Caden_clark_-_asn_top_-_montreal_2024_-_celebration
Morning update

Morning update: MLS playoffs get underway, UCL lookahead

ASN's Brian Sciaretta kicks off your Tuesday with a lookahead to the MLS Playoffs and Tuesday's games for Americans abroad in Europe. 
BY Brian Sciaretta Posted
October 22, 2024
8:00 AM

GOOD MORNING and happy Tuesday to all ASN readers, we have a busy week ahead as the MLS playoffs get underway with the play-in games on Tuesday and Wednesday, while several Americans are involved in European competitions midweek.

We didn’t get to a formal “Decision Day” analytical piece, but we’ll give a few bullet point thoughts and then look ahead to the playoffs and European midweek games.

 

Decision Day quick thoughts

 

DC United and the Philadelphia Union were the big losers of Decision Day. Both had the opportunity to advance to the postseasons if they could win at home. Instead, both lost.

Philadelphia was the bigger loser of the two because they have more talent, more experience, and came into this season considered a good team. In the end, the Union were never able to fully overcome a bad start. At times they looked like they were back on the right track, but they had a difficult schedule down the stretch and were never able to come up with a big win.

The Union has had a core group together for a long time and a rebuild is necessary. The problem is that the rebuilding could be painful. The Union went a long ways with a core that did not cost nearly as much as the core group of other top teams in the league. The odds that they could find more affordable but high-producing talent to remain at the top are not great.

Will the Union go down this difficult road of “money ball” to find undervalued talent, or will they open up the purse strings?

Jack McGlynn’s future is also an interesting question. It might be time to sell him.

As for DC United, they came up short with an brutal 3-0 loss at home to Charlotte. I was surprised DC United was even in contention by the final day of the season. Christian Benteke kept them relevant for far longer than I figured. 

I guess Atlanta United can be considered a big winner on Decision Day, but their season was hardly a success. They were capable of so much more and a playoff berth shouldn’t change anyone’s mind that Atlanta needs a lot of offseason work.

The New York Red Bulls are the most underwhelming playoff team in the Eastern Conference. After a nice start to the season, the squad his limped into the postseason with an underwhelming summer and fall. The 3-2 loss at home to Columbus is just a preview what is coming in the playoffs – a swift and decisive loss to the Crew in a best of three series.

Cincinnati and Charlotte are two teams that are playing well heading into the postseason and they play each other in the first round. The winner of that series could be a tough out (likely against Miami).

The West lacked drama at the bottom end as all the playoff teams were known by Decision Day.

But LAFC won the Western Conference regular season when they mercifully ended San Jose’s catastrophically bad season and the Galaxy fell on the road in Houston. The value of winning the West might not be that obvious as the Galaxy will get to face Colorado in the first round and the Rapids enter the post season having lost four straight. LAFC will likely have a tougher opponent with the play-in winner (my guess is Portland over Vancouver).

The West has more “better” soccer than the East. LAFC, the Galaxy, RSL, Seattle, Houston, and Minnesota are all capable of going on a run this post season. The RSL vs. Minnesota first round series is the toughest to predict as both enter the postseason playing well.

 

Montreal – Atlanta preview

 

Atlanta had a miracle on Decision Day with a 2-1 win away against a good Orlando team. It was dramatic because VAR denied a late Orlando goal, which would have instead seen DC United crawl into the post season.

But Montreal gets to host this game, is playing better soccer over the past month, and has enough players who are in peak form (Josef Martinez, Caden Clark, Bryce Duke). Josef Martinez is playing like he did in 2018 for Atlanta with six goals in his last five games, and 11 goals on the season. Caden Clark has four goals and four assists in nine games, at a time when his career looked to be on the edge.

Atlanta has had a whirlwind of a season, being led by an interim manager since June while also seeing two designated players depart midseason. They still have enough going for them. Alexey Miranchuk has hit his stride in recent games and Saba Lobjanidze is also playing well. Veteran experience goes a long way in the post season and DP’s tend to shine a lot more, but Montreal deserves to be the favorite.

 

Tuesday’s European games

 

Christian Pulisic will look to continue his elite form in the Champions League against Club Brugge while Yunus Musah will likely come off the bench.

Malik Tillman will certainly start while Ricardo Pepi and Richard Ledezma will be bench options for PSV when they visit PSG.

In the Championship, it’s mostly a full slate today.

Brenden Aaronson and Leeds United host Watford.

Duane Holmes and Preston North End host Josh Sargent and Norwich City

Haji Wright and Coventry City visit QPR.

Ethan Horvath and Cardiff City host Portsmouth.

All Americans in the Championship except for Horvath should play.

Post a comment

AmericanSoccerNow.