Red Bulls vs Charlotte FC clinch headed first game to Audi MLS Payoffs
The New York Red Bulls are headed to the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs for a league-record 14th straight season and Charlotte FC have qualified for the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs for the first time in club history. The Red Bulls picked up a late 1-0 win against Nashville, while Charlotte held onto a 1-0 win against Inter Miami.
FC Dallas, Sporting KC and San Jose clinch playoff spots in the West
Sporting KC (No. 8) will now host No. 9-seed San Jose Earthquakes in Wednesday’s single-elimination Wild Card game (9:30 pm ET | MLS Season Pass) for the right to face top-seeded St. Louis CITY SC in a Round One Best-of-3 series. FC Dallas are the Western Conference’s No. 7 seed and will meet No. 2 Seattle Sounders FC in a Round One Best-of-3 series.
Martínez won’t return to Inter Miami for 2024 season
Josef Martínez did not take part in Inter Miami CF’s season finale and afterward, head coach Gerardo “Tata” Martino confirmed the Venezuelan’s time with the Herons is almost certainly over.
Vancouver sign Sartini to contract extension
Vancouver Whitecaps FC have signed head coach Vanni Sartini to a two-year contract extension through the 2025 MLS season. Sartini has guided Vancouver to the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs in two of the past three seasons (2021, ‘23) since taking over the first team.
2023 MLS NEXT Pro Cup Cup today
The 2023 MLS NEXT Pro Cup will stream exclusively on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV. The action is set to kick off at 5 pm ET. Columbus Crew II will face Austin FC II. Here’s everything you need to know.
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The Recap
We’ll go ahead and lay it out from the jump before we talk about how we got there. Your playoff matchups…
EASTERN CONFERENCE
(1) FC Cincinnati vs. Winner of (8) New York Red Bulls vs. (9) Charlotte FC
(2) Orlando City SC vs. (7) Nashville SC
(3) Columbus Crew vs. (6) Atlanta United
(4) Philadelphia Union vs. (5) New England Revolution
WESTERN CONFERENCE
(1) St. Louis CITY SC vs Winner of (8) Sporting Kansas City vs. (9) San Jose Earthquakes
(2) Seattle Sounders FC vs. (7) FC Dallas
(3) LAFC vs. (6) Vancouver Whitecaps FC
(4) Houston Dynamo FC vs. (5) Real Salt Lake
There you have it. Playoffs start this week. Let’s talk it out.
