Here are the 10 things we learned from Week 31 of the 2015 Major League Soccer season.

1. Nick Sakiewicz Out In Philadelphia

The nightmare Philadelphia Union fans never thought they’d escape is finally over. In the immediate aftermath of another heart-breaking home defeat in the US Open Cup final, Philly sacked its long-loathed CEO, Nick Sakiewicz.

Sakiewicz’s position of power in Chester, which was reinforced by his minority ownership stake in the club, appeared unassailable through years of bizarre personnel moves, coaching shakeups and out-of-touch statements. It wasn’t just the goalkeeping situation – one that Sakiewicz helped create – that made the Union a punchline.

Mostly, Philadelphia fans saw Sakiewicz as a thin-skinned phony with a hugely inflated ego and sense of self-worth. The Union haven’t been a successful MLS franchise. They have no trophies and one appearance in the playoffs in six years, with few memorable players or brand exposure to boot.

Philly will always owe Sakiewicz for his work in bringing MLS to the city and getting PPL Park built (no small feat), but it was long past time for a change. In today’s MLS, even owner Jay Sugarman couldn’t put up with failed season after failed season.

It will be interesting to see where the Union go from here. Jim Curtin will remain on as manager under whoever comes in, but if Philly wants a make a big hire for their next GM, Sugarman will have to commit to spending more, and with more regularity. This team has shaken Sakiewicz; now it needs to shake its reputation as a penny-pincher.

It’s never fun to see someone lose their job, but Thursday was a good day for the Union. Maybe even worth the Open Cup defeat the night before.

SEE MORE: Ranking the professional soccer teams in the United States and Canada from best to worst.

2. Sporting Kansas City Finds Its Mojo

For Sporting Kansas City, this week was all about Wednesday’s US Open Cup final. SKC won that game, taking its third trophy in four years, on penalties at PPL Park, but it was the two MLS games against Cascadian teams on either side of the final gave Sporting hope they can be a factor in the MLS Cup race.

Resting starters and giving young and bit-part players a chance, Kansas City hung tough with both Seattle and Portland in huge matches – coming back to draw Seattle thanks to a late Dom Dwyer goal, then nabbing a classic smash-and-grab win at Providence Park with a brilliant individual goal from Krisztian Nemeth.

In many ways, Sporting are like the Jesse Marsch New York Red Bulls. They play an organized, tough brand of soccer that requires fitness and cohesion, no player is bigger than the team, and the system isn’t dependent on any individual. That was never clearer than during an all-hands-on-deck week where everyone on the roster played a part.

Last year, Sporting fell apart because of fatigue. Matt Besler and Graham Zusi were shot after the World Cup, and they lacked bite in central midfield. But Besler and Zusi – thanks to light or no use during the Gold Cup – are fresh this year, and with Soni Mustivar and, eventually, Roger Espinoza coming back in midfield, the spine is toughened as well.

That includes the goalkeeping position, where Tim Melia has been among the best in MLS since being made the full-time starter in late spring. This team finally looks like it has a true replacement for the legendary Jimmy Nielsen.

Kansas City look poised. They’re able to keep games close on the road, and Sporting Park is as tough a venue to win at as any in MLS. That bodes well for the playoffs, as does this most memorable of weeks.

3. FOX’s MLS Production Bests ESPN’s

With three nationally televised Western Conference games on Sunday, the gulf between the production quality of ESPN and FOX Sports 1’s MLS broadcasts was made very clear.

It’s not so much the talent – Taylor Twellman is miles ahead of Alexi Lalas as a color commentator, and FOX would do well to replace John Strong with Mark Rogondino as their lead game-caller – it’s the other parts of the presentation that create the great divide.

ESPN is notable for muting crowd noise, which kills the atmosphere of games on television. FOX goes the other direction, magnifying the atmosphere at MLS grounds. FOX – apart from the obnoxious in-game full-screen advertisements – gives the viewer plenty of good information, with stats and a clean graphical look.

It’s hard to trust FOX on soccer for good reason, but after a season of MLS, it’s fair to say that MLS is in good hands with its TV deal. FOX has done right by the league this time around.

SEE MORE: MLS attendances up 16 percent.

4. It’s All Up For Grabs Out West

Portland somehow failed, again, to clamp down on the sixth and final playoff spot in the West, while San Jose, again, failed to take full advantage. So we now have the Timbers and ‘Quakes on 44 points, with Real Salt Lake and Houston on 41. Both the Timbers and RSL have a game in hand, but that game is a head-to-head contest a week from Wednesday at the Rio Tinto. Everyone except Colorado can make it.

5. Speaking Of Colorado

The Rapids lost their last meaningful game of the season, the Rocky Mountain Cup finale at home to RSL. Colorado is still dead last in the league in goals scored, and they fielded a lineup on Sunday that contained seven players over the age of 30.

