The Vancouver Whitecaps They beat this Sunday 3-0 Los Angeles FC (LAFC) and forced the third game in this series of the first round of the ‘playoff’ of the MLS. In this best-of-three tie, LAFC struck first (2-1) but Vancouver reacted this Sunday (3-0), so with 1-1 the series will be decided next Friday in a match to be played in Los Angeles (USA). Ryan Gauld and two own goals from Ryan Hollingshead and the Colombian Eddie Segura gave the Canadians the victory.
MLS Cup champion in 2022 and runner-up in 2023, LAFC finished the regular season this year in first position in the West while the Vancouver Whitecaps finished eighth after going through the wild card, where they destroyed the Portland Timbers by 5- 0. The winner of this tie will face the Seattle Sounders (fourth) in the Western semifinals, who defeated the Houston Dynamo (fifth) 2-0 in their series.
On the other side of the table from the same conference, the LA Galaxy (second) also quickly got rid of the 2-0 of the Colorado Rapids (seventh) and will face Minnesota United (sixth), who won also two games in a row to eliminate Real Salt Lake (third) 2-0.
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In the East there is only one team with a ticket to the conference semifinals: the surprising New York Red Bulls (seventh), who sent Juan Camilo ‘Cucho’ Hernández’s Columbus Crew (second) on vacation 2-0, the current champion of the MLS Cup and the Leagues Cup. In addition, Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami (first) will have to play a third game against Atlanta United (eighth) as their series is tied 1-1. The same situation with 1-1 faces Orlando City (fourth) and Charlotte (fifth) and, on the other hand, Cincinnati (third) and New York City (sixth).