By the time the San Diego Wave starts its match on Sunday against the Houston Dash at Snapdragon Stadium, the results of the teams competing for the final playoff spot (along with that of Angel City) will already be known.

If Bay FC and Portland win, the only way that SD Wave can remain mathematically alive is to beat last-place Houston. If those two teams draw, that means the Wave stays alive with a draw whether or not Racing Louisville, which is in ninth place, beats the Washington Spirit, as the regular season finale is against Louisville at Snapdragon Stadium.

The advantage for the Wave, led by interim head coach Landon Donovan, is that Portland plays the top-seeded and undefeated Orlando Pride while Bay FC takes on the fourth-seeded Kansas City Current, which the Wave will face on Oct. 19. If the Dash defeats the Wave, San Diego can remain alive if either Portland or Bay FC lose this weekend, which is a distinct possibility considering the opponents.

Things become dire if Bay FC avoids defeat because, even though San Diego could still catch up with Portland in the final two games, the goal-differential tiebreaker will likely favor the Thorns. The best way to avoid further drama, which this team has had way too much of this season, is to win out and let the chips fall where they may.

Finishing with 31 points is the best San Diego can do, and if it sneaks in that way, the team would enter the postseason as one of the hottest in the league with a likely quarterfinal meeting at the Orlando Pride.

Photo by San Diego Wave FC