2025 MLS playoffs Round 1 preview: Can anyone stop Philly?

The 2025 MLS Cup playoffs kicked off on Wednesday with the Wild Card round, which saw the ninth seeds from both the East and West get knocked out, leaving the Chicago Fire and Portland Timbers to move on. Their reward? Dates with two of three best teams of the regular season, the Philadelphia Union and San Diego FC, respectively, in Round 1.

This phase of the postseason moves quickly, with the dust on Wednesday’s Wild Card games having barely settled before Inter Miami and Nashville SC get Round 1 underway on Friday night.

So how will the best-of-three series among the 16 remaining MLS clubs play out? Lizzy Becherano and Jon Arnold dive into the matchups and break down Round 1.

Eastern Conference

3. Inter Miami vs. 6. Nashville SC

Game 1: Friday, 8 p.m. ET
Game 2: Saturday, Nov. 1; 8 p.m. ET
Game 3 (if necessary): Saturday, Nov. 8; time TBD

Star attraction: All eyes will be on Lionel Messi on Friday night against Nashville, especially after the Inter Miami captain finally announced his three-year contract extension with the club. Although it may not be his final time playing the MLS playoffs, like it will be for longtime teammates and friends Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba, Messi will still play with the same urgency. He enters the series after scoring a hat trick against NSC in the final game of the regular season, propelling Miami to a 5-2 victory and clinching the 2025 Golden Boot.

Messi may have missed Tuesday’s training session leading up to the game on Friday, but head coach Javier Mascherano confirmed the captain is ready to play 90 minutes if needed, or more.

X-factor: Beyond Messi, it will be interesting to see how Mascherano incorporates new signing Mateo Silvetti into the fold. He returns to the squad after reaching the final of the U20 World Cup with Argentina, where he scored three goals throughout the competition.

Inter Miami have continuously struggled throughout the year with a lack of depth, struggling to find that bench player who can enter the game and make a difference. Silvetti should now be considered that back-pocket tool for Mascherano. He won’t necessarily start given the lack of recent training with the team and international absences, but he can absolutely come in and score a goal to drive a victory.

Tactical wrinkle: Inter Miami may have won the final regular season game against Nashville 5-2, but the Herons struggled mightily in the first half. Nashville found a way to exploit Miami’s backline, often attacking through the left wing to reach the final third, and on two occasions score. It wasn’t until Mascherano made crucial substitutions to the defense and midfield, with Yannick Bright and Ian Fray coming into the game, that Inter began to function properly.

It’s no secret that Miami suffers when defending: conceding 55 goals in the regular season stands as the second-most allowed among playoff teams. Should Nashville find a way to expose Miami’s defensive weaknesses again, the Tennessee team can win the series. — Becherano

Predictions

Inter Miami advance in this series, despite often being inconsistent, having demonstrated on Decision Day that they can outperform their Round 1 opponent. As opposed to last year, Miami now boasts a healthy roster with most players wanting to give their all in the swan songs of Alba and Busquets. — Becherano

It may not be as emphatic as the Decision Day win, but I’m expecting Messi & Co. to make quick work of Nashville as they inch closer to the storybook ending for Busquets and Alba. — Arnold

Last year, Miami wasn’t so much struck by lightning in the postseason as it was a case of intentionally touching a live wire. It seems too much to expect that to happen again, even with the team’s defensive frailties. Nashville has the impressive, two-pronged attack of Hany Mukhtar and Sam Surridge, but the Herons are adept at simply outscoring teams. I expect that to happen here. — Jeff Carlisle

When you have Messi playing at an MVP level, the prediction chooses itself. Along with his star-studded cast, the Argentine World Cup winner also just so happened to earn a hat trick in Miami’s latest 5-2 away win over … Nashville. The underdogs will have their chances against Miami’s improved-yet-still-worrying defense, but they won’t be able to compete against the firepower of Messi and friends. — Cesar Hernandez

