know in this league full of parity, we could end up fifth (in the West) and then you don't even have the home game. ... I'm sure the home team has a distinct advantage (in the playoffs), but if you're (Nos.) 5 and 6, it's a struggle."

The Sounders remember having to go through the knockout round last season, and want to avoid that this year.

"The toughest week you can potentially face is playing the last game of the season (and then immediately starting the postseason)," said Sounders goalkeeper Stefan Frei, who has a league-leading 12 shutouts. "In the span of a week there's three high-intensity games. (That week last year was) the most grueling week I've ever had mentally and physically. It'd be really nice to make that week a bit easier and scratch that middle game and then get someone who, on the other hand, has to go through that."

The Rapids are 3-6-2 under interim coach Steve Cooke. They are unbeaten in their past three matches (2-0-1), dealing blows to the playoff hopes of the Montreal Impact, FC Dallas and Real Salt Lake.

"It's just about pride at this point," Rapids defender Kortne Ford said. "When you're on a team that's not going to make the playoffs, the focus turns to how many teams you can knock out of the playoffs. That's what we're looking to do at Seattle as well."

The Sounders are 14-5-2 all-time against the Rapids, including 8-2-1 at home. In the only previous meeting this season, July 4 in Commerce City, Colo., Seattle won 3-1 behind two goals from Clint Dempsey.

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