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How Decision Day’s best moments impacted the playoff field: MLS Weekly

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Welcome to the final edition of our regular-season staff column collecting news, insights, and highlights from around Major League Soccer. 

It was exactly the type of do-or-die scenario MLS hoped for when it revamped its playoff system.

As the final seconds melted away in front of 66,000 people in Charlotte and 400 miles away in Nashville, a goal either way could have flipped the playoff picture. Charlotte was protecting a 1-0 lead against Lionel Messi and Inter Miami and sat in the play-in game. Anything less than a win, and Charlotte’s season was over. The New York Red Bulls, tied 0-0 at Nashville, needed a goal to keep an historic playoff streak alive.

Both games served up big moments in those dying seconds that changed the face of the Eastern Conference playoffs.

In Charlotte, an outstretched arm and quick reactions from goalkeeper Kristijan Kahlina extended the home side’s season. In Nashville, the big moment came from the penalty spot.

The Red Bulls entered Decision Day outside of the playoff places and could have gone down at several points against a solid Nashville side that was already assured of its postseason spot. In second-half stoppage time, Red Bull attacker Luquinhas’ mazy dribble ventured into the box and drew a penalty off contact from Nashville’s Anibal Godoy. The resulting spot kick, to be taken in stoppage time, would either extend their playoff qualification streak to a record 14th season or snap it in heartbreaking fashion.

Most teams would turn to a grizzled veteran in these moments. For a team whose whole ideology has been around their commitment to player development in recent years, however, it was fitting to entrust homegrown left back John Tolkin with the make-or-break kick. He sent Joe Willis the wrong way, burying a left-footed spot kick into the right corner before peeling off into a jubilated celebration.

“He’s been someone that’s really been influential in my coaching journey, both as an assistant coach and a head coach,” Troy Lesesne said of the 21-year-old U.S. international. “He has a big voice in our team. Omir (Fernandez is) our penalty taker, but Omir obviously was out of the game and then JMi’s the next guy that’s in line for that because he’s calm, he’s cool, and he wants those big moments.”

In Charlotte, the big moment was a goal saves, as Kahlina sprung to his left to get his fingertips to a Leo Campana header that seemed destined for the far post. It was an incredible reaction save, and it made the difference between going home and moving on.

“I said in the dressing room to some guys, all the season, all the training I had this season, it goes to this last save,” Kahlina said.

No team dropped more points from winning positions this season than Charlotte FC. It was a stat that Charlotte coach Christian Lattanzio knew all too well. But in those final seconds, he said he was “strangely calm.”

“Normally these moments should take away years of your life,” Lattanzio said, with a smile. “I was strangely calm because it will be what it will be. The way it has to go, it will go.”

Charlotte had moved on — essentially by a fingernail.

It was the type of drama MLS hoped for as it introduced its expanded format. Now, the teams who scraped into the play-in games have to prove they actually belong in the playoffs.

– Paul Tenorio and Jeff Rueter

Almada suspended

Atlanta United reloaded over the summer with the objective of balancing the roster and filling key spots on the pitch. However, the team remains heavily reliant on the creativity and production of attacking midfielder Thiago Almada.

As such, Almada earning a second yellow card against Cincinnati on Decision Day will reverberate in the playoffs proper – that red card comes with a one-match suspension, which will be served in Atlanta’s playoff opener against Columbus.

His absence will be massive. Almada is a skilled creator and a legitimate MVP candidate who finished with a league-leading 19 assists (according to MLS, which counts primary and secondary assists together). Everything goes through Almada and there isn’t another player like him that manager Gonzalo Pineda can turn to.

Atlanta will be hoping that striker Giorgos Giakoumakis, who suffered an injury scare on Saturday, will still be good to go by then. If not, an already tough situation will be made significantly worse.

— Felipe Cardenas

Sporting sneaks in

There wasn’t quite as much last-minute drama in the Western Conference slate as there was out East, but that didn’t prevent Sporting KC from engaging in a time-honored tradition of simultaneous kickoffs: screen-watching in the moments after the final whistle.

When the Children’s Mercy Park jumbotron showed that San Jose and Austin had finished their 1-1 draw, the SKC team and remaining fans burst out in celebration, and rightfully so. After starting the season with a 10-match winless run and spending the vast majority of 2023 out of playoff position, that result confirmed that Sporting KC will now host a postseason game on Wednesday as it welcomes San Jose for a play-in game.

