With the double-donut draw between Detroit City FC and New York Cosmos this past Wednesday, the race for the top of the East is still up for grabs. What does it mean? Who knows? What we do know is that DCFC is done with its season, while Cosmos, Michigan Stars and Chattanooga FC still have some work to do.

NEW AMSTERDAM FC v MICHIGAN STARS FC, Saturday, September 12th @ 6PM ET (Hudson Sports Complex, Warwick NY)

Let’s get straight to the point: a win by the Stars, along with a draw in the CFC-Cosmos game, and they will have the top spot locked up. Not a scenario anyone outside the Juncaj family thought possible. Michigan has had a couple of weeks to rest and get ready for this one, so it will be interesting to see what combination of players will be up front. It says here that we should expect the Stars to use their typical high press and test the shaky back line of NAFC.

It has not been pretty for New Amsterdam, now sitting at the bottom of the table in the East. But with the bubble tournament coming up, everyone gets new life. With a team like the Stars, it would behoove NAFC to work on getting the back line on the same page with each other. Tighten it up in the back, get some long balls to Michael Bello and let him do his thing. Thank you for listening to my TED Talk.

CHATTANOOGA FC v NEW YORK COSMOS, Saturday, September 12th @ 7:30PM ET (Finley Stadium, Chattanooga TN)

I know I know…finishing first doesn’t mean a whole lot (sorry, Dan V), but for you romantics out there that care about who sits atop the standings this game is quite intriguing. Win this and the next game, and Chattanooga can be in first all by themselves. But which CFC team shows up: the club that completely dismantled Detroit City, or the one that struggled against Michigan Stars? CFC will be rested and at home playing a Cosmos team that just played Wednesday night.

And speaking of those Cosmos, while it is true that this club has gotten points in each match so far, we have yet to see a complete performance from this group. Will that performance come in this match? Or, perhaps, we are expecting too much out of this club and maybe this is as good as it gets. The Cosmos are a veteran team that knows how to grind out results, and that’s nothing to sneeze at in this day and age. A question for the lineup is forward Darwin Espinal, who missed last game due to illness but has been subbed out early in the second half of the first two matches. If he made the trip, does he start?

CAL UNITED STRIKERS v OAKLAND ROOTS SC, Sunday, September 13th @ 7PM ET (Championship Stadium, Irvine CA)

Hey there Cal United – how you been? Seems like ages since we saw Cal United, and if you blink you will miss the club’s whole Fall Season. Seriously – they play on Sunday, then once again on Wednesday - and that’s it. So not much game time before heading off to the bubble tournament. The good news is that it looks as though the gang is mostly all here from the spring. Will new signing Minjae Kwak make an impact up front? Hard to know how he will work into the lineup, but talent-wise this club is deep and should be in conversation as far as who will do well in the tournament.

Oakland made quick work of LA Force this past weekend, looking like a club that wants to make some noise in the tournament (they have made plenty in other areas this past week). Matt Fondy reminded everyone that hey, he can score goals, too, getting a brace in the last game. Also making a great first impression was defensive midfielder Tarn Weir (great name, by the way), who was all over the pitch. A win against Cal United and the Roots lock up the top spot in the west – not that it matters too much (sorry again, Dan V).

- John Howard-Fusco