2024 MLS Playoffs: Vancouver thrashes Portland, Atlanta beats Montréal in penalties to safe spots in Spherical 1

The primary spherical of the MLS Playoffs is now set. After successful video games within the wild-card spherical, Atlanta United and the Vancouver Whitecaps will advance to Spherical 1.

The 2 midweek wild-card video games had very totally different outcomes, with Atlanta getting a slender win over CF Montréal after the Canadian staff had two second-half equalizers to power a penalty shootout. Vancouver, in the meantime, pummeled the Portland Timbers with a dominant 5-0 win away.

With the wins, Atlanta will now tackle Supporters Defend winners Inter Miami in a best-of-three matchup, and Vancouver will tackle prime Western Convention seed LAFC as .

Atlanta and Montréal kicked off the MLS playoffs with a wild-card matchup in Montréal on Tuesday. Atlanta acquired an early lead, with Brooks Lennon and Stian Rode Gregersen scoring within the twenty ninth and forty fourth minutes, respectively. However within the second half, Montréal striker Josef Martinez got here up huge, scoring within the 63rd minute and sinking a penalty within the 89th.

The sport, tied 2-2, then went straight right into a penalty shootout to find out the winner. Atlanta goalkeeper Brad Guzan had an enormous save early within the shootout that ended up being the successful save, with Atlanta successful 5-4 on PKs.

With the win, Atlanta will now journey to tackle Inter Miami. The primary sport of the sequence will happen on Friday, kicking off Spherical 1.

On Wednesday, the Western Convention wild card noticed a gathering of two Cascadia rivals, however ended with a really uneven 5-0 defeat.

As a result of a scheduling battle in Vancouver’s BC Place — with a motocross occasion already scheduled within the enviornment — the Timbers hosted the match regardless of being the decrease seed. But it surely wasn’t a lot of a home-field benefit for Portland: Vancouver scored 3 times within the first half, and completed out the primary quarter-hour of the second half with two extra.

Whitecaps midfielder and captain Ryan Gauld hit a hat trick, netting his third purpose of the night time — and Vancouver’s fifth — within the 59th minute.

After the sport, the Whitecaps took the crushing win in stride.

Vancouver will now play at LAFC within the first match of the spherical on Sunday, and can host the No. 1 seed the next Sunday.

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