Colorado Rapids won the 2021 MLS Western Conference playoff race on 61 points, 1 point ahead of Seattle Sounders FC. It came down to the final days: Colorado Rapids did not lead for good until November 7, 2021.
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Western standings, 2021
Team
W
L
T
PTS
L10
Streak
Colorado Rapids (COL)
17
7
10
61
5-3-2
W2
Seattle Sounders FC (SEA)
17
8
9
60
4-3-3
T2
Sporting Kansas City (SKC)
17
10
7
58
5-5-0
L3
Portland Timbers (POR)
17
13
4
55
7-3-0
W3
Minnesota United FC (MIN)
13
11
10
49
4-3-3
T1
Vancouver Whitecaps FC (VAN)
12
9
13
49
5-1-4
T2
Real Salt Lake (RSL)
14
14
6
48
5-5-0
W1
LA Galaxy (LA)
13
12
9
48
2-4-4
T2
Los Angeles Football Club (LAFC)
12
13
9
45
3-4-3
L1
San Jose Earthquakes (SJ)
10
13
11
41
4-4-2
T1
FC Dallas (DAL)
7
15
12
33
1-5-4
T1
Austin FC (ATX)
9
21
4
31
4-6-0
L1
Houston Dynamo FC (HOU)
6
16
12
30
2-6-2
L4
Final standings.
Turning points
The lead changed hands 14 times.
Colorado Rapids trailed by as many as 9 points on June 26, 2021.
Colorado Rapids took first place for good on November 7, 2021.
Seattle Sounders FC led by 6 points as late as October 22, 2021.
Colorado Rapids went 4-2-1 from October 9, 2021 to November 7, 2021, turning a deficit of 9 points into a lead of 1 point.
The top two ended the day within three points of each other on 67 of the 80 days played.
Nine teams held first place.
Seattle Sounders FC held first place for 56 straight days, the season's longest run.
Colorado Rapids spent 1 of the season's 206 charted days in first place.