Nashville hasn’t conceded too many goals this season (45 in total), but 16% of them were scored by Inter Miami. B.J. Callaghan’s squad secured the team’s first-ever trophy in the U.S. Open Cup last month, but they lost eight of their final 13 games, which includes two defeats to the Herons. I don’t think Messi & Co. allow their team to get knocked out in the first round for a second straight year against a team that’s not playing at full potential. — Megan Swanick

I have a simple policy when it comes to predicting MLS games: don’t pick against Messi’s team. Sure, Miami fell at the first possible hurdle in last year’s postseason, but it won’t happen two years in a row. — Joseph Lowery

1. Philadelphia Union vs. 8. Chicago Fire

Game 1: Sunday, 5:30 p.m. ET
Game 2: Saturday, Nov. 1; 5:30 p.m. ET
Game 3 (if necessary): Saturday, Nov. 8; time TBD

Star attraction: The magic of the Union isn’t about reliance on one player, but the entire backline. Philadelphia boasts two of three finalists for Defender of the Year, with Jakob Glesnes and Kai Wagner both nominated for their strong efforts throughout 2025. The team led the Eastern Conference in goals conceded in the regular season at just 35. The Union also managed to clinch the Supporters’ Shield without a shiny striker to pave the path into the back of the net.

A collective effort at the back inspired the success for Philadelphia this season, and likely will be the definitive factor against Chicago.

X-factor: The issue with this series is that, like Philadelphia at the back, the Fire also boast a strong collective. Since taking over the club, Gregg Berhalter has managed to unlock the potential of his starting 11 to make sure all players have an opportunity to shine. The Fire triumphed 3-1 over Orlando City, with Brian Gutiérrez scoring the team’s first playoff goal since 2012. Hugo Cuypers then paved the path for the victory, scoring twice to clinch the Round 1 ticket.

Tactical wrinkle: This series will see the East’s best defense facing off against the conference’s second-best attack. The Fire scored 68 goals throughout the regular season to trail only Miami, doing so without a Messi or a Luis Suárez leading the line. The battle between Chicago’s Cuypers and Philadelphia’s Wagner will be an interesting one to watch, and at certain points, hotly contested.

Both the Union and Fire saw recent coaching changes inspire them to almost immediate success. Bradley Carnell was dismissed by St. Louis City last year only to then land with the Union and drive the club to the Supporters’ Shield, all while maneuvering the injuries of Quinn Sullivan and Ivan Glavinovich. Berhalter, on the other hand, took the 2024 Wooden Spoon contenders to the playoffs for the first time since 2017 by making organizational changes and demanding more from each player. Who will out-coach who? — Becherano

Predictions

Berhalter’s team can certainly surprise the Union, especially after a dominant Wild Card performance. Carnell has done a great job at restructuring Philly’s roster, but the team continues to suffer in Sullivan’s absence. It will be a really close series, but if Chicago can break through Philadelphia’s defense, it can ensure a victory. — Becherano

The combination of stout defense plus Andre Blake behind them has been working for most of the season, and it won’t stop now. The Union will limit the Fire’s opportunities, and get plenty of their own against a leaky defense. — Arnold

The Fire certainly impressed in their Wild Card triumph over Orlando, but doing the same to the Supporters’ Shield winners is another challenge entirely. The Union’s press is ruthlessly effective, and Chicago’s defense is the worst among all of the playoff teams. As good as the Fire’s attack looked, it will be tough sledding against Philadelphia’s stingy backline. — Carlisle

We should praise the in-form Fire for making it to the playoffs for the first time since 2017, but barring some performances of the year from Cuypers or Philip Zinckernagel, Round 1 will be the end of the postseason run for a defensively worrisome Chicago. Philadelphia is elite at recovering the ball through its pressing, and coupled with its strong backline, this series should be over by the second game. — Hernandez

The Supporters’ Shield winners won’t have an easy time in the playoffs, but they should make it out of the first round. They beat Chicago in both meetings this season — 1-0 on the road and 4-0 at home — and while Chicago can certainly score, Philadelphia has the stingiest defense in the league and can punish opponents at the other end. — Swanick

