On Saturday, two of the top teams in the Eastern Conference clash as the New York Red Bulls play host to the Chicago Fire live on NBC (3:30 p.m. ET) from Red Bull Arena.

Down to the final month of MLS regular season play, the Saturday afternoon matchup will be one with playoff spots on the line.

The two teams, matched in points at 53, both have the chance to clinch a coveted playoff spot with a win at Red Bull Arena paired with a Columbus Crew tie or loss OR a Houston Dynamo loss on Saturday. [Full scenarios listed below]

It was a super September for two strikers on these squads as Chicago Fire forward Chris Rolfe and New York Red Bulls forward Thierry Henry were brilliant through the month of September.

Rolfe scored three goals and contributed one assist in five games played while Henry posted three goals and four assists across three games in September. Neither team will have to rely solely on these two power players as each team has seen goal scoring spread across their squads in 2012.

While eight players have scored two or more goals for the Red Bulls this season, Chicago has seen 11 players find the back of the net multiple times this season.

Chicago will need to lean on these players to bridge the gap in Goals For totals as the Red Bulls (who have only been outscored by San Jose and Los Angeles this season) currently have a 12-goal advantage in the first tiebreaker category.

A Look at the MLS Cup Playoff Picture

EAST: Will New York or Chicago clinch?
WEST: Race for the Last Spot in the West

One of two Eastern Conference teams could clinch this weekend as the Chicago Fire or New York can see their way into a playoff spot with a win on Saturday and help from Sporting Kansas City and Montreal. Montreal are on the hot seat this weekend as the 2012 expansion side will be eliminated if they fail to win against Houston. Even if they do win, Columbus could see the Impact out of the playoff picture with a win over Sporting Kansas City.

While four teams in the West have already clinched, three Western Conference teams could be eliminated this weekend which would leave two clubs to battle for the one remaining playoff position.

Updated playoff scenarios are available below.

New York Red Bulls will clinch a playoff spot IF

New York Red Bulls win vs. Chicago Fire on Saturday

AND

Columbus Crew tie or lose vs. Sporting Kansas City on Sunday OR
Houston Dynamo lose vs. Montréal Impact on Saturday

Chicago Fire will clinch a playoff spot IF

Chicago Fire win vs. Philadelphia Union on Wednesday OR New York Red Bulls on Saturday

AND

Columbus Crew tie or lose vs. Sporting Kansas City on Sunday OR
Houston Dynamo lose vs. Montréal Impact on Saturday

OR

Chicago Fire tie vs. Philadelphia Union on Wednesday AND New York Red Bulls on Saturday AND
Columbus Crew lose vs. Sporting Kansas City on Sunday

Montréal Impact will be eliminated from playoff contention IF

Montréal Impact tie or lose vs. Houston Dynamo on Saturday
OR
Columbus Crew win vs. Sporting Kansas City on Sunday

Portland Timbers will be eliminated from playoff contention IF

Portland Timbers tie or lose to Seattle Sounders FC on Sunday

OR

Vancouver Whitecaps FC win or tie vs. Chivas USA on Wednesday

OR

FC Dallas win vs. Chivas USA on Sunday

Chivas USA will be eliminated from playoff contention IF

Chivas USA tie or lose vs. Vancouver Whitecaps FC on Wednesday

Colorado Rapids will be eliminated from playoff contention IF

Colorado Rapids tie or lose vs. San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday
OR
Vancouver Whitecaps FC win vs. Chivas USA on Wednesday

NOTE: One of Chivas USA and Colorado Rapids have already been eliminated – since they play each other, it is not yet determined which of the two is mathematically out.

