Breaking down what it's going to take to see Philadelphia in the upcoming MLS postseason

With a crowded Eastern Conference playoff picture, we’re going to take a deeper look at how the Union — along with their conference foes — can clinch a playoff spot.
Right now, D.C. United is the only team in the East with a real stranglehold on a playoff spot. From second-place on, just seven points separate six teams. Thus, while New England and Sporting Kansas City sit above the play-in game, they’re not quite a lock to make the playoffs just yet. But, it’s even more crowded in the fight for the final spot where four teams are separated by just five points.
Listed below is the “magic number” for each team to reach the playoffs. Keep in mind soccer’s magic number is a bit different than baseball or basketball since teams can tie. Also keep in mind these numbers do not include any possible tiebreakers; they simply show how a team can finish with more points than another. An explanation is listed below. It can be a little complicated, so read carefully and fire away with any questions in the comments below, we'll definitely keep an eye out in response. 

For teams above the playoff line, the magic number represents the number of points each team needs to gain combined with the number of points the sixth-place team needs to drop in order to clinch a better record (or in this case a playoff spot). However, in the case of the teams below the playoffline (such as the Union) the magic number represents the exact same combination, but in relation to the fifth-place team. (Note: in the case of the teams ranked 6-9, they need to not only beat out the fifth-place team — which is what the magic number indicates — but also each of the other teams below the playoff line as well. Granted, that number would be lower than that team’s listed magic number.)
Anyhow, as you may quickly realize, this shows Toronto FC — not New York — as the fifth-place team (probably leading to some confusion). However, in this exercise, the fifth place team is actually Toronto because they can reach a higher number of points (55) than New York (53) thanks to the extra game in hand.
For example, if the season hypothetically ended at 30 games (thus leaving New York “finished” at 41 points), Toronto would simply need to win their last game to clinch a playoff spot. Hence the reason they sit above New York in this scenario; even if the Red Bulls won out, they would need Toronto to lose points in their remaining games to stay ahead of them in the standings. (Note: of course, that scenario is a moot point because the two teams play each other on Oct. 11 and if the Red Bulls were to win out, the ensuing loss for Toronto would obviously cause them to drop points.)
Still, though, the bottom line remains: for teams above the playoff line, their magic number is in relation to the sixth-place team (New York); for teams below the playoff line, their magic number is in relation to the fifth-place team (Toronto). It’s just unfortunate that right now those two teams are swapped in the current MLS standings.
Finally, the magic number max represents the amount of available points to be gained combined with the available points that could be dropped by the team they are chasing. In oversimplified terms, it’s the maximum amount of points a team could “pick up” on the team they’re chasing. (Note: this is really only worth noting in Houston’s case right now. Some may be confused as to why Houston’s magic number is higher than the Union’s even though the Dynamo can finish with more points. It just shows Houston has slightly more of a margin of an error while still needing more points.)  
Okay, so what does this all mean for the Union?
Considering the Union need to jump at least two teams to reach the playoffs, they’re essentially in must-win situations for the time being. Fortunately, though, they have two games left with Columbus. If they were able to win both of those games, in addition to winning each of their other two remaining games against Chicago and Sporting Kansas City (obviously not in that order) they would be guaranteed to place higher than the Crew.
But, they would still need to place higher than all but one of the following teams: New York, Toronto, Houston and Chicago. Using the above scenario, with the Union winning each of their remaining four games, they would clinch a playoff spot if the following happens:
Philadelphia Union playoff scenarios
Wins over Chicago, Columbus (twice), Sporting Kansas City...
...and two (2) of the following three scenarios:
One (1) Houston loss or tie
Two (2) Toronto losses
One (1) New York loss and one (1) tie
Finally, here is the magic number for the Union against each of the prime suspects they’re looking to finish the season ahead of:

Remember, any head-to-head matchup for the Union represents a possible decrease in the magic number of six. For example, if the Union beat Chicago Thursday night, the magic number to clinch a better record than Chicago would decrease from nine to three. 
It's going to be a fun next few weeks, but it all starts Thursday against Chicago (8 p.m., purchase tickets). 
Thoughts on rundown? Leave your comment and lets discuss.