Thank you!
Thank you for joining me tonight for MLS Decision Day. That was probably the wildest Decision Day ever, and I want to thank you for being a part of it with me. Be sure to keep your eyes peeled on VAVEL USA for our coverage of the 2019 Audi MLS Cup Playoffs! My name is Tyler Fisher, see ya!
Western Conference
1. LAFC - First round bye
2. Seattle Sounders - home game
3. Real Salt Lake - home game
4. Minnesota United - home game
5. LA Galaxy
6. Portland Timbers
7. FC Dallas
Eastern Conference
1. NYCFC - First round bye
2. Atlanta United - home game
3. Philadelphia Union - home game
4. Toronto FC - home game
5. D.C. United
6. New York Red Bulls
7. New England Revolution
Well that was fun, no?! MLS now shifts its focus to the playoffs. Let's take a look at who have clinched a post-season berth.
Final
The best performance by FC Cincinnati saw them draw 0-0 with D.C. United, despite playing with nine players.
Final
Real Salt Lake grab three points against the Vancouver
Whitecaps, winning 1-0.
Final
Columbus Crew SC end their 2019 campaign with a 1-0 loss against Toronto FC.
Final
Although the homecoming ceremony for Ozzie Alonso was touching, Minnesota couldn't get the job done against the Seattle Sounders as they fall 1-0.
Final
Without Diego Valeri, the Timbers found a way to win 3-1 against the San Jose Earthquakes.
Final
The Pigeons of NYCFC go in to Chester and defeat the Union 2-1.
Final
The visiting Chicago Fire defeat Orlando City SC 5-2.
Final
The Montreal Impact shutout New York Red Bulls 3-0.
Final
LAFC get the the 3-1 win over the Colorado Rapids.
Final
Houston Dynamo come from behind to defeat the LA Galaxy 4-2.
Final
Atlanta United defeat New England 3-1.
FINAL
Final score: FC Dallas 6-0 Sporting Kansas City
Touchdown Dallas!
FC Dallas have now put six goals past Sporting Kansas City!
Score Updates
FC Dallas 5-0 Sporting Kansas City
D.C. United 0-0 FC Cincinnati
LA Galaxy 2-2 Houston Dynamo
LAFC 3-1 Colorado Rapids
Montreal Impact 3-0 Red Bulls
Orland City SC 1-3 Chicago Fire
Philadelphia Union 0-2 NYCFC
Portland Timbers 2-1 San Jose Earthquakes
Seattle Sounders 1-0 Minnesota United
Toronto FC 1-0 Columbus Crew SC
Vancouver Whitecaps 0-1 Real Salt Lake
Goal! Atlanta United vs New England Revolution
Josef Martinez and Julian Gressel score to put Atlanta United up 3-1.
Double red card
FC Cincinnati are down to 9-men in their match after Lamah and Gyaiu both received red cards.
Halftime
All matches have reached halftime on Decision Day. 19 goals have been scored so far, and that's only in the first half.
San Jose draws level
The Quakes draw level in Portland! 1-1!
Montreal doubles their lead!
The Impact make it 2-0 against the Red Bulls!
Colorado Rapids get one back!
The Rapids pull within one as halftime slowly creeps up upon all 12 games! 2-1, still in favor of LAFC.
Double save in Toronto!
Toronto FC come close to opening up the scoring, but Crew SC keeper Eloy Room comes up huge with two saves, to keep the game level at 0-0.
I missed a goal. Real Salt Lake lead Vancouver Whitecaps 1-0. Whoops
Goal! Seattle Sounders vs Minnesota United
Seattle Sounders draw first blood against the Loons! 1-0!
LAFC Doubles!
Just like that, LAFC have doubled their lead to 2-0 against Colorado!
Goal! Portland Timbers vs San Jose Earthquakes
The Timbers now lead 1-0 against San Jose!
Goal! Colorado Rapids vs Los Angeles FC
LAFC have gotten on the board first! 1-0!
Goal! Montreal Impact vs New York Red Bulls
The Montreal Impact have impacted their match with a goal! 1-0!
(see what I did there?)
