The first round of games in the MLS Cup Playoffs have now all been played, and a number of teams have already emerged as contenders for the big post-season prize.
The first round of the playoffs this year consists of a best-of-three series with a game played at the home of each team, then a third at the home of the highest-seeded team if necessary.
It gives a different feel compared to recent MLS Playoffs, but with each of the game one matchups now played, there is plenty at stake in the upcoming second games.
Our Player Power rankings series continues into the playoffs with a look at some of the standout players and their teams’ performances in the game one, first round matchups.
By James Nalton, MLS expert
Cucho Hernández 9.2 (Columbus Crew)
Columbus Crew brought its possession-based attacking football to the playoffs, and unlike in the regular season, it also brought a sense of defensive solidity. At least in this first game.
The Crew conceded 46 goals in its 34 regular season games but topped the league for goals scored with 67.
Wilfried Nancy’s team had 58% possession in the first half of this game against Atlanta United, a half in which it also limited Atlanta to zero shots.
The team from Ohio nabbed a deserved goal before half-time through star striker Cucho Hernández.
Cucho was arguably the best striker in MLS during the regular season.
This game saw his Columbus side face another player who might be considered in that bracket — Atlanta’s Giorgos Giakoumakis — but the Greek striker barely touched the ball.
Cucho did though, plenty, and opened the scoring with a finish to justify his place as the striker in any MLS best XI.
Having found himself one-on-one with Atlanta defender Ronald Hernández, a burst of speed took him into space, and a powerful left-footed shot high to the near post was more than enough to beat Brad Guzan.
Cucho then stepped up to take the penalty when Ronald Hernández fouled Alexandru Matan, and made no mistake for the spot to make it 2-0.
These were very encouraging signs for Columbus, while Atlanta themselves will be encouraged by the return from suspension of Thiago Almada for the second game in Georgia.
Denis Bouanga 9.2 (Los Angeles FC)
Denis Bouanga had scored six goals in the final three games to end the regular season and has picked up where he left off in this 5-2 win against Vancouver Whitecaps.
It is a potentially tricky tie for last season’s champions against Canada’s standout team in 2023, but one they eventually navigated with relative ease in this first game.
Bouanga zoomed in from the left wing to score his first, bursting into a goal-scoring position and finding the far corner.
Vancouver brought the game back to 2-2 at halftime, but goals from the impressive Ryan Hollingshead, who also bagged a brace, and another from Bouanga, fired in low from outside the area at a set piece routine, put LAFC back in control.
A goal from Jesús Murillo with ten minutes to go sealed the win, meaning LAFC are through if they win in Vancouver on Sunday, where there will likely be a record crowd at BC Place.
Álvaro Barreal 9.0 (FC Cincinnati)
The Supporters’ Shield winner kicked off its playoff campaign with an impressive 3-0 win against the midweek wildcard winners New York Red Bulls.
In Lucho Acosta, Cincinnati boasts the player likely to be named the MLS MVP, but it was another Argentine who took the headlines in this game.
From his position as a left wing-back, Barreal has been able to get forward regularly in this Cincinnati side.
This has mostly been for creative purposes, but he occasionally finds himself in central, scoring positions, as was the case in this playoff opener against the Red Bulls.
He latched onto a great ball from Júnior Moreno to open the scoring, finishing low into the far corner from the left, and then produced something similar for his second, taking a great first touch from Acosta’s cross before volleying home with his second touch.
A left-back finishing like a seasoned striker, and if we are talking about MLS best XIs, Barreal would be in at left-back.
Cincinnati won 3-0, and there are no prizes for guessing who scored the other goal.
Acosta lofted a shot into the middle of the goal from just inside the opposition half after Red Bulls goalkeeper Carlos Coronel had failed to sweep up outside his area.
Business as usual for Barreal, Acosta, and the best team in MLS.
Dániel Sallói 8.5 (Sporting Kasas City)
It was an all-round team display from Sporting KC in its 4-1 win against expansion side and Western Conference regular season leader St. Louis in this series opener.
Outstanding goals from Logan Ndenbe, Rémi Walter, and Gadi Kinda put Sporting KC well on their way.
Then Sallói stole in at the back post, getting on the end of Alan Pulido’s near-post flick-on from a corner to make it four.
Any of these names could have been picked as the standout player, but Salloi gave hints that he is returning to the kind of form that saw him score 16 goals in MLS in 2021.
The Hungarian managed five shots on the night and could have had more than one goal, finishing the game with an impressive xG-on-target score of 1.79.
Héctor Herrera 8.4 (Houston Dynamo)
One of the more closely contested of these early playoffs matchups ended in a 2-1 win for Houston Dynamo against Real Salt Lake.
It was a game in which Houston’s designated player Héctor Herrera once again showed his leadership and quality.
Herrera completed 121 of 129 attempted passes and had a total of 156 touches in the game, demonstrating that pretty much everything this Houston team does goes through its Mexican talisman.
He opened the scoring, too, with a cool finish from the edge of the area, steering the ball into the bottom corner from Adalberto Carrasquilla’s knockdown.
Brazilian midfielder Artur, as well as Herrera, is part of the platform for anything this team does well.
Add Carasquilla to the mix and they have what is potentially one of the best midfields in MLS on its day.
It’s one that has already helped them triumph in one knockout competition this season as the club claimed the US Open Cup, defeating Inter Miami in the final.
That cup competition experience will convince these players they can do the same in the MLS Cup, and they’ve gotten off to a good start.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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