Montreal or Vancouver? No. 1 seed for next year’s ACC still up in the air

For followers of the Amway Canadian Championship, this final weekend of MLS matches holds some extra intrigue.

While the Montreal Impact were eliminated from the Eastern Conference playoff race weeks ago, and the Vancouver Whitecaps have made the postseason in the West, both have 42 points.

And this is where it gets interesting. The Canadian Soccer Association has confirmed that a team making the playoffs has no bearing on how the clubs will be ranked for the 2013 Amway Canadian Championships.

“Canada’s three MLS clubs will be ranked first, second and third based on the league’s 2012 regular-season standings,” the CSA confirms.

We know that FC Edmonton, as the NASL entrant, will be ranked No. 4. Toronto FC, which is guaranteed a last-place MLS finish, is No. 3. But they still don’t know who they will play in next year’s semifinal round.

If Montreal finishes with more points than Vancouver, it will take the No. 1 seed, no matter the fact that the Whitecaps are a playoff team.

It sets up a fascinating final weekend. The Impact hosts the lowly New England Revolution in its final match of the season, while Vancouver travels to Real Salt Lake. With Montreal and New England both wrapping up playoff-less seasons, we can expect to see both teams field strong lineups, with players performing for pride and to keep their jobs for next season.

But, with a playoff game in midweek next week, Whitecaps’ coach Martin Rennie would be rather silly if he played his regular starters in the final game of the season in the sapping Salt Lake City altitude. But, with their own CONCACAF Champions League and playoff commitments, will RSL feature anything close to a starting lineup?

Montreal or Vancouver? Who will get the No. 1 seed and earn the right to play FC Edmonton? We aren’t sure yet — but it may only be the Impact who actually has this on its radar this weekend, which gives it advantage.