Sixteen days after it started, Spherical 1 of the MLS Cup playoffs got here to a detailed on Sunday evening. And if the momentum of the postseason wasn’t transferring slowly sufficient, it’s going to now cease altogether with the November worldwide break now underway.
With the best-of-three sequence recent in thoughts, although, what higher time to look again on the playoffs’ opening salvos? The favorites regarded good, the GOAT is into the convention semifinals for the primary time in his MLS profession, and a half-dozen shootouts offered loads of drama.
ESPN turned to Cesar Hernandez and Joseph Lowery to sum up the perfect and worst of Spherical 1.
Discuss of the spherical
The favorites march on
For these MLS followers on the market who need some gorgeous and shocking upsets, they’re going to have to attend only a bit longer on this yr’s playoffs.
Within the Western Convention, the highest 4 seeds went via with San Diego FC, the Vancouver Whitecaps, LAFC and Minnesota United FC all surpassing decrease seeds, and within the case of Los Angeles and Vancouver, they wanted simply two video games to win their sequence.
Positive, over within the East, there was one occasion of a decrease seed going via with No. 5 New York Metropolis FC knocking out No. 4 Charlotte FC, however you will not discover many who predicted that Charlotte would win all of it. These title predictions from the Jap Convention bracket have as an alternative targeted on groups such because the Philadelphia Union, FC Cincinnati and Inter Miami CF — who all stay within the title chase.
Are these outcomes an indication of issues to come back? In all probability not.
In a league with loads of parity, MLS is predictably unpredictable. If there’s one factor we are able to confidently predict although, it is that these surprising outcomes can be simply across the nook within the subsequent spherical. — Hernandez
MLS stumbles over scheduling
Loads of digital ink has been spilled on MLS’ controversial playoff format, one that features 60% of the league, begins in full with a best-of-three opening spherical, pauses for a world break, after which shifts to single elimination via MLS Cup. It is barely cumbersome at greatest and downright convoluted at worst.
Now, I’ve come to benefit from the narratives and tactical battles created by the best-of-three sequence. Others, after all, will really feel in a different way. That is simply nice. However maybe the most important head-scratcher from MLS on this yr’s opening spherical wasn’t the format itself: It was the scheduling of mentioned format.
Bear in mind all of these nice Saturday video games that kicked off this yr’s first postseason weekend? Wait, you do not? Ah, that is proper. There weren’t any playoff video games on that Saturday.
Inter Miami kicked off Spherical 1 on Friday, Oct. 24. Zero video games adopted on Saturday. That Sunday featured three video games. Monday had one. Tuesday had one. Even Wednesday had one. The outcome?
A bizarrely patchwork broadcast schedule that left the impartial viewer (the precise sort of fan MLS wants extra of) confused and out of rhythm. One other outcome? 4 groups had simply three days of relaxation between their first two playoff video games, whereas others had a full week.
MLS’s postseason play ought to be its greatest commercial, however the league got here up properly in need of working the perfect advert doable to open the playoffs. — Lowery
MVP of the spherical
Lionel Messi | Inter Miami
It is Messi. Was there ever any doubt?
After placing collectively an all-time nice common season, one that may absolutely see him turn out to be the primary participant to win back-to-back MVPs in MLS historical past, Messi carried his brilliance into the playoffs. In Inter Miami’s three clashes with Nashville SC, Messi scored 5 objectives and notched an help — on a stunning, quintessentially Messi via ball, no much less.
Even with out the suspended Luis Suárez for a must-win third sport towards Nashville on Saturday, Miami did not miss a beat. It has Messi to thank for that, whose second of particular person brilliance kicked off the scoring in a 4-0 win and whose unusually effortful urgent from the No. 10 place set the tone for a powerful defensive efficiency from entrance to again.