Goal! Philadelphia Union vs New York City FC
NYCFC have doubled their lead in the 26th minute!
Yellow card
Yellow card caution to Deplagne of FC Cincinnati.
Chicago ties the game!
Chicago Fire draw level in Orlando! 1-1!
New England ties it up!
Moments after Atlanta United opened the scoring, the Revolution got one back! Atlanta and New England are now tied 1-1!
FC Dallas doubles their lead!
FC Dallas scored once, then scored again! They now lead 2-0 over Sporting Kansas City!
Goal! LA Galaxy vs Houston Dynamo
Who else but Zlatan Ibrahimovic?! The Galaxy lead 1-0!
3️⃣0️⃣ GOALS
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) October 6, 2019
Zlatan makes it look easy. #HOUvLA // #DecisionDay by @ATT pic.twitter.com/FTXSNRfgoN
Goal! Philadelphia Union vs New York City FC
Another goal in Decision Day! NYCFC get on the board first against the Union!
We not quitters, we about our business 🗽
— New York City FC (@NYCFC) October 6, 2019
⚽️ @MatarritaRonald | #NYCFC pic.twitter.com/734AVIcq9n
Goal! Orlando City SC vs Chicago Fire
Orlando City SC open the scoring in their match! 1-0!
5' | GOAL! @Tesho13 bags his 10th goal of the year and that's @AlmightBenji's first career assist!
— Orlando City SC (@OrlandoCitySC) October 6, 2019
1-0 | #ORLvCHI pic.twitter.com/Igv0YKt8nD
Nagbe goal vs Revolution
First goal of #DecisionDay by @ATT goes to @ATLUTD! 💥
Gressel connects with Nagbe for the opener. #ATLvNE pic.twitter.com/fGonDuYWeQ — Major League Soccer (@MLS) October 6, 2019
Goal! Atlanta United vs New England Revolution
The Five Stripes open up Decision Day with a goal in the third minute of play! Goal scored by Darlington Nagbe!
3' | GOOOOOAL!
— Atlanta United FC (@ATLUTD) October 6, 2019
Starting HOT here in the ATL#ATLUTD 1-0 @NERevolution pic.twitter.com/Wsj1o6lE7A
Let's try this again... KICKOFF! MLS Decision Day is underway!
CHANGE!
The Philadelphia Union has announced a roster change just before kickoff. Fafa Picault has replaced Kacper Przybylko for today.
LINEUP CHANGE: Fafa Picault has been added to the starting XI as Kacper Przybylko is out with a left foot injury. Matt Real has been added to the match day 18.#DOOP | #PHIvNYC pic.twitter.com/gCM9GdFQaG
— X - Philadelphia Union (@PhilaUnion) October 6, 2019
Welcome home Ozzie!
The Seattle Sounders held a pre-match ceremony for former captain and player Ozzie Alonso, ahead of their match against Minnesota United.
🖤💙🖤💙🖤💙🖤💙🖤💙#MNUFC | @OzzieAlonso pic.twitter.com/fiQlaDscvp
— Minnesota United FC (@MNUFC) October 6, 2019
Kickoff
There has been a change in game time. All matches will kickoff at 4:25 pm EST.
Kickoff!
Here we go! Kickoffs are getting underway, and it's time for 2019 MLS Decision Day!
Portland Timbers vs San Jose Earthquakes Lineups
The Timbers are without Valeri yet again. Here is how they will roster today.
San Jose Earthquakes rosterOur #DecisionDay Starting XI.#PORvSJ | #RCTID pic.twitter.com/bLY1NLi2Ew
— Portland Timbers (@TimbersFC) October 6, 2019
LFG.#VamosSJ | #DecisionDay pic.twitter.com/uSWAte9y1K
— San Jose Earthquakes (@SJEarthquakes) October 6, 2019
Five Stripes Ready!
The Five Stripes are ready for action!
Decision Day in the 🅰️#ATLvNE // #DecisionDay by @att pic.twitter.com/BZNyhdBrZY
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) October 6, 2019
Just a little over 10 minutes until kickoffs! What game are you most looking forward too?