MLS Week 31 National Broadcasts

Saturday, October 6

Toronto FC vs. D.C. United, 1 p.m. ET (TSN/RDS)
NY Red Bulls vs. Chicago Fire, 3:30 p.m. ET (NBC/TSN2/RDS2)
LA Galaxy vs. Real Salt Lake, 9 p.m. ET (NBC Sports/TSN2)

Sunday. October 7

Chivas USA vs. FC Dallas, 7 p.m. ET (Galavision)
Seattle Sounders vs. Portland Timbers, 9 p.m. ET (ESPN/ESPN Deportes/TSN2)

MLS Week 31 Previews
(Home team listed first; all time Eastern)

Saturday, October 6

Toronto FC vs. D.C. United, 1 p.m. (TSN/RDS)

• On a roll: Chris Pontius scored his team-leading 12th goal of the season to extend United’s undefeated streak to four games in their 1-1 win at Portland to start a two-game road swing.
• Visitors delight: United have won on their last three visits to BMO Field. In seven games all-time in Toronto, D.C. has won five.
• Familiar foes: It’s the third meeting of the year for the teams, after D.C. United won twice in the space of three weekends. Chris Pontius and Hamdi Salihi scored in a 2-0 win May 5 at BMO Field, then Dwayne De Rosario hit for a double and Salihi netted again in a 3-1 triumph May 19 at RFK Stadium.

New York Red Bulls vs. Chicago Fire, 3:30 p.m. (NBC Sports)

• Top form: Thierry Henry continued his recent tear with a goal and three assist in the Red Bulls’ 4-1 win vs. Toronto FC last weekend. Over his last four games, Henry has three goals and five assists. Henry is now tied for fourth in the MLS Golden Boot standings with 14 goals, and tied for fourth in MLS with 12 assists.
• Tough luck: Goalkeeper Luis Robles made his MLS debut – and was scored on with the first shot he faced – but bounced back to backstop the Red Bulls win against Toronto.
• Bragging rights: The teams have split their two previous meetings this season. Patrick Nyarko, Gonzalo Segares and Chris Rolfe all scored in a 3-1 Fire win on June 17 at Toyota Park. Thierry Henry scored the game’s only goal in a Red Bulls victory, July 18 at Red Bull Arena.

Philadelphia Union vs. New England Revolution, 7 p.m.

• Close calls: The teams are meeting for a third time this season. Jack McInerney’s 90th-minute goal was the difference in a 2-1 Union victory on July 29 at PPL Park, then they played to a scoreless draw Sept. 1 in Foxborough.
• Undefeated: Union have never lost to the Revolution, with three wins (and three draws) in six meetings all-time.
• Spark plug: Jack McInerney pulled into a tie for the Union team lead with his fifth goal in their 3-2 loss at Columbus. All five of his goals this season have come since June 23, when he was installed into the starting lineup by new coach John Hackworth.

Houston Dynamo vs. Montreal Impact, 8:30 p.m.

• Home-field advantage: Dynamo extended their home unbeaten streak to 23 league games in their 2-0 win against New England last weekend, now the second-longest streak in MLS history.
• Making history: The Dynamo have two home games as they bid to become the fourth team in MLS history – and third in as many years – to go undefeated over an entire season at home. Real Salt Lake (2010) and the LA Galaxy (2011) did it each of the last two seasons; San Jose was the first in 2005.
• Needed rest: The Impact return to action after a weekend off, their winless streak extended to three games in their last match, a scoreless draw with Sporting KC in Montréal.
• Goals galore: The teams are meeting for the third time, after high-scoring affairs in their first two. Davy Arnaud and Patrice Bernier each had a goal and an assist in a 4-2 Impact win, June 23 at Stade Saputo, in their first meeting. A brace from Mac Kandji led the Dynamo to a 3-0 win July 21 in Houston.

Colorado Rapids vs. San Jose Earthquakes, 9 p.m.

• Clutch: The Earthquakes continued their remarkable late heroics with another stoppage-time goal to salvage a 3-3 draw with FC Dallas. The Quakes have scored eight goals in stoppage time that have gained a victory or a draw this season, an MLS record.
• Team effort: The Quakes are the eighth team in MLS history to have a trio of goalscorers with double-digits in goals (Chris Wondolowski 22, Alan Gordon 13, Steven Lenhart 10) – the first in a decade, since Colorado had three in 2002.
• Dominance: The teams are meeting for the third time this season, and the Earthquakes have won the first two. A Chris Wondolowski penalty kick in stoppage time gave the Quakes a 2-1 win June 20 in Commerce City, then Alan Gordon and Simon Dawkins each scored twice in a 4-1 victory Aug. 25 at Buck Shaw Stadium.
• Colorado kryptonite: The Rapids have won just once in their last eight home games vs. San Jose, that win coming Aug. 7, 2010.

