Sixteen days after it began, the first round of the MLS Cup Playoffs tipped off on Sunday night. And if the postseason pace wasn’t slowing down enough, it will now come to a complete halt with the November international break.
However, with the best-of-three series in mind, what better time to take a look at the early playoff results? The favorites were looking good, the GOAT is in the conference semi-finals for the first time of MLS careers, and a half-dozen shootouts provided plenty of drama.
ESPN turned to Cesar Hernandez and Joseph Lowery to summarize the best and worst results of Round 1.
round talk
favorites move on
For those MLS fans looking for some surprising and surprising upsets, they will have to wait a little longer in this year’s playoffs.
In the Western Conference, the top four seeds advance san diego fcThe vancouver whitecaps, LAFC And Minnesota United FC All advanced to the lower seeds, and in the case of Los Angeles and Vancouver, they needed only two games to win their series.
Certainly, in the past, there was an example of a lower level player going with the number 5 New York City FC beat number 4 charlotte fcBut you won’t find many people who would have predicted that Charlotte would win it all. Those title predictions from the Eastern Conference bracket have instead focused on teams philadelphia union, fc cincinnati And inter miami cf –Who are still in the race for the title?
Are these results a sign of things to come? Probably not.
In a league with plenty of uniformity, MLS is predictably unpredictable. However, if there’s one thing we can confidently predict, it’s that those shocking results are bound to happen in the next round. — Hernandez
MLS is worried about scheduling
A lot of digital ink has been spilled over MLS’s controversial playoff format, which covers 60% of the league, starting solely with a best-of-three opening round, pausing for an international break, and then shifting to single elimination via the MLS Cup. At best it’s a bit cumbersome and at worst downright complicated.
Now, I’ve come to enjoy the stories and tactical battles created by the best three series. Of course, other people will feel differently. This is absolutely fine. But perhaps the biggest source of trouble for MLS early this year wasn’t the format: It was the schedule of said format.
Do you remember all those great Saturday games that kicked off this year’s first postseason weekend? Wait, you don’t? Ah, that’s right. There was no playoff game that Saturday.
Inter Miami kicked off Round 1 on Friday, October 24. After this, zero games were played on Saturday. Three games were played that Sunday. There was one on Monday. There was one on Tuesday. There was one on Wednesday also. outcome?
A bizarrely patchwork broadcast schedule that left the neutral viewer (the exact type of fan MLS needs more of) confused and out of tune. Another result? Four teams had only three days of rest between their first two playoff games, while the others had a full week.
MLS’s postseason play should be its biggest advertisement, but the league fell far short of running the best possible advertisement for the start of the playoffs. — Lovi
MVP of the round
Lionel Messi inter miami
This is Messi. Was there ever any doubt?
After putting together the greatest regular season of all-time, which will surely see him become the first player in MLS history to win back-to-back MVPs, Messi carried his talents forward in the playoffs. Inter Miami with three clashes Nashville SCMessi scored five goals and also provided one assist – a gorgeous, quintessential Messi through ball, no less.
even without being suspended Luis Suarez In a must-win game three against Nashville on Saturday, Miami has missed a win. For this we must thank Messi, whose moment of individual brilliance opened the scoring in the 4-0 win and whose unusually powerful effort from the No. 10 position set the tone for a strong defensive display from front to back.
At 38, Messi is as unstoppable now as he was when he first arrived in South Florida in the summer of 2023. Still feeling the embarrassment of Inter’s defeat. atlanta united fc Given the club’s lack of knockout tournament success since the Barca boys’ performance in the first round of last year’s postseason – Messi looked motivated to kickstart this year’s postseason. This was bad news for Nashville and will be bad news for the rest of the playoff field. — Lovi
anders dreyer san diego fc
Messi should rightfully win this award for the round — and the league’s actual MVP award for the regular season — but let’s give a well-deserved nod to the San Diego forward who deserves the spotlight just as much.
which proved to be the game winner in the first leg against the latter after scoring portland timbersand providing hockey support in the second match of the series denmark International then recorded an emphatic 4-0 win on Sunday, cementing their place in the conference semi-finals.
If you ask the local fans at the Snapdragon Stadium who watched the pair over the weekend, there was no doubt who was the best player of the round, with loud chants of “MVP” after his two goals and during every corner he took.
“It was a beautiful game, the atmosphere was great,” the MLS Newcomer of the Year told Apple TV after the game, knowing he’ll have a chance to stand out even more when San Diego hosts Minnesota in the next round. — Hernandez
round moment
Loons-Sounders shootout goes 11 rounds
Adding extra drama to the best-of-three series, we saw six sensational penalty shootouts that determined single-game winners of matches that were level after the end of regulation time.
Vancouver qualified for the next round after winning a shootout, Philadelphia avoided early disaster after winning penalties, but no shootout was more breathtaking than the series decider between Minnesota and Minnesota in Round 1. seattle sounders fc On Saturday, he will go down in MLS lore.
In the 89th minute, with Seattle goalkeeper Andrew Thomas included as a wildcard for the upcoming penalty – who had a dislocated finger during the first round of the shootout – Seattle kept pace with the first penalty that went into sudden death.
Then the goalkeepers themselves reversed roles. Loons’ dayne st claire His effort was successful, and when Thomas reached the spot for Seattle, there was a clear sense of confidence as the goalkeeper guided his shot toward the net.
That is, until he took a devastating strike onto the crossbar and then bounced back past a frustrated Thomas. Minnesota won 7–6.
It was beautiful, heartbreaking, and exhilarating all at once. What more could you want? — Hernandez
brainer comes back to carry cinci forward
Brenner’s Cincinnati career has been tumultuous, to say the least. Initially signed in 2021 for one of the richest transfer fees in MLS history, the Brazilian striker had some moments for Cincy but left the club in 2023 under unpleasant circumstances.
At the 11th hour of this year’s summer transfer window, however, Brenner made a surprise return to Cincinnati – and Saturday’s series-deciding clash with rivals Hell Is Real columbus crewHe became bigger than ever.
It was Brenner’s goal that provided the equalizer in front of a packed crowd at TQL Stadium and it was his game-winner in the 86th minute that sent all 25,513 in attendance into a complete frenzy.
After his team committed a force of turnovers on the field, Brenner waited for his moment to strike inside the box. He turned the ball sideways, received it, took a deft touch with the outside of his right foot to deflect past last year’s Defender of the Year Steven Moreira and score the final goal of the game. For good measure, off came the shirt and wearable GPS tracker.
In the biggest moment of FC Cincinnati’s 2025 season, Brenner returned like the prodigal son and led his team to the Eastern Conference Semifinals. — Lovi
