Conference Finals: Which stars need to deliver?

The Audi MLS Cup Playoffs have been defined by upsets, but make no mistake: The home teams are the favorites in this weekend's Conference Finals.We'll see Orlando City SC host New York Red Bulls in the East (7:30 pm ET | MLS Season Pass), then LA Galaxy host Seattle Sounders FC in the West (10 pm ET | MLS Season Pass). The second game decides who hosts MLS Cup presented by Audi on Dec. 7. The stakes are massive. Who will step up?With 15 goals in three playoff games, LA are two goals away from tying the league record for a single postseason stretch (17). Just think about that for a second – this team’s attack is so dynamic and has so many different threats. It all starts with Riqui Puig. He gets on the ball, engines turn on, and everyone’s movement follows. He’s almost like a quarterback, dictating play with touches and passes between lines. Everything flows through him being fearless about getting the game started and pulling the strings. Then there’s Gabriel Pec, who almost reminds me of Gareth Bale with how quick and powerful he is on the ball. When he's dribbling, he seems to get quicker or stay at the same pace, then has the skill to make plays. Pec can take over the game. We all raved about Joseph Paintsil early this season, especially his off-ball running and 1-v-1 ability. He’s more of a streaky goalscorer, but you're not stopping him once he gets going. And you can see the game slows down for him in the final third. That’s a true sign of a quality winger. As a former striker, I love how Dejan Joveljić complements everyone around him. When you have this many players with attacking prowess, you need your striker to understand his job. That's to stay within the width of the 18-yard box, occupy the two center backs and stay away from the play until it's time for the final play. You give other players around you space to work, and then when the ball goes into the box, that’s your moment to deliver. Joveljić does that job perfectly. You can’t forget Marco Reus, either. Seeing him more consistently in MLS now – his first touch, his football IQ, the experience he brings to the attack, his understanding with Puig – you see the world-class talent. Those two stars know how to play off each other. If one drops into the six, the other moves to the 10. They rotate and keep defenses guessing. Greg Vanney needs to be smart with how LA balance attack and defense. But we know they’re uncompromising in their identity – they’re often in shootouts and trust their talent will win out.Seattle’s biggest attacking strength is they defend well. They’re not necessarily putting you under constant pressure, but they stay in games and then find their chances. That’s the exact formula Stefan Frei and Jordan Morris provided last weekend at LAFC, when Seattle got a 2-1 upset win. Frei was incredible with nine saves, then Morris scored the 109th-minute winner on a recycled corner kick. If Seattle advance past LA, they’ll need Morris at his best. That’s being quick, running behind and using his pace to get away from defenders. It then comes down to how much of a shark he is in the final third; some days he's causing problems, but you don't always see the killer instinct. If he brings that sharpness into the Conference Final, Seattle have a good chance of reaching another MLS Cup. Then there's Frei. Seattle are already elite defensively, but he's on another level come playoff time, making saves he shouldn't be and standing on his head. Everything else – coming out and collecting from set pieces, organizing and taking pressure off the defense – is at such a high level. Brian Schmetzer recently called it a “travesty” that Frei’s never won Goalkeeper of the Year, and it’s hard to disagree. A few more to watch: Albert Rusnák quietly had a great season and is in that same category as Minnesota’s Robin Lod – a player you really need to watch and understand their role to fully appreciate how good they are. Obed Vargas has a special future ahead of him. He plays far above his years, covers every blade of grass and has such a great temperament – doesn't get too frustrated, never too high, never too low. He's everything you want in a central midfielder: good first touch, range of passing, keeps the ball moving and wins tackles. Alex and Cristian Roldan are Seattle through and through. Their experience is crucial.Now this is the Orlando team we all thought we would see in 2024. They’ve been incredible since July, overcoming that slow start and sitting one match away from the club’s first-ever MLS Cup trip. We’ll get to their attack, but I want to emphasize Oscar Pareja’s group is all about shape and structure first. From that foundation, they pick out moments to strike. It's not as free-flowing, but they're still dangerous and cause teams problems. Much of that comes down to Wilder Cartagena and César Araújo as the two 6s. They must be a nightmare to play against, constantly disrupting and breaking up plays. Once Orlando got that pairing consistently together and figured out who would be the striker, they’ve been tough to beat. That striker is Ramiro Enrique. I love watching him because I appreciate movement and smartly-timed runs. He's busy and lively throughout the 90 minutes. Even if he doesn't score (he’s got nine goals this year), a defender has to watch him. He knows his role is to run in behind, occupy center backs and make clever runs in the box. Then it's up to Facundo Torres and Martín Ojeda to look for Enrique, arrive in the box and provide goals. Two other parts of Orlando’s attack: Iván Angulo is extremely underrated as an active winger who causes problems. He's good on the ball, has pace, runs in behind, and has outstanding work-rate to help defensively. Orlando have genuine options off the bench in Duncan McGuire, Luis Muriel and Nico Lodeiro. McGuire could easily be their starting No. 9, then Muriel and Lodeiro bring so much experience and on-ball quality. Everything has fallen into place for Orlando and we’re seeing their true potential.Earlier this season, the Red Bulls were challenging for third place in the East. Then Emil Forsberg went down injured, missed most of the summer and they slid down the table. The good news? Forsberg returned in late September and everything’s fallen back into place. Because Red Bulls play such a high-pressure game at a fast tempo, you need somebody who slows the game down and has the last quality to see runs and pick out a pass. They missed that quality. It was a lot of back and forth, fighting for second balls. They were always committed and up for the fight. But then when you throw Emil in there, the team looks completely different. They have clarity in the final third again. His composure and vision sets the rhythm and tempo of what Red Bulls do. Another key in New York’s attack is Lewis Morgan. Injuries and getting called up to the Euros disrupted his rhythm, but I think he still has a big part to play in these playoffs. He hasn't had a huge say yet, but he’s worked hard for the team. The quality eventually wins out – and Lewis has that with a clean touch, finding a pass and is a really good finisher with both feet. I’m confident he’ll come good, just like we’re seeing with Dante Vanzeir and Felipe Carballo right now. I don't know if the Red Bulls keep the magic going and return to MLS Cup. But they’ll be in the game and give themselves a chance to win.

Conference Finals: Which stars need to deliver?

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Conference Finals: Which stars need to deliver?

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