This MLS season has been interminable. During those summer months, when everyone was too hot and cranky, and the Supporters’ Shield lead seemed to change hands every week, you could have been forgiven for thinking: please, please, make it stop now. But here we are at the business end, as they say – I know they’ve only played 34 games; it just feels like more – and after months of shifting patterns, the postseason picture is starting to emerge.

Toronto can relax after booking their spot

On Monday, Italy came back to beat Norway 2-1 in a Euro 2016 qualifier in Rome, and who should have made the difference but Sebastian Giovinco. Toronto’s little maestro entered after an hour with Italy one down, ran the Norway defence ragged, made Alessandro Florenzi’s equaliser, and generally looked the world-beater he has all season. Italy reliant on an MLS star to save their bacon? You better believe it.

And on Wednesday night, less that 48 hours after his Roman conquest, he was at it again, scoring a brilliant late goal against the Red Bulls, and securing Toronto’s first ever postseason appearance, despite Jozy Altidore’s red card for swearing. Which all means that Toronto can relax against Columbus on Saturday. As can the Crew: it would take a farcical sequence for them to miss out on the playoffs. A point would make them safe, and a relaxed, happy Toronto side should be obliging hosts. Expect the Crew to get what they need.

Time for Orlando to step up

There’s been much to enjoy in Orlando City’s debut season, not least the big crowds that makes them the second-best supported team behind the Sounders, but the men from the Sunshine State stand on the brink of elimination. Their task to stay in contention is straightforward, at least: just win their two remaining games and hope Montreal, or possibly New England or Columbus, slip up. Orlando play New York City FC at the Citrus Bowl on Friday night, and they have to come good. It’s a long shot, but Orlando mustn’t abandon their fantasy: after all, this slice of central Florida is the place where dreams come true.

But here’s the problem. Kaka can’t play. The wavy-haired Brazilian, looking ever more like an Edwardian poet than a global soccer superstar, has totted up one too many yellow cards, and is banned. So too Brek Shea, which means extra pressure on rookie Cyle Larin. Can he handle it? Don’t bet against it. Larin is the real deal, and though New York City could throw a spanner in the works, especially if David Villa fancies it, NYC are the footballing equivalent of baklava: good in parts, but oh so flaky. Orlando have the tools to win – then they just need to hope.

San Jose play host a nervous Sporting KC

It’s not quite all shook up in the West, but certain elements need addressing, not least whether Sporting Kansas City can emulate their city’s baseball brethren and excel in the postseason. Whether they’ll be there at all is still in doubt: KC, having led the conference at one stage, are looking nervously over their shoulder, and they could yet be caught by the team they visit on Friday night. Can the Quakes do as they did in August and hammer KC 5-0? Probably not, but Chris Wondolowski is in form with 16 goals on the season – and, amusingly, zero assists – and they’ll take some stopping at home. KC could do with a big game from the magnificent Benny Feilhaber, who must have watched USA tank against Mexico and Costa Rica and thought: what the bejesus have I done to upset Jürgen Klinsmann.

Montreal almost there

I enjoyed this bullish tweet from the official Montreal Impact account on Wednesday night:

I thought: yeah, well, I could go out with Jennifer Lawrence, buy a house in the Hamptons and sit on a throne in a solid gold hat, but it’s not going to happen, is it? Montreal should forget crazed notions of second and concentrate on the job in hand: making sure they finish above the red line and warding off the threat from Orlando. They visit New England on Saturday, 24 hours after Orlando play, but the Impact don’t travel well, and their away form is wretched: only three wins all season. But Didier Drogba has been a genuine success, and has overtaken Ignacio Piatti and Dominic Oduro atop the scoring charts with nine goals in nine games. Revolution need a point to ensure they join the postseason party, and although they could probably lose and still go through, they could do without a major embarrassment in their own home. This isn’t American Pie.

Portland come good in the clutch

What a result for the Timbers in Utah on Wednesday night. It might have been a dodgy penalty that led to Fanendo Adi’s game-winner – Jamison Olave’s trip on Lucas Melano was pretty clearly outside the box – but Olave deserved to be tossed out, and the Timbers deserved to win. It was tense, but the Oregonians came good in the clutch.

Real Salt Lake, who take on Dallas on Saturday night, are all but gone – “We failed,” admitted defender Tony Beltran – but Portland have propelled themselves into the top six, and they travel to LA with a chance to cement their postseason spot. Portland’s away form is decent, and they’ll fancy taking at least a point against a Galaxy side that, of late, has stuttered like a 1980s Detroit automobile. The Galaxy tend to fall apart on the road – not unlike a 1980s Detroit automobile, I suppose – but their home form is excellent, and they’ve lost just one all season. It’s high time Stevie, Robbie, Giovani and other Robbie showed their MLS Cup credentials, and they’ve never lost to the Timbers in Carson. It should be fun.