MLS Playoff Spots Heat Up: Eastern & Western Conferences

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00:00LA Galaxy, LAFC, Marcelino, this is going to be great.

00:06I'm excited.

00:07I'm actually traveling to Utah in a little bit.

00:09I'm calling Rialto Lake against Vancouver.

00:11The Whitecaps actually have a chance of clearing that wildcard spot and not having to face

00:16Portland in a one-game playoff game.

00:19They would have to face LAFC or Galaxy directly, so I think they would not be able to escape

00:25that.

00:26And I think the coaching staff and players are conscious of that.

00:29Maybe they get one more game.

00:30That's right.

00:31Exactly.

00:32And Portland's looking good at Vander and everything.

00:34But how about starting with the Eastern Conference now?

00:36The Eastern Conference is shaping up.

00:38It's the only conference that still has some playoff spots up to this season.

00:43We have DC United with CF Montiel.

00:45They both sit in eighth and ninth place with 40 points each.

00:48Philadelphia and Atlanta are just behind with 37, pounding.

00:52So it's really anyone's game.

00:53These series of games are going to be really, really important to see which are the two

00:57teams that make it to the playoffs.

00:59You mentioned DC United and Montiel.

01:01These are two teams that I'm very surprised to see in this position.

01:05Just because DC United got to cover some of their games last year with Wayne Rooney, they

01:09end up leaving the team midseason.

01:11Now they have Christian Benteke, who's obviously the leading scorer for the Golden Boot.

01:17So I think he's going to get it.

01:19So that's going to be a big game for him.

01:20And Montiel was a mess last year after Wilfred Nancy moved on and went to Columbus.

01:25They were just in complete disarray.

01:26I'm glad to see both of them fighting for a playoff spot.

01:29And that tells you how tied the race every year is for a playoff spot in MLS.

01:37Western Conference.

01:38LAFC and Galaxy, the Black and Gold Steel, have a shot.

01:41Although it seems that it's Galaxy's leadership spot to lose at this point.

01:46Correct.

01:47I think there's a lot of combinations that need to happen.

01:49LAFC will just reach Galaxy on points, but then the tiebreakers will come.

01:53I think either way, LAFC has great momentum and Galaxy has been spotty.

01:58They haven't drawn a game since May.

02:01So it's been, you know, all or nothing for Galaxy.

02:03Either they win or lose, hopefully they drop some points.

02:06LAFC gives a miracle and we get to have the Western Final Conference at the formerly bank.

02:12All righty, so before leaving MLS, it's time to go back to the Eastern Conference, at least

02:17for a little bit, because we need to recognize what could happen if Inter-Miami get a victory

02:22this weekend.

02:23It's historical what is about to happen in Miami.

02:25They already clinched the supporters' shield, but they're gunning for an even bigger prize,

02:30setting the MLS single season point record.

02:32Right now they're sitting at 71 points, just two behind New England Revolution's 2021 record

02:38of 73.

02:39If they break it, you see Messi, after 20 plus years of career, still bashing records

02:45and carrying the MLS also around with him.

02:47It is incredible that we get to see so many of these great teams.

02:50I was part of the LAFC broadcast team in 2019 when they broke Atlanta's record.

02:55They got to 72, and all of a sudden you're thinking, man, Carlos Vela and these guys

03:00are looking so well.

03:01They fell short, unfortunately.

03:03They lost in the semifinals to Seattle, but you thought, I mean, these 72 points are not

03:08going to be surpassed in a while.

03:09And all of a sudden, three years later, you get New England Revolution and they leaped

03:13right over LAFC.

03:14Now you can get Miami doing that.

03:16It's just incredible, man.

03:17And I think it adds to the emotion that every year they have a new juggernaut, a new capitan,

03:22a new head honcho in this competition.

03:26I would like for Miami to do it.

03:28I'm going for it.

03:29Don't you feel like it was a little bit like obligated for them?

03:33When you bring such a stacked team, Messi, Luis Suarez, Busquets, Jordi.

03:39I mean, you have to break records with that type of team.

03:42The expectation's there, but playing devil's advocate, Messi was not around for a lot of

03:49those games.

03:50So, you know, the rest of the team, I think Suarez is a candidate, definitely a candidate

03:54for MVP.

03:55I mean, what he did in the absence of the other Messi is impressive.

03:59So then again, great job, David Beckham, the front office of Inter Miami putting this team

04:04together because we know that with salary cap regulations, it is not easy to put a team

04:08together like that in MLS.

04:10Congrats to them.

04:11I'm going for it.

04:12I hope they make it.

04:14And remember, they got the supporter shields are basically a super leader is the top spot

04:19in MLS.

04:20So basically, if they win out, they're going to be playing the final in Fort Lauderdale,

04:25Florida.

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