Sydney FC can aim for a place in the home A-League men's semi-finals with an away win against Perth Glory on Wednesday.
The Sky Blues are on a roll with a 2-0 come-from-behind victory over second-placed Central Coast.
The 3rd and 4th place teams will hold an elimination final during the first week of the ALM Playoffs.
The Sky Blues will set the bar even higher for a potential second-place finish, but they will need to continue their winning streak and the Mariners will have to flinch.
They are in fifth place with 34 points, but a win against Glory could see them jump ahead of MacArthur in fourth place.
Socceroos defender Joel King and midfielder Anthony Caceres scored against the Mariners.
Coach Ufuku Talay was aware on Saturday that an away trip to Glory was imminent and made a smart change with a change of players.
Star forward Robert Mack was marked early on after a game in which the Slovakian winger posed a threat.
“(Defender) Jordan (Courtney Perkins) had some cramps so we replaced him and Robbie was replaced after two goals. I’m here,” Talley said after the game.
Perth Glory lost 2-1 to Melbourne Victory on Sunday, the day after Sydney. Coach Alen Stačić said the short turnaround would be a challenge for the 10th-placed team.
“It's tough. We have one day less recovery time than Sydney FC, but in moments like this it becomes important and critical,” he said.
“We know how much that day can contribute to our recovery. It will test the depth of the team and show us how resilient we are mentally and physically.”
“We're playing a deep red team and it's probably going to be our toughest game of the year.”
Coach Stacic said the team's position belied its play during the season.
“We've been in every game, win or lose,” he said.