The Union have reason to worry about their central playmaking in the aftermath of Sullivan’s injury, but between Wagner’s creativity on the left and Philadelphia’s hard-nosed style, the Fire’s defense won’t be able to hold. — Lowery

Game 1: Monday, 6:45 p.m. ET
Game 2: Sunday, Nov. 2; 6:30 p.m. ET
Game 3 (if necessary): Saturday, Nov. 8; time TBD

Star attraction: With 18 goals and 15 assists in 32 games, Evander will be the player to watch for this playoff edition of the Hell is Real derby. Cincinnati signed Evander as a Designated Player ahead of the 2025 MLS season, and has since made him an integral part of the attack. He hasn’t disappointed, leading the club to second place in the Eastern Conference table with 65 points.

Evander can quickly connect with teammates across the pitch to find the back of the net, as he did with Nick Hagglund against CF Montreal to conclude the regular season with a 3-0 victory. During that match, Evander assisted Hagglund to score the team’s first goal before the center back returned the favor and propelled Evander to double the score. If Cincinnati finds success against Columbus, it likely will be driven by Evander.

X-factor: Although Evander often drives the narrative of FCC’s success, Brenner should not be far behind in the conversation. He returned to the club at the end of August on a loan from Serie A club Udinese and has scored four goals in six games. Before leaving for his Italian adventure, he recorded 27 goals between 2021 and 2023, and set several team records in the process.

Now the forward links up with Evander to make for a formidable force that will be difficult for even the revered Crew coach Wilfried Nancy to game plan. Had he not left for Serie A, Brenner could have been a contender for multiple Golden Boots.

Tactical wrinkle: Columbus enters the series with a weakened attack, as Diego Rossi suffers from an injury and new DP Wessam Abou Ali is out for the season. What the Crew lack in attacking star power, however, they make up for in defensive efforts. Nancy usually lines up his side to dominate possession through the back and midfield before the attack can find the back of the net, making players like Dániel Gazdag and Darlington Nagbe crucial in the playoff series. — Becherano

Predictions

The Crew used to be title contenders, challenging in most tournaments, but the team now struggles without the punch of Cucho Hernández, who moved to Real Betis before the start of the season. Cincinnati is the clear favorite and should take advantage of a downward-trending Columbus. Not even the brilliance of Nancy can save the Ohio capital club from the wonders of Evander. — Becherano

It feels like Columbus is a trendy upset pick because of its past track record, but between the Crew’s injuries and the form that Evander and Brenner are in, it feels like too big a gap to overcome. I expect Evander to continue to paper over some of the cracks FCC have and put them into the next round. — Arnold

The Hell Is Real derby, playoff edition, is about to get more hellish for one of these teams. Columbus has seemed less than the sum of its parts, especially in defense — a very un-Nancy scenario. Cincinnati, meanwhile, looks to be peaking at the right time, unbeaten in its past five, and with Evander in full flow, appears to have the pieces necessary to go deep into the postseason. — Carlisle

Cincy has yet to lose since August and has seen Evander provide two goals and six assists in its past five games. Sure, Nancy will feel hopeful in this rivalry series if Rossi is able to return, but there are no guarantees about him feeling fully fit or available for a side that has stumbled through inconsistent performances this fall while dealing with injury concerns. — Hernandez

Who doesn’t love the sound of a best-of-three Hell is Real derby? In two regular season meetings, the Crew held Cincinnati to a draw in May and won 4-2 in July, but odds are in Cincinnati’s favor for the postseason. While finishing second in the Supporters’ Shield race, the Blue and Orange are hitting the postseason on a five-game undefeated run with a dynamic attack that’s clicking. — Swanick

With the Crew’s heightened defensive shortcomings thanks to their set of injuries, it’s easy to picture Evander taking over this series. Knowing Cincinnati’s tendency to keep games close (16 of its 20 wins in the regular season came by a single goal), though, this series might go all three games. — Lowery

Game 1: Tuesday, 6:45 p.m. ET
Game 2: Saturday, Nov. 1; 3:30 p.m. ET
Game 3 (if necessary): Friday, Nov. 7; time TBD

Star attraction: Wilfried Zaha would be the obvious choice here, but he’ll be unavailable for the first game of the best-of-three series against NYCFC after receiving a red card in the final regular-season game. Now, Charlotte must rely on Idan Toklomati and Kerwin Vargas to keep the series alive before its star signing returns for the second match.

