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The 2020 MLS Cup playoffs are upon us. With the field of 18 teams reduced to eight before the conference semifinals, ESPN’s Jeff Carlisle and Austin Lindberg have broken down the most important stories to follow this postseason and have analyzed each meeting.
Matchup Analysis: Orlando vs. New England | Columbus vs. Nashville | Seattle vs. Dallas | Kansas City vs. Minnesota
For the first six games of the MLS Cup playoffs, things went according to plan. There were some close failures, but in all cases, the top seeds came through.
That trend has been twisted in the last two days. On Sunday, FC Dallas eliminated the Portland Timbers on penalties and two days later Nashville SC and the New England Revolution dispatched Toronto FC and the Philadelphia Union, respectively. The Eastern Conference side of the bracket is now wide open, with Columbus Crew SC (No. 3) now the highest seeded remaining.
It could also have been worse. Sporting Kansas City (No. 1 in the West) took advantage of goalkeeper Tim Melia’s heroic penalty shoot-out to beat the San Jose Earthquakes, while Orlando City SC escaped the clutches of New York City FC on the strangest penalty shootout ever. you can imagine.
Of course, the sample size is small, but that already makes three upsets in these playoffs and there are still three rounds to play. Last year, the first in the league in which he went to a direct knockout format, there were only four of those games in the entire postseason.
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All of which would suggest that home advantage in these playoffs is not as potent as it normally would be thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic. Certainly the environment is different. While some teams have allowed fans to attend, the numbers have dropped significantly from what they would be in a normal postseason. Other venues like Toronto’s temporary home, Rentschler Field in Hartford, Connecticut, haven’t allowed fans at all.
“I feel the [absence of fans] levels everything a little more for the guys who maybe used to not be so comfortable, or not so used to playing in a great environment or big crowds, “said TFC goalkeeper Quentin Westberg before the playoffs.” For us, BMO is such a special atmosphere and everything paralyzes us. “
That was evident in the second half of Tuesday’s game between the Revs and the Union. With some fans in attendance, there didn’t seem to be much of an atmosphere at Subaru Park, at least not the kind that would provide the emotional boost needed to inspire a comeback. (It must be said, however, that the Union didn’t give the home fans much to cheer for, trailing 2-0 in the first 30 minutes.)
Likewise, a reduced ability crowd may still do what they can to boost the home team. Melia said that was precisely what the crowd did at last Sunday’s game at Children’s Mercy Park for SKC.
“There was a different energy to that game in the sense that it felt like a playoff game,” Melia said. “It felt like everyone here was ready for us and throughout the game day, you could feel their energy.”
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However, the lack of fans has not happened in a vacuum and each confrontation has its own wrinkles. Timing can be everything. Nothing affects the momentum of the playoffs like a return or lack of health. The Revs spent much of the season without Designated Players Gustavo Bou and Carles Gil. Gil’s recovery from a left Achilles injury in particular has provided New England with immense boost, with the Spaniard contributing one goal in the final round win over the Montreal Impact and two assists against the Union.
On the other side of the ledger, LAFC was missing four players due to COVID-19, including Golden Boot winner Diego Rossi. Given the way the Seattle Sounders FC played Tuesday night, it might not have mattered, but it’s also clear that Black and Gold weren’t trading anywhere near their peak.
As the playoffs progress, the impact of COVID will continue to grow, both on the field and in the stands. – Jeff Carlisle
Pairing analysis
Eastern Conference Semifinal: Orlando City vs. New England Revolution | Sunday, 3 p.m. ET (live broadcast on ABC)
OUR CHOICE: Orlando 1-2 New England
Orlando can breathe a sigh of relief as they reach the Eastern Conference semifinals, winning their first playoff game in their first postseason appearance after a thrilling shootout against New York City FC in the first round. However, that sense of satisfaction will be short-lived, as the Lions will not have starting right-back Ruan and goalkeeper Pedro Gallese, who have been the most prominent of Oscar Pareja’s defense.
Kyle Smith and Brian Rowe are capable backups, but Orlando will be crippled by the absence of All-Star caliber players in Rouen and Gallese. How Smith can deal with a side of the Revs that may be a threat in transition, with a variety of wide-area threats, could be vital in keeping Bruce Arena’s disciplined team at bay.
2: 00Revs move on after upsetting Philadelphia
The New England Revolution defeated the winners of the Supporters’ Shield Philadelphia Union to reach the Eastern Conference semifinals.