“Obviously things didn’t start off very well. But for those of you who stuck with us, this is what you get,” said a defiant Peter Vermes to fans from the center circle, a theme he returned to in the supporters’ club after the game, where he raised a beer “to all the doubters, wasting their time early in the season.”

Sporting winning the play-in would bring a matchup with regional rival St. Louis City, which outscored SKC 9-3 over three games in its expansion season. Kansas City finishes the year eighth in the East and 15th in the Supporters’ Shield standings.

“For the naysayers, and the doubters, no problem. Keep doing it,” Vermes told the media after the game. “We’ll keep fighting and clawing and making our way.”

– Alexander Abnos

Acosta uses his head, Boupendza misses out

At 5-foot-3, you wouldn’t expect much aerial prowess from Cincinnati’s MVP candidate Luciano Acosta. However, the 29-year-old Argentine’s most famous goal in MLS was a header, and he added another one to his list on Saturday with Cincy’s second goal of the night.

“The size is clearly not something that holds that player back,” said FCC head coach Pat Noonan. “When you see how he’s able to play the game and use his body in an intelligent way to gain advantages. And while it’s not something we typically see in the form of how he scores goals, it was a well-executed cross and good timing from him.”

Noonan also addressed DP striker Aaron Boupendza’s absence from the matchday squad, which the club said in a statement was a disciplinary measure after he arrived late from international duty with Gabon. After the match, Noonan was asked if the situation with Boupendza had been “put to bed.”

“No, it hasn’t been put to bed but you saw the statement,” said Noonan. “He was held out for disciplinary reasons and not reporting back on time. And we’ll have discussions internally and in the next 24 hours, as far as moving forward.”

Boupendza was signed over the summer from Al-Shabab FC of the Saudi Professional League. He has scored five goals in 10 appearances for Cincinnati.

— Felipe Cardenas

The Nancy Bowl

Wilfried Nancy’s exit from CF Montreal was messy, with his decision to leave the club stemming from a summer argument with owner Joey Saputo. He finished the season out but made up his mind he wasn’t coming back.

One year later, Columbus is soaring into the playoffs and Montreal fell just short, thanks to the Crew beating the Canadian club 2-1 on Decision Day. A nice, poetic end to a dream regular season for Nancy and the Crew.

“It’s a really good moment,” Nancy told the media after the game. “A really good moment because they achieved the challenge that we gave them. Yes, to finish third, but also to grow.”

Columbus has been among the most fun teams in MLS this year (more on that later), just as Nancy made Montreal one of the league’s most fun teams last season, which made him a finalist for MLS coach of the year in 2022.

Nancy and Columbus beat Montreal in both meetings this season. They finished third in the East and scored the most goals in MLS in the process.

The Crew would have been motivated to finish the year strong no matter who the opponent, but to beat and eliminate Montreal must have felt extra sweet for Nancy and his staff.

— Tom Bogert

A team for the neutrals (East): Columbus Crew

The Columbus Crew has it all to pull neutrals in during their playoff run.

Columbus is led by star attackers in Cucho Hernandez and Diego Rossi, and the aforementioned Wilfried Nancy is eminently likable. The attacking trio of Cucho, Rossi and Christian Ramirez is complementary and excellent.

Cucho had 16 goals and 11 assists this season, and is first in MLS in non-penalty expected goals plus expected assists. Everything he does is driving the game forward at all times. His relentless attacking mentality is the microcosm of this group, which spent a far greater portion of this season in the lead than any other team — including their interstate rival.

Visual by Jeff Rueter

The Crew led the league in goals (67) and expected goals (59). They try to play beautiful soccer… even when it would sometimes be more beneficial to be pragmatic. They’re second in MLS in passes completed but also in the top third for possession won in the final third — Columbus builds with attacking purpose then immediately presses to win the ball back high up the field.

Columbus won’t be the favorite in the East, but certainly has all the tools to get to MLS Cup and get there in style.

— Tom Bogert

With Toronto’s bottom-dwelling fate having long been sealed and CF Montréal falling out of the postseason after John Tolkin’s stoppage-time penalty kick, the Vancouver Whitecaps bear the mantle of being Canada’s only representative in the MLS Cup Playoffs. It’s far from a fluke, as they boast one of the league’s top playmakers (Ryan Gauld), as well as arguably its best striker in 2023 (Brian White). They’re far from being a two-man show, however, as evidenced by this beauty they notched on Decision Day against Los Angeles FC.

