We’re diving into all of the Round One results from the MLS playoffs here at Backheeled, and while nothing here will surprise you as much as the New York Red Bulls’ win over Columbus Crew, you should still keep reading. I’m digging into each Eastern Conference playoff team.
To read up on the West, check out Joe’s rundown.
Joseph Lowery
Inter Miami
Result: 2-1 win vs. Atlanta United
After opening the scoring just under two minutes into their Round One opener against Atlanta, it looked like the Herons were going to completely run away with things. Luis Suárez’s strike in the second minute came after a sloppy giveaway from Bartosz Slisz. Jordi Alba pounced, Diego Gomez and Suarez exchanged a quick pass, and the ball was in the back of the net in the blink of an eye.
It looked like the start of a very long night for Atlanta. It certainly was for Brad Guzan (more on him in a bit). Barring one of the all-time great goalkeeping performances in MLS history, Miami would have cruised to a huge win. They were dominant.
Looking at the scoreline alone may give Miami fans a false sense of consternation heading into the second leg.
I’m here to put those fears to rest. This was a historically one-sided performance. To give you some context, I checked American Soccer Analysis’ database, something I do at a probably unhealthy frequency. Miami’s +2.44 expected goal differential is the fifth-biggest single-game gap they have in their database, which goes back through the 2013 season.
There haven’t been many more one-sided playoff matches in MLS, and the fact that the scoreline stayed as close as it did is a minor miracle.
Fortunately for the Herons, Jordi Alba delivered their salvation.
JORDI ALBA FOR THE LEAD 🔥@InterMiamiCF // Audi #MLSCupPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/1TexkMpTM3
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) October 26, 2024
In a match where Atlanta’s goal seemed to be protected by some sort of magic charm, Alba’s moment of magic was the difference. But while it took a highlight-reel golazo to break the deadlock, Miami should go into the second leg brimming with confidence in Tata Martino’s 3-5-2 shape. If they manage to create half the chances they did against Atlanta in any match going forward, they’ll win comfortably.
The night wasn’t all good news for Miami. 22-year-old Ian Fray, finally back and playing after his third ACL tear in three years, hobbled off the pitch with a knee injury, and the immediate concern was that he’d done his ACL a fourth time. Fortunately, scans revealed that Fray avoided another ACL injury, instead injuring his meniscus. It’s still a disappointing turn for Fray, who will miss the rest of the 2024 season, but it’s not nearly as severe as an ACL would be.
He should be back early in 2025.
Columbus Crew
Result: 1-0 loss vs. New York Red Bulls
I tried to rank the likelihood of upsets in each Round One matchup going into these games, and to be honest, I never even thought of the possibility of the Crew getting knocked out by the Red Bulls. It seemed like an afterthought that they’d cruise through and advance to the conference semifinals.
It’s not an afterthought now — they’ll play a must-win game in Harrison, NJ on Sunday in hopes of keeping their season alive.
The Crew struggled against a press from the Red Bulls, but they still controlled the flow of the game, Eventually, most of the match looked like this, trying to break down 10 men behind the ball with next to no space in which to operate:
It’s not a bad strategy for beating the Crew.
