Union can clinch Champions League berth on Wednesday night

A draw between third place Columbus Crew and fourth place Orlando City or a win for Orlando on Wednesday night will clinch a berth for the Philadelphia Union in the 2021 Concacaf Champions League.

While Sunday’s Decision Day game at home against New England Revolution will decide who gets the No. 1 seed in the East and who wins the Supporters’ Shield — bottom line the Union need to win or have Toronto drop points if they draw — a draw between Orlando and Columbus would put both teams out of contention for second place (both in the East and in the overall standings).

The second place finisher in the Supporters’ Shield race is significant if Toronto wins it because they can’t book a spot in the Champions League through Supporters’ Shield or MLS Cup. Canadian MLS teams can only make Champions League via the Canadian Championship tournament.

A trophy is the ultimate goal for the Union with one game left in the 2020 season — two trophies in fact — but booking a spot in an intercontinental would be a nice way to at least take some of the bad taste away from Sunday’s 2-1 loss in Columbus with yet another game against the New England Revolution coming up.