Playoff seed at stake in Sounders FC's regular-season finale

Win and get the highest playoff seed possible or play not to lose knowing it is already in the playoffs?

That is the dilemma facing Sounders FC tonight in its regular-season finale at Qwest Field vs. FC Dallas.

The answer? All signs point to Seattle going for the win and the higher seed in hopes of securing home-field advantage for at least the opening round of the playoffs, though Sounders FC has played its best soccer of late away from Qwest Field.

Six of eight Major League Soccer playoff berths are decided — Sounders FC is one of the six — and the other two are up for grabs for six other teams. And that's just in the Eastern Conference. The West, with its four teams already locked in, could end up looking far different in the final standings by Sunday.

Sounders FC is currently the fourth and final seed in the West with 44 points. But the three teams it trails — Houston, the Los Angeles Galaxy and Chivas USA — are only a point ahead with 45.

"We are focused on what it means for us to try and move up in the situation this weekend," Sounders FC coach Sigi Schmid said. "Obviously we are in a situation now that even if L.A. [Galaxy] wins we can put ourselves in a situation where we are at least third. So we can move up from fourth. We can move up from fourth to third at a minimum this weekend. We can move to second. We can move to first. We have to keep that as our focus because that makes a big difference as you move forward into the subsequent rounds."

How can Seattle move up? It starts with a win tonight. That would give Sounders FC 47 points.

Sounders FC's game is going on at the same time as the Galaxy-San Jose match in Southern California. Seattle holds the tiebreaker with the Galaxy based on head-to-head play this season. Seattle has a win and a draw against the Galaxy.

On Sunday at noon, Houston and Chivas USA play. At stake? Perhaps the conference title or the fourth seed in the West for the winner and loser.

If Seattle wins, it can finish no worse than third in the West, a loss means it will finish fourth. A draw means the Sounders will finish either third or fourth.

But combine a win over Dallas with the Galaxy either tying or losing and the Houston-Chivas USA game ending in a tie and Sounders FC wins the West.

Sounders FC has the most to gain of all four teams. If it wins the West, it will have home-field advantage in the playoffs all the way through, because the MLS title game is at Qwest Field on Nov. 22.

José Miguel Romero: 206-464-2409

FC Dallas @ Sounders FC, 7:30 p.m., KONG