Round One of the 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs kicks off on Friday night.
Following the Wild Card round earlier this week, the Best-of-Three series kicks off the playoffs proper, with 
Inter Miami‘s match against 
Atlanta United beginning the festivities. Here at GIVEMESPORT, we’re previewing each of the matchups and making our predictions.
Inter Miami CF vs Atlanta United
The Herons kick off their playoff run looking to add MLS Cup to their trophy cabinet
- Date: Friday, October 25, 8:30 pm ET
- TV: MLS Season Pass on Apple TV (Free)
- Location: Chase Stadium, Ft. Lauderdale, FL
- Odds: MIA (-245), Draw (+380), ATL (+500)
Inter Miami control the number one seed in the East by virtue of their record-setting campaign.
The Herons set the MLS single-season points record on the final day of the regular season, thumping 
New England Revolution 6-2 via a Lionel Messi hat-trick. Miami have established themselves as one of the best sides in MLS history with their 74-point season, but they’ve struggled in tournaments this season, eliminated in the quarterfinals of the CONCACAF Champions Cup and falling in the Round of 16 in this summer’s Leagues Cup.
Despite their stellar regular season campaign, anything short of an MLS Cup win would feel like a disappointment for one of the league’s true super teams.
It won’t be a walk in the park, though. Atlanta United have finally found their form, winning their final two regular season matches before taking down 
CF Montreal in the Wild Card round, victorious in penalty kicks after a 2-2 draw.
They’ve been in playoff mode for a month already, and are full of confidence heading into Friday. The fact that they have yet to lose to Miami this season will only further that confidence — they beat Miami 3-1 in Ft. Lauderdale in May before drawing 2-2 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in September. They’ll head into the match as the heavy underdogs, but don’t tell them that.
Series winner prediction: Inter Miami
LA Galaxy vs Colorado Rapids
Two of the league’s best attacks go head-to-head in the West
- Date: Saturday, October 26, 11:00 pm ET
- TV: MLS Season Pass on Apple TV (Free)
- Location: Dignity Health Sports Park, Carson, CA
- Odds: MIA (-200), Draw (+360), ATL (+400)
The 
LA Galaxy are among the most dynamic and entertaining sides in MLS this season. Led by a stellar cast of Riqui Puig, Gabriel Pec and Joseph Paintsil, their attack has been unstoppable — only Inter Miami and Columbus Crew have scored more than their 68 goals. They’ve been lights out under head coach Greg Vanney, losing out on the Western Conference title on the final day of the regular season. They enter the playoffs as one of the locked-in favorites for MLS Cup.
The 
Colorado Rapids would have been one of the favorites, before losing five of their final six matches to close out the season. They conceded 14 and scored just six in that stretch, and look set to be without Djordje Mihalović on Saturday.
The midfielder was stretchered off during their Decision Day loss to 
Austin FC, and hasn’t participated in training since. Mihailović leads the team in goal contributions with 11 goals and 14 assists, and his loss will be hard to overcome in a match where goals will certainly be needed. Their two matches this year have averaged 4.5 goals per game, with the Galaxy winning 3-2 at home and 3-1 on the road.
Series winner prediction: LA Galaxy
Orlando City vs Charlotte FC
Charlotte’s elite defense will be tested against a dark horse favorite
- Date: Sunday, October 27, 7:30 pm ET
- TV: MLS Season Pass on Apple TV (Free), FS1
- Location: Inter&Co Stadium, Orlando, FL
- Odds: ORL (-130), Draw (+285), CLT (+300)
Orlando City SC were tipped by several pundits to be a Supporters’ Shield contender before the season began. Their chances at the regular season trophy evaporated after a poor start to the season, but they finally found their form, winning 11 and losing just four of their final 16 matches.
The fifth-highest scorers in the East, they’re led by Uruguayan international Facundo Torres on the wing, with Martín Ojeda’s insertion as the No. 10 leading to their uptick in results. Up front, they have a wealth of options, with Luis Enrique apparently beating out DP Luis Muriel and U.S. international Duncan McGuire for the starting striker job.
On the other side of the equation, 
Charlotte FC have exceeded expectations in their first season under head coach Dean Smith. The third-year club have been among the best defensive outfits in MLS, with only 
Seattle Sounders conceding fewer than their 37 goals.
Tim Ream‘s addition in the summer transfer window has given them an added dimension in possession, while Karol Świderski and Patrick Agyemang have traded goals as they battle it out for the starting No. 9 role. Charlotte are one of the most difficult sides to play against in MLS, and go into the playoffs as a sneaky pick to make a deep run.
