The 2024 Major League Soccer regular season came to an end Saturday with 28 teams in action and plenty on the line. Multiple clubs were jostling for playoff spots, while others were scrapping over seeding. Here's how things unfolded on Decision Day and what the playoff bracket looks like heading into the MLS postseason.
Eastern Conference
Supporters' Shield winners Inter Miami - and Lionel Messi - grabbed most of the attention Saturday by hammering the New England Revolution 6-2 and establishing a new single-season points record in a game where Messi scored a second-half hat-trick off the bench.
But the playoff drama in the East unfolded further down the table, as CF Montreal and, against all odds, Atlanta United secured the final two postseason berths at the expense of D.C. United and the Philadelphia Union. Atlanta, which fired head coach Gonzalo Pineda in June and turned to Rob Valentino as interim boss, went into Saturday's game sitting 12th in the conference but jumped up to ninth, and the last playoff place, with a win over Orlando City combined with losses for D.C. United and Philadelphia.
D.C. United, with Golden Boot winner Christian Benteke, needed just a point to make the playoffs but fell 3-0 at home against Charlotte.
Atlanta, leading 2-1 late in Saturday's match and needing all three points, appeared to concede a decisive equalizer that would've ended their season. But Orlando's goal was chalked off for handball after a VAR review, and the Five Stripes held on to extend their campaign.
Montreal, meanwhile, beat New York City FC and will feature in the postseason for just the second time since 2016.
Montreal and Atlanta will meet in the single-elimination Wild Card match on Oct. 22. The winner advances to take on Inter Miami in Round 1, a best-of-three playoff series slated to begin Oct. 25.
The full MLS playoff schedule will be available at a later date.
Here's how the bracket shapes up in the East:
- Inter Miami (1) vs. Montreal (8) or Atlanta (9)
- Columbus (2) vs. New York Red Bulls (7)
- Cincinnati (3) vs. New York City FC (6)
- Orlando City (4) vs. Charlotte (5)
Western Conference
Though the playoff places in the West were already decided, seeding was at stake on Decision Day, including at the top of the conference. And there was no greater drama than the scenes that unfolded involving Los Angeles rivals the LA Galaxy and LAFC, who were taking on Houston and lowly San Jose, respectively.
The Galaxy, sitting atop the conference for much of the year, needed just a point in their final regular-season match to secure home-field advantage throughout the Western Conference playoffs for the first time since 2011.
With the Galaxy trailing 1-0 in their match, Marlon Santos scored a 91st-minute header to give LAFC a 3-1 lead in the concurrent fixture, sending his side temporarily top of the conference thanks to a superior goal difference. But Gabriel Pec then converted a 96th-minute penalty for the Galaxy, flipping the order back in favor of Greg Vanney's team.
But there was one more decisive twist.
Houston defender Daniel Steres, who spent five years with the Galaxy before joining the Dynamo, scored a stunning header in the 101st minute to take down his former team and allow LAFC to swipe the No. 1 seed in the West with one of the final plays of the regular season.
Here's what the Western Conference playoff bracket looks like after that incredible finish Saturday night:
- LAFC (1) vs. Vancouver (8) or Portland (9)
- LA Galaxy (2) vs. Colorado (7)
- Real Salt Lake (3) vs. Minnesota (6)
- Seattle (4) vs. Houston (5)
The 18 playoff teams will now embark on a journey to reach the MLS Cup final, which will take place Dec. 7.