Photo: Paul Rudderow
Philadelphia Union
The Union’s season (and others) in memoriam.
MLS
The away team trend continued in the conference semifinals with Toronto knocking out Atlanta United at home 2-1 thanks to a Nick DeLeon golazo.
WHAT A GOAL, NICK DELEON!! 😱🚀
It’s 2-1 Toronto! #MLSCupPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/KLSH3veyk3
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) October 31, 2019
For the third time in four years, it will be Toronto versus Seattle for MLS Cup. Just a new venue this time.
Toronto showed the league how to win any way you can.
U.S. Soccer
Vlatko’s USWNT won’t be as tactically rigid as Gregg Berhalter’s men’s team (thank heavens).
i guess i should applaud the current “anyone can win” model of MLS. just not excited for another rematch between these two teams. it’s diminishing returns as far as a neutral: no Gio, no Clint. a ton of talent though. the Toronto goals last night made me audibly gasp.
audible gasp because of how good they were or because of how bad the defending was?
from distance, with conviction, and skill. Toronto may have found other ways to win, but those were killer.
I love this final.Don Garber hasn’t cried this hard since he found out he had to have two franchises in Ohio.
FC Cincinnati attendance outperforms most.
And that is why he thought he could Chuck Columbus to the curb.
Let’s go Seattle! Should be a fun final. Thank you Toronto, for taking out NYC and ATL. They deserve to be here.
I think the main objection I have to the MLS playoff system is that the winners in each conference get a champ’s trophy. I think those conference trophies should go to the #1 team in each conference on decision day. It’s kind of ridiculous that a whole season is played and a 4th place team in the east wins the conference trophy for winning three games. Winning three games in a cup competition shouldn’t earn you a trophy. I think everything else is fine. The single elimination is certainly fun from an entertainment position. Having a million teams in the playoffs is fine, too, if it is the case that they can’t claim the conference title as a result. That’s my cranky rant for a rain-soaked Halloween.
good point here. i agree.
If Seattle wins I won’t feel as bad about the Union not making Champions League since they would have needed to win both of their last 2 games compared with just needing a draw in 1 of the last 2.
Ditto.
Atlanta got what they deserved. What I mean is… they played average against NE. They played average against the Union. NE wasn’t good enough, and in my opinion, the Union just didn’t take advantage. No way you can do that a third time and get away with it. DeLeon’s goal was awesome… but good lord, the Atlanta backline just stood and watched. I don’t care who wins MLS Cup. Maybe… Go Toronto? Just because I don’t want to hear the insufferable Seattle fans telling us they are the cradle of soccer and the game in America was invented there – so the Cup is “righfully” theirs.
The Atlanta backline’s reaction to DeLeon on the leadup to his goal is embarrassing. I think one of the four or five players is actually moving quicker than a stroll. They gave him all the time in the world to tee that up.
DeLeon saw that two Atlanta players were screening Guzan. And neither was stepping towards the ball. He picked a perfect shot between Atlanta’s defendersand I think two of Toronto’s players. It was like a free kick wall and he made the most of it!
a lot of truth to this.
I think the union were spent after the Red Bull’s game. 3 days to recover, then travel and play against a team with an extra days rest was the difference.
That Columbus game did us in. Had they won that I believe they would have hosted Atlanta. I could be wrong though. Just don’t get why they couldn’t play the playoffs during the weekend…. from a viewing and revenue standpoint it makes sense. How many fans in both cities either didn’t watch or attend because it was on a week night?