We are now down to four teams in the MLS Cup playoffs.
In the Western Conference final, two sides with plenty of MLS history face each other as the LA Galaxy will host the Seattle Sounders with seven MLS Cups combined between the two teams. It has been a bit since the Galaxy were able to claim the honor of being the best in the entire league (2014), while the Sounders’ wait is coming up on five years, with both keen to add another trophy to their cabinets.
However, in the Eastern Conference final, surprise package Orlando City will face the New York Red Bulls, with the Florida club hoping to continue its incredible journey toward its first MLS Cup final appearance. Meanwhile, the Red Bulls are hungry for a first MLS Cup title after falling short back in the 2008 showpiece event.
Who will play in MLS Cup? What’s our ideal matchup? Which team’s fan base most deserves a title? ESPN’s experts weigh in on how the conference finals will play out.
LA or Seattle: Who will win the West?
Jeff Carlisle: At this stage, it’s hard to bet against the Galaxy, who have been laying waste to their opponents in the postseason with a warp-speed attack. Riqui Puig and Gabriel Pec have been electric, and the team’s postseason goal differential is a whopping 15 goals to three. Yet Seattle is a formidable opponent, given its stingy defense and timely scoring. The two sides went 1-1-1 in their previous meetings (including Leagues Cup), but with the Galaxy playing at home and Seattle a bit dinged up, I think LA just shades it.
Cesar Hernandez: Did you see the Galaxy on Sunday against Minnesota United? The attack was playing as if statue spots were up for grabs alongside the likes of David Beckham and Landon Donovan outside of Dignity Health Sports Park. The six-goal performance and 15 overall goals in three playoff games this season aren’t a flash in the pan, either. The decisiveness seen from the front line, along with the dynamic Puig in support, is par for the course for the team that led MLS in the regular season in xG and shots on target.
Lizzy Becherano: Despite the Sounders’ impressive run throughout the 2024 MLS playoffs, the Galaxy will emerge as the winners of the West. Pec, this season’s Newcomer of the Year, has been a phenomenal addition to the team, connecting perfectly with Puig and Dejan Joveljic to make the Galaxy a true title contender. The No. 2 seed has scored 15 goals in the past three games, and they don’t look to be slowing down.
Ryan Rosenblatt: The Galaxy might have the best five attacking players in this game. They are undefeated at Dignity Health Sports Park this season and have won their three playoff games by a combined score of 15-3. If someone was going to knock them off, you’d bet on a Brian Schmetzer-coached team, but this one still screams LA. All gas, no brakes, and the Galaxy end up playing for their sixth MLS Cup.
Joseph Lowery: With 15 goals in their past three games, the Galaxy might be unstoppable. Up against the Sounders — who happen to have the best defense in MLS based on goals and xG allowed — in the Western Conference final, this weekend won’t be a walk in the park. But with the Galaxy’s blend of possession quality and transition threat, it’s hard to see the Sounders keeping pace.
Megan Swanick: At this stage, anything can happen. The Galaxy’s defense could get exposed. Their defending has vastly improved from last year and goalkeeper John McCarthy has been solid, with the sixth-highest save percentage in MLS, but they still conceded 50 goals in the regular season — more than any top-eight team in the Supporters’ Shield standings. For comparison, Seattle conceded 35 regular-season goals. That’s the fewest in the entire league. Seattle’s strong team defending and goalkeeper Stefan Frei‘s big-game reputation could thwart the Galaxy’s wicked attacking lines, but the Galaxy just have so much quality delivering when it counts this postseason that they will prevail in the end.