Series winner prediction: Charlotte FC
Los Angeles FC vs Vancouver Whitecaps
LAFC are among the league elite, but the ‘Caps are flying after a blowout win in Portland
- Date: Sunday, October 27, 9:45 pm ET
- TV: MLS Season Pass on Apple TV (Free), FS1
- Location: BMO Stadium, Los Angeles, CA
- Odds: LAFC (-250), Draw (+380), VAN (+475)
LAFC won the Western Conference on the final day of the season, thanks to a routine 3-1 win over 
San Jose Earthquakes and a last-second draw from LA Galaxy. Led by Dénis Bouanga, the Black & Gold have one of the best attacks in MLS (62 goals scored) coupled with the fifth-best defensive record (43 goals allowed).
Under head coach Steve Cherundolo, LAFC had played a pragmatic and direct style, but they’ve shifted their approach somewhat to be more intentional about breaking teams down with the ball. With Olivier Giroud leading the line, Mateusz Bogusz in midfield, and Aaron Long and Hugo Lloris marshaling the backline, they’re stocked with match-winners at every position.
Vancouver Whitecaps were floundering heading into the postseason, on a four-game losing streak and dropping down the table into the Wild Card spots. All those concerns were put to rest on Wednesday night as the ‘Caps thumped 
Portland Timbers 5-0 in an absolutely shocking match, completely dominating the hosts in a match that was supposed to have been played in Vancouver (BC Place was unavailable due to a scheduling conflict with a SuperCross event, of all things). Ryan Guald was effervescent, scoring the seventh hat-trick in MLS postseason history.
The ‘Caps still head to Hollywood as significant underdogs, but their result on Wednesday will give them confidence and LAFC second thoughts.
Series winner prediction: LAFC
FC Cincinnati vs New York City FC
Cincinnati have limped into the playoffs, while NYCFC have looked to get hot at an opportune time
- Date: Monday, October 28, 6:45 pm ET
- TV: MLS Season Pass on Apple TV (Free), FS1
- Location: TQL Stadium, Cincinnati, OH
- Odds: CIN (-115), Draw (+265), NYC (+260)
Last year’s Supporters’ Shield winners, 
FC Cincinnati haven’t reached the heights they did last season. Losing Brandon Vázquez proved to be a huge blow to their attack. Kevin Kelsy, brought in on loan from 
FC Shakhtar Donetsk, has failed to sustain his initial form in MLS. The 20-year-old scored five goals in his first 11 matches, but has just one in his last 17 and has fallen out of the starting lineup.
Key injuries to their back line, including season-ending injuries to Matt Miazga and Nick Hagglund, have left their defense in a bad place, with Miles Robinson tasked to keep the pieces together. Their main advantage is Lucho Acosta. The 2023 MLS MVP winner was even better in 2024, tied for third in MLS goal contributions with 14 goals and 19 assists. Acosta is capable of single-handedly taking over a match and delivering a win, and the Garys will need him at his best to have a shot at MLS Cup.
New York City FC, on the other hand, took much of the season to get in form. A nine-match winless streak was snapped with three wins from their final four matches, but it cost them a spot in the top four and home field advantage. They have one of the most quietly talented front lines on paper, but early performers like Hannes Wolf have struggled for form down the stretch.
Santiago Rodríguez is one of the more dangerous attackers in MLS, while the return of 37-year-old Maxi Morález from injury has given them an added element of control. Matt Freese is one of MLS’s elite shot-stoppers, always an advantage in a tournament.
Their biggest strength, though, is the form of Alonso Martínez. Since being converted from a winger to a No. 9 in the summer, he’s been one of the most productive players in MLS. Cucho Hernández and Peter Musa are the only strikers with more goals per match than Martínez since the start of June, and the Pigeons will be banking on his form to make a run past a difficult Cincinnati side.
Series winner prediction: New York City FC
Seattle Sounders vs Houston Dynamo
The Sounders’ elite defense matches up well with a floundering Dynamo attack
- Date: Monday, October 28, 9:00 pm ET
- TV: MLS Season Pass on Apple TV (Free), FS1
- Location: Lumen Field, Seattle, WA
- Odds: SEA (-145), Draw (+260), HOU (+350)
Death, taxes and the Seattle Sounders getting hot right before the playoffs. Some things in life are inevitable. Since June 15, the Sounders have won 12 of their 17 games. Jordan Morris has been red-hot in a more central role, scoring 13 goals as a No. 9. Albert Rusnák has produced a Best XI-caliber season, with a career-best 26 goal contributions in a play-making role.
Their real strength, though, is their defense. With a core of Yeimar, Jackson Ragen and Stefan Frei, the Sounders have been the best defense in MLS this year, conceding just 35 goals from 34 matches. “Defense wins championship” is cliché, but it’s cliché because it’s true. Having an elite defense is a crucial advantage in the playoffs, and while they might not be the most flashy team in the West, they’re one of the most dangerous.
