Blaise Nkufo and Seattle hope to end Toronto's playoff chances this weekend. (Getty Images)

The playoff picture could be a whole lot clearer after this weekend. Three teams have the chance to clinch spots in the post season while we'll likely be able to see another couple be eliminated from contention.

BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. -- We are into the tail end of May, with plenty of Major League Soccer action left in the tank. But with a 2-3-3 record and a middle-of-the-pack spot in the Eastern Conference, the Chicago Fire are looking to change the tone of its season.
The Fire hope they can find the win column when they host FC Dallas at 7 p.

Dax McCarty and Logan Pause square off tonight. (Getty Images)

The Chicago Fire and FC Dallas renew their Brimstone Cup rivalry tonight on ESPN2. Interesting fact to know that FC Dallas has yet to lose at Toyota Park since the Bridgeview stadium opened a couple years ago.

A lot is riding on tonight as these two clubs are hoping to gain valuable points.

The Chicago Fire traded first half goals with FC Dallas for a 1-1 stalemate at Toyota Park Thursday evening. David Ferreira struck first for the Texan side before Brian McBride equalized shortly before halftime. The Brimstone Cup feature showed little of the passion of its earlier years, with both teams appearing complacent throughout.

Hey ref, you're missing a great game. *sigh* Well at least the Brimstone Cup will be FCD's for the taking when Chicago comes back to Dallas on October 2nd.

The Chicago Fire traded first half goals with FC Dallas for a 1-1 stalemate at Toyota Park Thursday evening. David Ferreira struck first for the Texan side before Brian McBride equalized shortly before halftime. The Brimstone Cup feature showed little of the passion of its earlier years, with both teams appearing complacent throughout.

In order to keep their slim playoffs hopes alive the Fire have an opportunity to reclaim some hardware from an old nemesis. FC Dallas (or the team from Dallas previously known as the Burn) has held onto the Brimstone Cup since 2002 and are currently riding a 17 game unbeaten streak. The MLS all time best is 19 set by the Crew in 2004/2005.

Playing their third match in a week the Fire were outclassed in Dallas surrendering the Brimstone Cup for the ninth consecutive season. A defensive lapse in the 20th minute from Kwame Watson-Siriboe resulting in the first goal was all Dallas really needed to earn the three points and continue the Fire's miserable season.

The playoffs have five clubs in with three spots remaining and at this point we pretty much know who those other three will be unless Kansas City can crash the party. The same thing is happening in the power rankings here as the top eight remain largely the same this week while one club managed to drop despite a big home win last Wednesday.

Brimstone Cup

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Join us in the game thread as the game unfolds.

I could have written about the Brimstone Cup but decided not to in the Game Preview.

The Fire will open the 2011 season by travelling to Frisco, Texas to face FC Dallas in the first Brimstone Cup match of the new year. The opening game on March 19 will be followed by the home opener one week later against Sporting Kansas City (still hard to get used to that) in an afternoon game at Toyota Park.