With Los Angeles FC and Philadelphia Union waiting for a rival in the second round, the last day of the MLS regular season defined this Sunday the complete table of ‘playoffs’, in which the duels between the Los Angeles Galaxy and Nashville stand out, and between Inter Miami and New York City.
The Mexican Javier ‘Chicharito’ Hernández and the Spanish Riqui Puig, protagonists this Sunday with a goal each in the victory against the Houston Dynamo, took the Galaxy to the postseason after the failure of last year and their great performances give them the right to dream angelenos
José Cifuentes, Diego Palacios and Jhegson Mendéz win the MLS Supporters’ Shield with Los Angeles FC
GALAXY-NASHVILLE, STAR CROSSING IN THE WEST
‘Chicharito’ ended his year with 18 goals and Puig scored three goals in two months after his arrival in Los Angeles from Barcelona. They were decisive again in Houston to guarantee coach Greg Vanney’s team home court advantage in the first round of the ‘playoffs’.
The postseason will begin on September 15 and end on November 5.
The last teams to seal their ticket to the postseason were Minnesota and Real Salt Lake, who won head-to-head games against the Vancouver Whitecaps (2-0) and the Portland Timbers (3-1), respectively.
The Argentine Franco Fragapane and the Mexican Jonathan González scored the decisive goals to send Minnesota to the postseason, in which they will face the Dallas FC of the Spanish coach Nico Estévez.
Real Salt Lake asserted home court advantage and overwhelmed the Timbers 3-0, with goals from Venezuelan Jefferson Savarino, Guatemalan Rubio Rubin and American Bode Hidalgo.
The RSL will face the Austin of Argentina’s Sebastián Driussi, who fell just one goal short of the 23 scored by the top scorer in the regular season, Germany’s Hany Mukhtar.
Los Angeles FC of the Mexican Carlos Vela, the Spanish Cristian Tello and the Welshman Gareth Bale, winner of the ‘Supporter’s Shield’ for the best team of the year in the regular season, will start directly from the second round.
On the last day, the Angelenos fell 0-1 at home against Nashville, with a penalty missed by Colombian Cristian Arango.
INTER MIAMI-NYC SHINES IN THE EAST
In the Eastern Conference, Philadelphia Union expects rival in the second roundwhile the teams classified between the second and the seventh position will have to face each other in search of advancing.
Montreal FC, who beat Inter Miami 3-1 in Argentine Gonzalo Higuain’s last regular season game, will face Orlando City, who sealed the last ticket to the postseason by beating Columbus Crew 2-1 of the Colombian ‘Cucho’ Hernández.
The Florida team completed its comeback thanks to a penalty converted by Uruguayan Facundo Torres in the 84th minute.
Inter-Miami will dispute the first ‘playoffs’ of its young history and they will have a highly demanding duel with New York Cityreigning champion.
City ended their year with an away win against Atlanta United, ending a season far short of expectations with defeat.
The other matchup of the ‘playoffs’ will see Cincinnati, who overwhelmed DC United 5-2 of English coach Wayne Rooney, face New York Red Bulls.
The ‘playoffs’ will begin next week with games on Saturday 15, Sunday 16 and Monday 17 October. (D)
Source: Eluniverso
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