Once available, however, Zaha will stand as the player to make the difference as he has throughout the season, registering 10 goals and 10 assists in 31 appearances. The explosive winger can create space when needed to cut in through the middle and find the back of the net at the most crucial moments.

X-factor: Goalkeeper Matthew Freese may become the most important factor for his team in this series. The U.S. international has recorded eight clean sheets in 31 games, and allowed 42 goals this season, both among the better figures in the East — only Philadelphia and Cincinnati have allowed fewer than 44 this year.

His efforts with NYCFC earned him the starting job for Mauricio Pochettino’s USMNT. Charlotte may boast attacking greats, but Freese may nullify their strongest efforts to give NYCFC a chance.

Tactical wrinkle: NYCFC may not boast that one star center forward to lead the team in the buildup to a goal or record-breaking statistics, but the team has found a way to succeed instead with a creative midfield. New head coach Pascal Jansen has built his engine room around a rejuvenated Maxi Morález, inspiring the 38-year-old Argentine to connect with Nicolás Fernández and Agustin Ojeda to create opportunities for Alonso Martínez. By emphasizing a strong midfield, NYCFC managed to score 50 goals throughout the 2025 MLS season.

Despite the team’s strong assets in the middle, however, they continue to struggle with consistency. In the span of five days, NYCFC beat Charlotte 2-0 and then lost 4-0 to Miami. — Becherano

Predictions

Charlotte will be without Zaha in the first game of the series, allowing NYCFC to take advantage. Although the series will be close, if the Crown can hang on in that first game, Dean Smith’s side has the tools necessary to advance. — Becherano

Zaha’s absence will prove costly, with one of the league’s best home-field advantages dampened by his absence because of a suspension after a silly red card on Decision Day. Martínez will be the difference, although Freese also will have plenty to say. — Arnold

This matchup is tricky, befitting a four-vs.-five-seed pairing. Charlotte’s central defense and goalkeeping should carry the day against an NYCFC side that doesn’t have a ton of attacking firepower. Having Zaha miss the opener for a red card in the regular season finale tilts the scales more in City’s favor, but not enough to prevent Charlotte from prevailing. — Carlisle

Charlotte won’t have Zaha after a one-game suspension, but it will have its star in net, Kristijan Kahlina, who ranks second when it comes to goals prevented (8.45) for goalkeepers who qualified for the playoffs. Nonetheless, NYCFC will make this a close one and could turn the tides in their favor against the Zaha-less opponents in Game 1. All eyes on Kahlina to once again step up as a hero. — Hernandez

This is the battle of soccer teams playing in American football stadiums vs. American baseball stadiums. They’ll start this series in the football ground (Charlotte’s Bank of America Stadium), but I think the New York squad (who beat Charlotte 2-0 in September thanks to two penalties) comes out on top, especially as Charlotte will be without Zaha in its first match. — Swanick

Neither of these teams will blow the other away, but New York City’s ability to control games will set them apart in this series. Plus, Martínez is the best outfielder on either side, giving Jansen’s team a real lift in the attack. — Lowery

Western Conference

Game 1: Sunday, 7:30 p.m. ET
Game 2: Saturday, Nov. 1; 9:30 p.m. ET
Game 3 (if necessary): Friday, Nov. 7; time TBD

Star attraction: Thomas Müller‘s playoff debut will mark his eighth MLS appearance for the Whitecaps, so you can be forgiven for still finding it a bit jarring to see the German legend on the field of BC Place. After all, this is a team that went up for sale before the season. Even after their run to the Concacaf Champions Cup final, MLS commissioner Don Garber noted the need for the team to find a new venue.