Minnesota United FC vs Seattle Sounders FC Lineups
Minnesota United FC Lineup
Now with Darwin instead of Molino... Whoops pic.twitter.com/CEakHULhUY
— Minnesota United FC (@MNUFC) October 6, 2019
Seattle Sounders FC Lineup
Here is your @Delta Starting XI for today's match against @MNUFC! 💚#SEAvMIN | #SoundersMatchday
— Seattle Sounders FC (@SoundersFC) October 6, 2019
➡️ https://t.co/26d1fzAMtO pic.twitter.com/jEVVgP2P3O
DC United vs FC Cincy: Lineups
DC United roster:
Starting XI for the 𝓡𝓮𝓰𝓾𝓵𝓪𝓻 𝓢𝓮𝓪𝓼𝓸𝓷 𝓕𝓲𝓷𝓪𝓵𝓮 pic.twitter.com/TxRoTqoQdP
— D.C. United (@dcunited) October 6, 2019
FC Cincinnati roster:
Your #FCCincy starting roster for today’s match.
— FC Cincinnati (@fccincinnati) October 6, 2019
Lineup Notes: https://t.co/aGrSTlg3q5#IgniteUnite #DCvCIN pic.twitter.com/nL966Qh8jc
Toronto vs Columbus: Lineups
Columbus Crew roster:
Today's Starting XI vs. @TorontoFC #Crew96 | #TORvCLB pic.twitter.com/S3jlX9RhBy
— Columbus Crew SC (@ColumbusCrewSC) October 6, 2019
Toronto roster:
Today's Starting Xl vs. @ColumbusCrewSC #TFCLive | #TORvCLB | #DecisionDay pic.twitter.com/IWuMrbTbuu
— Toronto FC (@TorontoFC) October 6, 2019
Lineups for all matches will be confirmed shortly.
Ahead of Decision Day, some relevant pre-match reading for Minnesota fans. Seeding is still up for grabs, but the Loons know they’ll be playing some bonus ball.
Seattle Sounders vs Minnesota United FC
CenturyLink Field is ready for a big Decision Day.
Our coverage begins!
We are less than one hour away from this MLS season's Decision Day!
You don't want to miss this!
Stay tuned to VAVEL USA as I will be providing LIVE match updates from all 2019 MLS Decision Days games.You can also interact with me on Twitter by follwing me: @MRTylerF
Vancouver Whitecaps vs Real Salt Lake
Finally, we cap off game previews with Vancouver Whitecaps hosting Real Salt Lake. RSL is looking to clinch a playoff berth, while the Caps’ are just there to have fun. Salt Lake won the previous meeting 1-0 back on March 9 of this year.
Seattle Sounders vs Minnesota United FC
It’s going to be an emotional day for Ozzie Alonso as the Minnesota United captain makes a return to his former club. Both of these teams are fighting for second place in the Western Conference, and with both clubs having 53 points each, the stakes in this game are high and expectations are raised.
Portland Timbers vs San Jose Earthquakes
When the Portland Timbers and San Jose Earthquakes kick off, one of these two teams will secure a playoff berth. Currently, the Timbers sit in sixth place, with 46 points. Anything can happen, and San Jose is looking to get the season sweep of the Timbers, after defeating them 3-0 earlier in the year.
Los Angeles Football Club vs Colorado Rapids
The 2019 MLS Supporter’s Shield winners Los Angeles Football Club (LAFC) will host the Colorado Rapids. This game has been circled on LAFC fans calendars since their 1-0 loss to the Rapids back in June. LAFC is also looking to set a new record with most points in a season. Last year, the Red Bulls set the record with 71. With a win, LAFC can break that record.
Houston Dynamo vs LA Galaxy
The 11-18-4 Houston Dynamo are looking for revenge against the LA Galaxy. Zlatan and company defeated Houston 2-1 earlier in the year, and with a 2-1 loss to Real Salt Lake still settling in, this should give momentum for Houston to win or draw. The Galaxy are also coming into this match after losing 4-3 at home to the Vancouver Whitecaps. The G’s currently sit in fourth place and have secured a playoff berth.
