1. Louisville City FC

Current Record: 14-5-5, 47pts

Maximum Points Available: 71

Points Needed to Clinch: 6

Avg. Finishing Position: 1.3

Last Game: W 1-0 vs. Charleston Battery

Next Game: 9/9 at Pittsburgh Riverhounds, 7 p.m. ET

Orlando City B’s draw on Thursday night edged Louisville a point closer to clinching a playoff place, but the club can’t quite cross the finish line even with a win against the Riverhounds with nine teams guaranteed to have at least 50 points by the time the weekend is out. A road win against Pittsburgh would do quite a favor for the teams trying to ward off their host’s recent push up the standings.

2. Charlotte Independence

Current Record: 13-5-8, 47pts

Maximum Points Available: 65

Points Needed to Clinch: 6

Avg. Finishing Position: 2.3

Last Game: W 3-0 vs. Richmond Kickers

Next Game: 9/16 vs. Ottawa Fury FC, 7 p.m. ET

The Independence won’t be in action this weekend after the postponement of their game with the Charleston Battery to Sept. 20 due to Hurricane Irma’s potential progress up the Atlantic coast. Their fans should, then, be hoping to see a couple of upsets from the Pittsburgh Riverhounds as they host Louisville City FC and Ottawa Fury FC as it visits the Rochester Rhinos on Saturday night.

3. Charleston Battery

Current Record: 11-7-8, 41pts

Maximum Points Available: 59

Points Needed to Clinch: 12

Avg. Finishing Position: 4.3

Last Game: L 1-0 at Louisville City FC

Next Game: 9/16 vs. Richmond Kickers, 7 p.m. ET

As with the Independence, the Battery will be off this weekend in anticipation of Hurricane Irma. A win for Ottawa would also do Charleston nicely as it looks to remain in third position ahead of the Rhinos.

4. Tampa Bay Rowdies

Current Record: 10-7-8, 41pts

Maximum Points Available: 59

Points Needed to Clinch: 12

Avg. Finishing Position: 4.7

Last Game: W 3-2 at Harrisburg City Islanders

Next Game: 9/23 vs. Charlotte Independence, 7:30 p.m. ET

A second away win of the season returned the Rowdies to the top four in the Eastern Conference in midweek, and the side will now return to attend to personal matters with Hurricane Irma looking likely to arrive in Florida this weekend. Tampa Bay will also be hoping its friends at Ottawa Fury FC can do itself a favor in Rochester and benefit the Rowdies along with it.

5. Rochester Rhinos

Current Record: 11-5-8, 41pts

Maximum Points Available: 65

Points Needed to Clinch: 12

Avg. Finishing Position: 3.2

Last Game: W 1-0 at Toronto FC II

Next Game: 9/9 vs. Ottawa Fury FC, 6:05 p.m. ET

The Rhinos dropped to fifth after Tampa Bay’s victory, but would end the weekend in third place with any kind of result against visiting Ottawa Fury FC. Saturday’s early-evening clash might be among the most closely watched of the weekend, with Fury FC in dire need of a win to stay in touch with the top eight and teams in different areas of the standings hoping for a decisive outcome that will boost their chances.

6. Orlando City B

Current Record: 8-6-12, 36pts

Maximum Points Available: 51

Points Needed to Clinch: 17

Avg. Finishing Position: 8.2

Last Game: L 2-0 vs. Richmond Kickers

Next Game: 9/16 at Saint Louis FC, 8:30 p.m. ET

The end of Orlando’s 12-game undefeated streak will also bring some nerves to the club as it looks over its shoulder this weekend at teams that are within range to pass it with a win. OCB will be hoping two squads at the opposite ends of the standings in Louisville City FC and Toronto FC II can pull out results this weekend to keep them in sixth place ahead of a crucial road trip to Saint Louis.

7. New York Red Bulls II

Current Record: 10-11-5, 35pts

Maximum Points Available: 53

Points Needed to Clinch: 18

Avg. Finishing Position: 8.3

Last Game: W 4-2 vs. Tampa Bay Rowdies

Next Game: 9/9 at Toronto FC II, 8 p.m. ET

New York saw another break fall its way in midweek thanks to Orlando’s defeat to the Richmond Kickers. Now the Red Bulls II have the chance to move into sixth place as they visit Toronto FC II on Saturday, no pushover for sure, but a team that New York is 4-0-1 against all-time.

