The Pitch: Storylines to Watch in Audi MLS Cup Playoffs Best-of-3 Series

The Audi 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs Round One Best-of-3 Series field is set, with No. 9 Atlanta United and No. 8 Vancouver Whitecaps FC advancing through the Wild Card matches to face Eastern Conference No. 1 seed Inter Miami CF and Western Conference No. 1 seed LAFC, respectively.

During the Round One Best-of-3 Series, every team will have an opportunity to host at least one game and capitalize on home-field advantage. In 2023, the home team won 14 out of 19 matches (74%) in Round One and, during the 2024 regular season, seven playoff teams won at least 10 matches at home.

The schedule for all Round One Best-of-3 Series Game 1 matches is listed below, with the full Round One Best-of-3 Series schedule available **here**. Game 1 matches will be hosted by the higher seed and will air on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV for free.

Friday, Oct. 25
No. 1 Inter Miami CF vs. No. 9 Atlanta United (Chase Stadium)
8:30 p.m. ET broadcast/8:45 p.m. ET kickoff (MLS Season Pass on Apple TV)

Saturday, Oct. 26
No. 2 LA Galaxy vs. No. 7 Colorado Rapids (Dignity Health Sports Park)
11 p.m. ET broadcast/11:10 p.m. ET kickoff (MLS Season Pass on Apple TV)

Sunday, Oct. 27
No. 4 Orlando City SC vs. No. 5 Charlotte FC (Inter&Co Stadium)
7:30 p.m. ET broadcast/7:40 p.m. ET kickoff (MLS Season Pass on Apple TV, FS1, FOX Deportes, TSN, RDS)

No. 1 LAFC vs. No. 8 Vancouver Whitecaps FC (BMO Stadium)
9:45 p.m. ET broadcast/9:55 p.m. ET kickoff (MLS Season Pass on Apple TV, FS1, FOX Deportes)

Monday, Oct. 28
No. 3 FC Cincinnati vs. No. 6 New York City FC (TQL Stadium)
6:45 p.m. ET broadcast/6:55 p.m. ET kickoff (MLS Season Pass on Apple TV, FS1, TSN, RDS)

No. 4 Seattle Sounders FC vs. No. 5 Houston Dynamo FC (Lumen Field)
9 p.m. ET broadcast/9 p.m. ET kickoff (MLS Season Pass on Apple TV, FS1, TSN, RDS)

Tuesday, Oct. 29
No. 2 Columbus Crew vs. No. 7 New York Red Bulls (Lower.com Field)
6:45 p.m. ET broadcast/6:55 p.m. ET kickoff (MLS Season Pass on Apple TV, FS1, TSN, RDS)

No. 3 Real Salt Lake vs. No. 6 Minnesota United FC (America First Field)
9 p.m. ET broadcast/9 p.m. ET kickoff (MLS Season Pass on Apple TV, FS1, TSN, RDS)

Riding Wild Card Momentum into Potential Best-of-3 Upsets

Looking to follow in the footsteps of Sporting Kansas City’s run to the Western Conference Semifinals after winning their Wild Card match in 2023 are Atlanta United and Vancouver Whitecaps FC, who each secured victories over CF Montréal and the Portland Timbers, respectively, to advance to the Round One Best-of-3 Series.

Atlanta defeated Montréal in a penalty shootout, 5-4, to extend their road unbeaten streak to four games across all competitions and set up a reunion with former head coach and Sigi Schmid MLS Coach of the Year finalist Gerardo ‘Tata’ Martino, who is looking to replicate his 2018 MLS Cup presented by Audi success in Atlanta with Inter Miami CF. Atlanta has shown they can hold their own against the Lionel Messi-led side, though, with a win and a draw during the regular season against Miami.

Saba Time: In his MLS career, Atlanta United midfielder Saba Lobjanidze has either scored or assisted in each of the three games he has faced Miami and recorded a total of three goals and two assists over that stretch.

In the Western Conference, the Whitecaps have advanced to the second round of the postseason for just the second time in the club’s MLS history to face LAFC, who are looking to make a third consecutive run to MLS Cup presented by Audi. This will be a rematch of one of the Round One Best-of-3 Series matchups from 2023 that saw LAFC advance in two games, but the Whitecaps have started this postseason with a 5-0 trouncing of the Timbers led by a Ryan Gauld hat trick.

Gauld Standard: After becoming just the third player in MLS history to record at least three goals and an assist in a single postseason match, Gauld will look to build on his five-career regular season goal contributions against LAFC in this matchup.

MLS Postseason Debutant to Watch - Coaches & Players

Four of the five first-year MLS head coaches led their sides to the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs, and now three remain heading into the Round One Best-of-3 Series.

Dean Smith (Charlotte FC) – With the English head coach at the helm, Charlotte has scored the most goals (46) and conceded the fewest (37) in their brief three-year club history. Now, Smith will also have the honor of coaching Charlotte during their first-ever home playoff match in Game 2 against Orlando City SC.
Eric Ramsay (Minnesota United FC) – As the youngest head coach in MLS and the second-youngest to win a match in MLS history, Ramsay has risen to the occasion in his first season coaching at the highest level as Minnesota scored the most goals in a single regular season in club history (58) and enter the postseason having gone 6-2-1 in their last nine matches.
Sandro Schwarz (New York Red Bulls) – At the helm of one of three MLS original clubs yet to lift MLS Cup, the pressure is on for Schwarz to rebound from a turbulent second half of the 2024 MLS regular season and spark a postseason run.

The 2024 MLS Newcomer of the Year finalists will also be making their postseason debuts as they look to carry their stellar regular-season form into the race for MLS Cup presented by Audi.

Gabriel Pec (LA Galaxy) – The 23-year-old Brazilian forward led all first-year MLS players in goal contributions (31) and assists (15) during the 2024 regular season and will be a pivotal piece to the Galaxy’s attempt to return to MLS Cup for the first time since 2014.
Luca Orellano (FC Cincinnati) – Alongside compatriot and reigning Landon Donovan MLS MVP Luciano Acosta, Orellano’s been a dominant player in attack for Cincinnati, and he’ll have to maintain that level for Cincinnati to return to the Eastern Conference Final and beyond.
Luis Suárez (Inter Miami CF) – The Uruguayan icon led all first-year MLS players in goals (20) as Miami lifted a record-breaking Supporters’ Shield title, and his partnership with Lionel Messi will be the deciding factor to whether his side can do the double and win MLS Cup.

To assist in your coverage of the 2024 MLS season, the MLS Communications staff has provided the following media resources, all of which are available on MLSsoccer.com/Media-Resources.