2024 has been a different story for 
Houston Dynamo. Under Ben Olsen they still look to play expansive, possession-based football, but Héctor Herrera’s struggles with injuries have significantly lowered their ceiling. He returned to the lineup on Decision Day, but looked rusty in his 45-minute shift. Without him playing at an elite level, the Dynamo badly struggle to turn possession into clear-cut chances.
They string together some gorgeous possession sequences without creating much of note. While summer signing Ezequiel Ponce has been an improvement as their No. 9, losing winger Lawrence Ennali to a knee injury just five matches into his Dynamo career dealt a brutal blow to their attack, one that they have yet to recover from. It’s hard to picture the Dynamo having enough offensive power to make it past the Sounders.
Series winner prediction: Seattle Sounders
Columbus Crew vs New York Red Bulls
The Crew head into the playoffs as one of the MLS Cup favorites
- Date: Tuesday, October 29, 6:45 pm ET
- TV: MLS Season Pass on Apple TV (Free), FS1
- Location: Lower.com Field, Columbus, OH
- Odds: CLB (-155), Draw (+295), RBNY (+340)
No, it’s not déjà vu. These two sides just met on Decision Day, and they’ll kick off their best-of-three playoff series against each other just a week later.
It’s not news at this point, but the 
Columbus Crew SC are one of the very best teams to ever play in MLS.
Under Wilfried Nancy, the Crew won last year’s MLS Cup, this year’s Leagues Cup, and lost in the Concacaf Champions Cup final (where a team-wide stomach bug likely killed any chance at a win). Cucho Hernández is an MVP candidate and one of the two or three best players in MLS, but it’s not a one-man show. Diego Rossi and Christian Ramírez round out a lethal attacking trio, while Darlington Nagbe controls the tempo behind them in midfield.
In the back, the Crew boast the second-best defense in the league, while simultaneously taking calculated risks with the ball and pushing forward to join the attack. Their 3-2 Decision Day win over the Red Bulls exemplified this perfectly:
The 
NY Red Bulls are in a very different place. They’ve won just three games since June 8, avoiding the Wild Card round purely based on their early-season form. A general lack of quality attackers has lowered their ceiling significantly.
Lewis Morgan has been stellar in his return from injury, but it’s been a solo effort for much of the year. Dante Vanzier continues to be one of the most disappointing DPs in MLS, while Emil Forsberg missed most of the year with injury. He scored two goals on Decision Day and will certainly improve things, but without a reliable striker, this team leaves a ton of chances on the table.
After losing at home to a heavily-rotated Crew side, there’s a sizeable gap in quality between these two teams. Things could get ugly for the Red Bulls.
Series winner prediction: Columbus Crew
Real Salt Lake vs Minnesota United
The Loons are one of the hottest teams in the league, but RSL have quality to make an impact
- Date: Tuesday, October 29, 9:00 pm ET
- TV: MLS Season Pass on Apple TV (Free), FS1
- Location: America First Field, Sandy, UT
- Odds: RSL (-110), Draw (+275), MIN (+235)
Real Salt Lake were one of the best teams in MLS over the first half of the season, tipped to be a Supporters’ Shield contender. Then Chicho Arango’s form took a hit, Andrés Gómez was sold to Ligue 1’s Stade Rennais FC for a reported $11 million fee, and RSL’s form never recovered.
Their attack has been a constant rotation since Gómez’s departure, with head coach Pablo Mastroeni desperately trying to get Anderson Julio or new signings Dominik Marczuk or Lachlan Brook up and running as his replacement. New DP Diogo Gonçalves hasn’t had the impact the club has needed, with just two goals in nine games since he joined from Copenhagen.
In a lot of ways, 2024 feels like a season of what could have been for RSL, and they head into the postseason on a significant downswing. To be honest, that’s probably right in famed motivator Mastroeni’s wheelhouse.
Minnesota United come into this match with the best odds of any away team in Round One at +235. They’ve been one of the hottest teams in the league since the summer, picking up 19 points from nine matches since the summer transfer window closed (only Columbus, Miami and Seattle earned more).
In that summer transfer window, they brought in Kelvin Yeboah, a 24-year-old Italian youth international striker with plenty of experience in top leagues around Europe. He has hit the ground running and has been one of the best strikers in the league, scoring seven goals in nine matches to help the Loons climb out of the Wild Card round.
With the perennially underrated Robin Lod pulling the strings behind him, Minnesota quietly have a high-powered attack, good enough for an upset win over Real Salt Lake.
Series winner prediction: Minnesota United