🔮 Previewing the MLS Cup conference finals as four teams remain

The phrase ‘business end’ has never been more apt for where we are in the MLS Cup Playoffs.

With just four teams remaining, two from each conference, and a trip to MLS Cup Final on the line, this weekend is shaping out to be a rollercoaster.

Let’s dig into the big talking points from both conference finals.

Orlando City vs New York Red Bulls

With Inter Miami, Columbus Crew, and FC Cincinnati all bowing out in the opening round, an Eastern Conference Final showdown between Orlando City and New York Red Bulls is one made up of two underdogs.

While Orlando came into the postseason as one of the hottest teams in MLS, their solidity and balance from back to front has been a joy to watch from the first ball kicked in the playoffs.

In the conference semifinal win over Atlanta United last weekend, Óscar Pareja had the luxury of bringing all of Duncan McGuire, Luis Muriel, and MLS great Nico Lodeiro off the bench in the second half. Quietly, City have become one of the deepest sides in the playoffs.

For the Red Bulls on the other hand, an away win against your bitter crosstown rivals in the playoffs is the kind of momentum that sparks championship runs. However, they will rely on a few stars to win the conference final for them.

If Dante Vanzeir, Lewis Morgan, and Emil Forsberg have a night — this Red Bulls team can beat anybody in MLS.

As has been clear for all to see throughout the playoffs so far, seeding means nothing. It should be a tight one in Orlando.

LA Galaxy vs Seattle Sounders

The Sounders must be sick of seeing LAX; they seem to be playing in Los Angeles again and again with each passing week. But they won’t be tired of knocking out the big boys in the MLS Cup Playoffs, that’s for sure.

They’ll have to do that once more as the Galaxy come into the weekend in scorching form after scoring 15 goals in their three playoff games so far.

The attacking quintet comprised of Riqui Puig, Gabriel Pec, Joseph Painstil, Marco Reus, and Dejan Joveljić has proven to be the unstoppable force in the postseason, terrorizing opposition defenses since their playoff opener against Colorado. Yet, they may just be heading into a collision with the immovable object.

The Sounders will look to counter that red-hot attack with their stingy defensive unit. After conceding the fewest goals of any MLS team in the regular season, they’ve carried that over into the playoffs by conceding just two goals from open play so far.

While Pedro de la Vega has struggled to find his feet in a Sounders kit since making a big-money move from Argentina, the emergence of Georgi Minoungou from the Seattle youth ranks has helped to add some attacking threat alongside Jordan Morris.

The equation is simple, if the Galaxy can continue lighting up the scoresheet, they will blow Seattle out of the water. But if the Sounders can keep it tight on the road, they are always in with a shout to pull off a stunning result in Carson.

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