We’ll go ahead and lay it out from the jump before we talk about how we got there. Your playoff matchups…

EASTERN CONFERENCE

WESTERN CONFERENCE

There you have it. Playoffs start this week. Let’s talk it out.

What happened?: Kerwin Vargas opened things up with an excellent finish (and an acrobatic celebration) and Charlotte held on the rest of the way thanks to a handful of last-ditch defensive efforts and outstanding saves from Kristijan Kahlina. 

So, did we learn anything?: Charlotte made it. In their second season in MLS, they somehow got the job done. Honestly, it’s hard to believe considering the fact they dropped a league-worst 25 points from winning positions this season. That includes a midweek draw against Inter Miami that seemed like it might have doomed them at the time. But they got the job done. And they officially took a step forward in Year Two. That’s all you can ask for. Maybe next year they’ll hold onto a few more of those leads and it won’t have to be so stressful.

What happened?: Cincy and Atlanta traded first-half goals, but the biggest news of the night came in the second half. Thiago Almada inexplicably fouled a Cincinnati player off the ball to pick up his second yellow of the night and earned a red card. He will miss the first match of Atlanta’s Round One series against Columbus.

So, did we learn anything?: We know who Cincy are at this point. And we have a really good idea who Atlanta are at this point too: They’re Cincy. Well, Cincy from last season. The Five Stripes look outstanding in attack one minute and out of control defensively the next. That might be enough to win a playoff game or two in most cases but it just got way, way harder with Almada’s red card—just one of the worst on-field decisions you’ll see.

What happened?: Montréal needed to earn their third road win of the season to make the playoffs. Unsurprisingly, they came up short.

So, did we learn anything? The general consensus in MLS is that if you win your home games and draw your road games you’ll be just fine. Montréal got one part of that right, finishing with 10 home wins on the season. But you just can’t come up short like that on the road all year. You can come up kind of short. Not that short.

Anyway, the Crew did Crew things. They’re the third seed and they have the best attack in the league heading into the playoffs. They’ll be very, very dangerous against whoever they face throughout the postseason. Simply put: They’re an MLS Cup-caliber team.

What happened?: Julián Fernández thumped a stunner from distance and NYCFC took the mutually assured destruction route. Both teams missed out on the playoffs.

So, did we learn anything?: It will never make much sense that NYCFC waited so long this season to bring in a starting-caliber striker. Their slow start and lackluster attack doomed them in the end. It’s pretty shocking they didn’t even make a Wild Card spot.

It’s much less shocking that Chicago had a shot at the playoffs and came up short. They’ve made the postseason twice since 2009. Twice. In MLS. I’ve got nothing nice to say to anyone here. Let’s just move on.

What happened?: New York needed a win to make the Wild Card round. Things crept along at a stalemate until we reached stoppage time. The Red Bulls earned a penalty and in the single biggest moment of the season turned to… 21-year-old fullback John Tolkin. He buried it. It ruled. Tolkin rules. The Red Bulls will host the Wild Card round against Charlotte and have now made the playoffs for 14 straight seasons.

So, did we learn anything?: THE RED BULLS CURSE LIVVVVVVEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSS.

They will forever be doomed to make the playoffs whether they want to or not. Maybe one day a postseason appearance will mean a title, but I don’t think it’s this year. Still, 14 years! That’s the longest streak in major American professional sports right now. Even if they’re forever trapped in a cycle of coming agonizingly close year after year, it’s better than never coming close. Right?........right?

Anyway, I’ll remind everyone the Red Bulls were one of the single-best teams in the league according to the underlying numbers. We here at The Daily Kickoff have been waiting (very, very, very patiently) for them to come good all season. They finally put it together late. Don’t count them out in this thing.

What happened?: A first-half brace from Gustavo Bou gave New England the win. These two will see each other next week for Round One of the playoffs.

So, did we learn anything?: I’m not sure if we can really take too much from this one, but it has to be a solid confidence boost for the Revs as they head to Philly. They should, in theory, be facing a Union team hitting a different and better gear next week, however, the Union have been sputtering lately. Neither team has been setting the world on fire since Leagues Cup. Basically, I have no idea what’s going to happen in this series and will continue to be vague about it going forward. Your guess is as good as mine.

What happened?: Duncan McGuire happened. What a season for him. He ended the regular season with 13 goals in 17 starts.

So, did we learn anything?: Nope! Toronto have to be happy it’s all over and Orlando have to be elated they’ve found yet another elite striker in the SuperDraft. McGuire is as good as they come and the Lions will be leaning on him as they go up against Nashville’s stout defense in Round One.

