The last double matchweek of the 2024 regular season has come and gone. This week seemed crazier than ever as eight teams came away with two wins! Five more teams were eliminated from Audi MLS Cup Playoffs contention! And a couple of playoff-bound teams are back sliding into the postseason.
At this time of year, momentum is the name of the game. Every team wants to be playing their best in the fall, with a consistent and confident lineup going into the playoffs. Let's take a look at what happened this week.
Billed as the biggest regular season game of the year, Inter Miami traveled to Columbus with the Supporters' Shield on the line. And guess what? Lionel Messi stepped up with two goals as the match lived up to hype and Miami claimed their first trophy of the season.
They have been the best team in the league this year and are deserved winners of the Supporters' Shield. To top off an already successful week, Tata Martino rotated his lineup as the Herons traveled to Toronto and got another three points in dramatic fashion, after Leo Campana scored a full volley banger in the 93rd minute for the 1-0 win.
Miami now go into Decision Day with the chance to break the all-time regular season points record if they win at home against New England.
There might not be a hotter team in MLS right now than Orlando City. They are humming after settling in nicely to their best starting XI. Orlando earned wins against Philadelphia and Cincinnati, cementing their place as a team nobody wants to meet in the playoffs. They need a win on Decision Day to guarantee the fourth spot in the East.
It's been a weird season of ups and downs for D.C. United and I am not sure they would even be a playoff team without Christian Benteke. But they had a great week, coming from behind dramatically on Wednesday to score twice in injury time to get the three points in Nashville. Then they went on the road to New England and carried their momentum to another three points. D.C. just need a point on Decision Day to guarantee their spot in the playoffs.
Red Bull Arena has been good to New York City FC. They used the Red Bulls' home stadium as their "home" stadium and had a perfect week. First, it was a win against Cincinnati, then another win against Nashville. NYCFC are hitting their stride at the right time. If they win and Orlando drop points on Decision Day, the Cityzens could finish in that coveted fourth spot in the East.
LA Galaxy kept their lead atop the Western Conference with another perfect week. First, it was a come-from-behind win at Colorado, where they dominated on the counterattack in the second half. Then it was a hard-fought victory at home against Austin, where Dejan Joveljić scored a beautiful game-winner.
But the two stars of the show really are Riqui Puig and Gabriel Pec, who may not finish in the top three of MVP voting, but deserve the love as much as some of the others in the conversation. They have been playing fantastic all season.
Speaking of LAFC, they are doing their job of keeping the pressure on the Galaxy by having a perfect week of their own. Since lifting the US Open Cup, LAFC have won three straight, giving up only one goal in that span.
When LAFC were unbeatable over the summer, it was their defense that led the way. After a midweek 1-0 win at home against St. Louis, Defender of the Year candidate Aaron Long chipped in with a stunning goal on Saturday as LAFC smashed Sporting KC. With a win this week, they can lock up the No. 2 spot in the West and put themselves in position to potentially take that top seed from the Galaxy on Decision Day.
The Sounders are finally who we thought they were: the third-best team in the West. They have locked up a top-four spot and can potentially finish as high as second. Three straight wins, all via clean sheet, with back-to-back wins on the road. Jordan Morris and Albert Rusnák have led the way, and as long as the defense delivers, this is a team nobody will want to face come playoff time.
These clubs were eliminated from playoff contention and all have major decisions on their hands to improve ahead of next season. See you in 2025!
