MLS Week 33 Preview: 401 Derby highlights penultimate round of action

Week 33 marks the penultimate round of action in the 2016 MLS regular season and with only two matches left for 16 of the 20 teams, points now come at a heavy premium.

With Supporters' Shield and playoff berths on the line, here are three matches worth watching in Week 33:

A 401 Derby of epic proportions

The Montreal Impact host Toronto FC for one final regular-season 401 Derby match, and both teams are desperate for all three points as they look to hunt down higher spots in the Eastern Conference.

Should the Impact defeat their bitter Canadian rival, and any of D.C. United, the Philadelphia Union, or the New England Revolution lose, a playoff spot is clinched and Didier Drogba can stake his claim once more for the MLS Cup.

But, should Toronto FC walk away with all three points, and the New York Red Bulls or New York City FC lose (or, the latter, a draw), the top of the Eastern Conference will be shuffled around once again. Desperate for a top two finish in the east, TFC also welcomes Sebastian Giovinco back from injury.

It all makes for what's sure to be a heated 401 Derby match with plenty on the line for both sides.

New contender emerges at the top

The Colorado Rapids enter Week 33 with games in hand on the rest of the Western Conference, but in dispatching the Houston Dynamo on Saturday and the Portland Timbers before it, Pablo Mastroeni's side has emerged as a second contender in the 2016 Supporters' Shield race.

FC Dallas seemed set to stroll to victory and claim the regular season top prize, sitting pretty atop the cumulative standings at 56 points, with a five-point lead over NYCFC and the Red Bulls. But the Rapids have crept up and in closing out those games in hand, now have 54 points in 31 matches.

That's still one less game than Dallas and with a Thursday encounter against the San Jose Earthquakes and a Timbers rematch Sunday, the Rapids can leapfrog Dallas even if the Texas side defeats the Seattle Sounders this weekend.

Speaking of the Sounders, Seattle could clinch a playoff berth Sunday with a win over FC Dallas as the Timbers wouldn't be able to close a seven-point gap with just two matches left to play.

A capital engagement in D.C.

D.C. United also has the chance to clinch a playoff berth this week with a win over New York City FC, provided the Philadelphia Union loses or draws against Orlando City or the New England Revolution loses or draws versus the Chicago Fire.

With one week of action remaining after this round of fixtures, Real Salt Lake could also qualify with a win over Sporting Kansas City. But D.C. United has the added benefit of playing spoiler in the Eastern Conference for NYCFC as Toronto FC looks to leapfrog into second or potentially first by seasons' end.