FC Dallas vs Sporting Kansas City
FC Dallas faces off against Sporting KC in the final matchup of the season. Dallas is looking to be one of four teams that secure one of the final two playoff spots. They currently sit in seventh place, and come into this match with a huge loss under their belt to the Colorado Rapids. For SKC, they have been eliminated from playoff contention, but are looking to spoil the hopeful FC Dallas club.
Match Previews - Western Conference
Now, let’s take a look at the Western Conference where all but two spots are clinched.
Toronto FC vs Columbus Crew SC
The second leg of the Trillium Cup comes into play. Columbus versus Toronto. The Reds are coming into this matchup hoping to move up into fourth place and earn a home playoff game with a win over rivals Columbus Crew SC. As for the Black & Gold, the Crew defeated the Philadelphia Union by a 2-0 scoreline and missed out on the playoffs. A rebuilding year that went somewhat good, they now turn their focus to next year.
Philadelphia Union vs New York City FC
The red hot Philadelphia Union are ending their season with a matchup against NYCFC. They are also in contention for locking up the second seed in the conference, whereas NYCFC are already guaranteed a first round bye. NYCFC defeated the Union 4-2 in their first meeting earlier in the year.
Orlando City vs Chicago Fire
Both Orlando City and Chicago Fire have been eliminated from playoff contention. Both teams are looking to end their season on a high note when they meet for one final time at Exploria Stadium. The last time these two teams met, both clubs played to a 1-1 draw in what would be Orlando’s last visit to Bridgeview.
Montreal Impact vs New York Red Bull
The Montreal Impact host RBNY. As mentioned before, the Impact drew against Atlanta 1-1, and the Red Bulls drew 0-0 against D.C. United. Montreal have missed out on this years playoffs, heading into this matchup with a 11-17-5 record. As for the Red Bulls, they currently sit in fifth place with a 14-13-6 record. The first meeting saw the Impact defeat the Red Bulls 2-1.
D.C. United vs FC Cincinnati
D.C. United host 2019 Wooden Spoon winners FC Cincinnati. United are hoping that with a win, they can seal a home game in the playoffs. Sitting at 13-10-10, the Black and Red are hopeful that the mission can be accomplished, after playing to a 0-0 draw against rivals New York Red Bulls. As for FCC, well they’re just lucky to be in the league.
Atlanta United vs New England Revolution
Atlanta United will play host to the New England Revolution. The Five Stripes are coming into this matchup after earning a 1-1 draw against the Montreal Impact. Atlanta United are currently 17-12-4 and looking to lock down second place in the East. As for the Revolution, this is their first playoff berth since 2015 after defeating NYCFC 2-0 at home last Sunday. In the previous meeting, Atlanta won 2-0.
Match Previews - Eastern Conference
Let’s take a look at the games being played in the Eastern Conference. The seven teams have been identified, now all that’s left to worry about is seeding. What we know already is that New York City FC have locked down first place, giving them a first round bye.
The date for the playoffs has also been pushed back. Instead of starting in late October, or the beginning of November, this year the playoffs will start on October 19 and culminate with MLS Cup Final on November 10.
Teams that do not receive a first round bye have one night to make a statement. In this do-or-die scenario, it’s more common to see the more experienced teams advance. But there have been some surprises, and this can only mean that we are in for more.
So why does the new format matter?
The league upped the teams from 12, to 14, meaning the top seven from each conference will clinch a spot in the playoffs. The top seed from the West and East will receive a first round bye, as opposed from the top two like last year. All games will be single-elimination, with the higher seed hosting. This sees the two-legged series gone forever. Will we see it return, who knows?
New playoff format
The playoff format has switched up on us. Here is a breakdown of how the playoffs will work.
All games are scheduled to kick-off at 4pm EST. For this LIVE event, we will be paying attention to all games being played.
Welcome!
Hello, and welcome to VAVEL USA’s coverage of the 2019 MLS Regular season. Today is a special kind of day. As the conclusion of the 2019 MLS season comes to an end, this LIVE event will cover Decision Day. My name is Tyler Fisher and I will be providing you live analysis, commentary and score updates as they become available!