Before I get into the Playoffs again, I wanted to finish my thoughts on the idea of crowning a European-style league-wide season total points winner.

Believe me, the answer to creating an MLS Single Table Championship only means that the money needs to be found to make it worth the players' and the league's financial interest. If some high-profile commercial sponsorship or series of sponsorships could be put together to put real money on the table, you're guaranteed the traditional European triumvirate of trophys: a full season points winners; an Open Cup tournament that could one day have the interest of March-Madness style Cinderella-watchers; and a traditional made-for-TV knockout round playoffs, not only like every other major American sports league, but also much like a mini version of the European Champions League.

For those few, lonely Crew fans out there in mourning their elimination from the MLS Playoffs, you can turn back the clock sort of and wonder "What if only Chicago would have lost Saturday night to United, like that bonehead Brad predicted?" here (Finally, an Interesting Major League Soccer Playoffs Race)

Now the New New 2007 Major League Soccer Playoffs Picture: (accurate as of October 13, all teams have 1 game remaining to play, except the Galaxy and Rapids who each have an extra game in-hand; each team's record over all of their last 5 games and over the last 5 home and/or away games in parentheses, followed by current Goal Differential and Number of Goals Scored)

7. Kansas City Wizards: 37 points (All LTLLW--Away LLTLL)(-2 GD/43 Goals)
8. Chicago Fire: 37 points (All TWTTT--Home WTTWT)(-6 GD/36 Goals)
**************
9. Columbus Crew: 34 points ELIMINATED
10. Los Angeles Galaxy: 33 points (1 game in-hand)(All WWWWW--Home WWLWL--Away WWWTL)(-9 GD/37 Goals)
11. Colorado Rapids: 32 points (1 game in-hand)(All WLLTL--Home WTWWW--Away LLLTL)(-5 GD/27 Goals)

Remaining schedules:
Kansas City Wizards:
@ Dallas 10/20 (All WLLTL-Lost Open Cup Final also--Home LTWLW Lost Open Cup Final also)

Chicago Fire Schedule:
@ DCU 10/13 (All TWTWW-Won 1 and Lost 1 Copa Sudamericana also--Home WWWWW Won 1 Copa Sudamerican also)
LA 10/21 (see top)

**************
Colorado Rapids Schedule:
@ Chivas USA 10/14 (All WTWTW--Home TWWWT)
RSL 10/20 (All LTWTT--Away TTLLW)

Los Angeles Galaxy Schedule:
NYRB 10/18 (All WLTTT--Away LTLLL)
@ Fire 10/21 (see top)

My Best-Guess and Possibly Half-Assed Projected Scenarios: (UPDATE October 14)

Rapids will lose @ Chivas, Tie RSL to finish with 33 points.

Crew will lose @ DCU to finish with 34 points, but even if the Crew wins they won't go to the playoffs having been eliminated by Chicago winning a point vs. DC United. Head-to-head, the Crew at 37 points loses to both Chicago and kansas City

LA will beat Toronto to give them 33 points, win or draw vs. New York 34 points, all to play for in finale in Chicago.

Chicago's draw with DC United only eliminates one of their pursuers, Columbus, since the Galaxy always had to win all 3 games to make the playoffs.

Though Kansas City lost to the Red Bulls, just like Chicago the Wizards will only need a tie with Dallas to guarantee the playoffs with 38 points.

UPDATE October 13: An anonymous alert reader goofing off when he or she should be working (as noted by their choice of user name from the feedback form, "shouldbworking") pointed out that the original version of the calculator didn't take account of MLS' tie-breaker rules. Originally that was intentional as it required a bit more work than I at first had time to code, but I have since updated this to include the first three tiebreakers: head-to-head record, goal differential, and total goals scored.

With that in mind, here's how the tie-breakers would look (in order of their current position in the standings, except the Fire-Galaxy who are yet to play each other for the last time).

• If the Wizards and Fire both lose and wind up tied on the last day of the season, Chicago wins due to their 2 regular season victories over Kansas City, but if Colorado wins on Sunday the 14th, then Chicago and KC will need a loss by the Rapids when they host Real Salt Lake in their finale on the 20th to not be joining the Crew in watching the playoffs from their comfy chairs of choice.
• Like Chicago, the Wizards can not be tied with the Galaxy on the last day of the season, having already reached 37 points before Saturday night's loss to New York.