This is champagne soccer stuff without either of the team’s top attackers even logging a single touch in the build-up. Vanni Sartini’s side can pull these sequences off regardless of their opponent, with plenty of players who feast off of vibes and run into space. Only Cincinnati averaged a higher xG per shot than Vancouver’s 0.12 rate, aided by the league’s third-highest rate of direct attacks per game (3.0), allowing them to catch opponents in subpar defensive shape.

The West is wide-open this year with a handful of teams that are easy to pull for from a neutral perspective. Slated to line up against Los Angeles FC, the Whitecaps have a chance to, at minimum, notch the second postseason win in the team’s MLS history.

— Jeff Rueter

Can the reigning US Open Cup champions really be a dark horse team in the playoffs? I think they can (and are).

The Dynamo finished fourth in the Western Conference after a 3-1 win on the road over the Portland Timbers, meaning they’ll likely have to go on the road in the conference semifinals and conference final if they advance. While their away record isn’t good, they’ve won two of their last three on the road, including the Open Cup final.

The Open Cup run showed their knockout play bonafides. It was a dominant run from the round of 16 through the final with multi-goal wins at each stage.

Houston’s central midfield trio may be the best in the league with Hector Herrera, Coco Carrasquilla and Artur controlling games and creating goals. Their attack is peaking after a slow start and generally playing their best ball of the season.

Why not Houston?

— Tom Bogert

While most of the world fixated on South Florida, the best team in MLS was doing its thing 240 miles further north. Despite almost all of the sporting department being in the final months of their contracts and having sold high-earner Ercan Kara to Samsunspor this summer, Orlando absolutely stormed through the season’s final quarter. They collected 19 points from their final eight games, capping that stretch off with a 2-0 win in Toronto. Kara’s sale was made easier by rookie Duncan McGuire’s breakout, with the Creighton product scoring both goals against Toronto to bring his season total to 13.

Óscar Pareja’s side feasts in transition, keeps its defensive shape and benefits from a balanced attack. Even as MLS defenses have wisened up to Facundo Torres’ quality and verve going forward, he’s capably supported by McGuire in terms of scoring and Mauricio Pereyra’s playmaking. It allowed them to pull away from Columbus, Philadelphia and New England to finish second in the East. They’ll face Nashville in the first round, having beaten the Tennessean side 1-0 at Geodis Park earlier in October.

— Jeff Rueter

Who else is in form?

Most in-form player: Denis Bouanga


Bouanga will be key for LAFC in the playoffs (Christopher Morris – Corbis/Getty Images)

Of the teams expected to compete seriously for the MLS Cup, LAFC, the defending champions, are among the most volatile. 

In the two games leading up to Decision Day’s 1-1 draw with the Vancouver Whitecaps, Steve Cherundolo’s side had scored nine goals. Before that, they had failed to score in four matches. LAFC are as capable of blowing a team away as they are looking entirely toothless and devoid of ideas in attack.

Imagine how they’d have struggled if not Denis Bouanga, who wrapped up the MLS Golden Boot on Saturday. 

The Gabon international has been on fire in his first full season in MLS, making up for lost time last campaign, where fans of the Black and Gold were treated to inconsistent glimpses of his quality. Owing to the decline in attacking output from fading star Carlos Vela and the departure of last year’s top scorer, Chicho Arango, Bouanga has developed into one of the league’s most ruthless goalscorers, playing primarily on the left side of Cherundolo’s preferred three-man attack.

Bouanga has arguably looked more devastating and confident in recent weeks than he has done all season. Since September 15, the former Saint-Etienne forward has registered nine goal contributions, the highest total of any player in MLS within that period. The standout performance came at the beginning of the month when Bouanga netted a first-half hat-trick against Minnesota United, the first player in club history to accomplish that feat. He followed that performance up with a brace against Austin FC three days later and then again with LAFC’s only goal on Saturday.

He’s the league’s form player, the club’s X-factor and the biggest threat to the Whitecaps when they meet LAFC again in the first round of the playoffs.

– Elias Burke

One good read

Saturday marked the end of Michael Bradley’s playing career. Paul Tenorio offered an assessment of Bradley’s time in MLS, with the USMNT, plying his trade abroad, and why it somehow drew so much vitriol from so many. Read it here.

One weird thing

George Brett is a World Series champion and 13-time MLB All-Star – a career-long Kansas City Royal that has been around for all of the city’s biggest sporting moments.

But Decision Day? Well…Decision Day got to him.

(Top photos: Christopher Hanewinckel & Denny Medley / USA Today Sports)





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