With Week 30 officially in the books, United return to action in Week 31 against the Montreal Impact in what has shaped up to be arguably the most important game of the season for the Black-and-Red. Following the bye week, United are five points behind the No. 6 Impact with two games in hand—a win on Saturday would give the Black-and-Red three more points in their playoff pursuit, starve Montreal of three points, and move United within a mere two points of the No. 6 spot.
The Black-and-Red had a bye week to rest and recuperate, but with the playoff race so tight in the East, there were a number of fixtures on which United fans kept an eye. The Montreal v. New York City FC match was one of those fixtures, as an NYCFC win would've kept the gap between United and Montreal as small as possible. While New York failed to steal all three points on the road, they did hold Montreal to a 1-1 draw at Stade Saputo, meaning the Black-and-Red are five points behind the Impact instead of seven.
Below United sit the New England Revolution, who are level in points with 35 but have played one more game than D.C. The Revs drew the Chicago Fire 2-2 at home—a favorable result for United given it prevented New England from gaining any real ground in the East. Saturday's match against the Fire was a prime chance for the Revs to pick up three vital points at home against a struggling Chicago side, so United fans will take the draw and hope the Black-and-Red take care of business on Saturday to further widen the gap over New England. The Revs travel to Toronto for Week 31, and while they sit above the Canadian side in the standings, taking points from BMO Field will still be no easy feat. New England are 2-6-6 on the road this season, while the Reds are 6-6-2 at home this season.
On Sunday, the No. 5 Philadelphia Union continued their recent success and gained additional ground over the Impact in the standings with their 2-0 win over Sporting Kansas City. A drop in the Union's play in the remaining weeks and a streak from United, the Impact, or the Revs could lead to a shift in which sides occupy both the No. 5 and No. 6 spots, but Philly's six-point week helped move the Union closer to a postseason berth ahead of a busy week that will see them face Houston in the U.S. Open Cup final, then travel to Columbus on Saturday.
The bye week's results helped keep the playoff door open for United, now it's on the Black-and-Red to take advantage of the opportunities ahead. Saturday's clash against the Impact at Audi Field is a major chance to gain ground, while upcoming home matches against Chicago, Dallas, Toronto, and New York City FC will also be pivotal in keeping the Black-and-Red's playoff hopes in tact.