8. FC Cincinnati

Current Record: 9-9-8, 35pts

Maximum Points Available: 53

Points Needed to Clinch: 18

Avg. Finishing Position: 8.3

Last Game: D 1-1 vs. Pittsburgh Riverhounds

Next Game: 9/12 at Harrisburg City Islanders, 6:30 p.m. ET

Cincinnati will also have been pleased to see OCB’s defeat but still has some serious score-watching to do this weekend before it returns to action against the City Islanders next Tuesday. Victories for Rochester, Louisville and Harrisburg would be big for FCC’s chances.

9. Bethlehem Steel FC

Current Record: 10-11-4, 34pts

Maximum Points Available: 55

Points Needed to Clinch: 20

Avg. Finishing Position: 7.7

Last Game: D 1-1 at Orlando City B

Next Game: 9/15 at Louisville City FC, 7:30 p.m. ET

With Saturday’s game against Tampa Bay postponed, Steel FC will hope for some favorable results on Saturday night before a very tough trip to face Louisville City FC, the prelude to a run at the end of the month that could determine the fate of the season as Bethlehem faces Pittsburgh once and the Rowdies twice.

10. Pittsburgh Riverhounds

Current Record: 8-8-10, 34pts

Maximum Points Available: 52

Points Needed to Clinch: 19

Avg. Finishing Position: 9.0

Last Game: D 1-1 at FC Cincinnati

Next Game: 9/9 vs Louisville City FC, 7 p.m. ET

The door into the postseason opened a little wider for the Riverhounds thanks to Orlando City B’s defeat on Thursday night. Pittsburgh can now move into the top eight with a victory on Saturday night. While the opponent is first-place Louisville City FC, adding to a five-game undefeated streak with a win would make a serious statement to the Riverhounds’ fellow contenders after last week’s draw in Cincinnati.

11. Saint Louis FC

Current Record: 8-10-7, 31pts

Maximum Points Available: 49

Points Needed to Clinch: 22

Avg. Finishing Position: 9.9

Last Game: D 2-2 at Ottawa Fury FC

Next Game: 9/9 vs. Harrisburg City Islanders, 8:30 p.m. ET

Saint Louis will need to take advantage of the chance to host a City Islanders side that has lost five games in a row after Wednesday’s defeat to the Tampa Bay Rowdies if STLFC is to keep within range of the top eight. The side will have to be careful of Harrisburg, however, which showed the sort of danger it can muster even in defeat as it broke a six-game scoreless streak.

12. Ottawa Fury FC

Current Record: 7-9-9, 30pts

Maximum Points Available: 51

Points Needed to Clinch: 23

Avg. Finishing Position: 11.0

Last Game: D 2-2 vs. Saint Louis FC

Next Game: 9/9 at Rochester Rhinos, 6:05 p.m. ET

It’s about make-or-break time for Ottawa, which still has at least one game in hand on every team except for Bethlehem above it in the race for the playoffs but needs to find a way to start putting wins together after a five-game winless streak. A visit to the Rochester Rhinos is a tough place to make it happen, but Ottawa would make some other clubs very happy if it could come away with three points on Saturday.

13. Richmond Kickers

Current Record: 6-13-8, 26pts

Maximum Points Available: 41

Points Needed to Clinch: 28

Avg. Finishing Position: 13.7

Last Game: W 2-0 at Orlando City B

Next Game: 9/16 at Charleston Battery, 7 p.m. ET

The Kickers’ third win in its last four outings and first road victory of the season, gave teams around the Eastern Conference red line a nice boost. With nine points to make up in its final five games, Richmond is starting to look like that won’t make the playoffs but could have a major role in who ends up where at the end.

14. Harrisburg City Islanders

Current Record: 6-14-6, 24pts

Maximum Points Available: 42

Points Needed to Clinch: 29

Avg. Finishing Position: 13.4

Last Game: L 3-2 vs. Tampa Bay Rowdies

Next Game: 9/9 at Saint Louis FC, 8:30 p.m. ET

Harrisburg got out on the right foot against Tampa Bay, breaking a 616-minute scoreless streak to open the scoring, but the club’s fifth consecutive defeat leaves it one step closer to elimination. A visit to a Saint Louis side that’s as desperate for a win as it is awaits Harrisburg on Saturday, but a win will likely be more helpful to the playoff hopes of others than the City Islanders themselves.

15. Toronto FC II

Current Record: 5-15-7, 22pts

Maximum Points Available: 37

Points Needed to Clinch: 31

Avg. Finishing Position: 14.6

Last Game: L 1-0 vs. Rochester Rhinos

Next Game: 9/9 vs. New York Red Bulls II

Orlando’s loss didn’t mean much for Toronto, with a loss to the Red Bulls II still seeing the side eliminated from postseason contention.