Yet, there’s Müller, scoring seven goals and adding three assists in 541 regular-season minutes. Müller is the type of player who seemed likely to slot in well with his teammates, happy to play the perfect pass or finish off a move they’ve made. That’s how it has looked for manager Jesper Sørensen, that it has been easy to integrate the star into the squad. Another sign of his integration? Müller has let his beard grow out. Perhaps he’ll echo hockey’s playoff beard tradition and let it grow during the entire Caps run.

X-factor: Petar Musa missed his team’s Decision Day win over the Whitecaps because of a suspension for yellow-card accumulation. Fellow forward Logan Farrington also was suspended after he was shown red in the penultimate match. They won without them, finding a goal on a scrappy set piece in the first half and an early second-half goal that allowed them to concede possession the rest of the match.

But there is no doubt that getting Musa back is a massive boost for FCD. After a 16-goal debut campaign with FCD in 2024, he topped that with 18 goals in 2025, the most for any FCD player in a single season. During the year, Musa showed a penchant for turning nothing into something and capitalizing on the smallest defensive error to find the back of the net. FCD will need that instinct to come through in this series.

Tactical wrinkle: After former MLS MVP Luciano Acosta’s FC Dallas career was cut short in the summer and with the team struggling, FCD manager Eric Quill went to a back three in August. It was an interesting choice, considering at times it looked like the team didn’t have one MLS-level central defender to pair with Osaze Urhoghide, much less two.

But the posture served FCD well, with Bernard Kamungo excelling as a wingback and Shaq Moore performing well when deployed either in the back three or as the right wingback. The team put together a furious push for the playoffs and a Decision Day win over the Whitecaps valued them out of the Wild Card and into this matchup against the very same team they beat on the final day. The Caps have the talent to work it out and find goals, but the wrinkle saved FCD’s season. — Arnold

Predictions

Vancouver moves on, forgetting the chaos caused by Mathías Laborda‘s early red card and the pressure on Decision Day and doing what they’ve done all season: creating opportunities, finishing them off and limiting good chances going the other way. FCD did well to get here, but they’ll need huge performances from the players who were suspended on the final day to spring the upset. — Arnold

Sørensen has completely transformed the Canadian team into one that can compete against any opponent. He has found a way to realize the potential of players like Sebastian Berhalter, who will be a crucial component in a Whitecaps series win. — Becherano

Dallas will feel confident after defeating Vancouver 2-1 on Decision Day, but that was also a Whitecaps side that went down to 10 men by the 11th minute. At the risk of over-analyzing one game when we should be highlighting Vancouver’s 2025 revival with Müller helping them to second in the West, 10-man Vancouver still finished with a higher xG over Dallas in the latest loss. Can Dallas’ defense hold strong once again? Probably not. — Hernandez

Credit Quill for shepherding his side through a season that includes a stadium renovation that neutralized any home-field advantage, but this is where it ends. Sure, the Caps are dinged up, especially in the back, but playing with 10 men, they dominated Dallas on Decision Day. Hard to see that changing with 11 Caps on the field. — Carlisle

Dallas managed to beat Vancouver on Decision Day, so Quill’s team has reason for confidence. Still, even a banged-up version of the Caps has more than enough talent to advance to the conference semifinals. — Lowery

The Whitecaps fumbled a first-place finish in the west by losing to Dallas on the final evening of the season, while playing down a man from the 11th minute. Vengeance will be Vancouver’s here, as it comes into the playoffs looking for a deep run after a record-breaking season. — Swanick

1. San Diego FC vs. 8. Portland Timbers

Game 1: Sunday, 9:30 p.m. ET
Game 2: Saturday, Nov. 1; 9:30 p.m. ET
Game 3 (if necessary): Sunday, Nov. 9; time TBD

Star attraction: Hirving “Chucky” Lozano. Or is he? The Mexico international missed out on San Diego’s season finale, a 4-0 victory over the same Timbers team SDFC are about to face. After the match, head coach Mikey Varas called Lozano’s absence “a situation” the team is handling internally, but we still don’t know if the winger will be on the field for this playoff series.

