With two games of the 2023 MLS Cup Playoffs round one best-of-three matches played, only one of the conference semifinal matchups has been decided.
Three ties have gone to a third game, which means there will be plenty at stake this weekend in deciders between Columbus and Atlanta, Houston and Real Salt Lake, Seattle and Dallas.
The latest group of games saw notable performances from Atlanta United’s recent award winners, and some important contributions from players helping their teams advance or keep their playoff hopes alive.
The Argentine MLS MVP-in-waiting played with the kind of quality MLS followers have come to expect, and a 20-year-old playmaker who helped his side through.
Here is the story of the latest round of playoff games via the performances of some of its standout players.
By James Nalton, MLS expert
Giorgos Giakoumakis 9.3 (Atlanta United)
Having been named 2023 MLS Newcomer of the Year days earlier, Atlanta’s Greek striker showed why he was deemed the best addition to the league this season with a goal and two assists against Columbus.
Atlanta’s 4-2 win at home in game two of this best-of-three sets up a decider in Ohio this weekend.
Atlanta also had 2023’s Young Player of the Year, Thiago Almada, back in the team having served a suspension in the first game, but it was Giakoumakis who helped make the difference in game two.
He powered a header in from Brooks Lennon’s cross to open the scoring, before spotting Xande Silva’s overlapping run for Atlanta’s second.
Giakoumakis then set up his side’s third, forming the middle part of a one-two with Edwin Mosquera, before Thiago Almada finished the job with a neat chip when through on goal.
Giakoumakis should have had an earlier assist, too, but Silva missed an open goal from close range.
Either way, and much to Silva’s relief, they got the job done eventually to take this series to a deciding game.
Jefferson Savarino 8.5 (Real Salt Lake)
Real Salt Lake took their series with Houston Dynamo to a deciding game three thanks to Savarino’s second-half free kick.
The Venezuelan No. 10 managed to beat Houston goalkeeper Steve Clark from 30 yards out, steering his shot past a crowded wall into the corner.
It has been one of the more absorbing, even matchups in the first round of the playoffs, and this was reflected in the fact the teams couldn’t be separated after 90 minutes of game two, which went to penalties.
Another of the eye-catching players in this series has been RSL attacker Diego Luna, and it was he who scored the penalty to give them the win and send this tie to a decider.
Jack McGlynn 8.4 (Philadelphia Union)
Philadelphia Union’s 1-0 win in New England sets up the first confirmed conference semi-final matchup, in which they will face Supporters’ Shield winner FC Cincinnati.
Having won the home game 3-1, the Union did just enough in Foxboro to advance.
McGlynn has become one of the standout playmakers in MLS whether operating from deeper areas or further upfield.
The 20-year-old mostly plays on the left of the Union’s diamond midfield, where he can do a bit of both of those things.
He threatened the New England goal with crossing, a shot from a free kick, five chances created and the assist for the only goal of the game for substitute Chris Donovan.
It was a free kick curled low into the area that was impossible to defend, and all Donovan had to do was get a touch.
Cincinnati, having got past the most difficult of the wildcard opponents in New York Red Bulls, will now have to get past a similarly stubborn but more talented side in the shape of Philadelphia, if it is to follow up its Supporters’ Shield win with an MLS Cup.
Luciano Acosta 8.4 (FC Cincinnati)
In the end, Cincinnati made fairly easy work of that potentially tricky tie with New York Red Bulls, although the game in New Jersey went all the way to penalties.
They could have lost the shootout, too, having to play a third game, had John Tolkin dispatched his penalty for the Red Bulls after Santiago Arias’s earlier miss.
But Tolkin’s miss plus a couple of subsequent misses from the home side, including a matchwinning save from goalkeeper Roman Celentano, meant Cincinnati progressed with a game to spare.
Acosta was his usual self, showing why he is, or should be, a shoo-in for the league’s MVP award in 2023.
Despite having no shots, he made five successful dribbles and created six chances in total, including the assist for the equalising goal for Aaron Boupendza.
If the pair can continue this linkup in the upcoming single-elimination knockout games, all of which will be played in Cincinnati thanks to their table-topping regular season, they will take some stopping in the MLS Cup.
Logan Ndenbe 8.2 (Sporting Kansas City)
The burgeoning rivalry between Sporting Kansas City and 2023 expansion team and Western Conference leaders St. Louis continued in to the playoffs.
While St. Louis can claim the regular season glory, Sporting KC came out on top on this occasion, winning the second game of the best-of-three 2-1, having won 4-1 in St. Louis in the opener.
Belgian left-back Ndenbe was causing trouble for St. Louis throughout the first half and rounded it off with a goal.
Having burst forward down the left earlier in the move, he saw space open up inside and moved into it to receive a pass from Alan Pulido.
He curled the ball right-footed into the far corner from just outside the area to give Sporting KC the lead.
Daniel Salloi sealed the win in the second half to send Kansas City through.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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