Every step counts as playoffs near

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David Beckham and the L. A. Galaxy host the top-ranked Columbus Crew in a crucial matchup next week. Victor Decolongon/Getty Images

Our weekly dose of Major League Soccer quick takes, plotlines to watch and Power Rankings.

The race for the Supporters' Shield heats up ...

Thanks to the exploits of Player of the Week Brad Davis, the Houston Dynamo rediscovered their offense and won for the first time since Aug. 9. The victory, combined with the Columbus Crew's tie in Chicago, allowed the Texas team to draw even with the Crew on 43 points in the race for Major League Soccer's Supporters' Shield. With two games in hand, the latter club -- which won the honor last season -- remains in pole position, but don't sleep on the Los Angeles Galaxy, especially if Landon Donovan and a rejuvenated David Beckham can coax their squad to a win this weekend in Columbus. (On the other hand, if Robert Warzycha's club earns three points against the Galaxy, the Shield is essentially theirs.)

... But does it matter?

In five seasons since 1996, the winner of the Supporters' Shield has also raised the MLS Cup, but last season's Crew team was the first squad to do it since 2002. The reason for this is simple: While the Supporters' Shield prizes consistency throughout the entire season, the playoff structure rewards those who are playing well in October. (Hello, 2008 New York Red Bulls.) Also, don't discount the tired legs of teams pulling double-duty in the CONCACAF Champions League. With this year's smaller rosters, extra matches late in the season are sure to wear players down. Don't be surprised to see squads with a single focus, such as L.A. or the Colorado Rapids, surprise pundits in the postseason.

Playoff pressure arrives

It's getting to the time of year when one misstep can ruin a team's postseason chances. The week kicks off on Wednesday night, when a Rapids side that's sitting in the middle of the playoff pack hosts the San Jose Earthquakes, who are firmly lodged in the Western Conference cellar. The schedule picks up on Saturday with the Galaxy-Crew tilt, as well as a Sounders-New England Revolution fixture ripe with postseason implications. The Rapids double up with a trip to Kansas City, while Toronto FC needs three points from their battle with the Fire in Chicago if they want to keep this year's remaining matches meaningful. Chivas USA, still in line for a playoff birth despite recent struggles, gets a lay-up with New York, flying across the country to the Home Depot Center.

Week 28 Power Rankings   New Rank Previous Rank Team 1 1 Columbus Crew (11-4-10) Guillermo Barros Schelotto demonstrated his scoring touch yet again as his Crew stormed back for a draw in Chi-town. 2 3 Houston Dynamo (12-8-7) Luis Angel Landin found his place in the Dynamo offense, but Brian Ching will miss his team's next MLS fixture after being sent off. 3 4 Los Angeles Galaxy (10-5-11) Make sure to catch the magical connection between Becks and Landy before they depart for parts unknown. 4 2 Chicago Fire (10-6-10) The Fire are just 4-4-5 at home, but the meltdown against Columbus might have been the toughest tie to swallow. 5 5 Seattle Sounders FC (9-6-11) So much for home-field advantage: It's been 404 minutes since the Sounders tallied at Qwest Field. 6 6 New England Revolution (9-8-7) The Revs still have two matches in hand on most postseason contenders, but a draw with NYRB is a remarkably bad result. 7 7 Colorado Rapids (10-8-7) All Conor Casey does is score goals, this time from the penalty spot (on an admittedly questionable call) in the 95th minute to salvage a tie. 8 8 D.C. United (8-6-12) Currently hanging on to the eighth and final playoff spot, United needs strong results in its last four games. 9 9 Toronto FC (9-10-7) New Designated Player Julian de Guzman couldn't influence the match, as TFC managed a single shot on L.A.'s net. 10 10 Real Salt Lake (9-10-7) The playoff dream is dying for RSL, which has just four matches left to make up ground. 11 11 Chivas USA (11-9-4) If the Red and White, who can't find the back of the net, make a playoff run, they'll have the virtually unbeatable Zach Thornton to thank. 12 13 Kansas City Wizards (8-11-6) The Wiz won't find a way into the postseason, but Josh Wolff, Jimmy Conrad and their mates aren't going away without a fight. 13 12 FC Dallas (7-12-6) Heath Pearce saw his first action as FCD turns its focus to building for next year. 14 14 San Jose Earthquakes (5-12-6) When the Quakes look for ways to improve upon their 2009 season, they should start by focusing on learning to close out matches. 15 15 New York Red Bulls (4-17-4) John Wolyniec's late tally helped the Red Bulls play spoiler once again, this time denting New England's hopes.