There have been other star attractions for San Diego this season. Anders Dreyer has a strong case for a Best XI nod, capped his regular season with a double in that big win over the Timbers, which took him to 19 goals and 19 assists in his debut MLS campaign — numbers that also merit superstar status. But if we don’t hear more soon, plenty of fans will be eagerly refreshing social media before Game 1 to see if the situation has resolved and Lozano is back to provide part of the club’s attacking punch.

X-factor: Felipe Mora had a quiet season for the Timbers, scoring five goals in 33 matches — 20 of which he started. While he had a Leagues Cup goal in late July, his last MLS goal was all the way back in May, with more than 20 regular season games without a goal. Those are his worst numbers since coming to Timbers from Pumas in 2020.

Yet, just like that, Mora popped up as the difference-maker Wednesday night, with a first-half double that helped propel the Timbers past Real Salt Lake with a 3-1 victory and put them into this Round 1 series with San Diego. His first goal showed his focus — heading a set piece that was saved but following his own shot to finish the rebound — and his second goal followed a similar script, with Mora heading a cross, then finishing the follow-up. He may not be able to replicate that against SDFC goalkeeper C.J. Dos Santos, but the Timbers will be hoping Mora is getting hot at the right time.

Tactical wrinkle: Acquired in the summer to add depth at the winger position, Amahl Pellegrino has been something of a role player, filling in either out wide or up top. That is, he was a role player until October. The underlying numbers indicated Pellegrino was doing more than met the eye, but then he started to put up counting stats as well, scoring in SDFC’s 4-2 win over the Houston Dynamo and adding a double — plus an assist — in the 4-0 win over the Timbers.

How much of a role Pellegrino has and where he plays depends heavily on what role Lozano has in the team, but having an option who has produced either instead of Lozano or with both is a boost San Diego hasn’t had since it let Milan Iloski walk in July. Pellegrino and fellow summer signing Corey Baird are perhaps not the players long-time MLS watchers would expect to see turn the tide in a playoff series, yet how Varas deploys the veterans will dictate plenty in the series. — Arnold

Predictions

The postseason has always presented new pitfalls for expansion teams, but SDFC are playing too well to stall out in Round 1. The Timbers had a great bounce-back win during the week but had been in free fall before the Wild Card game. A happy and healthy Lozano absolutely would boost San Diego’s chances even more, but even if the impasse continues, America’s Finest City should host in the next round after a tidy series win. — Arnold

New in the league, the California side has stunned on the pitch. San Diego will continue to make history in the first knockout round of the MLS playoffs. — Becherano

Even without Lozano, San Diego thrashed Portland 4-0 on Decision Day. Guided by Coach of the Year candidate Varas and by Newcomer of the Year frontrunner Dreyer, the thriving expansion side is the clear favorite against a Portland roster with a minus-7 goal differential. — Hernandez

We’ve seen expansion teams top a conference before — St. Louis did it two years ago — and it didn’t end well. The Lozano drama doesn’t exactly scream momentum, either, but as gleeful as the Timbers were to win their play-in game, they made hard work of it and their defense didn’t look nearly stout enough. San Diego should prevail, at least in this round. — Carlisle

There’s no more lopsided first-round series than this one. Fresh off a 4-0 win over Portland on Decision Day and with the Timbers on short rest after Wednesday’s Wild Card win, the expansion side has a major edge. — Lowery

The possession-heavy SoCal squad could be without Lozano, but it should still beat the Timbers. The expansion side drew Portland 0-0 in August while looking lackluster in front of goal, but defeated the Timbers handily on Decision Day with a brace each from Pellegrino and Dreyer. — Swanick