Gil is one of the league’s elite playmakers, and his return from an Achilles tendon injury suffered in the MLS is Back Tournament instantly makes New England a much more dangerous opponent. And with Bou also in shape again, the Revs are in full force going forward. Tajon Buchanan was a substantial threat in the first-round victory in Philadelphia, but could his determination to advance be too adventurous against an attack with Nani and Chris Mueller on the flanks?
The toughness of Brandon Bye and Alexander Buttner could help nullify the Lions in wide areas, but both were absent in Philadelphia. Arena & Co. could use one or both of its first-choice full-backs in the starting eleven for the trip to Central Florida. – Austin Lindberg
Eastern Conference Semifinal: Columbus Crew vs. Nashville SC | Sunday, 8 p.m. ET (live broadcast on ESPN)
OUR CHOICE: Columbus 1-1 Nashville (Columbus advances on penalties)
Seeing Pedro Santos, Darlington Nagbe and Gyasi Zardes on the score sheet in a 3-2 first-round win over the New York Red Bulls will be a huge relief for Columbus, who averaged 1.4 goals in his last 10 games of the season. regular season. The Crew will need to be in good shape to enhance an extremely organized Nashville defense that shut out Supporters’ Shield contender Toronto FC for 120 minutes and has conceded more than one goal just six times in all of 2020.
All three scorers against the Red Bulls, and 2020 newcomer Lucas Zelarayan, will need to have some big games to see Columbus advance into an Eastern Conference that is now wide open after the eliminations of Philadelphia and Toronto. Having four players testing positive for COVID-19, as the club announced on Wednesday, will only complicate matters further.
Nashville is unapologetic about the way it has been successful down the stretch this season, often with 10 men behind the ball, huddled in their own third. Gary Smith has his team well trained and knows what it takes to lift the MLS Cup, having done it in 2010 with the Colorado Rapids. With 2020 Defender of the Year Walker Zimmerman leading the way, this defense will prove extraordinarily difficult for any opponent to take down.
If the City of Music club manages to keep the Crew quiet, chances are high that they will follow in the footsteps of the 1998 Chicago Fire and advance to the MLS Cup as an expansion team. The bigger question will be whether any of the club’s attacking pieces will be clinical enough to convert the chances they are presented with, which seemed unlikely (until they didn’t) against Toronto. – Austin Lindberg
Seattle Sounders vs. FC Dallas | Tuesday, 9:30 pm ET
OUR CHOICE: Seattle 3-1 Dallas
Seattle looked devastating in the attack against LAFC, with Jordan Morris, Raul Ruidiaz and the incomparable Nicolas Lodeiro all in excellent form. If the team’s ending had been a little sharper, the Sounders would have won the game by double digits. The long-awaited return of center-back Xavier Arreaga should also help solidify the Sounders’ defense. As is, Seattle enters this game as a big favorite.
Dallas mounted its defense, goalkeeper Jimmy Maurer and an opportunistic goal from substitute Ricardo Pepi to defeat Portland. CDF will need a similar recipe if they are to complete their playoff double over the Cascadia teams. Can they get it? Of course. In their playoff showdown with Seattle a year ago, Dallas pushed the Sounders to the absolute limit, falling 4-3 in overtime. But this side of the CDF doesn’t seem so dangerous offensively. A similar open issue would favor the Sounders. – Jeff Carlisle
Sporting Kansas City vs. Minnesota United FC | Wednesday, 9 pm ET
OUR CHOICE: Kansas City 3-2 Minnesota
Having survived the aforementioned shootout against San Jose and keeping the inside track to host the MLS Cup, Kansas City will feel like this is its year. There’s also the fact that the Loons have lost each of their previous games in Kansas City with a minus-10 goal differential. It is still unknown if forward Alan Pulido will recover from his knee injury in time, but the fact that SKC still managed to score three goals against San José will give them confidence in their attack.
But as New England demonstrated by beating Philadelphia for the first time this year on the sixth attempt, the past counts for little in the playoffs, and SKC will need to be cautious. Minnesota’s attack appears to be operating near its peak, especially now that Robin Lod, Kevin Molino and Emanuel Reynoso seem to have established some chemistry. He will also benefit from having right-back Romain Metanire back in the lineup after his quarantine due to international obligations. Given how fragile Kansas City’s backline looked against San Jose, the Loons do a lot to threaten the home team. – Jeff Carlisle
Source: espn.co.uk
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