MLS Cup Playoff Takeaways: Conference Semifinals

Photo by Aldo Canale

After two whole weeks of a whole lot of nothing, MLS decided to start their playoffs up again!

What a concept.

So let’s just jump right into the games.

Columbus defeats Orlando 2-0

Orlando plays a very aggressive style of soccer.

Usually, it works for them.

But when Rodrigo Schlegel gets a red card in the 77th minute of a tied game, and Orlando has to now old on against a very good Columbus team for around 40 minutes due to extra time, it’s not really going to work out.

Columbus took advantage of it, clinching the win and also clinching an MLS Cup Final in Ohio.

So that’s neat.

Cincinnati defeats Philadelphia 1-0

I have a lot of opinions about referees.

Usually in football, it’s to let things count if the play was cool.

In basketball, it’s to stop nit picking every single thing so the game can just end.

So when Yerson Mosquera scored in the 94th minute sending TQL stadium into a frenzy after an extremely boring game despite being offside, and the referees decided to just ignore it, I got the best of both worlds!

Is that the right way to decide a playoff game? No.

But play more fun soccer and maybe I’ll be more upset about it.

Houston defeats Sporting Kansas City 1-0

Ben Olsen has done such an incredible job in Houston year 1, and this was the perfect example of it.

Get a goal, keep a strong shape, and limit quality chances.

It worked to perfection, and Houston went from dumpster diving to one game away from MLS Cup Final.

Pat Noonan from Cincy won coach of the year, but if you ask me it should have been Ben Olsen running away.

LAFC defeats Seattle 1-0

Match winners. Match winners. Match winners.

That was a huge reason of why Seattle was so successful in years past. They had Nico Lodeiro and Raul Ruidiaz who could win a game single handily.

And then the goals just…stopped.

Seattle spent all year playing great soccer, dominating games, but not finding goals.

So it was not at all surprising that they died how they lived, outshooting LAFC 8-2 with shots on target and outperforming them by 1 full expected goal.

They just couldn’t score.

You know who could?

Denis Bouanga, the MLS Golden Boot winner.

I’ve said it many, many times before.

In the MLS playoffs, you need match winners.

LAFC has one. Seattle doesn’t.

Period.