Toronto FC (7-11-6) at Kansas City (7-9-8), 8 p.m.

Kansas City, KS (Sports Network) - Kansas City coach Curt Onalfo said he "never doubted" his club, even though the Wizards labored through an 18-match stretch with just three wins this season.

"I never doubted this group for a second," Onalfo said after last weekend's 2-0 win over Los Angeles, which he hopes ended the tough stretch.

Considering that period, from April 26 to Sept. 7, included 12 road matches, it may not be far-fetched for K.C. to make a complete turnaround over the last six weeks of the season.

Kansas City (7-9-8) lost just one of its six home matches during that run, with three wins and two draws. Overall, K.C. is 6-2-3 at home.

On Saturday, K.C. hosts Toronto FC (7-11-6) - the only team in the East with a worse record - at CommunityAmerica Ballpark in the second of five home matches in its last seven games.

The first home game resulted in the win over L.A.

"[It's] a huge boost of confidence as we go into our last six games of the season, four of which are at home," Onalfo said. "We're taking it one game at a time. We have a calm confidence about us; we have a belief."

Granted, L.A. has the worst record in Major League Soccer. But the Galaxy, who had David Beckham, Landon Donovan and Eddie Lewis last week, lead the league in scoring with 44 goals.

Josh Wolff and Davy Arnaud scored for the Wizards but the shutout snapped a run where they allowed 12 goals in their previous six games - or an average of two goals per game.

For a team that had six shutouts in its first 13 matches - it has eight overall - it was a welcome sign that everything may finally be falling into place.

"It was 11 guys committed to playing for each other and working extremely hard on the field," Onalfo said. "It was an extremely hard-fought game."

As brutal as the 18-match stretch was for Kansas City, it trails D.C. United by just four points for the eighth and final playoff berth. The biggest step over the final weeks of the year is taking care of business against TFC, especially with two games against New England and one against Chicago remaining.

Toronto tied Eastern Conference leader Columbus 1-1 last weekend at home but is just 2-9-0 on the road this season. With four of its last six games on the road this season, TFC has only a slim chance of qualifying for the playoffs.

Toronto hasn't won a game since Aug. 9 when it defeated Colorado, 1-0. However, that game was on the road, so TFC can take some confidence out of that win. TFC also beat Kansas City 2-0 in the teams' first meeting this season, and tied 0-0 in the other previous match.

Toronto has been hurt by international absences recently but a trend of scoring first and then letting a win slip away continued in last weekend's game against the Crew - which is more of a concern.

TFC has led its last three games 1-0, but lost to Chivas 2-1 and 3-1 in a home- and-away series in the previous two. Another lapse this week - if it grabs the lead again - could essentially end Toronto's season.

"I think it's a concentration problem," Toronto's Carl Robinson said. "We get a goal up and think, 'Oh, we've done enough,' and then we just seem to sit back and start dropping deeper.

"But it's something we have to address because it's happened in three straight games now. We put ourselves in a good position, we start well and then we shoot ourselves in the foot and go back to square one."