3 things to watch for in the 2nd leg of the MLS Conference Championships

This Sunday, the final four remaining teams in Major League Soccer's postseason will square off in the second leg of the Eastern and Western Conference championships.

In the Eastern Conference, the Columbus Crew travels to Red Bull Arena to take on the New York Red Bulls, while the West will see FC Dallas host the Portland Timbers at Toyota Stadium in this, the conclusion of the home-and-away series that will decide which two teams compete for the 2015 MLS Cup.

Columbus holds a 2-0 aggregate lead over New York from the first leg, while Portland has a 3-1 lead to defend against Dallas. But, Dallas scored an away goal, which could come into play in this second-leg fixture.

Here are three things to watch for in this latest round of playoff action:

Can Bradley Wright-Phillips, Dax McCarty bounce back?

New York Red Bulls manager Jesse Marsch will be hoping his key contributors don't lay another egg in this reverse-leg fixture, as both Bradley Wright-Phillips and Dax McCarty struggled against the Crew in the first match.

McCarty, in particular, posted a season-low pass completion rate with only 66 percent of his passes reaching their mark, his lowest tally since 2011. Wright-Phillips recorded only two shots in Columbus, neither on target, not a good sign for the club's top scorer.

Columbus will be pleased at having kept the Red Bulls from scoring an away goal, too, and notching a goal at Red Bull Arena would all but secure victory for the Crew. This match is going to be quite a test for the high-flying New York side.

How will FC Dallas respond on home soil?

Home is where the heart is, and for FC Dallas, that sentiment bodes as true as ever; it is at home where FC Dallas thrives, having won 13 of its 18 league wins in front of its own fans at Toyota Stadium.

But, that's about as warm and fuzzy as Dallas will feel, after conceding three goals to Portland. It seems a tough ask, but winning by a two-goal margin to tie the series up at 3-3 is enough for the Hoops to advance, since that tricky away goal rule is in their favour.

Can Dallas do it? It's tough to say. Portland created more chances and controlled the flow of the game in midfield, while Dallas created the bulk of its opportunities off of crosses. Central defenders Liam Ridgewell and Nat Borchers will need to be on their game for Portland to secure an MLS Cup Final berth for the first time. Speaking of which ....

Who's hosting the MLS Cup Final?

Well, it won't be the LA Galaxy, at least.

Since this is the final leg of the Conference Championship round, only two teams will advance to compete in the MLS Cup final - one team from the West, and one from the East. With that in mind, the venue for the final is decided based on seeding from the final rankings of the 2015 regular season.

Here's how things stand; there is no scenario whereby the Portland Timbers host the MLS Cup final at Providence Park. Because Portland finished third overall in the West, it can not leapfrog over New York (first in the East) or Columbus (second in the East) regardless of which of the two they would face off against.

Should Dallas (first in the West) take on Columbus, the MLS Cup is heading to Toyota Stadium in Texas, and not to MAPFRE Stadium in Ohio. The only way Columbus hosts the MLS Cup is if it is matched against the Timbers.

And, if the Red Bulls overturn their two-goal deficit against the Crew and make it to the last round, they'll be hosting against either Portland or Dallas, since New York finished the season first overall, winning the MLS Supporters' Shield for it.

Red Bull Arena is spacious and grand; MAPFRE Stadium is intimate and intimidating; Toyota Stadium is where FC Dallas has thrived this season. Wherever the MLS Cup final is held, it's sure to be an occasion worth watching.