Game 1: Monday, 9 p.m. ET
Game 2: Monday, Nov. 3; 10:30 p.m. ET
Game 3 (if necessary): Saturday, Nov. 8; time TBD

Star attraction: Cristian Roldan lacks the European name-recognition the biggest stars in the other series in the Western Conference have, but MLS fans will recognize Roldan and understand what he’s done this year to keep raising his ceiling. Working with Obed Vargas to form one of the best midfield pairings on the continent, Roldan’s play in MLS matches — and also in Seattle’s successful Leagues Cup run and the Club World Cup — drew the attention of Pochettino. Roldan now is in the picture for a place at the 2026 World Cup, but the 30-year-old has been around long enough to know he needs to keep delivering in key moments like the playoffs.

X-factor: Dayne St. Clair was one of the best shot-stoppers in the league and could absolutely fluster a Seattle attack that will be missing Pedro de la Vega because of a kneecap injury suffered against NYCFC on Decision Day. St. Clair has the best Goals – Expected Goals number in the league this year, essentially meaning that it takes a very dangerous shot to beat Canada’s likely No. 1 at the 2026 World Cup.

Beyond his good numbers, St. Clair has become accustomed to coming up big in big moments. He is not only able to stop shots in the run of play but also good against efforts from the penalty spot. His consistency allows Minnesota to depend on him to come up with saves other goalkeepers may not make — and to believe it may get out of playoff matchups it may not otherwise advance from.

Tactical wrinkle: For a large portion of the season, the Loons were one of the teams with the clearest style of play and most consistent execution in the league. They’re still trying to put that identity on the field. Yet as other teams have worked out their idea to concede possession, work as a team in defense and hit on set pieces, Minnesota has struggled to find the same results.

Without Tani Oluwaseyi, who the team transferred to Villarreal in Augustin, and the injured Kelvin Yeboah, just how Minnesota scores on those cherished chances is a huge question. Yeboah made a cameo on Decision Day, so he may be able to contribute in this series, but other injury luck isn’t so good. Defensive midfielder/defender Carlos Harvey is likely to miss the whole series, meaning the same cast that finished the season by losing to the lowly LA Galaxy now will work to stop Seattle’s deep attack. — Arnold

Predictions

Seattle will spring a minor surprise in this series thanks to its experience and also its versatility. Losing De la Vega to injury hurts, but the experience the players who replace him have earned against tough opposition will pay dividends in this series. — Arnold

Minnesota may be that quiet team that performs well, but the Sounders’ fifth seed is deceiving given the power and intelligence of the team. Head coach Brian Schmetzer can out-coach any opponent with his calm, constant style, knowing a well-planned roster has inspired triumphs like it did during Leagues Cup. — Becherano

With their intriguing focus on long throw-ins and set pieces, and St. Clair producing highlight-worthy moments along the way, 2025 was a success for Minnesota. That is, until last month. The Loons have one victory in their past five games in all competitions and will now face a Sounders side that has just the playoffs to focus on after impressing at the summer’s Club World Cup and winning Leagues Cup. — Hernandez

Can a team win a three-game series by defending deep and capitalizing on set pieces? Minnesota will try, but as effective as it has been, it seems a long shot. The Sounders live for tournament settings, having already prevailed this year in Leagues Cup. So even though they lost De la Vega for the playoffs due to a knee injury, look for Seattle to prevail. — Carlisle

Even with De la Vega’s Decision Day injury ruling him out for the postseason and beyond, the Sounders still don’t have a major weakness. If they need one-v-one dribbling, they can turn to Georgi Minoungou, who provided a boost in the Leagues Cup final. Seattle could just go all the way. — Lowery

The Loons took all three points in both regular season meetings this year, although both were decided by one goal in closely fought contests. This one’s tough to call, but I think the Leagues Cup champions will defeat Minnesota in a best of three. — Swanick

Game 1: Wednesday, 10:30 p.m. ET
Game 2: Sunday, Nov. 2; 8:30 p.m. ET
Game 3 (if necessary): Saturday, Nov. 8; time TBD

Star attraction: Since arriving from Tottenham Hotspur in the summer, Son Heung-Min has scored nine goals and assisted three in three matches played. After his opening goal for LAFC against the Colorado Rapids on the final day of the season, Son has nine goals in nine matches — a stat helped by a hat trick against Real Salt Lake on Sept. 17, but impressive nonetheless.