A number of those players – Kevin Doyle, Sean St. Ledger, Maynor Figueroa – have been brought in over the last few months at a substantial cost. Individually, Colorado has plenty of serviceable MLS players, but they don’t have a playoff team.

That’s a problem, because it’s hard to see how Colorado is headed anywhere productive in 2016. MLS teams, especially small-market teams, get better by assembling young talent and letting it grow together.

The Rapids have been dismal all year. Even at their best, they don’t play good soccer. The other clubs in that boat this year – notably Philadelphia and Chicago – have made coaching or front office changes.

None of that is coming in Colorado, where everyone seems to be content with letting Pablo Mastroeni continue to struggle. Losing Gary Smith and Oscar Pareja in a span of four years hurts, and this is becoming one of the most frustrating situations in MLS.

6. Big Win For Orlando

Orlando City isn’t going to make the playoffs, but a win over their closest playoff rival Montreal in front of great crowd at the Citrus Bowl – even if it came up short of the 45,000 promised by Adrian Heath – was a sweet final moment in an expansion year that reasonably be considered a success.

Huge credit for Orlando’s sudden revival in the last month or so has to go to Kaka, whose commitment to the team and franchise has been as admirable as that of any world-class MLS Designated Player ever.

The Brazilian – who got another call-up to the national team this week – was terrific against the Impact while Orlando got another goal from Cyle Larin, and then a late winner from Seb Hines.

The team’s recent form has most likely saved Heath’s job, while Orlando fans have to wonder what might have been if Kevin Molino and a handful of other starters had stayed healthy. This team was always impressive physically when it was firing on all cylinders, and with a little more nous and a little more composure, they could have been in this race until the very end.

SEE MORE: Sebastian Giovinco has had the greatest season in MLS history.

7. Dallas’ Chances

Dallas destroyed the highly mediocre Houston Dynamo on Sunday in Frisco, and apart from the football lines and sparse crowd, it was pretty much the perfect afternoon for Oscar Pareja’s team.

You want to talk about the most dangerous attacking duo in MLS? It’s hard to look further than Fabian Castillo and Mauro Diaz. No one can handle Castillo’s freakish pace, and Diaz pulls the strings in midfield with just as much skill as Diego Valeri or Pedro Morales.

Dallas still has games in hand and should be able to secure a top-two seed in the West ,or more. For this team to be a Cup threat, they need production out of the no. 9 spot and strong central midfield balance.

Kellyn Acosta and Victor Ulloa have been best for Dallas in midfield all year, and David Texeira scored a blinder of a goal against the Dynamo from the forward spot. Dallas is young, which should help in a playoff run, and this team got a hell of a playoff education last year with a narrow loss to the Sounders in the first round. They’re a dark-horse contender for the Cup.

8. Letdown In Portland

 The Timbers, sinking since mid-August, went out with their backs against the wall last week and beat Columbus, 2-1, on the road. That gutsy win set up a huge matchup with Sporting Kansas City at home on Saturday night, but despite dominating play, Portland couldn’t break through and ended up losing, 1-0.

The defeat all but consigns the Timbers to going on the road for the wild card game, if they can hang on and make the playoffs at all. This season has deeply shaken all the belief and logic gathered in the team’s first four MLS seasons, and especially their first two under Caleb Porter.

There’s no reason this Timbers team shouldn’t be a major Cup contender. They have an excellent defense and a true no. 9 in Fanendo Adi – two things that were lacking when Portland won the West in 2013 – plus Valeri and Darlington Nagbe, they work hard, and have plenty of veteran knowhow.

But it’s not working. Porter hasn’t gotten his team clicking down the stretch, and, after pouring in 54 and 62 the last two seasons, the Timbers are stuck on a dismal 31 goals.

They can’t even win at home. They haven’t scored at home since August or won a game at home in nearly two months. The 20-plus game regular season unbeaten run at Providence Park spanning 2013 and 2014 feels a long way away. The Timbers are up against it now. They’re going to have to get points either at Real Salt Lake or LA, or this will go down as the most disappointing season in team history.

9. Red Bulls Close In

New York started slow on Saturday, but struck back quickly and, without Matt Miazga, shut the door on Columbus for a massive 2-1 win.

With Seattle coming back to sting LA in stoppage time, the Red Bulls are now favorites to win their second Supporters’ Shield in three years. They’re tied with LA on 51 points but have two games in hand – the first of which is a tough ask, on Wednesday night against Montreal.

The Red Bulls’ goal difference is 13 goals better than the next closest team in the East, Toronto FC. They’ve been the best in the conference by a mile and a half, and although they can be had by teams with pace on the counter, they have to be heavy, heavy favorites to reach MLS Cup.

10. It Only Gets Better

Next week, MLS is mostly off due to the international break, but after that, it’s a race to the finish that will conclude on the Sunday before Halloween with every Eastern Conference club in action at 2:00, and then every Western Conference team playing at 4:00.

The league has arguably never been more competitive, or more exciting. From here, it only gets better.