MLS Decision Day: LAFC snatch top seed from LA Galaxy as playoffs fixed

After clinching the MLS playoff spots with late-season wins on Saturday, CF Montreal and Atlanta United will face off in the Eastern Conference wild-card match on Tuesday.

The winner of the Montreal match faces a tough assignment in the East quarterfinals: a best-of-three series against Lionel Messi and Inter Miami, who set the league’s single-season points record. A hat trick from Messi put Miami past the New England Revolution on Saturday, giving Miami a score of 22-4-8, good for 74 points.

The Revolution set the old record of 73 points in 2021.

The conference quarterfinals will see the teams compete at the home of the higher seeded team in Match 1 and (if necessary) Match 3, with the lower seeded team hosting Match 2.

The defending MLS Cup champion Columbus Crew, seeded second in the East, will face the New York Red Bulls in a quarterfinal. The other eastern quarterfinal matches feature third-seeded FC Cincinnati versus sixth-seeded New York City FC and fourth-seeded Orlando City versus fifth-seeded Charlotte FC.

Los Angeles FC clinched the top seed in the Western Conference after beating the San Jose Earthquakes 3-1 on Saturday and then seeing the Los Angeles Galaxy lose 2-1 to the Houston Dynamo on an 11th-minute goal of second half stoppage time.

Both Los Angeles teams finished 19-8-7 for 64 points, but LAFC finished first thanks to goal difference. LAFC was at plus-20, while the Galaxy finished at plus-19.

The Portland Timbers visit the Vancouver Whitecaps on Wednesday in a single-match wild-card playoff, with the winner earning a best-of-three matchup against LAFC.

The other Western Conference quarterfinals will see the Galaxy take on seventh-seeded Colorado Rapids, third-seeded Real Salt Lake against sixth-seeded Minnesota United and the fourth-seeded Seattle Sounders taking on fifth-seeded Dynamo.

The only quarterfinal date announced Saturday night was Miami hosting its first playoff game on Friday.