And it isn’t only his goals that have boosted LAFC. The questions about Son when he arrived were focused on how he’d slot in with Denis Bouanga, LAFC’s resident star attacker who has a similar profile to the South Korea superstar. After a few games, they are feeding off each other often. Bouanga has set Son up twice this year, and two of Son’s trio of assists in MLS led to a goal from Bouanga. Already menaces in transition, Son has only made LAFC more dangerous when they win back the ball and start to blitz forward.

X-factor: A far less heralded midseason arrival than Son, Ryan Porteous signed a long-term deal with LAFC in August as the club looked for central defense options after Aaron Long‘s achilles tear. His signing has allowed LAFC manager Steve Cherundolo to continue fielding three center backs, with Porteous slotting in next to Nkosi Tafari and Eddie Segura. While LAFC conceded to the rallying Rapids on Decision Day and to Austin during the international break, the three matches before that saw clean sheets, with just one goal allowed in the two games prior to that streak.

There are few worries about LAFC going forward after Son’s arrival, but Porteous can help them shut down an Austin attack that has been inconsistent, but that LAFC can’t allow to find chances in this best-of-three series.

Tactical wrinkle: LAFC are excellent when they win back the ball and look to run, with Son and Bouanga bearing down on defenders and, in this series, on Austin goalkeeper Brad Stuver. But Austin may rely on some of the same tactics to try to survive a series that manager Nico Estévez has admitted will demand a collective effort against one of the best attacking duos the league has to offer.

That may see a somewhat ugly series as Austin looks to rely on its backline and its excellent goalkeeper and find its own moments to counterattack and catch LAFC off guard. Both teams are going to try to do a version of what the other wants to do. Austin is in the playoffs because of its defending, seeing the goals dry up for much of the season. Myrto Uzuni rested on Decision Day, as did the injured Osman Bukari, but both could be fit for this series — which has a strange cadence of starting Wednesday, then continuing four days later and potentially concluding Nov. 7. — Arnold

Predictions

The question in my mind is not whether Austin can stop the Bouanga-Son duo, it’s whether anyone in MLS can. Austin’s defense has been relatively stingy this year, but LAFC are going to get their goals. Once they do, can Austin? It’s unlikely. — Arnold

The combination of Bouanga and Son seem unstoppable at this moment, and even more so for an Austin side without Brandon Vázquez up top. LAFC enter Round 1 as MLS Cup contenders and subsequently will be quick to get Austin out of the way. — Becherano

Had Son arrived earlier in the year, it wouldn’t have been a shock if we were talking about him as league MVP and LAFC as the winners of the Supporters’ Shield. Their momentum slowed with a draw and loss in their last two games of the regular season, which included a defeat to Austin, who will make this series more competitive than most think, but there’s no way of betting against LA’s attacking duo. — Hernandez

On paper, this series looks like a mismatch. Bouanga and Son alone should give the Black and Gold enough to prevail. Plus, outside of Owen Wolff, Austin doesn’t look to have enough weapons to make a go of it. Cherundolo’s tenure as LAFC manager should last at least one more round. — Carlisle

While Austin’s tendency to defend in a low block will frustrate an LAFC team that much prefers to play in quick transition, no one should be brave enough to pick against Son and Bouanga. The talent edge rests with LAFC, and so will the series. — Lowery

Austin is one of two teams to beat LA since Son’s signing, but I think we’ll see their quality shine through in this series. LAFC have been a solid team all season, but they’ve found a higher gear in the final months as Bouanga and Son combine seamlessly to unlock another level in the team. — Swanick