Inter Miami has a lot at stake this weekend: total nerves

With Lionel Messi leading the charge, the Herons have a chance to set a new league record for most points in a single season.

Currently sitting at 71 points, Miami is just two points shy of the 2021 record held by the New England Revolution. A win against the Revolution on Saturday would secure them the all-time points record.

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Despite Messi's recent return from international duty, there's a possibility he might not start against New England, as the match holds no playoff implications. "On January 20th, it would seem illogical to talk about aiming for the points record; but now that it's within our reach, we would like to achieve it," said Miami coach Gerardo 'Tata' Martino. "However, we shouldn't do anything crazy because six days later we start the most important games. That's where I have to be careful (managing players' minutes)."

While Miami has already clinched the Supporters' Shield and the top spot in the Eastern Conference, the race for the Golden Boot is heating up. DC United's Christian Benteke is on the verge of breaking the MLS single-season scoring record with 23 goals.

Messi's Miami aims to shatter MLS points record

In the Eastern Conference, two playoff spots remain up for grabs. DC United and Montreal are currently in the eighth and ninth positions, respectively, but have yet to secure their places. Philadelphia and Atlanta are also still in contention.

"We've had some ups and downs throughout the season. And now it's this. We're there. We can see the finish line," said Benteke. "Man, it's exciting because this is our opportunity. We worked really hard and went through a lot of things."

In the Western Conference, while all nine playoff spots have been claimed, the race for the top spot between LA Galaxy and LAFC is still ongoing. The Galaxy needs a win or a draw against Houston on Saturday to secure the top spot.

"I think it's great that the game is meaningful. At this time of year, I would rather have a meaningful game where we're playing for something, rather than a game where you feel like you're not really playing for something before you actually start playing for something," said Galaxy coach Greg Vanney.

Lower down in the Western Conference table, Cascadia rivals Portland and Vancouver occupy wild card positions. This could change, as the bottom five teams heading into the playoffs are all within six points of each other.

The Whitecaps hope to climb the table this weekend at Real Salt Lake, but Vancouver has not won in their last six matches.

"Obviously, we've had a run of bad results recently," said striker Brian White. "So it would be great to go into the playoffs with a bit more positive energy, a win, and see what we can do from there."

As the MLS regular season comes to a close, fans can expect an exciting weekend of matches filled with high stakes and drama.