At 38, Messi is as unplayable now as he was when he first arrived in South Florida in the summertime of 2023. Nonetheless feeling the embarrassment stemming from Inter’s loss to Atlanta United FC within the first spherical of final yr’s postseason — and from the membership’s lack of knockout event success because the Barça boys confirmed up — Messi regarded motivated to kickstart this yr’s postseason. That was unhealthy information for Nashville and can be unhealthy information for the remainder of the playoff area. — Lowery
Anders Dreyer | San Diego FC
Messi ought to justifiably win this award for the spherical — and the league’s precise MVP award for the common season — however let’s give a well-deserved nod to the San Diego ahead who deserves simply as a lot of the highlight.
After scoring what proved to be the sport winner within the first leg towards the Portland Timbers, and offering a hockey help within the second match of the sequence, the Denmark worldwide then stepped up with a brace in an emphatic 4-0 victory on Sunday that solidified a transfer into the convention semifinals.
Should you ask the native followers at Snapdragon Stadium that watched that brace over the weekend, there is no doubt about who the perfect participant of the spherical was with their boisterous chants of “MVP” after his two objectives and through each nook he took.
“It was a ravishing sport, environment was electrical,” mentioned the MLS Newcomer of the 12 months post-game to Apple TV, figuring out that he’ll have an opportunity to face out much more when San Diego hosts Minnesota within the subsequent spherical. — Hernandez
Second of the spherical
Loons-Sounders shootout goes 11 rounds
Including to the additional drama of the best-of-three sequence, we noticed six sensational penalty shootouts that outlined the single-game winners of matches that had been stage after the top of regulation time.
Vancouver certified for the following spherical after successful a shootout, Philadelphia evaded an early catastrophe after successful penalties of its personal, however no shootout was extra breathtaking in Spherical 1 than the sequence decider between Minnesota and the Seattle Sounders FC on Saturday, one that may go down in MLS lore.
With goalkeeper Andrew Thomas subbed in for Seattle within the 89th minute as a wildcard for the following penalties — who dislocated a finger throughout the first spherical of the shootout — Seattle at first stored tempo with the penalties that went to sudden loss of life.
Then stepped up the goalkeepers themselves in a reversal of roles. The Loons’ Dayne St. Clair scored his try, and when Thomas took to the spot for Seattle, there was a transparent sense of confidence from the goalkeeper who rocketed his shot towards the web.
0:35
Minnesota United FC prevail after 10-round penalty shootout
Minnesota United FC take down the Seattle Sounders on penalties after goalkeeper Andy Thomas’ decisive penalty hits the bar.
That’s, till it disastrously smacked the crossbar after which ricocheted again and previous a hopeless Thomas. Minnesota received 7-6.
It was lovely, heartbreaking and euphoric . What extra might you need? — Hernandez
Brenner comes again to take Cincy ahead
Brenner’s Cincinnati profession has been tumultuous, to say the least. Initially signed in 2021 for one of many richest switch charges in MLS historical past, the Brazilian striker had his moments for Cincy however left the membership in 2023 underneath disagreeable circumstances.
On the eleventh hour of this yr’s summer season switch window, although, Brenner made a surprising return to Cincinnati — and in Saturday’s series-deciding Hell Is Actual conflict with rivals Columbus Crew, he got here up greater than ever.
It was Brenner’s aim that served as an equalizer in entrance of a packed crowd at TQL Stadium, and it was his sport winner within the 86th minute that despatched all 25,513 in attendance into an absolute frenzy.
After his workforce pressured a turnover excessive up the sector, Brenner waited for his second to strike contained in the field. He drifted ball facet, acquired it, took a deft contact with the surface of his proper foot to create separation from final yr’s Defender of the 12 months Steven Moriera, and slotted house the sport’s ultimate aim. Off got here the shirt — and the wearable GPS tracker, for good measure.
Within the greatest second of FC Cincinnati’s 2025 season, Brenner returned like a prodigal son and earned his workforce a spot within the Jap Convention semis. — Lowery