PBP: 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs First Round Game 2 PBP Thread {R}

You would have bet on Bouanga scoring.

 

Dagger.

 

Dagger?

Vancouver 3-0 LAFC

Owen Goal is having a good night

 

LA going home.

 

Looked like it to me

 

Vancouver needs to do some clearing practice

 

A goal managed to not happen...

 

LAFC did not score again somehow

 

The next game...

 

... involves these same two teams.

 

Dominate win with two own goals but the goalie made some big saves. Is it possible that a New York Hudson River Derby and a Cascadia Clash happens in the next round?

 

There can also be a Florida semifinal in addition to New York and Cascadia ones.

 

Sunday's playoff matches were entertaining and nuts!

Carlos Coronel makes 3 consecutive saves in a PK shootout to send the defending MLS Cup Champs home. After the Crew took the lead, the Red Bulls really upped their game and looked like runaway winners until Ramirez' stoppage time equalizer.

Up to the 80th minute of the Houston-Seattle game, I was hoping MLS would put both teams on probation for the 2025 season and disqualify them from the playoffs. Two consecutive scoreless draws leading to a PK shootout would have given me narcolepsy. Thank you Cristian Roldan!! Given that the Dynamo received red cards in consecutive playoff games, the team might consider changing their nickname to the Hotheads?

Vancouver came out smokin' against LAFC and Yohei Takaoka made some super saves to keep LAFC off the scoreboard; not an easy thing to do. Although two of the Whitecaps' three goals were of the own-goal variety, they put themselves in position to cause problems in front of the Los Angeles net.

Three of the four series in the East will go the full 3 games. In the West, just one of the four series will have a decisive third game. Aside from the Rapids-Galaxy series, the play has been pretty compelling, although, I'm admittedly a 'goal glutton' and would prefer more matches like the Red Bulls-Crew played. That was fun to watch, especially the second half.

 

It's unlikely but if Atlanta and Charlotte win you could also have a big stadium southern clash in Charlotte. Seating capacity of over 70K and separated by 228 miles. That might open some eyes and would start that rivalry to grow a little.

 

Basset's injury made a decisive difference in Colorado's late season play. Even without Bassett, both of those matches were tight for the first half, 1-0 and 2-1 at the break.The Rapids have nothing to hang their heads about. Very few teams could overcome such a key injury. (St. Louis fans know this sad song all to well this season.)

 

This was actually fun and I got every team with seconds to spare.
https://www.yardbarker.com/soccer/articles/the_mls_cup_champions_quiz/s1__41177638

 

So we have four series that go to game 3's. Last year it was 3 I think?

There is no perfect format for playoffs but I haven't minded watching these games at all. The biggest flaw to me in the format is you might go out with an aggregate goal lead and none of the eliminated teams can make that complaint. I suppose it would be upsetting to lose a series after a couple of draws but that means you've lost two shootouts. I think that is fair enough.

 

I don't like that the team with a winning record in the series can be eliminated by the team with a losing record. Hypothetically:

Game 1 = Orlando 2-0 Charlotte
Game 2 = Orlando 0-0 Charlotte (Charlotte "wins")
Game 3 = Orlando 0-0 Charlotte (Charlotte "wins")

This means Charlotte advances despite being 0-2-1 in the series and being outscored 0-2.

 

I was very confused when I had everything but 2005 filled in. Typing in LA got me all of LAFC's and the Galaxy's MLS Cups except 2005 for some reason. I had to type LA again to get it to fill in.

 

For sure that is the worst case scenario.