LA Galaxy vs. Real Salt Lake, 9 p.m. (NBC SN)

• Goal machine: Álvaro Sabório became the first MLS player this season to score two hat tricks when he hit for a triple in RSL’s 4-0 win Saturday vs. Chivas USA. Sabório scored all three goals in a Real win vs. Portland on July 7. Sabório is now second in the MLS Golden Boot standings with 17 goals.
• Even matchup: The clubs are meeting for the third time this season. Javier Morales and Fabian Espíndola capped a three-goal outburst over the final 17 minutes for a 3-1 RSL victory in the season opener March 10, then the Galaxy got a pair of goals from Landon Donovan to return the favor June 20 at Rio Tinto Stadium.
• Team player: Fabian Espíndola recorded his first career three-assist game (and his second this season with multiple assists, the only two of his career) in the win against Chivas.
• Win-lose:The Galaxy extended their undefeated run to seven games in their 1-1 draw at Colorado on Sunday, but could have suffered a blow when defender A.J. DeLaGarza suffered a knee injury.

Sunday, October 7

Columbus Crew vs. Sporting Kansas City, 4 p.m.

• Road wins: The teams have split their first two meetings this season, each winning on the other’s home ground. Goals from Jacob Peterson and Teal Bunbury gave Sporting a 2-0 win July 14 at Crew Stadium, then Jairo Arrieta scored twice in the 2-1 Columbus win two weeks later at Kansas City.
• On fire: Arrieta recorded his third two-goal game since coming to MLS when he netted twice in the Crew’s 3-2 win Saturday vs. Philadelphia. Arrieta has a goal or an assist over the last four games, with three goals and two assists in that stretch.
• Doing it all: Graham Zusi hit for his second career two-goal game, scoring both goals in Sporting’s 2-0 win Friday vs. Chicago. Zusi is still tied for the MLS lead with 14 assists with LA’s Landon Donovan.
• Records falling: Sporting have not allowed a goal in three consecutive games, extended their current undefeated run to nine games in the win vs. Chicago. It was the 14th shutout for goalkeeper Jimmy Nielsen, tied for the second-highest single season total in MLS history (KC’s Tony Meola had 16 in 2000).

Chivas USA vs. FC Dallas, 7 p.m. (Galavision)

• Final push: The teams are meeting for the second time this season, the first of two encounters in the final month of the season. They played to a scoreless draw June 23 in Frisco.
• Got their number: FC Dallas have not lost to Chivas USA since the 2009 season, now unbeaten in the last five meetings.
• Breaking out: FCD’s Blas Perez hit for his first two-goal game in MLS, netting twice in the 3-3 draw at San Jose last weekend.

Seattle Sounders FC vs. Portland Timbers, 9 p.m. (ESPN/Deportes)

• Ticket punched: Sounders FC became the fourth Western Conference team to clinch a spot in the MLS Cup Playoffs despite having their winless streak extended to three games in their scoreless draw at Vancouver.
• Golden boot: Bright Dike scored for the fourth time in the last eight games to bring Portland back for a 1-1 draw with D.C. United on Saturday evening.
• Western rivals: The Cascadia Cup rivals will meet for a third time this season. First-half goals from Kris Boyd and David Horst sent the Timbers on their way to a 2-1 home win on June 24, then Rodney Wallace’s late goal canceled out a tally from Seattle’s Mauro Rosales to leave the teams in a 1-1 deadlock Sept. 15.
• Up for grabs: In four all-time meetings in MLS, each team has won once with two draws, each teams scoring six goals. Overall, the clubs have met 78 times in official competitions, Seattle winning 40 times, Portland winning 28, and 10 draws.