da brwin： The MLS playoffs are set, and GOAL has you covered with each team who has qualified, their first round match and their seeding.
da dobrowin： A 94th minute penalty kick, heartbreak at the death, players watching other matches dying seconds on a tablet together and controversial coaching decisions: MLS Decision Day had it all.
The New York Red Bulls clinched a playoff berth in the dying minutes of their Eastern Conference match against Nashville SC, sending Montreal players into disarray as they watched on from a small screen on their bench in Ohio after falling to the Columbus Crew.
Minnesota United benched their leading goalscorer in all competitions, Bongokuhle Hlongwane, and they lacked an attacking threat all night as they fell to Sporting Kansas City on a night where they were in must-win territory.
Meanwhile, 2022 World Cup winner Thiago Almada was controversially sent off with two yellow card offenses for Atlanta United and is set to miss their opening-round playoff match.
All this, and more, as five teams clinched a playoff spot on Saturday, with three being sent home in heartbreaking fashion.
The 2023 MLS playoffs have arrived, along with a new format, and GOAL has you covered when it comes to figuring out who ended up where and how they got there.
New York Red BullsEastern Conference Wildcard: No. 8 New York Red Bulls – No. 9 Charlotte FC
In dramatic fashion, the Red Bulls clinched a playoff spot in the dying minutes of their Decision Day match against Nashville SC, with defender John Tolkin scoring from the penalty spot in the 94th minute of the match. The USMNT defender had ice in his veins, stepped up and found the back of the net. They'll host a Charlotte side, who just downed Lionel Messi and Inter Miami on their own turf, to secure a playoff spot themselves.
In this single-elimination match, the winner will advance to the Round One Best-of-three series against No. 1 overall FC Cincinnati.
Advertisement@GettyEastern Conference | No. 1 FC Cincinnati – winner of 8/9
The 2023 MLS Supporters' Shield winners will have home-field-advantage all throughout the playoffs for as long as they are alive. MVP frontrunner Luciano Acosta and USMNT striker Brandon Vazquez helped lead Pat Noonan's side to their first-ever trophy as an organization, and now, they're rewarded with the No. 1 overall seed.
Eastern Conference: No. 2 Orlando City – No. 7 Nashville SC
Orlando City had a dominant campaign, and it came on the back of breakout Rookie of the Year candidate Duncan MgGuire. The 22-year-old was selected in the first round of the 2023 MLS Superdraft and ended the regular season with 11 goals and three assists. On top of McGuire's performances, Orlando midfielder Facundo Torres – who is attracting attention from Europe – led them in scoring with 14 goals while playing 30 matches. They're a team to watch this postseason.
Nashville SC, meanwhile, clinched a playoff spot after a fantastic Leagues Cup campaign that saw them fall just short to Lionel Messi and Inter Miami in penalty kicks. Reigning league MVP Hany Mukhtar will look to help his side pull off the upset in round one of the playoffs after an underwhelming end to their regular season, headlined by a 1-0 defeat to the New York Red Bulls on the final day of the season.
GettyEastern Conference: No. 3 Columbus Crew – No. 6 Atlanta United
The Crew and their talisman Cucho Henandez, who tallied 16 goals and seven assists in all competitions this season, earn the number three overall seed and hosting rights in the first round. Mid-summer additions Julian Gressel and Diego Rossi were key to their run, and now they're rewarded for their work.
Atlanta, meanwhile, come into the playoffs in an interesting predicament. In the final game of the regular season, their 2023 MLS MVP candidate and 2022 World Cup winner with Argentina, Thiago Almada, was sent off for two yellow card offenses. They'll be without their young star for the first game of the best-of-three series against the Crew, and it could prove costly.