Two more playoff games tonight
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What happened?: Despite seeing 28.7% of the possession and being outshot 23-7, RSL very nearly pushed this one to penalties thanks to a little luck and a goal from Diego Luna. But Héctor Herrera and Amine Bassi had other plans. Houston were the better side from the jump and earned a win.
So, did we learn anything?: Phew, if that’s any indication of how Game 2 or even Game 3 is going to go, then RSL are in a whole lot of trouble. They were without Chicho Arango entirely in this one and desperately need him back. But even if he had been available, I’m not sure RSL are in this one. Houston are as hot as anybody right now and might have more than enough to wrap this up in two.
What happened?: Álvaro Barreal kicked things off and ended things. He grabbed a brace and Lucho Acosta scored from (basically) midfield off a disastrous Red Bull sequence as Cincy cruised to a win.
So, did we learn anything?: The Red Bulls needed to be something close to perfect to give FC Cincinnati a game at TQL Stadium. They weren’t even close to good. Cincy rolled here.
Maybe a little rest and a trip back home will do the Red Bulls a lot of good in Game 2?
What happened?: Well then.
SKC and St. Louis looked set to trade blows, and then Sporting took all the way the heck off. Ironically, it looked a lot like all of the blowouts St. Louis put together this year. It felt close for a moment, and suddenly SKC were speeding away and winning a boat race. Logan Ndenbe scored the first goal of his professional career, Rémi Walter and Dániel Sallói added on, and Gadi Kinda thumped one into the top corner. All in front of the poor, rain-drenched St. Louis fans doing their best to get St. Louis back in the game.
So, did we learn anything?: Man. We knew SKC were hot, but they had fallen flat on their face in St. Louis this season. Coming out and doing that should terrify the rest of the West.
That being said, it feels like this one is a long way from over. St. Louis won’t lie down and call it a day now that they’re heading to Kansas City. That SKC crowd is going to smell blood in the water, though. And if the players are feeding off that, beating St. Louis to 50/50 balls and scoring off set pieces, then the West’s top seed is going to be in a whole lot of danger. Like… even more danger. This is going to be a heckuva uphill climb from here on out.
Round One continues tonight with two 2-7 seed matchups. Here’s one (of many) things to keep an eye on in each match.
Orlando City SC vs. Nashville SC: Who has the best player on the field?
It’s a strange question to ask when one team has Hany Mukhtar and the other team does not have Hany Mukhtar. But in the last six games, you and I have as many goals as Mukhtar. Since a June 17th hat trick, Mukhtar has found the net in MLS twice, and only four times in all competitions. That’s across 21 starts.
Now, compare that to Orlando forward Duncan McGuire. In the last five games, McGuire has five goals. Since that June 17th date, McGuire has 10 goals in 17 starts across all competitions. I’m not trying to jump the gun too much here – Hany is the 2022 Landon Donovan MLS MVP for a reason – but in this particular series, there’s a chance Orlando might have the most productive attacker on the pitch.
If McGuire outscores Mukhtar, the outcome is going to be clear and decisive. If Mukhtar starts to look a bit more like himself, this could get interesting quickly. We all know what Nashville can do defensively. All it takes is a smash-and-grab penalty shootout win to put the Lions on the ropes.
Seattle Sounders FC vs. FC Dallas: A tie is a nice gift.
FC Dallas’ results since the start of September: 2-2 draw, 1-1 draw, 3-1 win, 1-1 draw, 1-1 draw, 0-0 draw, 1-1 draw, 1-1 draw, 4-1 win. That’s a nine-game unbeaten run where they earned 13 points. Ya… yay?
It’s definitely not bad. Don’t get me wrong. We’ve just been hoping for a little more from Dallas. Instead, they’ve delivered overwhelmingly normal game after overwhelmingly normal game. In the regular season (and when you write a daily MLS newsletter), that’s not ideal. In the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs? On the road? Against Seattle? Whoooo boy you take a 1-1 draw where both teams put up like 0.6 xG in a heartbeat.
A draw tonight gives them a chance at winning a penalty shootout and pulling the rug out from under the Sounders. And it’s totally plausible, too. Neither team has looked outstanding in attack for most of the year. Keeping Seattle from finding the back of the net hasn’t been a task that’s required excessive effort. FC Dallas may find themselves in a very familiar position tonight.
- Houston made a triumphant playoff return.
- Barreal and Acosta put on a show for FC Cincinnati.
- SKC stunned St. Louis on the road, look to “finish the job” in Game 2.
- St. Louis seek answers after a “not good enough” performance.
Good luck out there. Find a good place to get some cardio in.
