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5 things we learned in MLS Week 33

Reuters

D.C. United clinched a playoff berth, the Montreal Impact blew it in the 401 Derby, and FC Dallas is back atop the Supporters' Shield standings.

Here are five things we learned from Week 33 of the 2016 MLS season:

Drogba 'conflict' unnecessary

The Montreal Impact had more to deal with than bitter rival Toronto FC on Sunday, as star striker Didier Drogba asked to be dropped from the squad after being named to the bench for the 401 Derby.

It's understandable that Drogba - who has 10 goals in 22 games this season but has missed many matches due to injuries and turf concerns - was eager to start in what might prove to be his final encounter with Montreal's biggest rival.

But the manner in which Drogba chose to protest head coach Mauro Biello's decision left a poor image of the Ivorian's time in MLS. This unnecessary conflict is but one of a number of controversies surrounding the Ivorian while at Montreal, and a quick resolution is needed here.

Do Western teams even want playoffs?

A number of teams in the Western Conference had a chance to clinch playoff berths in the penultimate week of the season, but each team failed to qualify after posting poor results.

Sporting Kansas City and Real Salt Lake played to a 0-0 draw while the Seattle Sounders lost to FC Dallas, thus leaving the door open for the Portland Timbers - who defeated the Colorado Rapids 1-0 - to sneak into the playoffs on the final day of the season.

Fans of these teams are right to assume that their sides want to clinch playoff berths, but probably didn't think they needed this much convincing, either.

FC Dallas has one hand on Shield

FC Dallas moved one step closer to securing the 2016 MLS Supporters' Shield courtesy of a late Carlos Ruiz winner against the Sounders, and received further help when the Timbers defeated the Rapids.

Here's how we stand in the Shield race with one match remaining:

Club Points W-L-D GD
FC Dallas 59 17-8-8 +10
Colorado Rapids 57 15-6-12 +7

Altidore's star shines bright, too

For all the talk of Sebastian Giovinco, Toronto FC has found itself an equally productive attacker in Jozy Altidore, who notched his 10th goal in his last 14 games to help secure a 2-2 draw against the Impact.

It was the tried-and-true combination of Justin Morrow and Altidore that proved fruitful for the first goal, and the U.S. striker's presence in the box ultimately helped Tosaint Ricketts find a late equalizer, too.

Altidore has been immense since Giovinco went down with an injury. His scoring form has prevented calamity in the absence of the Atomic Ant. As we've now learned, Toronto FC is more than a one-man show.

Golden Boot race down to the wire

The New York Red Bulls and New York City FC were both eliminated from Shield contention on Sunday, but both teams continued battling it out in the 2016 Golden Boot race.

David Villa buried a penalty to score his 22nd goal of the season, but Red Bulls striker Bradley Wright-Phillips added a brace to his tally to move atop the standings at 23 goals.

They each have one more chance to add to their haul before the season ends.

Bonus: Lodeiro making MVP case

The MLS MVP battle will likely come down to the aforementioned New York-based duo, but over in Seattle, Nicolas Lodeiro is making a real case for himself after helping turn around the franchise seemingly by himself.

Lodeiro filled the creative gap left when Obafemi Martins departed the team, stepped up his scoring in the absence of Clint Dempsey, and has helped Jordan Morris to a stellar rookie season of his own.

He may be a midseason addition, but there's no doubting how valuable he is to Seattle.

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