The Pitch: The Audi 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs Start this Week

Following an action-packed Decision Day that saw 52 goals scored across 14 matches, the field for the Audi 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs is set and the chase for MLS Cup presented by Audi is on.

The Eastern Conference Wild Card match will kick off the postseason on Tuesday, October 22 (7:30 p.m. ET) at Stade Saputo between No. 8 CF Montréal and No. 9 Atlanta United followed by the Western Conference Wild Card match between No. 8 Vancouver Whitecaps FC and No. 9 Portland Timbers on Wednesday, October 23 (10:30 p.m. ET) at Providence Park. Both matches will be broadcast live for free exclusively on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.

Supporters’ Shield winner Inter Miami CF will host the Eastern Conference Wild Card match winner to kick off Round One Best-of-3 Series play in a standalone game on Friday, October 25 (8:30 p.m. ET) airing for free on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV. The match will also be broadcast live in Times Square in the heart of New York City, displayed on SILVERCAST Media’s high-definition Mega-Zilla, with a 78-foot by 330-foot digital TV display spanning an entire city block.

In addition to the Wild Card matches, every Game 1 in the Round Best-of-3 Series will air on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV for free.

The full schedule for the Audi 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs, including the Round One Best-of-3 Series matches, can be found **here**.

Reinvigorated Montréal Finding Their Stride

CF Montréal head coach Laurent Courtois built his coaching pedigree with two consecutive MLS NEXT Pro Cup appearances with Columbus Crew 2 (2022-23), and now, as the first head coach to qualify for both the MLS NEXT Pro Playoffs and the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs, will have his shot at MLS Cup presented by Audi.

With five wins in their final seven matches of the regular season, Montréal have been on a tear entering the postseason. Josef Martínez has been reinvigorated with six goals during that stretch and will now look to oust his former club to begin the playoffs. Budding 21-year-old star Caden Clark is proving to be a difference maker alongside Martínez after producing four goals and four assists in those seven games.

With a top-five defense in the Eastern Conference and home teams historically winning 60 percent of playoff games, Courtois and Montréal are set to be a formidable opponent in the Wild Card match and potentially the Round One Best-of-3 Series against Inter Miami CF.

Atlanta Turnaround Catching Steam

After narrowly clawing into the playoff picture with a road win over Orlando City SC on Decision Day and additional support, Atlanta United is riding high into their Wild Card match against CF Montréal.

Saba Lobjanidze, who scored the opening goal of the match and leads the team with 16 goal contributions on the season, was ecstatic about the team qualifying for the postseason and extra motivated to extend his side’s current win streak to three games at Stade Saputo on Tuesday.

It’s an unfamiliar scenario for Atlanta to go into the postseason as an underdog given their early success since their inaugural 2017 season, but it is one they have already risen to with their win on Decision Day and will hope to replicate against CF Montréal.

Evander Makes Postseason Debut with Portland

After a remarkable second season in MLS, Portland Timbers midfielder Evander has carried the Timbers into the postseason with a career-best 14 goals and 19 assists, but the Landon Donovan MLS MVP nominee will face a whole new beast for the first time in the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs.

While he’s put together an incredible run during the regular season alongside Jonathan Rodríguez (16 goals, seven assists) and Felipe Mora (14 goals, six assists), the postseason is where the cream rises to the top, setting the stage for true elites of MLS to make their names in this league.

At the beginning of the season, first-year Timbers head coach Phil Neville dubbed Evander the best No. 10 in the league, and there is no better way to back his coach’s confidence than by continuing his MVP-caliber, regular-season form in the postseason.

Bucking the Trend in Vancouver

Despite coming into Wednesday’s Wild Card match against the Timbers as the higher seed, the Vancouver Whitecaps FC have only advanced beyond their first postseason match once in their MLS history and have historically struggled at Providence Park (8-12-5).

The Whitecaps are led by an ever-reliable duo in Ryan Gauld and Brian White, who each had career-years during the club’s race to the postseason. Gauld and White have also risen to the occasion against their Cascadia Cup rival, with the pair producing nine goals and three assists against the Timbers since 2021.

Now it’s time for the record-setting duo to take over in the postseason and buck the Whitecaps’ trend of first-round exits with another dominant performance against the Timbers on Wednesday.

Fan voting for the AT&T MLS Goal of the Year and MLS Save of the Year is open from October 21 through October 28.

The AT&T MLS Goal of the Year has 20 nominees for this season from 16 different clubs, with the Columbus Crew, Inter Miami CF, Real Salt Lake, and Toronto FC each having two goals among the nominees for this season. Fans can vote for their AT&T MLS Goal of the Year here.

There are 20 nominees for MLS Save of the Year, with the Philadelphia Union's Andre Blake and Andrew Rick being the only pair of teammates to earn a nomination for the award. Ausitn FC's Brad Stuver was the only player to receive two nominations this season. Fans can vote for their MLS Save of the Year here.

Players to Watch In Upcoming MLS NEXT Pro Conference Semifinals

The 2024 MLS NEXT Pro Conference Semifinals take place this weekend, the matchups for which will be determined by another round of the Pick-Your-Opponent format. The selection show, hosted by MLS Season Pass talent Max Bretos, will take place on Tuesday, October 22 at 3 p.m. ET and will air live on MLSNEXTPro.com, X and Instagram.

As the highest seed remaining in the East, No. 2 Philadelphia Union II will select its opponent from No. 7 Columbus Crew 2 or No. 8 Crown Legacy FC; No. 4 Chicago Fire II will host the remaining team. Crown Legacy FC and Columbus Crew 2 advanced to the semifinals after a pair of upset wins on the road against No. 1 FC Cincinnati 2 and No. 3 Inter Miami II, respectively.

In the West, the top four seeds secured victories and advanced to the Western Conference Semifinals. No. 1 overall seed North Texas SC and No. 2 St Louis CITY2 will host their semifinal matches, with North Texas selecting its opponent from No. 3 The Town FC or No. 4 Tacoma Defiance. St Louis CITY2 will host the remaining team.

The complete Conference Semifinals schedule will be announced following Tuesday’s selection show.

Below are some of the top players to watch for in the Semifinals this weekend:

Diego Garcia (North Texas SC) – The 18-year-old has been a key contributor for North Texas this season, notching 10 goal contributions (seven goals and three assists) in 2024. Garcia scored a crucial goal in North Texas’ Quarterfinal matchup against Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2, helping the No. 1 seed achieve a 3-2 victory.
Mykhi Joyner (St Louis CITY2) – Joyner has had a breakout season, finishing as runner-up in the Golden Boot race with 16 goals and four assists. The 18-year-old’s first goal of the 2024 postseason was a stoppage-time, game-winning goal against LAFC2 in the Quarterfinal round, helping the No. 2 St Louis CITY2 advance to the semifinal round.
Neil Pierre (Philadelphia Union II) – One of the top defensive prospects in MLS NEXT Pro, Pierre has been a defensive talisman for Union II in 2024, starting 20 of his 22 appearances and logging 1828 minutes and added another milestone moment to his young career with game-winning assist against New York City FC II in their Conference Quarterfinal match.
David Poreba (Chicago Fire FC II) – The 21-year-old continued his incredible 2024 season, adding another goal to his Golden Boot-winning tally (18 goals) in the Quarterfinal round. Poreba scored Chicago’s equalizer against Orlando City B to make it 1-1 before Chicago advanced to the Conference Semifinals with a penalty shootout victory.

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.