What happened?: Diego Luna’s outstanding solo goal cutting in from the left gave RSL a 1-0 win over the Rapids. It wasn’t enough to jump into the top four though. RSL ended the night in fifth place.

So, did we learn anything?: If Chicho Arnago is going to miss any amount of time in the playoffs, then they’ll need players like Luna to step up and make something special happen. Saturday was encouraging in that regard. Otherwise, no, we learned nothing. The Houston series is gonna be fun.

What happened?: Johnny Russell opened things up early, added another late and SKC were in control of this one for pretty much the entire night. Meanwhile, Portland were floundering against Houston. SKC are rolling into the Wild Card round as one of the hottest teams in the league. 

So, did we learn anything?: Apparently you don’t have to win any of your first 10 games to make the playoffs? Seems like a weird lesson, but we don’t make the wheel of morality, we just spin it and see where it lands. 

I think the actual lesson here is that having your DPs available and thriving is important. They’ve been a totally different team with Alan Pulido back in the lineup. Like, one of the hottest teams in the league. They’ve pulled off something remarkable here and everyone involved should be ecstatic. Now, they’re carrying a little momentum into a highly winnable bracket. It wouldn’t be all that wild to think SKC could make a dark horse run.

What happened?: The Galaxy were awfully kind and, with nothing to play for, graciously allowed FC Dallas to avoid the Wild Card round and jump into seventh place in the West. Most importantly though, Bernard Kamungo, who is awesome, added a brace in this one. He’s easily a top-three story in MLS this season and I hope it continues in the playoffs. He went off injured in this one unfortunately. There’s no update as of yet.

So, did we learn anything?: Full credit to Dallas for jumping on an LA Galaxy team going through the motions early. They got the job done. I don’t think it means they’ve found that higher gear we’ve been hoping for, but still, it’s a healthy dose of good feelings heading into the playoffs against a gettable Seattle side. It already feels like we should be preparing for a couple of penalty shootouts in that series.

What happened?: As generous as the Galaxy were to Dallas, Houston were the opposite for Portland. The Timbers needed a point. Instead, they got thumped by one of the best teams in the league.

So, did we learn anything?: Houston just don’t mess around these day, do they? They earned a top-four spot and have continued to stay hot since winning the US Open Cup. I’d be terrified to face them in the postseason. 

On the Portland side, it’s fair to wonder what this means for the long-term future of the club. It felt like interim manager Miles Joseph had a decent shot at holding onto the job if the Timbers made a run.

What happened?: The Quakes went up early thanks to Cristian Espinoza (who else?) and were largely content to take a draw into the playoffs the rest of the way.

So, did we learn anything?: They got the job done! But they aren’t coming into the Wild Card round on a roll. SKC are. It’s going to be a tough one. They made it though! And crazier things have happened. At the very least, they’ve taken a notable step forward in Luchi Gonzalez’s first year. That’s all you can really ask for, right?

What happened?: Seattle rolled over St. Louis again here. They might have a bit of a psychological edge if the two meet in the playoffs.

So, did we learn anything?: If they do meet in the playoffs, it will be in the Western Conference Final. Seattle ended the night in second place. That meeting feels relatively plausible. Seattle have been the best defensive team in the conference all year and appear to be mostly healthy even if they aren’t high-flying in attack.

What happened?: Dénis Bouanga clinched the Golden Boot in style, but Ali Ahmed canceled his opener and the Whitecaps earned a draw.

So, did we learn anything?: It feels like we’ve come a long way since these two met in CCL. The Whitecaps felt more prepared to go toe-to-toe with LAFC and now they’ll get another shot at them in the playoffs. Other than a potential St. Louis-SKC matchup, this is likely the most exciting matchup in the West by a significant margin.

LAFC's Bouanga wins 2023 MLS Golden Boot presented by Audi: LAFC forward Dénis Bouanga has won the 2023 MLS Golden Boot presented by Audi after scoring 20 goals, using a late-season surge to become the league’s top scorer.

Kamara to leave Fire: Kei Kamara isn’t ready to hang up his cleats just yet. The 39-year-old striker, who’s third all-time in the MLS scoring chart (144 goals), expressed as much after Chicago Fire FC’s season ended with a 1-0 Decision Day defeat Saturday evening at New York City FC. “I'm going to play another season in the MLS,” Kamara declared. “I'm not done yet, definitely. I think this is my last game for the club, so I'll be moving on. I'll play another season."

Good luck out there. Make every rep count.

Bernard Kamungo's regular season totals: 6 starts, 10 subs, 6 goals. Averaging a goal every 82.5 minutes.

— Garrett Melcer (@GarrettMelcer) October 22, 2023