MLS Decision Day Recap

Nico Lodiero’s Sounders Goodbye

Captain, legend and probably the greatest Sounders player of all time, Nicolas Lodiero, played his last ever regular season match for the club on Saturday.

When Lodiero signed for Seattle, they were last in the west, looking destined to miss the playoffs. He turned the Sounders into a powerhouse, winning the MLS Cup in the same year.

Seattle’s signing of Nico Lodiero marked the beginning of their dynasty, which lasted from 2016 until their 2022 CONCACAF Champions League title.

In Lodiero’s tenure with the club, Seattle won two MLS Cups, four Western Conference championships and a historic Concacaf Champions League title.

After this season, Lodiero’s red and white Nike Cleats will no longer grace the Lumen Field turf.

Portland Timbers Crash out of the Postseason

Portland controlled their destiny last Saturday, needing to beat Houston to guarantee their playoff spot.

For the first 10 minutes of the match, Portland looked almost guaranteed to play in the postseason. For the next 70 minutes, any hope of the Timbers making the playoffs waltzed out of Providence Park, along with most of their fans.

Hey Timbers fans, if you still want to watch playoff games, just head north to watch Seattle play.

Sporting KC Finish off an Incredible Season with a Playoff Berth

Sporting KC finished their season Saturday by beating Minnesota United to make the MLS playoffs.

SKC had an abysmal start to the season, going winless in their first ten games with a 0-7-3 record. What changed for SKC was the return of designated player Alan Pulido, who missed the start of 2023 with a knee injury. Pulido netted 14 goals and three assists this season as SKC gained 41 points in their final 24 matches.

On the final day, when SKC needed a win, captain Jonny Russell stepped up again, notching a brace as SKC beat Minnesota 3-1 to make the MLS playoffs.

The New York Red Bulls Extend Their Playoff Streak

Like the drink on their logo, the New York Red Bulls love making hearts race.

The Red Bulls faced off against Nashville this weekend, needing a win and some help to make the playoffs.

New York got the help they needed, but for the first 90 minutes, the game was held scoreless. Then, in the 92nd minute, Nashville Shaq Moore brought Luquinhas down in the box, giving the Red Bulls a playoff lifeline.

John Tolkin sent Joe Willis the wrong way, sending New York to the playoffs for the 14th year in a row.

Charlotte FC beat Messi’s Miami to make the MLS Playoffs.

WOW, and I mean WOW.

In my last article, I talked about how Charlotte FC, who sat in 12th place coming into decision day, needed everything to go their way.

Everything went their way. Charlotte did their part by beating Messi and Miami thanks to a Kerwin Vargas goal; Columbus did their part by beating CF Montreal 2-1 and NYCFC did their part by beating the Chicago Fire 1-0.

The second newest MLS team has qualified for the MLS playoffs for the first time in their history.

Quickfire

Thiago Almada Sees Red as Atlanta draws against Cincinnati.

The Atlanta United star received a red card this past Saturday after taking a swipe at Cincinnati defender Yerson Mosquera.

In the 51st minute, Mosquera gave Almada a slight nudge; Almada responded by kicking out Mosquera’s legs, earning himself a second yellow.

The MVP candidate is suspended for the first game of Atlanta United’s best-of-three series versus the Columbus Crew.

The MLS Playoff Schedule is Set

The MLS playoff schedule is decided, with the wild card round set for Wednesday. The New York Red Bulls play host to Charlotte FC at 7:30 p.m. EST, and Sporting KC host San Jose at 9:30.

Owen Cameros is a first-year student majoring in Broadcast Journalism. To contact him, please email ohc5024@psu.edu.